Grow Lights

Lights

Hyjo’s grow lights come in many shapes and sizes depending on the stages of the plant.  From propagation lighting for young plants to HPS for flowering to dual spectrum and everything in between matching your complete lighting system needs.

You can buy grow light kits which comes with the following; a ballast, reflector and a lamp that are approved and are supplied by Hyjo. Alternatively, you can buy an integrated pro lighting unit like a Papillon or Gavita that has an internal ballast inside the unit ideal for a grow tent or a grow room that offers the same great component quality.

What is a ballast? A ballast is a device that is used to regulate how much power (electricity) passes through an electrical circuit. If we didn’t use ballasts, then too much electricity would reach the lamp causing it to burn very bright and explode. Years ago, we had a batch of faulty magnetic ballasts and after they had been running for about ten minutes all the lamps exploded, it was incredibly dangerous.  Each ballast does not compromise the same quality and features of another ballast, each one is different.

Magnetic ballasts are becoming less and less popular in the U.K. due to component quality and high temperatures.  The first magnetic ballast I used was approximately 14 years ago, they were about the size of a Staffordshire bull terrier and made about the same amount of noise. This type of ballast uses a single induction copper coil to reduce the amount of electricity in a circuit.

Magnetic Ballast Pros

  • Cheap to buy

Magnetic Ballast Cons

  • Heavy
  • Noisy
  • Causes lights to flicker due to it running at 60 hertz
  • Less efficient
  • Gets very hot which may cause burns
  • Can be very big
  • Resin filled magnetic ballasts drip resin when they get hot causing a safety risk

Electronic / digital ballasts:  These types of ballasts are standard now for most U.K. hydro growers because they are bloody marvellous for vegetative and flowering stages.  Digital ballasts use a series of copper induction coils to regulate the amount of electricity in a circuit which produces the output that you would want therefore leading to better plant light.

Digital Ballast Pros

  • Smaller in size (compact ballast)
  • More efficient, up to 22%
  • Doesn’t make any noise
  • No flickering in your grow lights due to a higher frequency of 20.000 hertz
  • Light weight
  • Easy to wall mount
  • Doesn’t get very hot
  • Some ballasts are dimmable giving you the power options from 250, 400, 600 and 660 watts

Digital Ballast Cons

  • May be more expensive than magnetic ballasts

When you compare these two types of grow lamp ballasts for quality and features it’s easy to see why most U.K. hydroponic growers choose to use digital over magnetic ballasts. Even with the higher cost of electronic / digital ballasts they are worth the extra spend in lighting systems.

There is a vast selection of lamps on the market for growers depending on your indoor grow needs. In my opinion, you are always better buying a more expensive high quality grow light when it comes to High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps for your light kit as it will reward you come harvest time.

  • Compact Florescent Lamp (CFL):  This CFL grow light is mostly used for propagation lighting but may also be used to keep mother plants and for bringing on small plants from seeds and cuttings.  These lights are not too intense.
  • Metal Halide Lamp (MH):  This grow light is used for vegetative growth, a practical light that keeps the plant short, strong and compact.
  • High Pressure Sodium Lamp (HPS):  This grow lamp is used for the flowering cycle.  I recommend using the HID grow light from day fourteen to twenty-one of flower to stop the plant from stretching too much.
  • Ceramic Metal Halide Lamp (CMH):  An absolutely brilliant dual spectrum bulb for a growing system.  In other words, a game changing addition to ceramic discharge metal halides.
  • 400v Lamp: With this light, the grower gets approximately 15% more power efficiency.  In other words, you pay 15% less for the electricity bill and get more wavelengths of light.
  • Phillips Master Colour Elite & Agro Full Spectrum Lamps:   Amazing indoor grow lights, a professional horticultural lighting product!

A good quality reflector can make a big difference to a grower for light control & plant health.  It’s like with lamps, you get what you pay for. If you’re growing on a budget, then a Euro reflector would be a good option for a grow room / tent.  Alternatively, if you have a little more money in the pot then why not try the amazing Adjust-A-Wings Avenger reflector to complete your lighting system that goes to your grow.

