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When it comes to your weed growing journey and all of the different stages, one of the longest lasting and most important stages of weed growth is the vegetative state, where plants develop their structure and lots of foliage.
For ideal, fast, and strong vegetative marijuana growth, you need the right grow lights, and that is what we are here for right now. Today we want to help you take a look at some top candidates for the best light for vegetative growth.
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Contents
Vegetative Growth Lights Buyer’s Guide
Before you go out and buy just any light for vegetative growth of marijuana, there are some key considerations you need to keep in mind, so let’s go over these right now.
1. Lumen Output
One of the most important things to pay attention to here is how many lumens each grow light puts out in total. Generally speaking, for most weed plants, you will need between 5,000 and 10,000 lumens per square foot.
If you have a 2 x 2 foot grow space, which is ideal for one full size pot plant, you would need between 10,000 and 20,000 lumens, and generally speaking, the more the better, so try to aim high.
2. Color Spectrum
Another very important thing to keep in mind when buying grow lights for vegetative weed growth is the color spectrum. Different types of lights emit different amounts of color across the spectrum.
For vegetative weed growth, you want a lot blue light, which on the spectrum is between 5000K and 6500K, which is what you need to look for in vegetative growth lights. The best lights for this tend to be fluorescents.
3. Durability
Yes, you do want to look for a grow light that is very durable. More metal and less plastic is always a good way.
Just be sure to research specific lights in relation to their durability. You will also want to look up what the lifespan per bulb is in terms of hours.
4. Ease Of Mounting
How easy a grow light is to mount is also pretty important to keep in mind. Preferably you want something that comes complete with the mounting hardware.
Moreover, something that is lightweight always makes things easier too, but that said, of course if you need a big grow light for lots of plants, it will make it heavier.
A good thing is when grow lights can be mounted overhead or on walls, so keep that in mind too.
5. Type of Bulb
For growing weed in its vegetative state, you want to aim for fluorescent bulbs, but metal halide bulbs work fine as well.
If you don’t want to have to switch lights when transition from the veg to the flowering stage, a full spectrum light could also be a good choice.
6. Heat Generated
Now, for the most part, if you go for fluorescent lights for vegging, which we highly recommend, you don’t have to worry too much about the heat being generated, as they usually run quite cool.
That said, if you get a really big setup, there will be some heat generated, so in that case, look for something that has good heat dissipation, or may need a cooling system on the side.
7. Reflective Materials
The final thing to look for in a grow light here is reflection. Having a reflective housing and highly reflective materials behind and beside the light bulbs will help increase light intensity and will help direct the light in the proper direction too.
Best Lights For Vegetative Growth: Top Picks
Here we have what are considered to be some of the best lights out there for vegetative growth. Seeing as the blue part of the light spectrum is best for vegetative growth, and high output fluorescent lights produce a lot of blue light, many of the options we have covered today are fluorescent grow lights, but we have included some other types as well.
1. Hydroplanet T5 HO Fluorescent Grow Light
- Plug and play ballasts saves time and hassle
- Operates on 110V/120V, 4A(ampere),15' power cord，ETL Listed.
- Includes 8 x 6500K HO Grow bulbs.Daisy chained outlet .1 x Hanger.
- 95% reflective aluminum reflectors,Not Compatible with GFCI Outlets and LED bulbs
- 2 years warranty any issue contact customer service with order ID
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are looking to grow some marijuana plants really big and strong, if you really need them to veg out hard, so there is a lot of foliage for flowering, this Hydroplanet T5 is a great option to go with.
It’s wide and long, it’s got a lot of bulbs, the right light spectrum for vegetative growth, and it puts out a whole lot of lumens too.
Power & Output
This grow light setup does come with some pretty powerful bulbs. Keep in mind that here you get a total of fluorescent bulbs, each of which are 4 feet long, all in a single fixture.
Each of these 8 bulbs puts out around 5,000 lumens of light energy, for a total of 40,000 lumens across the board. This is more than enough light energy to grow many seedlings or quite a few young plants in their vegetative state too.
In terms of the color spectrum, these bulbs are 6500K bulbs, which means that they put out a lot of blue light and are great for vegetating marijuana plants.
Mounting & Installation
What is nice about the Hydroplanet T5 is that it is very easy to mount. It comes with mounting hardware included, so it’s pretty easy to hang from any ceiling.
Now, it is pretty big and somewhat heavy, so you might want to get somebody to help you, but other than that, it’s perfectly fine in this sense. All you have to do is use the hardware to hang it, insert the included bulbs, and flip the power switch.
It’s a plug and play kind of thing, so nothing special is required, plus it has a long 15 foot power cord to help make life a bit easier.
