Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Does that light look like a good one to you? The 200w COB one? Worth 400? And the 3500k or 4000k option?
First grow. Tell me how I'm doing. :D
- Thread starter Tyleethetiger
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Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
I'd go with 3500k. & yes, it's a great light. Mind you, you do have to build a frame for it out of aluminum "L" bar though. But that's easy
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
So from what I'm reading I need to buy a 4 foot l bar to go across my closet then I need to drill holes for the led to go in and mount it then I'm good?
Flowki
Well-Known Member
Hps dual spec seems to do fine, but using the cfl for the first few infant weeks. More optimally suggested by those who've done both would be veg with MH and after flip stretch finishes, swap to dual spec hps. Some ballasts can operate both bulb types, you'd have to do your own research on that. LED from many reviews read is a minefield of bad products while the good ones are expensive. It's hard to 'weed out the genuine from the bs from the bias from the out right lies. I read the difference was quantity (hps) or quality (LED) but again that could all be wrong either way, I gave up reading due to the above, no reason why you should though, if you like them. A large majority seem to agree a typical dual hps or mh combo is reliably acceptable in results. While some bulbs/ballasts do cost a lot more for X/Y/Z benefits, again something you'd have to research to see if the added expense is worth it to you.
Those with space and few plants tend to use bigger pot sizes (yet more research ;p). Alternatively many also use some form of hydro but it's a lot more advanced/risky. Your lighting is going to be completely dictated by how much air exchange you have to regulate temperature. You can buy air cons or ac units and so on but like LED they don't appear to be cheap for meaningful ones.
Just something to consider, a 1000w light hung vertical with the plants growing around it would cover a sizeable canopy surface area. Maths is not my strong point so you'd have to find the surface area charts yourself for the exacts but most certain is that you will use a hell of a lot less W and create a lot less heat, requiring smaller scale/setting on airflow to also save on W. Would definitely remove the need for ac, country depending. You could also have a back up 400w that you can hang in place of the 1000W to counter heat wave temporary high night temps. It would be a cheap fix alternative to full scale temp control. That is compared to running say 4x 600w lights in a standard fashion that would very likely need it. They would use more than 2400W and don't forget the extra ballasts that will put out additional heat.
Even If the 4x 600's gave you 50% more ( I made that right up ;p) dry weight would it be worth using more than 100% power in lighting alone?. How much do you smoke in 5/6 month, at a low 3oz a plant from the 1000W vert you got 2oz a month, or 1oz a month for the year.
Theirs also multi spectrum T5's that have good W and heat benifits. People do good with them but it looks like a fairly high initial investment.
As a final off the beaten track option for ''I want it as cheap and nasty as possible''. Use uncle bens topping technique, open up the main colas with a wide tomato rack and shuv a vertical 125w cfl right down it's pie hole, x4. I don't know if you can do that with a cfl never mind leaf airflow so it's kind of ruined the grand exit ;[. It does sound sexy though, in a none weird way. Ok slightly weird.
BabyAndaconda420
Well-Known Member
Makes me mad prison time for a plant that does no harm to anyone lol just makes no freaking sense this is a hobby who are we hurting.
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the thorough reply, I've decided on a 400w MH/HPS and digital ballast setup. Gonna use a cool tube and hook up ducts and run them out of the closet I think for the money I have right now that would be my best option for quality and quantity for my next grow. A guy I know uses tracks for his 1000w hps. How do you feel about moving lights?
Flowki
Well-Known Member
Yes that will be a nice idea, but do look into CMH ones at some point as I've seen nothing but positive comments on them being better (not sure about end flower though, check that out too). They also say glass somewhat blocks UV and what not and if I recall uv or one of it's type (I think it's uv-b?) is suppose to help with potency, but don't quote me on that. So much reading, so little memory ;p. I also don't recall if MH/hps put out the desired type/s anyway so it may be irrelevant.
