t8 lights for growing
- Thread starter brizad61
- Start date
I've never grown with T8. As you've said, the common information is that they aren't suitable for growing. Have you tried T5HO or those Cree LED "lightbulbs" from Home Depot? (<<link) I've used both and they're great. It would be interesting to hear how T8 compares to those alternatives.
IMO, it's not so much that your grows turned out great, but how many grams per watt you got. How many watts per sq. ft. you used, grams per sq. ft. It's about efficiency, I believe. The cost of space and electricity.
Cold$moke
Well-Known Member
You can grow under a 75 w light bulb lol
but the question you must ask your self
Is how much do you smoke?
me and.my woman put away about an oz every 2 weeks lol
after you figure out how much you smoke in a day times that by 2and a half months
this number is what yoy need to griw to stay self sufficient
make sense so far?
an 8 bulb t5 in my hands can yeild over a 1/2 pound
Your results will vary
t8s are ok for cloners and seedlings
I say ok just cause they dont have much intensity
which means you must keep the light as close as possible without hurting the plant.
and training if yoy dont youll have lanky plants
just my 2 but I hope this helps you with your decision
and yes you could grow with t8s but you may or may not have favorable results
too many variable
but the question you must ask your self
Is how much do you smoke?
me and.my woman put away about an oz every 2 weeks lol
after you figure out how much you smoke in a day times that by 2and a half months
this number is what yoy need to griw to stay self sufficient
make sense so far?
an 8 bulb t5 in my hands can yeild over a 1/2 pound
Your results will vary
t8s are ok for cloners and seedlings
I say ok just cause they dont have much intensity
which means you must keep the light as close as possible without hurting the plant.
and training if yoy dont youll have lanky plants
just my 2 but I hope this helps you with your decision
and yes you could grow with t8s but you may or may not have favorable results
too many variable
Walter9999
Well-Known Member
Keep the plant within an inch of the light...this will help keep any stretch to a minimum...g/l
mauricem00
Well-Known Member
led light bulbs work great as supplements to T5HOs but you can get Cree lights much cheaper than home depot http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-SMD5730-9W-12W-15W-18W-E27-led-bulb-220V-110V-Warm-White-white-24LEDs-36LEDs/2029684843.html I use these instead of 3000k bulbs for flowering along with 6500K fluorescent, at over 106 lumens per watt they are very efficient and they provide deep red missing in fluorescent. and at that price point with free shipping they are cheaper than tubes.I use them in my grow light they are a great compliment to 6500k fluoros and am slowly replacing the CFLs in my house with them as my budget allows.performance with T8s is probably comparable to standard T5s (not HOs)lower output will result in lower yield.just because some people can't grow with one form of light does not mean it doesn't work. you just need to find the right strain and growing style
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
T8 works just fine for veg. Still the best option for a low priced veg startup at 10 dollars a 4ft shoplight.
For flowering, you really want HPS, or if you're rich, LED COBs
For flowering, you really want HPS, or if you're rich, LED COBs
Thanks. The "lightbulbs" at Home Depot use XT or XB diodes. The later have been used to grow without additional light (i.e., not merely supplement), yeilding >1g/w. The lights you linked to are SMD5730. I'd like to learn more about how the SMD compares to XT (efficiency, spectral curve). Has that been discussed anywhere?
I'm also a little leary of AliExpress, whether it's really Cree, etc.
While 3.5x the price of what you posted, the Cree lights at HD have a 10 year warranty honored by HD. Just walk in and replace the bulb. That's a factor to consider too. But, to me the important factor would be how XB diodes compare to SMD.
mauricem00
Well-Known Member
I have used 5630 led strip lights to supplement my fluorescent s and other growers here have used them in micro grows as primary lighting with good outcomes.these smaller diodes used in "corn cob" lights allow for greater light distribution and allow the lights to be place closer to plants these SMD can be place as close to plants as fluorescent but due to the narrow beam angle they need to be spread over a large area to get full coverage.I have been happy with the products and service I have received from these Chinese suppliers. at HD check the package for the words "made in china" many of their lights are.the spec sheet for these diodes will provide some information. hope this is helpful.
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mauricem00
Well-Known Member
some people on YouTube are getting a gram per watt with CFLs and many believe that fluoro grown plants taste better. for low power micro grows modern fluorescent are more efficient than MH bulbs and run a lot cooler I do not smoke but my SO claims that the"medicine" I grow is smoother and has better taste than what is sold on the streets.and they have noticeably more "sugar"
Cold$moke
Well-Known Member
Why did you quote me again?
I said you can grow fire with t5
I got a half lb or more reliably
from 8bulb system
the whole reason peeps say florescent taste better
is because the budds with the bigger lights werent grown properly spectrum makes a big diff on flavs in my opinion
im sure you can hit gpw
but I want huge hard budds
and ive done just about everything you can with a t5
before I got serious
I said you can grow fire with t5
I got a half lb or more reliably
from 8bulb system
the whole reason peeps say florescent taste better
is because the budds with the bigger lights werent grown properly spectrum makes a big diff on flavs in my opinion
im sure you can hit gpw
but I want huge hard budds
and ive done just about everything you can with a t5
before I got serious
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mike4c4
Well-Known Member
I used T8s at first, you just have to get the right bulbs for them.
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/89124/SUN-901616.html
Cold$moke
Well-Known Member
Its easy every light listed will grow budd
the question you NEED TO ASSESS. Is what is going to produce enough for you to be sefl sufficient
its simple how much weed do you smoke in 2 to 3 monthes which is average grow time
then you'll have your answers
personally with the cost and risk associated I want THE MOST I CAN GET
sorry but after 2.5 monthes with t5 a half lb just didnt seem worth it to me
now at close to 2 lbs at every cycle is more worth it to me
but its your choice but I smoke a crap load so I need a crap load
the question you NEED TO ASSESS. Is what is going to produce enough for you to be sefl sufficient
its simple how much weed do you smoke in 2 to 3 monthes which is average grow time
then you'll have your answers
personally with the cost and risk associated I want THE MOST I CAN GET
sorry but after 2.5 monthes with t5 a half lb just didnt seem worth it to me
now at close to 2 lbs at every cycle is more worth it to me
but its your choice but I smoke a crap load so I need a crap load
turbobuzz
Well-Known Member
I would love to do HPS for flowering, but I'm afraid it would be to hot for my closet, and I don't have a way to vent itAgreed I did plenty good with floros for many years my first ever grow was t8
then t5
then led
now I run mh with enhanced spectrum
and I might shell out the bucks for an led only if it can match my 1000w