Properly cultivating cannabis requires a lot of different factors. From around-the-clock care to understanding your location’s environment and even manipulating lighting systems, the cannabis plant requires a lot. However, once you have a firm understanding of your plant’s needs, cultivation becomes a whole lot easier.
Throughout this series, we’ve discussed the impact of the light spectrum on cannabis plants, focusing on one color on the color spectrum at a time. Today, we’re talking specifically about green lighting and how it can benefit your cannabis plants when used correctly. So, what do green lights do, and when should you use them?
Cannabis Cultivation and the Light Spectrum
Before we talk specifics about green lights, let’s do a quick overview of the relationship between cannabis cultivation and the light spectrum.
The cannabis plant, in general, is one that thrives off of light— just like most plants. However, cannabis, being as complicated as it is, actually responds uniquely to each of the colors on the light spectrum. These colors change depending on how much light from the sun is reaching the Earth. While humans can’t pick up most of these varying colors, your cannabis plants absolutely do.
The sun’s light spectrum will vary depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions that may affect cloud coverage. If your cannabis plants were being grown under the sun, they would get exposed to these varying colors naturally. Thus, many farmers have learned that the key to truly successful cannabis cultivation is to replicate the colors on the light spectrum during specific times in a plant’s life cycle.
As we’ve learned more about the light cycle and cannabis, growers are discovering which light waves are best during which stages. Some light colors help to promote large leaf growth, while others boost THC content. Understanding which does when can make the difference between a truly successful yield and a not-so-successful one.
So, let’s talk specifically about green lighting, then.
What Do Green Lights Do?
Green lights do a lot for cannabis plants. But, this is only if they’re utilized correctly.
Studies have shown that green lights help to promote overall plant growth, while also working to signal morphology and help the plant react better to nourishing blue lights. Green light is going to be the most common color found during cultivation, as even blue or red lights contain hints of green, too.
Because of this, green lights tend to be the most all-encompassing color on the light spectrum. They are wonderful for signaling photosynthesis, helping with CO2 absorption, and even boosting stem growth.
This may go without saying, but green lights also help to produce the deep green colors in your cannabis plant that we all know and love. Green lights, of course, aren’t the only reason why your cannabis plants are green, but it does help to enhance the color just a little bit at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, out of all the colors on the light spectrum, green lights are the ones we know the least about. More research is being conducted every day to help understand the full extent of what this color light can do for our favorite green plants.
The Benefits of Green Lighting
Now that you know how green lighting affects cannabis plants, it’s important to talk about how these effects are beneficial for growers.
As we mentioned above, green lighting can help promote healthy stem growth and even signal photosynthesis. This is crucial for cannabis plants as a strong stem can help result in stronger, healthier leaves, too. In fact, green lighting’s effects have been shown to promote overall growth in cannabis plants, from stem to flower to leaves. From both a grower and consumer perspective, healthy (and potent) cannabis plants are the best possible outcome.
Green lighting also tends to be easier to use/find than other colored lights, as many red or blue lights also have shades of green for the plant’s benefit. This will make manipulating your light setup easier, potentially saving you money on some costly supplemental lighting.
Exactly how green lighting will benefit your cannabis plants is going to depend on how and when you use them. Because they are a bit more universal than other colors on the spectrum, their utilization will change a bit depending on personal preference. However, let’s talk a little bit about when most cultivators choose to use green lights.
When To Use Green Lighting
Cannabis cultivators find that green lighting can help promote healthy germination in the seedling stage, root growth in the vegetative state, and even flower growth during flowering. Because of this, green light is often mixed with red or blue light during these stages to help support ultimate growth. The combination of green lights mixed with red or blue creates a more all-encompassing result— something that all cannabis cultivators are looking for.
Interestingly enough, green light also does not disturb a plant’s sleep cycle, meaning you can use green lights to check on your cannabis during night hours. Just like humans require rest in between their days, so do cannabis plants. Though some growers may choose to keep grow lights on 24/7, this isn’t always beneficial for the plants. This can often exhaust and burnout your cannabis plants, as they need time to recharge. This is what their off-cycles are for.
During this time, your plants are kept in the dark and able to fully rest before growing more the next day. Unfortunately, even when the lights are off, your plants will still require some kind of care. However, to maintain your plants in the dark requires lighting, and most colors on the color spectrum will trigger your plants, waking them up and ruining their sleep cycle. Except for green lights, that is.
Using green lighting during off-cycles will not wake or disturb your plants in any way, and you’re able to do proper observation without any issue at all. Try investing in some green light goggles to help make this maintenance even easier than ever before.
Your use of green lights is going to take a bit of practice to get right. You will have to learn how well your plants respond to green light during certain stages, and how much green light works best for them. Though it might take some trial and error, the result will be more than profitable for everyone involved.
Becoming More Comfortable With the Color Spectrum
In general, perfecting your cannabis cultivation comes with being more comfortable with the color spectrum. The colors on the light spectrum have a huge impact on the way your cannabis plants grow, with the potential to completely enhance your yield if done correctly. After all, what cultivator wouldn’t want plants that are bigger, stronger, tastier, and more potent? That’s what mastering the light spectrum can do.
To help you navigate your way through the different colors in the light spectrum, Luna Cultivation is here. We’ve been working in the field of cannabis cultivation lighting for years, and we’re more than willing to help you get to where you need to be. From the varying colors on the spectrum to when they’re best utilized, Luna Cultivation is sure to get you more than comfortable with the relationship between light waves and your cannabis plants.