The moving light concept I figured was to give the various leaves optimal light at some point as the day/cycle goes on. Maybe it also helps give the leaves a rest from the intensity to avoid light bleaching allowing the light to be closer and penetrate deeper as a result. With a fixed light lst the light is held a little further back to avoid that so the canopy will get a little less intensity but more constant while the leaves also won't have to keep tracking the light. Pure speculation, but it's maybe 6 and two 3's.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
the only problem with a light mover in a closet is its a closet, moving 3 inches one way and three inches the other way is kind of pointless.
i'm a tinkerer, i like to mess with my plants on a daily basis, i just move and turn the plants daily, so they all get even coverage
i'm a tinkerer, i like to mess with my plants on a daily basis, i just move and turn the plants daily, so they all get even coverage
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Yeah that's what I do in my closet. I literally walk in my grow room 20 times a day. There is something so satisfying and also humbling about growing your own. The light track would be more for me turning the whole room into a grow space. I'm just shooting out ideas on the cheapest way to grow 3-4 plants efficiently.
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
I will research the glass blocking UV thing for sure before I purchase the kit I'm looking into because it comes with the cool tube. I for sure will be putting all my grows on here from now on. I am blown away by how many people have offered helpful information!
tyke1973
Well-Known Member
What's it smell off,phone them and they will re trace order and let you know what you bought
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Thanks man! Also, I would but I actually didn't order the seeds, I'll see if the guy is willing to phone them up and figure it out. The smell, is literally just like fruit loops cereal. Superrrrr fruity. The guy told me he feels like he remembers it being sour diesel but I'm not gonna say for sure what it is till I know. Look like sour D to you? Around here the best you can get is 20 a g mids and the dealers call it whatever the hell they wanna call their weed lol. Another reason I wanna grow my own.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
that looks a lot more like jack herer than sour diesel, and diesel stinks like lemons and diesel fuel, at least the ones i've been around
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Just an update. And a few questions. Some of these buds are looking more like they are closing in on being done. While some (seems like the ones that get a Lot of light) are exploding with new white pistols and growth. Is this good or bad? Should I be flushing?
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Some pics of week 9 in flower. 
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Week 11 of flower update. Getting frosty 
and dense.
and dense.
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Week 12.5 of flower. Been checking the trichomes daily and am about 20-30% Amber 70-80% milky. Been flushing for 2 weeks and 2 days today. I plan on cutting her down in 5 days with my last watering being tomorrow night. I have researched THE SHIT out of drying and curing this being my first grow and am confident I can cure it nicely. Thanks everybody who took the time to give me some advice, this first grow I've learned so much. I think it went pretty well for CFL. Cheers!
Morriston55
Well-Known Member
Pretty well for CFL? that plants mint for not being LST'd bud, your CFL's are monstrous lol.
Im about to start my first grow with cfl/fluourescents aswell, about 500w from 14 T5 bulbs in a tent, going to LST mine a lot to keep an even canopy, my concern is the temps though, have to get it all wired up very shortly and test where the temps sit with lights/fan running
Cheers to those fat colas!
Im about to start my first grow with cfl/fluourescents aswell, about 500w from 14 T5 bulbs in a tent, going to LST mine a lot to keep an even canopy, my concern is the temps though, have to get it all wired up very shortly and test where the temps sit with lights/fan running
Cheers to those fat colas!
Tyleethetiger
Well-Known Member
Thank you! I donno if you read the first part or not but the plant was a gift from a close pal. I got it at the start of flower and this guy has no idea how to grow so LST isn't in his vocabulary yet as this thing is 5 feet tall and literally 3 feet of it being nothing but stalk.
the canopy on this plant is realllllly uneven. I will be sure and check your grow out if you put it on here! One thing I will say is, although I am keeping the CFL for my closet cause I wanna keep a few small LST plants of different strains in there just for trying new shit and putting more buds under my belt. I am switching my focus to LED and tent and if you have the money I would recommend you build yourself a 200w COB bar for around 450 bucks. It would blow the 500 of CFL out of the water I feel like. People say CFL Have no light penetration and in my case I have found it to be true. I have those within 2 inches of my buds where I can get them in and CFL just doesn't give me the density I am after. However, you may have a different goal than I and I fully understand having a budget and working with what you have as that as what I have done here, and hey I'm not gonna complain with my results. Thanks for the reply friend and best of luck to you.