Lighting Question

Hey everyone i recently started the garden my veg side is lookin good, i got a 175 metal halide, i had question though. Ive been looking at hps systems bcus ive been told thats the best way to go on my flower side, however with the budget that might no be possible. Would there be any problem flowering with a light thats less intense than the veg side? you know it seems kinda weird i would be putting a good ass light on top of veg then sending them over to a couple cfl's.

Heres what you do.


Use the mh for veg and flower! Supplement with a few 2700k warm white bulbs, and youll have an awesome spectrum. Mh is fine for flower. You might get less yield, but nothing crazy. Especially if you do as I said and use some cfls with the mh. It also is said to improve taste, as well as a couple other things. I forget if it helps with trichome production or something along those lines.

Only problem I see is maybe a heat issue if your ventilation isnt on point.

I usually veg with cfls and flower with them as well and I supplement with a 150watt hps. Opposite of your situation, but the same principle.

The modern 400w digital ballast is the tool of todays grower, you don't need all that 400w of 143000 lumens you just dial it down, come veg you flick the switch to Mh come bud, again flick the switch to HPS, the heat to light ratio is a lot better than the smaller HID lights, that put out way to much heat, and if growing you will need some venting anyways, go with your gut feeling and upgrade, you can always use the 175w M/h for germination too

http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-Dimmable-Detachable-Reflector/dp/B00547I5I8/ref=pd_sbs_lg_6

yea best bed is to get some 2700K CFLs as DJ said if your budget really is that small, some 23W or bigger and on max 3000 Kelvin 2700K is to prefer

and yes first weeks and last week of flowering the MH actually have a positive effect, in the early stages in the stretch (first weeks of 12/12 where the plant grow the most) and in the end to make the Bud`s trichomes production peak but in the middle, 4-5 weeks where the plant develop the flowers we all love it do have benefit of a more reddish light (Kelvin under 3000K/spectrum around 630-660nM) not said the MH can't grow em, but as it peak in the bluish light there is`t much light in the reddish part of the spectrum and it will develop smaller flowers, but agin it all depend, a experience grower with good genetic will most likely beat a noob with bag seed`s even with a MH Vs a HPS

Check craiglist, I see some people selling 400 watt setup for as low as $50/$75