2 x 60w is okay for my 1st grow ?

snowbuds

Member
Alright, my post a few days ago was successfully for germinating was wondering if 2 x 60W lights should be good enough for next 2 weeks before switching to either 600w or 1000w HPS ballast setup ? its not in vegging stage just yet but soon!!! I am excited! :)

EDIT: btw, the stem is about 2 and half inches tall.
 

deprave

New Member
need more details on your bulbs but if you mean regular 60W incandescent lights you find around the house then NO its not ideal at all in fact its the least ideal. - Please provide the color spectrum in calvins(ie: 6000K) - please also specify the type of bulb for a more accurate answer, not enough information is given for anyone to answer your question
 

snowbuds

Member
need more details on your bulbs but if you mean regular 60W incandescent lights you find around the house then NO its not ideal at all in fact its the least ideal. - Please provide the color spectrum in calvins(ie: 6000K) - please also specify the type of bulb for a more accurate answer, not enough information is given for anyone to answer your question
its curly fries shape kind of light.. http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=35806MAXLITE the link.. is that enough infomation? or still need more? let me know and thanks

EDIT: this is just for a week at the most, atleast I think so before flipping either 1,000w or 600w HPS on.. probably 600W HPS since its only 1 plant to work with for now.
 
If you have the 600 then put it on as soon as you have roots. Just hang it high at first until the plant gets used to the HID, then lower it slowly to the normal distance from canopy. With the lights you have now you are only getting 7000 lumens. Your 600 is 10 times this.... I use a 400 from clone to finish starting with MH then HPS, switchable ballast.
 

snowbuds

Member
If you have the 600 then put it on as soon as you have roots. Just hang it high at first until the plant gets used to the HID, then lower it slowly to the normal distance from canopy. With the lights you have now you are only getting 7000 lumens. Your 600 is 10 times this.... I use a 400 from clone to finish starting with MH then HPS, switchable ballast.
Thanks for reply... the white tail should be facing down or upward to the top of soil?

EDIT: which do u rather to use 1,000w or 600w HPS for 1 plant project? I have been told 1,000w would be overkill for just 1 lonely plant and would be better off for 4 or 5 plants at once which I hope eventually I will do that but for now I just want to learn by using 1 plant.
 

TaoWolf

Active Member
Thanks for reply... the white tail should be facing down or upward to the top of soil?

EDIT: which do u rather to use 1,000w or 600w HPS for 1 plant project? I have been told 1,000w would be overkill for just 1 lonely plant and would be better off for 4 or 5 plants at once which I hope eventually I will do that but for now I just want to learn by using 1 plant.
If you keep your lighting at the right height, a 600w will be just as good as a 1,000w as far as photosynthesis is concerned. It's more a matter of footprint - or how big of an area needs to be effectively covered.

For example, and this is all just rough figures:

A 600w 18" above a plant will emit enough photosynthetically reactive radiation (PAR) to just about equal equatorial sunshine over a 3'x3' area. A 1,000w 21" above a plant will also emit enough PAR to just about equal equatorial sunshine but over a 4'x4' area... Or just as another example, a 150w at 7" above a plant also emits enough PAR to just about equal equatorial sunshine... but will only do so over about a 2'x2' area or less.

So if you have one plant - I'd go with the 600w over the 1000w and save some electricity cost. Unless that one plant gets over 3'-4' tall, you'd just be wasting money running a 1,000w.
 
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