Setting Up a Grow Light Timer (and Not Ruining Your Flip)
A timer is a $20 device that protects a three-month grow. It is also the piece of equipment people most often set up wrong.
Digital over mechanical
Mechanical dial timers drift, have 15-minute minimum increments, and reset unpredictably after a power blip. A digital timer holds an exact schedule and usually keeps time through short outages on a backup battery.
A sane schedule
Set lights-on for the coolest part of your day if heat is a problem — running the light overnight and dark during the hottest afternoon hours can drop tent temps by several degrees at no cost.
After a power outage
Do not try to make up lost hours. Get the plant back onto its normal schedule at the next scheduled on-time and continue. One short irregular dark period is far less harmful than repeatedly shifting the cycle.
Frequently asked questions
- Should the fan be on the timer too?
- No. Keep exhaust and circulation fans running continuously, especially during lights-out when humidity climbs.
Keep reading
Legal notice: We do not promote or encourage breaking the law. This site is for adults 21+ growing in states and jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis cultivation, and who are following all legal growing guidelines, plant count limits, and permit requirements that apply to them.