How to Grow Marijuana – Chapter 1

<h1>How to Grow Marijuana – Chapter 1 – Lighting</h1>Author: <a title="Cooper Hill" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/cooper-hill/126300.htm">Cooper Hill</a> Marijuana is a wonderful herb that grows naturally all over the planet. Unfortunately it is still illegal to grow marijuana in many countries. Please check your local laws before growing marijuana. With that said, let’s get growing! It’s a general consensus that growing herb is best done with a good hydro system. Hydroponics is the process of growing a plant without soil. There are a couple of different ways to grow with hydro, but regardless you need to pick up some supplies. First and foremost you will need a light source to grow your herb. There are several technologies out there and I will break down the advantages and disadvantages of each for you. The cheapest and most inefficient light source is compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). There are two different styles of CFL lighting. Some people grow marijuana with CFL light bulbs. You can pick these up at the grocery store and a splitter at your local hardware store. It’s a good idea to strive for at least the 100 watt bulbs because anything less is not giving off enough light. Keep in mind that these are not especially efficient so you may need as many as 8 or more to grow and flower 3 plants. The other kind of CFL lighting is the shop light style. These have a metal bracket used as a reflector and the bulbs themselves are long and cylindrical. This style of lighting is a little more efficient than the CFL bulb but still not ideal for <a href="http://www.leafpot.com" target="_blank" title="marijuana">growing marijuana</a>. Whichever style of CFL bulb you choose, strive for the bluest temperature for vegetative growth and the warmest color light for flowering. The next lighting type is Metal Halide (MH). You see metal halide lights anytime you leave your house out night, as that’s what most street lights use. Metal halide lighting works by converting power with a ballast and then delivering it to an HID bulb. This lighting type is extremely good for vegetative growth but not so much for flowering. These systems use quite a lot of electricity and give off substantial heat so you should always use MH in conjunction with good ventilation. High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting is arguably the best lighting for the money. Just like the metal halide system, HPS also uses a ballast and an HID bulb. The advantage is a fuller spectrum which plants will appreciate for both vegetative growth and flowering. While it is not quite as good as MH for vegetative growing, it is nearly ideal for flowering. This system also runs pretty hot so it should be used in conjunction with proper ventilation. Light-Emitting Diode Technology (LED) is on the verge of becoming the best lighting technology to grow marijuana with. It is extremely efficient and a 90 watt LED can give off as much usable light as a 600 watt high pressure sodium or metal halide system. NASA is fine tuning LED technology in hopes of sustaining life in outer space with LED farming. A good LED panel is a bit pricy but worth every dime because it gives off virtually no heat and uses less electricity than your television. Most systems use only blue and red light but surprisingly a marijuana plant will flourish with only those two colors of light. Once you select your light source pick up some fans to help with circulation and heat. A good light source is the start of a successful hydroponic grow system.About the Author: Leafpot
<a href="http://www.leafpot.com">Grow Marijuana</a>Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-grow-marijuana-chapter-1-lighting-1095600.html" title="How to Grow Marijuana – Chapter 1 – Lighting">How to Grow Marijuana – Chapter 1 – Lighting</a>

Marijuana is a wonderful herb that grows naturally all over the planet. Unfortunately it is still illegal to grow marijuana in many countries. Please check your local laws before growing marijuana. With that said, let’s get growing!

It’s a general consensus that growing herb is best done with a good hydro system. Hydroponics is the process of growing a plant without soil. There are a couple of different ways to grow with hydro, but regardless you need to pick up some supplies. First and foremost you will need a light source to grow your herb. There are several technologies out there and I will break down the advantages and disadvantages of each for you.

The cheapest and most inefficient light source is compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). There are two different styles of CFL lighting. Some people grow marijuana with CFL light bulbs. You can pick these up at the grocery store and a splitter at your local hardware store. It’s a good idea to strive for at least the 100 watt bulbs because anything less is not giving off enough light. Keep in mind that these are not especially efficient so you may need as many as 8 or more to grow and flower 3 plants. The other kind of CFL lighting is the shop light style. These have a metal bracket used as a reflector and the bulbs themselves are long and cylindrical. This style of lighting is a little more efficient than the CFL bulb but still not ideal for growing marijuana. Whichever style of CFL bulb you choose, strive for the bluest temperature for vegetative growth and the warmest color light for flowering.