Reflective Materials
This light does come with some reflective materials behind each of the bulbs, not too much, but enough to reflect a good deal of light downwards to increase lighting intensity and efficiency.
Other
Something else worth mentioning about this particular grow light is that it can be daisy chained together with several more of the same make.
Moreover, this item also comes with a 2 year warranty, just in case anything goes wrong with it. That said, in terms of overall durability, it is a pretty top notch option.
Pros
- Fairly durable
- Good warranty
- Very high lumen output
- Great for quite a few plants at once
- Not difficult to install
- Great for vegging
- Good reflective hood
Cons
- Will probably require additional cooling
- Will probably require a helping hand to install
- Not for flowering
2. DuroLux T5 HO Fluorescent Grow Light
- HIGH LIGHT OUTPUT: 20000 Lumen, Professional Grow Lighting System, 95% Reectivity German Hammer-tone Reector. 30% more light output vs comparable systems
- ALL ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: Qty4 6500K 4ft Lamps, Hanging hooks and chains, 8 FT Power cord
- OUTLET ON FIXTURE - Power up to 5 xtures o one wall outlet - less clutter, more convenience
- FLEXIBLE LIGHT OUTPUT: 2 switches on body allow for step dimming - one for inner 2 bulbs, another for outer 2 bulbs
- SAFE OPERATION: Rated for operation in Wet/Damp environments. Has Made-In- Italy AAG Stucchi lampholder with I certicate to prevent re if tubes get loosed during operation, UL/CUL safety approved. 5 year warranty
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here we have another really nice fluorescent light which is ideal for the vegetative growth stage of your marijuana plants. This one is significantly smaller than the above one we just looked at.
It’s still enough for a couple of plants, it’s got a high lumen output, and the perfect light spectrum output for lush foliage and thick stems. It’s great for a small scale home based grow op, and a bit more too.
Power & Output
Alright, so what you need to know about the DuroLux T5 Grow Light is that here you get 4 bulbs, each 4 feet long, so half as much as the other grow light we looked at above. This one also puts out 5,000 lumens per bulb, for 20,000 lumens total.
Based on the lumen output and size of this thing, we would say that it’s ideal for vegging 2 marijuana plants, or for getting multiple seedlings started. In terms of the color spectrum, this thing uses 6500K bulbs, which means a lot of blue light, which is perfect for vegetative growth.
This thing is also pretty energy efficient, which is a big bonus as far as we are concerned.
Mounting & Installation
The DuroLux T5 is indeed very quick and simple to mount. For one, it’s not all that large or heavy, so you might just be able to do it on your own, although a helping hand will definitely be useful.
This is a plug and play kind of thing, so you don’t need anything extra like big ballasts or anything like that. Just use the included mounting hardware, hang it up, and turn it on. The only downside is that the power cord is only 8 feet long, which is a bit on the short side.
Reflective Materials
This grow light does come with some reflective properties. It features a German Hammertone Reflector, which reflects up to 95% of light back down towards the weed plants, thus increasing efficiency and intensity for even better and more vegetative growth.
Other
We do like this option, because in case you want to create a larger setup, you can daisy chain up to 5 of these things together using a single power outlet.
This is also rated as a very safe option in terms of the risk of fire, plus its rated for use in damp environments. The only thing we can say here is that the frame may not be the most durable.
Pros
- Very safe
- Energy efficient
- 20K lumen output total
- Daisy chain up to 5 together
- Perfect color output for vegging
- Easy to mount
Cons
- Limited durability
3. Hydrofarm AgroBrite T5 Grow Light System
- 46.2"L x 34.9"W x 2.8"H
- Includes 10' grounded power cord
- Includes 12 6400K T5 Tubes
- Up to 60,000 Lumens
- Powder coated, steel housing
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Something that stands out about this option right off the bat is that it comes in various size options. Now, today we are here to look at one option specifically, the one with 12 fluorescent lamps, each 4 feet long, although there are options with less and/or shorter bulbs for smaller setups.
However, we have already looked at a small and a medium size fluorescent grow light, so we figure it was time to look at a much larger option. The Hydrofarm AgroBrite T5 is super versatile in terms of mounting options, it’s very durable, it puts out a heck of lot of lumens, and more.
Let’s take a closer look at the main features right now.
Power & Output
Ok, so here we are talking about a big time fluorescent grow light setup, one with 4 foot long bulbs, 12 of them. Now, this is a fluorescent setup, so generally speaking it is quite energy efficient when compared to other options, but that said, the sheer size of this thing is going to require a fair amount of electricity to operate.
On the other hand, this thing is roughly 4 x 3 feet in size, and the 12 bulbs each put out 5,000 lumens, for a total of 60,000 lumens across the board.
