1000 watt grow light: easy choice?

If you have come this far, it is because you are surely thinking of acquiring an LED growth light, which has enough power to cover the need for lighting of your indoor crop, in each of the growth phases. If that's what you want, then a 1000 watt grow light could be the solution to reach the level of illumination you so desperately need.

As you may already know, the light-emitting diode (LED) is currently the most efficient and most developed technology in the world of indoor crop lighting, worldwide. But if you have wondered if the electrical power of your grow lighting lamps has an impact on the growth and health of your plants considerably, stay until the end and you will find the answer.

The first thing we will tell you is that the voltage of your lighting device is a very important variable that you must take into consideration, since it will allow you to estimate your level of energy consumption, the energy efficiency of your light source, and of course, you will know if you are providing adequate lighting to your crops or not.

Second, you need to know that watts specifically measure the energy or electrical consumption used by your light bulb. In that sense, it reflects the amount of energy you will need to generate to maintain a specific power.

Although the word "electricity consumption" may sound like a lot of money, do not worry, the good news is that LED bulbs consume less energy, that is, you can achieve greater luminous efficiency in your crop with a much lower energy consumption than traditional bulbs, such as incandescent or halogen bulbs.

1000 watt grow light LED type Why is it the best choice?

The 1000 watt grow light is the choice that many growers are currently taking into account for their lighting systems. This is because it is a type of growth light that provides the amount of light needed for large or small plants, also covering a relatively large growing space, thanks to its luminous efficiency.

As you will know later, the location of a 1000 watt grow light in your crop will be a factor that you must plan very well, since being located at a prudent distance from your plants and taking into account their growth stage, they turn out to be the type of light that generates greater safety, efficiency and growth to the plants.

Remember that a well-designed and located lighting system represents one of the most important and essential variables within an indoor crop, as they are the ones that deliver the greatest energy to the plants, within a controlled / artificial environment in which they can develop at an optimal pace.

Now that you know this, you are ready to know some additional details about the 1000 watt grow light, which will help you make the best decision in lighting for your crop, knowing the benefits it can bring to your plants.

A 1000 watt grow light takes care of each of the stages of the plants

The 1000 watt grow light of LED type turns out to be the type of light that does not emit as much heat, as a high intensity discharge lamp (HID) would, therefore, when used to illuminate large growing plants, they can be much closer to them. However, there are some parameters that you must take into account so that your plants do not suffer damage and so that the amount of lighting it receives is enough to allow the plant to develop its photosynthesis process without problems. 

If you plan to install a 1000 watt grow light, in the following section you will find some recommendations on the recommended distance that should exist between the lamp and your crop, depending on the stage in which the plants are located.

Growth stages according to plant type

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, you will need to take into account the voltage of the lamp to know how close or far from your plants you should locate your lighting device.

As a rule, the higher the voltage they should be farther away, and the lower the voltage the plants should be closer to the lamp. But wait, in the case of LED lamps there are some differences, since the distances are reduced and you can place your lamp much closer without fear of suffering damage during its growth.

For an LED Grow Light of equal or greater power at 1000 watts, a distance (from the top) between 36 and 46 inches will be appropriate. Of course, the final position will also depend on the particularities of the lamp, such as the style, size and color spectrum of the lights, taking into account, of course, the growth stage in which your crop is located.

In any indoor crop it is normal to make continuous adjustments in both the height and intensity of light, according to each of the stages of growth of the plant, understanding that the needs of water, light, space and nutrients of a plant are different in each phase.

For this reason, the amount of light you need to apply will depend on the growth phase your crop is in. During the seedling phase it is known that seedlings need a smaller amount of light, while as they move towards the vegetative stage, the plants will need a higher intensity of light, the same happens during the flowering stage.

For these reasons, some growers prefer to change the location of the lights or just adjust the intensity, but remember that not all lights allow this option.