In light kits & systems, reflectors come in many shapes and sizes.  If you are growing with a 400-watt lamp then you will be able to use a smaller reflector than if you were using a 1,000 watt lamp in your grow light package.

Parabolic reflectors (china man’s hats) seem to be a popular choice in some circles for lighting systems. I personally prefer the Adjust-A-Wings with a double parabolic that can be adjusted at different stages of growth for a complete grow kit.

Buying complete lighting kits is a good idea especially if you are a new indoor grower.  These lighting systems have been put together by the experts at Hyjo to take the hassle out of buying grow light kits. Depending on your setup and budget you will find a kit that suits your needs perfectly, saving you time and money.  When in doubt, Hyjo offers expert advice for new products so don’t hesitate to get in touch with them.

For me, I utilise the functionality of CFLs since they play a major part in indoor gardening. I use 200 watt blue CFLs over the top of all my propagators to root cuttings.  I use 250 watt blue CFLs over mother plants in the rest cycle.  I use 200 watt blue CFLs for bringing on cuttings after they have been transplanted from the propagator and I use 125 watt red CFLs when identifying the sex of a plant from seed. Using HID lighting kits is highly problematic to try and carry out any of these tasks since it is unsuitable in my opinion.

The wavelengths of light that you get from propagation lights & CFL’s are very gentle which is what plants need when they are very young.

Once you have chosen your lighting system for your grow area you will need to find the most suitable accessories.  Accessories to help you hang the equipment, control the timing, take light measurements, install light movers, protect your eyes from HID lighting and much more.

When Gavita HPS grow lights landed on the UK grow scene people went crazy for them because it was the first complete fixture for 400v lamps.  I have 3 x 1000 watt Gavitas that I’ve had for years and they are a decent lighting system. The main problem with Gavita is the reflector design and the fact that it pushes all the heat from the grow lamp down onto the canopy of the plant.  Also, the reflector hood needs replacing every six to eight months due to the extreme heat causing damage. If you are growing in a 1m x 1m area, then the 600w dual spectrum Gavita is your maximum limit if you want to produce decent quality plants.  Anything higher than 600 watts and you will cause problems to your crop due to heat being pushed onto the plants.  In addition, Gavita indoor grow lights have no place in the veg cycle unless you want your plants to stretch to six feet in about four weeks. Plus, Gavita growing systems work brilliantly on a light mover systems.

In my opinion Papillon makes the best grow lights in the world.  The reflector design is a thing of beauty allowing heat from the lamp to escape out of the top of the fitting therefore not being pushed onto the plant canopy avoiding the need for air cooled lighting. I have written a series of blogs about Papillon where I tested the plant grow light in various setups producing flavourable results.  Papillon delivers a fantastic grow light system and comes as a complete unit (internal ballast) not to mention its size is smaller versus the competitor’s.

The 315 watt CMH Papillon is the most incredible dual spectrum grow light I have ever used.  It’s changed the way I grow and delivers the most stunning flowers you will ever see when used in conjunction with a 400v 600 watt HPS Papillon plant light. I use the 315 watt for the veg cycle and they produce very compact, healthy and amazing looking plants. Once I go into flower, I introduce HPS at day twenty-one alongside the 315 watt for complete lighting…  the results are mind blowing!!

Anyone who asks me for advice on grow lights, I always push them towards Papillon as I know that they won’t be disappointed with the results. Papillon lights work really well on light movers using a combination of a 315-watt Ceramic Metal Highlight (CMH) and a 400v High Pressure Sodium (HPS).

If you want absolutely the best quality flowers as a pro grower, then you need to give Papillon plant grow lights a try as nothing else comes close to these lamps…  They are the leader in the hydroponic sector of the horticultural industry.

Dimlux’s lighting systems look amazing, they have gone all out on the looks department.  I have never used any of their indoor grow lights myself but I know a few people that have and I have seen the results.

Dimlux’s reflector design is not as good as the Papillon but nothing is.  In my opinion, the Dimlux range is up against some very tough rivals like Gavita and Papillon for complete lighting systems.