What light bulbs for flowering?

JCave

Well-Known Member
Plants been vegging for 5 weeks in DWC tub running two 42w CFL lights.

I think soon my plant will be ready to flower, so right now since this is my first grow I need to find out what light I want to get so I can flower my plants correctly, on a budget.

I been searching ceramic metal halide light bulbs (CMH) and it seems like they are the best for my situation.

I am looking for best possible light that produces best bud for watt output and least heat produced,
Highest CMH goes in 400watts and they produces less heat then a high pressure sodium watt for watt.

CMH are new bulbs but HPS is what everyone has used and have good results, so I am trying to find out if I should try out something new like CMH for my first grow or just use 400w HPS?
 

Dwezelitsame

Well-Known Member
actually i use both and a uvb
in a double bulb hood wit uvb hanging off the side

the deal
mh or cmh best for veg
mh or cmh best for first 1/3 of flower to reduce stretch
hps is best for second 1/3 of flower to give you rock hard buds
mh or cmh is best for final 1/3 of flower to take advantage of last bulk up stages

but i use both throughout i spin pots every other day and have them on a large lazy suzan i made that i rotate on every feeding day

oh i like an use phillips -cmh and hortilux - hps

gluck
 

JCave

Well-Known Member
Know what, I think I should go HPS. I want to use something people have had success with (mainly since CMH bulbs need magnetic ballast and I don't want that noise/heat in my room).

Right now since my grow room is my room, I am looking for something not going to pump out too much heat. So I am thinking about 400watt, would 600watt be too much as in heat production?
 

lamopa

Active Member
HPS is probably ideal for flowering because it has more of the yellow/orange spectrum which is ideal for that stage. MH are bit better for veg because they have more of the white spectrum, which plants crave at that stage.

EDIT: I also supplement my HPS with four red LED panels for an additional red spectrum during flowering. I just starting vegging again recently and added some white/blue panels to supplement my HPS during this phase. bongsmilie
 
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