Defoliate Cannabis Plants To Improve Yield
TruLite LED Sends Nearly $20M in Project Bids for LED Grow Lights in 90 Days
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By Mathew On September 11, 2013 · 5 Comments
Take what you think you know about LED Grow Lights and throw it out the window. You may have heard that they are decent for vegetative growth but fall short on flowering, that they are too expensive, and that they don’t work. You may have even tried them and were disappointed. But that just isn’t the case now – at least not with the company we are introducing to you today.
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LED Grow Lights have come a long way in the last few years. What once were overhyped Christmas lights, are now high powered bud producing machines with laser-like intensity and yields that can outpace that of traditional HID lighting. And they make economic sense – most growers see a positive return on investment in about 12 months and they can last for over 5 years. Gone are the days of marketing gimmicks and infomercials masquerading as genuine grow results. No more do you have to put up with horrible customer service or the shady histories of the owners of the company. And you won’t be tricked into buying a 357 watt light only to find out it really only puts out 165 watts.
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TruLite LED has changed the industry through truth-in-advertising, integrity, and a product line that does exactly what they say it can do – grow mountains of high-grade cannabis. Customer service is top-notch, friendly, and most importantly – knowledgeable in growing everything from cannabis to cucumbers. They stand behind their products and will assist all growers from seed to harvest to ensure you get the results you deserve. This is why TruLite LED should get that coveted place in your grow room. Also, take a minute to check out recent press about us.
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Now that you know TruLite LED delivers the best LED Grow Light available, here are some simple but crucial steps to follow to be sure your yields are bountiful. Those of you that are used to growing with HID lighting need to pay special attention here because growing with LED is a little different. The entire point to growing indoors is to have 100% control of all environmental factors – lighting, nutrients, temperature, humidity, soil or hydroponic conditions, and air exchange. What we need to do is create an environment that is optimum for plant growth and bud development. This means that we need to match what a plant needs for peak transpiration – the intake and assimilation of water and nutrients for a plant to grow.
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These two factors are closely related and have a dramatic affect on how a plant transpires. Typical HID growers will have room temperatures of about 75 degrees F and relative humidity from 65-80%. The reason this works for HID growers is because the massive heat output from the lights creates a micro-environment at the plant level that matches proper transpiration conditions.
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But this will not work with LED! The reason is that LED Grow Lights do not put out the incredible heat that HID lighting does. So, we must compensate for this and give the plants exactly what they need. When growing cannabis under LED, temperature must be between 80-85 degrees and humidity at 40-45%. These are the ideal conditions for cannabis transpiration that will have a dramatic effect on plant growth and bud development.
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The choice to go with soil or hydroponics is a personal decision, however, here are some recommendations to be sure you get the best results under LEDs. If growing in soil, you must be sure the mixture is well-aerated. A vast majority of nutrient issues and poor yields can be traced back to soil problems right from the start. If your soil mixture is not capable of proper draining, your roots become water-logged and root rot is sure to follow. This is most prevalent in organic mixtures – they compact too much and, because LEDs do not dry out the soil as HID lights do, it is easy to over water your plants. A peat-based grow medium is recommended. Products such as Fafard, Sunshine Mix #4, and Pro-Mix are a great place to start. To this, it is recommended to add 4050% perlite to the medium. This ensures proper drainage and allows plenty of oxygen to the root system. If you choose to use an organic soil, up the perlite to 50% and you shouldn’t have any problems. You will know that it is time to water your plants when the first 2-3 inches of the soil is dry or the plant looks “thirsty” with slightly droopy leaves. Give a thorough soaking and allow the water to run out of the bottom of the pots to ensure aggressive root growth all the way to the bottom. If you plan to grow your plants hydroponically, there is one crucial step to take to ensure success with TruLite LED Grow lights. As stated earlier, room temperature of 80-85 degrees is ideal for plant transpiration. However, hydroponic reservoir temperatures must be kept below 70 degrees. Even if using an aerator in your reservoir, water is not able to hold onto enough oxygen if its temperature is over 70 degrees. The result is that your roots will suffer as will your yield! So you have two options – either keep the reservoir outside of the grow space in cooler temperatures or you need to use a water chiller. Ideal temperatures for water are 65-68 degrees.
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Many would-be growers come to me saying how they have everything planned out for their UBER-GARDEN so they can grow 20lbs of dank in just 30 days…or something along those lines. One of the biggest mistakes I see growers make is having a completely sealed grow space. An enclosed room – one that gets no air exchange – can grow plants but you will be sacrificing yield in the process! To ensure the best yields, it is imperative that the air is exchanged 2-4 times per hour. Even if supplementing with CO2, your plants CRAVE fresh air and if you allow the air to become stagnant, your plants (and yield) will suffer. Pick up an exhaust fan that is capable of providing enough fresh air for your plants. Feel free to ask us about how to properly size your fan for whatever grow space you have. Also – don’t forget to have a circulation fan inside the grow space to keep the air flowing through the canopy and stems. Not only does this strengthen your plants (they will need it for the massive buds they will produce for you) but it will ward off mold and fungal growth.