The next lighting type is Metal Halide (MH). You see metal halide lights anytime you leave your house out night, as that’s what most street lights use. Metal halide lighting works by converting power with a ballast and then delivering it to an HID bulb. This lighting type is extremely good for vegetative growth but not so much for flowering. These systems use quite a lot of electricity and give off substantial heat so you should always use MH in conjunction with good ventilation.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting is arguably the best lighting for the money. Just like the metal halide system, HPS also uses a ballast and an HID bulb. The advantage is a fuller spectrum which plants will appreciate for both vegetative growth and flowering. While it is not quite as good as MH for vegetative growing, it is nearly ideal for flowering. This system also runs pretty hot so it should be used in conjunction with proper ventilation.

Light-Emitting Diode Technology (LED) is on the verge of becoming the best lighting technology to grow marijuana with. It is extremely efficient and a 90 watt LED can give off as much usable light as a 600 watt high pressure sodium or metal halide system. NASA is fine tuning LED technology in hopes of sustaining life in outer space with LED farming. A good LED panel is a bit pricy but worth every dime because it gives off virtually no heat and uses less electricity than your television. Most systems use only blue and red light but surprisingly a marijuana plant will flourish with only those two colors of light.

Once you select your light source pick up some fans to help with circulation and heat. A good light source is the start of a successful hydroponic grow system.

Leafpot Grow Marijuana

Rate this Article:

0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)

Re-Publish

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-grow-marijuana-chapter-1-lighting-1095600.html

Article Tags: marijuana, weed, pot, thc, grow weed, marijuana grow, hydroponics, hemp, seed, hemp seed, hemp seed benefits, grow hemp

Related Videos
Related Articles
Ask / Related Q&A

Play

Blog Evaluation: Jim On Light

Play

How to Make a Grow Light

Play

How to Grow White Forsythia

Play

How to Grow Apple Trees

Play

How to Grow Low-Light Plants

Latest Gardening Articles
More from Cooper Hill

What Is Post Harvest Technology

By: Cris Ramasasa | 08/12/2009
Post harvest technology involves in harvesting, handling, storing, moving the produce to reduce losses and to keep them fresh up to the market. It's of utmost important to maintain the freshness or to minimize the deterioration of products from harvesting, marketing and to the time they are consumed. The percentage losses in vegetable production is from 28-42% of the annual production (Philippine condition) due to lack of post harvest facilities and technology.

Application of Pruning Techniques to Vegetables

By: Cris Ramasasa | 08/12/2009
Pruning is the latest technology to horticultural crops to increase the quality of fruits and vine crops. Pruning helps the vegetables become more productive, since some unnecessary plant parts are removed which are utilizing the plant nutrients needed for better fruit crop quality. When you prune, some plant parts are removed, thus causing the other parts exposed to direct sunlight therefore, reduces pests and diseases attack.

Stop! Before You Start Your Herb Garden Designs...

By: Eustache Davenport | 08/12/2009
Before you begin turning the soil in the garden and prepare planting herbs, start by planning the design that will grace yours growing herbs. It will also help you organize the space, take into account sunlight exposure and the various sized of the herbs you will be growing which are all important points.

Organic Gardening And Farming: The Benefits

By: Christopher S. Norwood | 08/12/2009
Organic gardening and farming is becoming incredibly popular, and is quickly spreading around the world. The problem is, we all want to do what we can to help the environment and protect the world that we live in, and we are just now realizing how much organic gardening can help us to do this.

Learning About Organic Gardening Pest Control

By: Christopher S. Norwood | 08/12/2009
If there is any issue that is particular important when it comes to organic home gardening, it is organic gardening pest control. After all, if you do not have the proper organic gardening pest control in place, bugs and insects are going to be feeding on your plants and they will not be able to grow.

Gardening: Giving Your Home A More Relaxing Atmosphere

By: Clifford S. Magno | 08/12/2009
Many people do not really know that little backyard can literally save their lives. According to experts, gardening is a potent stress buster and people who love to work on their gardens tend to live happier lives compared to those people who watch TV when they get home from work. If you are one of those people who are exposed to a lot of stress at work all day, gardening can help you relax and unwind after a very stressful day.

Your Own Food With Vegetable Gardening

By: Clifford S. Magno | 08/12/2009
The oldest profession in the world is farming. People have been doing it for thousands of years, and the profession itself allowed civilizations to spring to life. Through all those years, people have honed, even perfected, methods for cultivating the land and bringing plants to life.