In other words, based on the size and output which this option comes in at, we would say that it’s ideal for vegging around 4 or 5 fairly large weed plants, or for a plethora of seedlings too. The Hydrofarm T5 bulbs have a color temperature of 6400K, which means a lot of blue light, which makes this thing ideal for vegging.
Mounting & Installation
Ok, so technically speaking, the Hydrofarm T5 Light System is a plug and play kind of thing, one that does not require a special ballast of any kind, plus all required mounting hardware is included.
Moreover, what is cool is that this thing can be mounted overhead, horizontally, or vertically, so it can actually be put on walls too, although that will require more work. That said, the sheer size and weight of this thing definitely makes things a bit harder.
Reflective Materials
Unfortunately, this light System does not come with a good reflective system to reflect light downwards, although with so many powerful bulbs, it might not be a deal breaker.
Other
What is really impressive with this big guy is that you can still daisy chain multiple units together for a really massive pot vegging setup. On a side note, this thing comes with multiple power switches, so you can actually choose how many of the 12 bulbs to have on at once.
Pros
- For big time setups
- Good for lots of plants
- Great for vegging
- Super high lumen output
- Ideal color spectrum for vegging
- Multiple mounting positions
- Various on/off switches
Cons
- Uses a lot of energy
- Produces a good deal of heat
- Quite heavy and bulky
4. DuroLux T5 HO Fluorescent Single Bulb Grow Light
- Link Cable Included -> power up to 15 fixtures from One Outlet
- Plug in and go with these beautiful lights. Perfect for indoor gardens
- Rolling Switch on 6' power cord
- Discrete Shipping in Brown Packaging
- Each Fixture 2500 lumens, 24W Input, 24" L x 4" W x 4" H
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here we are going in the opposite direction again, because instead of something huge for several plants, the DuroLux T5 HO is designed for small scale use.
Each of these is ideal for a single plant. It’s a small, lightweight, and fairly energy efficient option that doesn’t produce much heat, and is easy to mount. It doesn’t have all that much output, but works for some small scale growth.
Power & Output
Alright, so when you purchase the DuroLux T5 , you get a fixture designed for a single 2 foot long fluorescent bulb, complete with the fixture.
Now, here you can technically choose from a 2 footer or a 4 footer, but we want to focus on the smaller 2 foot option here. What you need to know is that each of the bulbs are 24 watt bulbs which put out roughly 2,500 lumens.
No, this lumen output is not very high, but it should be enough for some basic, at home, and small scale weed growing. We would say that each of the 2 footer is ideal for a single plant, and you get two per pack, so a single purchase would be fine for 2 plants.
In terms of the color spectrum, these bulbs are 6500K bulbs, so they put out a lot of blue light, and are therefore ideal for vegetating marijuana plants.
Mounting & Installation
What is very convenient about this DuroLux T5 Grow Light is that it is super small, lightweight, and easy to mount.
You can easily mount one of these things without the help of anybody, all mounting hardware comes included, it can be mounted overhead, vertically, or horizontally, and you don’t need any special ballast either.
Reflective Material
This is also a convenient option to go with because you can choose whether or not to purchase this fluorescent grow light with the reflector hood.
If you do get the reflective hood, just beware that it’s not the most durable option out there, but it does work decently to reflect and concentrate light.
Other
Something else that stands out about the DuroLux T5 is that you can daisy chain up to 15 of them together at once, which is pretty convenient to say the least. The fact that it comes in discrete packaging is pretty nice too.
Pros
- Great for small scale vegetative growth
- Lightweight and easy to mount
- Good for tight spaces
- Can be purchased with or without a reflector
- Right color output for vegging
- Can daisy chain to 15 together at once
Cons
- Relatively low lumen output
- Not the most durable option around
5. Mars Hydro TS Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
- 2023 UPGRADED HIGHLY-REFLECTIVE HOOD LED LIGHT: The upgraded white reflector design on TS1000 grow light is patented, With a refraction angle of 120°, it can cover a wider reflector range to enhance its light intensity as well as assist plants in absorbing more light. The actual power of TS1000 is 150 watts, while other brand model 1000 is only 100 watts.
- NEW DIODES LAYOUT & HIGH EFFICIENCY WHITE LED GROW LIGHT : The new diodes arrangement of dense in the middle and sparse on both sides makes the led light more uniform between middle and sides than old arrangement of other brand lights. Perfect for 2.5x2.5ft, Max coverage 3x3ft. Over 90% light energy can be absorbed by plants; Higher intensity and more even coverage in a MARS HYDRO grow tent, reflective area, or by crossing over using multiple TS series LED lights.
