Switch type or "full spectrum" LED grow lights?

membrane99

Active Member
Looking to get into some LED grow lights. I see there are 2 types: one with switches for blue/red lights, and one that is "full spectrum". Is it necessary to be able to add additional red light in the flowering stage, or will the "full spectrum" type of lights be sufficient? I'm looking to grow about 10-12 clones in the next week or so.

Example:
Switch type: ZNET12 (eBay)
Full spectrum type: vipar 400w (eBay)
 

canadian1969

Well-Known Member
no such thing as a full spectrum, the technically correct expression is "continuous spectrum" but that doesn't exist either.

veg requires less energy, hence turning off all the red diodes saves energy while allowing you to use the same panel for both flower and veg. In flower you turn on all the diodes to get maximum power, the red is integral to flowering, but not so in veg. I have tried vegging with flowering spectrum's, and it works, but you will notice some strange growth patterns. I entertain the idea that if you have a flowering spectrum of 6:1 or 7:1 (red:blue) simply reversing it would be your veg spectrum, but in reality you dont need anywhere near as much energy to veg as you do flower.
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Photons are discrete packets of energy that can only exist at particular discrete frequencies. Continuous spectrum is not actually continuous.

Just a technicality.

no such thing as a full spectrum, the technically correct expression is "continuous spectrum" but that doesn't exist either.

veg requires less energy, hence turning off all the red diodes saves energy while allowing you to use the same panel for both flower and veg. In flower you turn on all the diodes to get maximum power, the red is integral to flowering, but not so in veg. I have tried vegging with flowering spectrum's, and it works, but you will notice some strange growth patterns. I entertain the idea that if you have a flowering spectrum of 6:1 or 7:1 (red:blue) simply reversing it would be your veg spectrum, but in reality you dont need anywhere near as much energy to veg as you do flower.
 
Top