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In general, stick to the recommendations for light height as shown for each product. Proper light height depends a bit on the wattage of light you are using but is critical during vegetative and flowering stages. Too much light intensity on a seedling can overwhelm the plant and kill it while too little light during flowering can result in light, airy buds. Vegetative stage plants need the light at 14-18 inches above the canopy while flowering plants need the light lowered to 10-14 inches. The key to flowering with LEDs is timing. When you switch from a vegetative light cycle of 18 hours on and 6 hours off to the flowering cycle of 12 on and 12 off, you need to WAIT before you lower the light. Wait for a couple of days until you see genuine bud formation before you drop the light. Lowering the light too soon can stunt bud development and negatively affect yield. Once you see flowers, it is safe to drop the light to 10-14 inches.
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As we wrap up this section on growing cannabis with LED Grow Lights, I would like to take a minute to point out a seldom considered fact. Heat degrades THC. Many people know this but don’t realize the effect that your lighting can have on the potency of your final product. When growing with HID lights, your plants are bombarded with intense heat which can have a direct impact on the quality of your harvest. Because LED grow lights are inherently much cooler running, plants do not experience heat degradation and tests have shown that bud grown under LED can score higher THC levels than the same strain grown under HID. This is something to seriously consider when deciding on lighting for your grow room. The bottom line is that LED Grow Lights are the one of the best methods for indoor cultivation. Low energy costs, no heat signature to speak of, long lifespan, and they grow big buds. Follow this outline and you can become part of the new generation of Solid State (LED) growers. For information contact the team at # 1-800-850-5131 or hit us up here – Contact.
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The Pie-eyed Piper says: September 15, 2013 at 2:12 pm
I have been running indoor hydro systems since 2004. I’ve tested bucket hydro systems, tables, single tubs, ect. We compared T-5′s, LED’s and 1000 watt hps system. Running high heat and humidity tests was not a problem for the LED test….. some folks may not be so pleased with trying to maintain a LED setup in the winter months. Ounce for ounce, gram for gram, as always, the 1000 watt hps yielded more than any other lighting system (havent tried plasmas). The LED system was lucky enough to get my highest yielder, plushberry, but only managed .5 grams/watt. T-5′s came in last and I’m guessing would have surpassed the LED in yield if it were not for root-rot. Potency goes to the 1000 watt hps as well. LED technology has come a long way but has a few years yet to come if it thinks its going to rule the top stop in the grow light world, but they are no good for flowering cannabis at this time. Donot be afraid to use LED in veg though. In veg LED’s seem to have always excelled, especially on a light mover. A 300 watt led on a rail can do an area 5ft long and 3ft long. My best 3x6ft veg table had 2 300 watt led’s and did well. With proper setups, cooling, space size, and even co2 nothing but the sun excels against an HID. River Valley Caregivers Dixfield Maine
Russell says: September 27, 2013 at 2:09 am
Pie eyed -
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Comments received, and that is how we felt till 3 years ago when we started building our own light. The 400watt Master Grow was built to compete with the 1000watt HPS and it is an awesome light…I don’t know what light your were using, but our growers are seeing big thick juicy buds with higher THC content..The opposite of what you are saying,,,you were dealing with outdated weak technology, welcome to the new world. TruLite sets the standard and has a dozen other reasons than using to hot, inefficient, cumbersome HPS. You need to try again, that is an old song. And LED requires tweaks in humidity, plant distance, temperature which has dramatic effects on bud development… One of the largest growers in Canada in doing tests now and getting amazing results. Have a great day.. Russell
magadan says: February 3, 2014 at 3:15 pm
pleaseee ) These lamps are good for me? [Ebay link removed - 40w 352 chip LED Grow Light]
Mathew says: February 3, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Magadan – Absolutely not. The diodes have zero intensity and do not target ANY photosynthetic compounds…these lights are what give LED Grow Lights a bad name! Check out our TLM25 for a small light option. Cheers! Mathew
Guy Fox says: February 13, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Noted comment about DON’T move lights when you flip-em …. Rather let the girls adjust to their new schedule and then ask for some growth by lowering the light a few inches ….. I’m always trying to get even “more better”, which has me thinking, lights slowly lowered to optimum height would do even better ….. Or to say another way, even the lowering of the lights should come gradually verses all at once …… If anyone has experience / knowledge, would appreciate an answer …… To all concerned about my well being: I have NO marijuana plants nor do I plan in having any in the future, I am just seeking knowledge …. Thanks for sharing and making me smarter!
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