“Let there be light! And there was light.” Yeah, we know you’ve developed a complex about becoming an all-knowing cannabis grower, but there’s always something new to learn. After all, not even the veteran growers know all the facts.
Growing under LED lights like California Lightworks has only been around since the 1980s. And even back then, literal rocket scientists (AKA: NASA) were tinkering with the lights.
What are the benefits of spectrum control using LED lights for your cannabis? Well, before we steamroll into the belly of that topic, let’s break down some fundamental facts and questions.
What is a light spectrum?
White light splits into the seven colours in the rainbow, which is known as the light spectrum. These spectra are measured in wavelengths and measured in nanometers.
Also, you’ll know about these spectra from just living life, as there are gamma rays (not Hulk making stuff), X-rays (don’t worry, not going to make you radioactive), UV-rays (the reason why you put on sunblock), infrared (the TV remote light), and many more. But generally, these are all combined into the full spectrum, or as us “normies” call it: light.
So, the question you’ll be asking now, “But plants like all kinds of light, right?”
Yes, but some of these spectra do encourage special reactions. Think of how we breathe air. Air isn’t just one compound, it’s made up of many gases.
Just so you know, 78% of air is Nitrogen, 20% is Oxygen, Argon gases make up 0.90%, then there’s a general list of randoms in the Other gases section, which make up 0.17%, and finally, Carbon dioxide is the last 0.03%. As humans, (assuming you’re a Homosapien reading this) we only really use the oxygen in the air.
Anyway!
Enough of this sidetracking, here are the benefits of spectrum control for Cannabis.
Maximise Your Oil Content
Yes, you can programme light spectra to enhance your plant’s production of THC and CBD. This will require sticking to a strict schedule during the veg, pre-flowering, flowering, and ripening stages.
More Fragrance
If you consider yourself to be a cannabis sommelier, you care about the overall product taste and smell. Tinkering with the light spectra can improve on this. Is there any better compliment to receive than your crop having an unforgettable fragrance?
Get More Bud
To achieve the best results, here you’ll need to vary the spectrum all the way through the grow and you will need a Hybrid Spectrum LED system, like the California Lightworks SolarSystems.
At the end of the day, the science with spectrum light control is still not exactly concrete, with loads of room for experimenting. We’ve been playing around with the lights for a while and have some amazing tips to share, so please don’t hesitate to contact or visit us in-store with all your light-related questions.
Want to see a map of how to get to our store? Check it out here!
Words By: Andrew Macfarlane, budding horticulturist, and veteran writer.
Zootly Says: “And then there was light… Can we quote another book ANDREW! GOSH!”
