CFL to HPS switch

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waterloo34

Member
so i have a few indoor seedlings going right now under 2 26W daylight CFL bulbs. First time grower, and i'm wondering when i should switch over to my 400W high pressure sodium light. any suggestions?
 
g00sEgg

g00sEgg

Well-Known Member
HPS spectrum is usually used for flowering...I'd say get some more day light cfl's and keep em under there the whole time you veg. Then when you wanna flower, stick em under the HPS in 12/12 lighting. How much light you giving them right now?
 
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waterloo34

Member
a week old eh? guess i should get them under the HPS today then. What would you suggest as an appropriate light height from the plants. They are probably a little over 3" tall right now.
 
theganman

theganman

Well-Known Member
g00sEgg said:
HPS spectrum is usually used for flowering...I'd say get some more day light cfl's and keep em under there the whole time you veg. Then when you wanna flower, stick em under the HPS in 12/12 lighting. How much light you giving them right now?
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fuck that the hps is still good for veg a hell of alot better the 2 26w cfls
 
jigfresh

jigfresh

Well-Known Member
waterloo34 said:
yeah i've been hearing that HPS is optimal for flowering but still works well for veg
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No way cfl's are better than HID's for veg. Even if you had the equivalent wattage, the lumens from and HID destroy the lumens from flouros... that's why most of the growers on here use them. They are also more energy effiecient for the light you get.

I would say give the seedlings another few days to a week under the flouros. It won't do them any harm... but the big 400w could.

When you do move them I would start with the HPS at least 12" off the plant, maybe 24"... just start high, and lower slowly, if the plants start getting dry, crispy, or curling then the light is to hot on them, or just too much light for young plants.

I'm no expert but here's what I think about MH vs. HPS. HPS makes for strong, fat buds/ plants. MH makes for longer, lighter plants/ buds. People like MH for veg becuase it makes the plant grow well, giving you lots of bud sites. Using an HPS for veg will make all the branches thicker and stronger, less bud sites, but you could argue that the thicker branches and leaf stems you can get more nutrients to the buds during flower.

During 12/12 the HPS will make the buds fatter and weigh more, but the MH will make for tastier buds (if you ask me).

So go ahead and rock the HPS the whole grow... the biggest pain is that all your pictures will turn out orange.

Also, I am no expert grower or scientist... I'm sure someone's going to say I'm full of it. Oh well. I just wanted to tell you what I have found to be true for me and my friends and from reading a whole hell of a lot.

Good luck bro.

Is your 400w HPS aircooled?
 
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