Hi guys,
Do you have any suggestion for good grow light brands? The only one I know is Mars Hydro which seems good. I also see a lot of chinese unbranded grow lights which cost half or one fourth the price of branded grow lights. Anyone tried these cheap Led lights?
Also what criteria do you use to select grow lights? The online shops lack description. Some have watts, some don't say how many lumens, some have more pieces of Led. I assume the more Watts and the more Led bulb it has, the better.
Reputable grow light brands?
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EdekaReweAldiLidl
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Tue May 21, 2019 2:09 am
Re: Reputable grow light brands?
Found this on the Web. Cacti and Succulents are high light intensity plants so see number 7 in link below for intensity per square foot:-
https://www.maximumyield.com/10-things- ... hts/2/3202
Remember plants are used to light and dark periods therefore do not grow 24hrs a day under light in nature. Therefore unless you want to keep switching on and off yourself you really need a cheap simple timer plug on your lighting set up to switch the lights off for their required dark period. In fact scientists have now found that it is the length of the dark period in short day plants that is more important than the light period.
"A rule of thumb is to leave grow lights turned on for about 16 hours per day, giving plants eight hours of "rest." Most plants benefit by having some time with the lights turned off so they can "rest"; during this time they use some of the energy they captured during the day to fuel growth. Certain plants require specific periods of daily darkness to initiate flower buds and trigger other growth patterns."
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/how-to ... /5020.html
https://www.maximumyield.com/10-things- ... hts/2/3202
Remember plants are used to light and dark periods therefore do not grow 24hrs a day under light in nature. Therefore unless you want to keep switching on and off yourself you really need a cheap simple timer plug on your lighting set up to switch the lights off for their required dark period. In fact scientists have now found that it is the length of the dark period in short day plants that is more important than the light period.
"A rule of thumb is to leave grow lights turned on for about 16 hours per day, giving plants eight hours of "rest." Most plants benefit by having some time with the lights turned off so they can "rest"; during this time they use some of the energy they captured during the day to fuel growth. Certain plants require specific periods of daily darkness to initiate flower buds and trigger other growth patterns."
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/how-to ... /5020.html
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EdekaReweAldiLidl
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Tue May 21, 2019 2:09 am
Re: Reputable grow light brands?
Hi DaveW,
Thanks for this link. It certainly helped me narrow down my selection. Unfortunately, I'm out of luck. The only LED lights available here are unbranded chinese grow lights. The online shops do sell "Mars Hydro" but I checked the photos and compared it to the models in the actual Mars Hydro website and they don't match at all, so the shops are selling knock off Mars Hydro grow lights. I went through what available grow lights are in offer and the best that I can find is the CASTNOO 800W/1000W/2000W grow lights. At least CASTNOO has a website and they sell other lighting products. The other products don't have a brand, have a fishy website, or have incomplete specifications.
Thanks for this link. It certainly helped me narrow down my selection. Unfortunately, I'm out of luck. The only LED lights available here are unbranded chinese grow lights. The online shops do sell "Mars Hydro" but I checked the photos and compared it to the models in the actual Mars Hydro website and they don't match at all, so the shops are selling knock off Mars Hydro grow lights. I went through what available grow lights are in offer and the best that I can find is the CASTNOO 800W/1000W/2000W grow lights. At least CASTNOO has a website and they sell other lighting products. The other products don't have a brand, have a fishy website, or have incomplete specifications.
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Pereskiopsisdotcom
- Posts: 248
- Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:09 pm
- Location: Ottawa - Canada
- Contact:
Re: Reputable grow light brands?
The Mars Hydro 300 design is replicated all over the world and it's not necessarily the pinnacle of grow lights. I've found it to be good for small to medium cacti and succulents and in some cases too powerful for seedlings. Most cannabis growers find it satisfactory for veg and abysmal for flowering. Any of the replications are more or less the same and I believe 99% of them (including Mars Hydro) are made in China though I cannot confirm that. One that I've liked is called Meizhi. It has separate buttons for flower/veg/both, is an attractive blue colour and can be daisy chained. Most of these models range from $75 - $150 and will work just fine. I would avoid the $25-50 lights that look and feel really light.
On the whole you have to be concerned about fire and electrical safety on these models first and foremost. After that consider the sound and light. I never thought about it but when the fans are going to cool these (the fans must be on while the lights are on) it gets pretty loud especially if you grow at night like I do. The light also makes it look like an alien invasion is taking place. It makes it hard to see the growth.
Right now I'm using mostly Agrobrite T5HO lights. They're a bit more expensive up front, the electricity cost is a bit more, but they are more reliable on the whole. You can select a North American or European made model with safety standards met. Bulbs can be replaced (even with LED bulbs). Your specimens can be viewed in a more natural light. And they are much more forgiving to seedlings and epiphytic cacti. I also think they're attractive models, feel well built and are not flimsy.
On the whole you have to be concerned about fire and electrical safety on these models first and foremost. After that consider the sound and light. I never thought about it but when the fans are going to cool these (the fans must be on while the lights are on) it gets pretty loud especially if you grow at night like I do. The light also makes it look like an alien invasion is taking place. It makes it hard to see the growth.
Right now I'm using mostly Agrobrite T5HO lights. They're a bit more expensive up front, the electricity cost is a bit more, but they are more reliable on the whole. You can select a North American or European made model with safety standards met. Bulbs can be replaced (even with LED bulbs). Your specimens can be viewed in a more natural light. And they are much more forgiving to seedlings and epiphytic cacti. I also think they're attractive models, feel well built and are not flimsy.
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EdekaReweAldiLidl
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Tue May 21, 2019 2:09 am
Re: Reputable grow light brands?
Thanks! You have a point there. The chinese fake Mars Hydro is more or less the same thing as an actual Mars Hydro. I did watch some of the reviews on youtube and I got scared when someone posted that their grow light burned because the fan stopped working. I bought one already and the model looks like it has an adequate fan.