Trying to increase veg growth during early flowering... re-install my MH?

[legallyflying]

Hey there,
I'm begining to think I should have waited another week or so before I flipped my plants to 12/12 so they would fill my SCROG better. I just flipped on friday. If I re-installed my MH bulb would they grow more as compared to my HPS?

Would I sacrifice bud development or stress them by switching the bulbs?

Thanks!!!

 

[peilo]

I normally myself don't worry about veg, once the HPS kicks in they will double in size and start to fill in. But hard to say with no pics. How tall are they, some strains are better then others for sog

 

[mikmike]

Yea when you stick it in flowering, the plant doubles or triples in size depending on the strain. So you really dont have to worry about that

 

[legallyflying]

Cool. I was anticipating some serious growth but in my literature review several sources say that veg growth slows down when you flip.

Pics are in my grow journal but here is the latest.. 3 days ago. Just trying to get the side branches up to the screen.

 

[mikmike]

give them about another week, and switch them over, and add some slica blast give your stems some nice strength, But yea they will be amazing in FLOWERING they will double if not triple the highest so dont worry about that.

 

[legallyflying]

give them about another week, and switch them over, and add some slica blast give your stems some nice strength, But yea they will be amazing in FLOWERING they will double if not triple the highest so dont worry about that.

Wait, huh? I already switched to hps bulb and 12/12 so your suggesting putting the mh bulbs back in?

Anybody else use the silica blast ?

Thanks

 

[Medi 1]

just leave it, there fine. it dont matter on the bulb to the flower or veg. mh makes hormoens more to promote lateral or side growth is all.
if you realy must or want to kick it back for a bit just switch the time again back. they havent been in bloom long enough to do damage. even leave the hps for more lumens if wanted just go to any light more than 15 hours and they will still veg

 

[Medi 1]

and silica does what it claims but ypou arent going to have longer or lengthy stems that may have the chance to become week and need some help to strengthen them. i wouldnt bother...unless you have it already.

 

[Nor Cal Kush Master]

Try this: http://www.eyehortilux.com/superblue.html Hortilux Super Blue....HPS and MH in one bulb. They work great.

 

[Medi 1]

no offence on choice but those suck. weeker lumens and cost more to run than a dual spec bulb. same shit, has blue in it to but only 1 ellement and is a more efficient bulb and more lumens. i do like horti bulbs and do use therm but those are weeker ones. 1 1k is only 110k lumens as should be at 155k. my 600 does what the 1k does in that form of bulb. and i save by less wattage but get more bud.

 

[Wetdog]

I use Pro-Tekt from Dyna-Gro as a silica supplement. Works great, just don't be heavy handed with it, like 1/4-1/2tsp/gallon.

Wet

 

[Brick Top]

What wattage are you using? You might be using a wattage that a DualArc MH/HPS bulb can be used. A 600-watt DualArc bulb has both a 300-watt HPS filament and a 300-watt MH filament in the same tube. A 1000-watt DualArc bulb has a 600-watt MHP filament and a 400-watt MH filament in the same tube. It provides a more full light spectrum range and is a way to get the best of both at the same time.

 

[Medi 1]

except they fall flat with lumens. they run at the mh lumens amount. 110k for a 1k bulb is week,. and the mh wont last long in it. nio blue mh lasts as long as thew hps does.

 

[Brick Top]

1000-watt HPS bulbs normally run between 130,00 to 145,000 initial lumens so yes the DualArc 1000-watt bulbs 110,000 initial lumens is lower but what you are gaining is a broader light spectrum and the thread starters question was about getting/using a broader light spectrum, not about maximum initial lumens.

I have not noticed what wattage lighting he or she is running but I did offer a viable option for getting a broader light spectrum range, if that is the lighting being used is one where a DualArc bulb is available, meaning 600-watts or 1000-watts.

The lower initial lumen rating does make sense though. Even though your are burning 1000 total watts you are actually burning one separate 600-watt bulb and one separate 400-watt bulb both inside one tube and not a single 1000-watt HPS bulb. You have to expect some reduction in initial lumens

It is a case of giving up something to gain something else and each person has to decide for themselves if the trade-off is worth it to them and to them alone and not if it would be worth it to anyone else. For some it will be well worth it and for others it will not be.

If what is wanted is a broader more balanced spectrum of light a DualArc bulb can be a better option than switching back and forth between bulbs, each delivering a more limited spectrum of light during their periods of use.

An example of one such bulb in 1000-watts:

UltraGrow MegaLux Dual Arc 1000 Watt Hydroponic Grow Bulb

The PlantMax 1000 Watt Dual Arc Tube Bulb incorporates both a 400 Watt Metal Halide arc tube and a 600 Watt High Pressure Sodium arc tube in a single lamp giving the grower the most balanced light spectrum available from any bulb. This PlantMax grow bulb runs on a 1000 Watt HPS ballast and emits 110,000 Lumens.

UltraGrow MegaLux Dual Arc 1000 Watt Specifications:

Wattage: 1,000 Watts
Base: E39 Mogul Base (39mm Diameter)
Initial Lumens: 110,000lm
ANSI: S52
Color Temperature: 3,000 Kelvin
Bulb Shape: ET25
Case Quantities: 12 Bulbs Per Case
Average Life Hours: 10,000 Hours

 

[Medi 1]

130 to 145???...not what i see in the stats online at the manufacurers web sites...1k is 155...the ones i use anyways...hortilux....i just looked at the site again and i see new numbers there now, and the way i read them specs is initial is more than mean. shows a 145 initial and then at 10 hours its down to 127k...........

http://www.eyehortilux.com/tb/superhps/EQS-N-52-78-66785.pdf


and with most dual specs we get the 30% in the bluwe. so basicaly equals the mh portion of the others. but at a higher lumen and all around better quality made bulb. hps last longer, hold the colours longer. right now im running a test in my room with Oshio versus the 600 horti. my quantum guy recomended Oshio..of course same co. but im a horti lover so im putting it to the test. within the forst 2 weeks i saw a huge drop in the blue from the oshio and had 30% blue versus the horti 600 only having 17%. now they are about even

i do admit the blue is a better quality colour for penetration and is why they are lower lumens but as said they die off faster than an hps. im awaiting a new light meter here soon and will be doing weekly evaluations on the life of bulb. and trying to meter the colours as they fade at what rate and what colour. not sure i can afford that one quite yet
anmd i am no way saying anyone is dum to use those. we all have our preff`s.

 

[legallyflying]

Thanks for the suggestions and +rep for bricktop for a cool, calm and throrough answer to the off handed "weak" remark. It seems that I may not need to bother switching the bulbs back to mh as the plants are indeed stretching quite nicely. While every square inch of my 24 sq foot screen will be filled, it's going to be pretty damn close.

Does silica increase growth or jus cause stouter stems ? I def don't want stouter stems at this point