Marijuana cultivation methodology has advanced substantially in the last several years as more states adopt medical and recreational programs within the law. This boom in sanctioned cultivation has brought specialized technologies, like advanced LED grow lights, into the foreground for critique and improvement. At SpecGrade LED, we have been perfecting the engineering and technology of next generation LED lights for over 15 years, and are proud to bring our expertise in this arena to the world of indoor cannabis cultivation. With more than 30 years of experience in producing LED lighting systems for commercial and industrial facilities, SpecGrade has crafted LED grow light systems for cannabis cultivation that reduce energy consumption, decrease the impact on HVAC systems, and lower maintenance costs while optimizing crop yield and quality for every type of growing facility.

Part of our quest to perfect LED grow lights has been to partner with horticulture experts to fine tune the variables for a successful harvest. Cannabis plants will grow best when they are raised in an environment where all variables are controlled and optimized, which includes the intensity, duration, and spectrum of the photosynthetic light source, among other important environmental factors.

The Elements of a Successful Cannabis Harvest

Temperature:  Cannabis grows best when the growing environment is maintained around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional high intensity discharge (HID) grow lighting systems operate at very high physical temperatures and require grow facilities to utilize more complex HVAC systems to reduce the resulting heat. In contrast, SpecGrade’s LED grow lights operate at much lower physical temperatures, which gives a facility manager better control over the temperature of the facility’s growing environment and reduces the energy consumption costs associated with a large scale grow operation.

Humidity: Cannabis grows best when relative humidity levels are maintained at higher levels (e.g. 65 to 70%) during the plants’ seedling phase. That level should be reduced to 50% during the bulk of the growing cycle, with greater reductions during the two weeks prior to harvest in order to avoid problems with mold infestation. However, humid environments can affect the quality and lifespan of an electrical lighting system. SpecGrade grow fixtures are built and rated to withstand high humidity levels with minimal performance degradation over time. Growing facilities that use OpticPAR fixtures will experience less down time and fewer interruptions for lighting repair and maintenance.

Light Exposure: The standard strategy for indoor cannabis cultivation has been to erect lighting fixtures approximately 18 inches above the plant canopy. It is also commonly advised to maintain trellises and other physical structures to support the leafy growth at the top of the plant and to expose more of the leaf growth at the bottoms of the plant to the lighting. Our OptiPAR™ Technology offers a variety of optics that disperse the light more effectively across the entire plant structure. Growers that use OpticPAR’s fixture will see more uniform color and light distribution across all parts of the plants.

Light Spectral Quality. Cannabis plants rely on two types of chlorophyll to convert different wavelengths of visible light into the sugars that allow the plants to grow and thrive, along with secondary wavelengths that feed other chemical structures in the plants. SpecGrade’s OpticPAR LED grow light control systems give growers unprecedented control over the wavelengths of light that the systems can generate at all phases of the plants’ growing cycle. This spectral accuracy generates plants with consistent levels of active compounds with little variation in quality from crop to crop.

Lighting Economics: Our OpticPAR-enhanced LED grow light systems produce a better and more controlled quality of lighting than traditional HID grow lights with less than half of the electrical energy input. Cannabis growing facilities will use substantially less power and will have lower energy costs with OpticPAR lighting systems. Those savings can be used to maximize yields or to improve other aspects of the cultivation facility.

SpecGrade’s advanced LED grow light systems with OpticPAR Technology give cannabis cultivation facilities the highest levels of control over their growing environments and enable them to produce marijuana plants with strong and consistent quality. We proudly design and manufacture our LED grow light products in Columbus, Ohio, and have representatives throughout North America who can answer your questions on optimizing marijuana growth and designing ideal environments for marijuana cultivation.

For more information about how OpticPAR Grow Light Technology can optimize marijuana growth, please see our website or call 888-510-4337 to speak with one of our LED grow light technology specialists.