Below, you can find some suggestions on the distance at which you should keep your 1000 watt grow light from the crop, depending on the stage of growth in which your plants are:

During the first stage of growth (seedbed/seedling) your plants will need greater protection from light, including temperature and humidity. High illumination in this first stage can dry out the soil and severely affect seedlings, which at this stage are more vulnerable and sensitive. In that sense, a 1000 Watt grow light should be located at a minimum distance of 46 inches.

Later, during the vegetative stage, although the plants are already larger, they are still susceptible to sudden changes, so they will need the same protection and care as in the previous phase, but at the same time, you must optimize the temperature and intensity of the light. Through the increase of light you will achieve that your plant advances in the development of strong roots and stems. During this second phase, the recommended distance can vary between 36 and up to 46 inches away (remember that we use a 1000 watt grow light as a reference  ). 

Finally, towards the flowering stage, your plants will already be much stronger and will be prepared for a greater intensity of light. At this stage they require the highest levels of light, so you should bring your lighting system closer between 21 and 36 inches. Consider that, in luminaires with a lower power, the distance should be reduced even more. 

If you observe this in your plants, the light is not in the right place

The health of your plants is directly reflected in their physical appearance, therefore, a glance will be enough to realize if you are using the right lighting for your indoor cultivation, or if, on the contrary, your plants are subjected to a stress condition that could be generating morphological, physiological or biochemical changes in them.

Here are some signs that will allow you to identify when the light is not in the right place:

• The leaves are flaccid, have an abnormal curling , irregular growth or simply fall off before completing their life cycle.
• Appearance of white and/ or yellow spots, also known as "whitening".
• Burns around the leaves that are closest to the light (you can identify it by its characteristic brown color).

Which 1000 watt grow light should you choose if you grow Cannabis?

If what you have is a Cannabis crop, in this section you will find some of the answers that will help you make the best choice of a 1000 watt grow light.

Taking into account that there are different brands of 1000w lights, first it will be important to know the characteristics or conditions of your crop and later, think about the energy savings and the investment that you must make, because this type of lights being high voltage, are more expensive than others with lower voltage.

The good thing is that, although expensive, they are also very efficient and durable and that in addition, a good choice will guarantee the usefulness of your grow light in all stages of growth of your Cannabis plants and you will not have to worry about replacing them for a long time.

To know if a 1000 watt grow light is the ideal choice for your Cannabis crop, we invite you to consider the following aspects:

Crop size

This aspect will allow you to know if you will need more than a 1000 watt grow light to illuminate your crop. You should know that the 1000 watt lights are designed to efficiently cover a space of approximately 5 ́ X 5 ́, consequently, the first thing you should know or measure the ft of the space you have allocated to your Cannabis cultivation. In general, we recommend choosing a growth light of 1000 watts for spaces with dimensions greater than 4 ́ x 8 ́. 

Available budget

1000 watt LED grow lights are usually priced above $600, even reaching up to $2000 (depending on brand and capacity). For this reason, you should evaluate your budget and the purpose you want to achieve with your crop, since, if you want to get large buds, a 1000 grow light will be the best option.

Check the actual power of the 1000 watt grow light you are buying

Many of the 1000 watt lights that are available for sale do not actually produce this consumption. In this sense, we recommend you make sure of the real power that the lights have before paying for them.

General comments on indoor cultivation

As you may have noticed, each decision regarding the lighting of indoor crops must first be based on the knowledge of your own plants (types) and characteristics, as well as the conditions you manage in your space, related to lighting, the irrigation system, the temperature and humidity of the environment, among other factors.

While there are many tables that will help you calculate the distance that the lights should have from the plants, it is also important to remember that everything will always depend on the type of plant, its particular characteristics and the stage of growth in which it is.

Therefore, the solution regarding the decision that must be made in terms of lighting, in addition to coming hand in hand with all these considerations, is also closely associated with other aspects such as safety, efficiency and energy savings that your chosen type of light can offer to your crop.

Given the technological advances and the improvement in terms of the features and benefits offered by certain types of lights, currently many of the growers have opted much more for the option of LED lights and if you are a connoisseur or familiar with the subject, surely you already know.