Building A Basic Herb Garden: The Basics Of A Typical Herb Garden

By: Clifford S. Magno | 08/12/2009
A basic herb garden is not hard to create and it can be created in a remarkably small amount of space. Therefore, no matter if you live in an apartment or you have a yard that is perfect for planting making a basic herb garden is easy.

Illegal to Destroy Paper Money – But Legal to Destroy Marijuana Money

By: Cooper Hill | 27/10/2009 | Culture
The haul: 150-200,000 plants, up to two-and-one-half tons of marijuana, sling-baled and lifted out by helicopter, 4-600 pounds per load. Plants range from knee-high to chest-high. All are bushy; typical, agents say, of Mexican-grown marijuana. Jordan places the street value at well more than $100 million. The cost of this entire operation to seize $100 million dollars in marijuana, one can only fathom. Officers think they are actually serving and protecting the community in these situations bu

WTB Educated Police Officers – Photo Radar at it’s Finest

By: Cooper Hill | 24/10/2009 | Politics
A group dedicated to warning motorists of photo radar locations in Winnipeg had a run-in with police Tuesday morning. James Cotton, had set up a sign on Ness Avenue, informing drivers of a radar trap in a nearby school zone. Shortly after wards, police officers approached and warned him he could be charged with obstruction of justice. Winnipeg criminal defense lawyer Jay Prober said he doubted if an obstruction of justice charge would stand up in court given that Cotton was trying to stop people

Different Types of Computer Infections – Protect Your Information

By: Cooper Hill | 23/10/2009 | Security
Malware represents programming or other files that are designed to harm computer, and it includes viruses, worms, trojans, backdoor, hijackers, and spyware among others. Adware represents a program that generates pop-ups and displays advertisements on your computer. Backdoor represents a program which allows a remote attacker to perform operations and execute tasks on a user’s computer without the user’s permission. A backdoor program is mostly used to attack other computers as well as steal cop

Arizona Photo Radar – Power Hungry Police with Large Ego’s

By: Cooper Hill | 04/10/2009 | Automotive
An exposed photo radar manual shows details on how to steal, use, operate, and maintain the cameras. In an article released by KFYI, Dow says that the Redflex operations manual, which was supplied to CameraFRAUD by a “confidential source,” states that “judges, city workers and other city government workers cannot get tickets.” The manual also provides a flow chart, easy enough to analyze by your typical bureaucrat, how to distribute tickets—and bring in the take—to Arizona citizens. DPS appears

Protect Your Computer – Valuable Information

By: Cooper Hill | 20/09/2009 | Internet
A few simple tips could help protect Web surfers from a low-tech tactic used by high-tech thieves: disguise. Hackers have found ways to impersonate banks online, to pretend to be your social networking acquaintances and even to disguise themselves as long-lost friends. It's all in an effort to spread computer viruses and other malicious software that allow criminals to hijack personal information, trick users into purchasing fake anti-virus programs and more. Fortunately, some basic safe-surfing

Dui Offenders – Harsh Rehabilitation VS Harsh Legal Punishment

By: Cooper Hill | 20/09/2009 | News & Society
In Utah, even if you don't get arrested for drunk driving you might still have to call your mom from jail — sort of. The Utah Highway Patrol and some local bars hope letting people practice an uncomfortable call from the local lockup will help dissuade drinking and driving. A phone number has been set up to recreate what it would feel like to make such a call. After dialing 1-877-JAIL-FON, the caller is given the option to talk to a hysterical mother or a disapproving father, among others. A pre

AntiVirus Software – Worth the Buck?

By: Cooper Hill | 17/09/2009 | Security
A computer virus which shut down Ealing Council's services is estimated to have cost the authority more than 500,000. The virus which hit the council's server on May 14 and threatened computers on and off for 12 days, came from a USB memory stick used in the Ruislip Road office. Immediate recovery costs totaled 202,000, for staff overtime, catering, travel, eliminating the virus and rebuilding computer systems. For some companies it may have been worth a few extra dollars for decent antivirus so

N P K – What does it mean when choosing a Fertilizer?

By: Cooper Hill | 06/09/2009 | Gardening
The three main nutrients that have been identified as absolutely necessary for plants are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). These three are also known as macronutrients, and are the source of the three numbers commonly found on organic fertilizer labels.