- LOW ENERGY CONSUMPTION GROW LIGHTING: Consuming only 150W with 354 LEDS! Equipped with Newest SMD LED technology to provide highest PAR/LUMEN output, designed to replace a single-ended 250watt HPS; MARS HYDRO TS 1000 Plants Growing lamp can assure a 30% more return than the old HPS/MH lights and saves up to 50% energy than other led grow lights.
- SUNLIKE FULL SPECTRUM LED INDOOR GROWING LIGHT: 730-740nm Red IR/3200-4200Knm/5200-6800Knm,spectra that makes most light in the 400-700nm waveband, best for all plants all stages growing, rapid plant response from seed to flower and increase yield & crop quality.
- DIMMING & DAISY CHAIN FEATURE GROW LIGHT: Upon an independent dimming button on the external driver,adjustable 0-100% settings adaptation and up to 60 LEDs Light daisy-chained in a group; Auto sensing power supply works on both 120VAC and 240VAC and 277VAC, suit for Large Rooms and Personal Setups.
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ok, now we are moving away from fluorescent grow lights, because here we have a nice full spectrum grow light. What we want to say is that while the Mars Hydro TS Full Spectrum LED Grow Light may not be the number one best option specifically for seedlings, vegging, or flowering, it can do all of those things, and quite well at that.
The reason we wanted to include a full spectrum grow light here today is because these things are pretty good for all growth stages, and using a full spectrum light means you don’t have to change your lights when switching from the vegetative to the flowering state.
This thing does not consume much energy, it’s good for all stages, and comes with some other benefits too.
Power & Output
Something that stands out about the Mars Hydro LED Grow Light is that it is super energy efficient. It has 342 separate LED bulbs, yet uses only 150 watts, which is not a lot at all, thus saving you money on your energy bill.
Yes, you heard that right, this thing has 342 bulbs and is 3 x 3 feet in size, making it ideal for a couple or even 3 weed plants. This thing puts out around 22,000 lumens, which is pretty good. It’s not a massive lumen output but good enough for basic at home growing.
Of course, the convenient thing about this grow light is the fact that it comes with bulbs specially designed with the ideal color spectrum for vegging as well as for flowering. In other words, this is a full spectrum grow light which produces light that is ideal for all growth stages.
It’s definitely a convenient option to go with if you don’t want to have to change grow lights half way through.
Mounting & Installation
Now, the Mars Hydro TS Full Spectrum LED Grow Light is pretty large, but it’s not all that heavy, that said you will probably need help with installation. What is kind of weird here is that you can choose to buy this thing with or without the mounting hardware.
As far as we are concerned, everybody is going to need the mounting hardware. What is however quite nice is that this item does not produce all that much heat, so you don’t have to worry about heat generation or dissipation when installing it.
Reflective Material
Yes, the Mars Hydro TS Full Spectrum LED Grow Light comes with great reflective materials around and under the bulbs, more than enough to greatly increase overall light output and intensity, plus it helps focus the direction of the light as well.
Other
We do also like how this grow light comes with a noise free and fan free design. Plus, you also get a thermometer and moisture monitor included for free, and even a timer plug, some nice additions indeed.
Pros
- Very energy efficient
- Good for all growth stages
- Good size for a few plants
- Decent lumen output
- Quiet and does not create a lot of heat
Cons
- A bit heavy
- Not totally ideal for any one specific growth stage
FAQ
What is the best color on the spectrum for vegetative growth?
Evidence shows that blue light is usually the best color on the spectrum for best vegetative growth. In terms of the color temperature, this would translate to anywhere from 5000K to 6500K on the color spectrum.
What are the best grow lights for vegetative growth?
For the most part, fluorescent lights, although they do have some issues, generally put out the most blue light out of all grow light types, and are therefore considered best for the vegetative growth of marijuana.
How many lumens per watt?
This really depends on the specific light you are using, but since we are talking about fluorescent lights here, lets focus on those. The best fluorescent lights will put out between 70 and 100 lumens per watt of energy which they consume.
What is vegetative growth?
Vetetative growth in weed plants is the stage in which their stems grow in height and width, and when foliage, mainly the fan leaves grow, the stage before flowers or buds start to develop.
Conclusion
Alright folks, so here we have looked at four of the best fluorescent grow lights for vegetative growth, as well as one cool full spectrum light ideal for all stages of pot growth.
Just remember to pay attention to some important factors such as the color spectrum, the lumen output, energy usage, the size of the light in question, reflective materials, heat generated, and other such things too.
If you keep all of this in mind, and you know what you are doing, choosing the best light for vegetative growth should be a breeze.
