Are T5 Grow Lights Good for Vegging? — 420 Guide
The vegetative stage is crucial for the growth of marijuana because it determines how healthy and robust it will be once it enters the flowering stage. This is the point when the structural integrity is built, which is why it is important to provide an external environment that will be conducive for its growth. While there are several requirements, one of the most important would be the best light for vegetative growth.
T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System for growing cannabis. A few years ago, growers usually only used fluorescent tube lighting as a supplemental light for cannabis plants, or for young seedlings and clones only.
In recent years, we’ve seen the creation of new high-light-output versions of fluorescent grow lights which can actually be used through the entire vegetative stage.
Some growers even use fluroescent grow lights such as the T5 successfully to flower their plants (if the plants are kept short/small enough through growth control methods).
Best uses for T5 grow lights
If you want to sprout a lot of plants at once, T5 grow lights will save you money. They work well for raising cannabis up through the vegetation stage. Since they won’t burn the plants like hot high-pressure sodium lights, you can use a shorter grow tent. They are also helpful if you live in a warm climate because they add hardly any heat to your grow room.
The downsides to T5 grow lights
If you choose to use T5, you’ll be smart to purchase additional red spectrum lights to help during the flowering stage. T5 grow lights alone won’t do much for your harvest. Plus, while T5 bulbs don’t degrade more than about 5% in efficiency over time, they only last about 20,000 hours, less than half the minimum of LED lamps. You’ll also need a ballast to run T5 grow lights, but most of the time that comes built into the fixture.
Choosing the Right T5 Grow Lights
To use T5 grow lights properly, there are a couple of things you need to know that will determine how successful you will be at growing under these lights. The first thing is how to choose the right T5 fixture and the right bulbs.
Fixtures: When it comes to choosing a grow light fixture, there are a couple of things to think about. First is the size requirements for this grow light. There are more than a dozen size variations, so you need to figure out the size of your indoor garden and then fit the lights to your space. T5 grow lights typically come in two different lengths and around six different bulb configurations. The most common T5 grow lights are 2- or 4-ft. long and have 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 12 bulbs per fixture. If you are thinking of growing only a few small plants, you might get away with having a 1- or 2-bulb set-up that is 2- or 4-ft. long, but if you want to grow a whole bunch of plants, you will have to invest in an 8- or 12-bulb set-up that is 4-ft. long. This larger size will cover a lot of plant mass without using too much electricity.
Bulbs: When it comes to choosing bulbs, there are even more options to choose from. Bulbs not only come in different energy varieties, but also in different color temperatures. When choosing between normal output (NO), high output (HO) and very high output (VHO) bulbs, I recommend going for the middle ones. HO bulbs are the best of both worlds — they are efficient, yet long-lasting, and will provide super-bright light for your plants.
Without proper vegetative growth, a garden cannot perform to its true potential in the flowering stage. For a marathon runner, training builds strength and endurance and is the foundation for the runner’s success.
In an indoor garden, the vegetative cycle is the time when a plant’s strength and vitality are built. With the proper lighting in the vegetative cycle, a garden can be properly prepared for the final event: a bountiful fruiting or flowering stage.