Light-emitting diode (LED) grow lights are an affordable, energy-efficient, and cooler alternative to high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting for indoor cannabis gardens.
At Growing Exposed, we’ve been documenting the results of the Photontek XT 1000W LED lights at Strange Bud, a Washington state cultivation facility, and have seen incredible yields.
We’ve previously unboxed the Photontek XT 1000W in another video, showing you how easy it is to assemble, installation tips, and a deep dive into its specifications.
We’re not exaggerating when we tell you it’s the most powerful grow light we’ve seen! Here’s how it performed:
Keepin’ it Cool
With HPS lighting, cannabis growers always try to figure out how to remove the excess heat. In this latest video, we aimed to determine if these 1,000-watt LED lights handled the heat better than the 600-watt fixtures we’ve been using.
We were amazed by the Photontek’s ability to provide the right amount of heat without burning the plants.
In a climate-controlled environment, monitoring and controlling every aspect of the environment is crucial to healthy plant growth. Overheating, in particular, can lead to several issues, including terpene and potency loss, increased risk of mold, and nutrient burn.
If your AC system has ever gone out in your grow room while using high-intensity discharge (HID) lights, you know the high risk of overheating your plants. It can happen in a matter of hours, leaving you with a ruined crop. HID lights run significantly hotter than LEDs, requiring proper ventilation.
With LEDs, however, some growers are concerned with needing more heat for plant growth. When the room is cold, plants are not as thirsty. In this environment, plants are slow to transpire, absorb nutrients, or absorb CO2, all of which can stunt growth and reduce yield.
The Photontek XT 1000W falls in a sweet spot in terms of heating. The extra wattage over 600-watt fixtures provides additional heat in the grow room and allowed Strange Bud growers to maintain a grow environment where it’s not too hot or cold.
Beyond providing sufficient heating for indoor plants, Strange Bud found that their 5-ton AC was working more efficiently compared to the same unit next door, where they were using 12 HPS lights with the same square footage, fans, and dehumidifiers.
Overall, these LED lights are more energy efficient, run cooler, provide proper heating, and produce some of the frostiest buds we’ve ever seen compared to other lights.
Frosty Nugs for Days
So, how exactly did these LED grow lights perform in resin production? All of the plant’s buds were super frosty. We got to see these resinous glands up close and personal. Under the macro lens, you can see trichomes everywhere. The trichome density on these nugs is breathtaking.
Strange Bud received the Sonic Chronic strain from another grower who said it usually tested around 20% THC. Strange Bud finished up this harvest and tested it close to 30%! That’s higher than most strains out there. Most strains have THC levels between 15-25%.
Most customers consider the flower’s potency one of the most important factors before buying cannabis flower. While terpene content is gradually becoming more appreciated, growers can really get huge yields and increase revenue with these lights designed to produce high-potency strains.
With everything else remaining the same in the grow room, the Photontek XT 1000W delivered big improvements compared to 600-watt fixtures. Leave a comment below if you want to see a comparison video of these lights against 1000-watt HPS lights.
We’d also like to give a shout-out to Green Planet Nutrients, our main sponsor. Strange Bud uses their entire lineup, choosing GP3 as a base, as well as Massive Bloom and Rezin nutrients.
Regarding the yield in weight, Strange Bud harvested 30 pounds of dense nugs with these 12 lights. That’s about 2 ½ pounds per grow light.
We’re Not Done Yet
We’ve got a few more videos to create on these Photontek XT 1000W lights and are excited to continue seeing what they’re capable of in a bigger room.
Interested in buying the Photontek XT 1000W? Use the discount code “GROWINGEXPOSED” for 10% off any of their lights. Just put in the code during checkout.
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