VV has this weird affection going on for fluoros, beats the crap out of me why! The only real reason to flower with flo's is because you can't adequately vent the space to cool an HPS.

You can cool a single 400HPS with a 100mm fan (pref centrif) and dryer vent hose, as long as you can put the exhaust where it won't get sucked right back into the grow. Placing the ballast outside the grow airspace helps loads as do cooltubes. I've seen cooltubed 400s in a grow op airspace the size of a fridge.

Requirement #1 for any realistically productive indoor grow op is the ability to ventilate the space adequately. If you have enough airflow to keep the plants healthy, chances are you've got enough for a small HPS.

Flo's in flowering are really a last resort; if you simply don't have access to a space with adequate ventilation, flo's will get you through. They can make the difference between growing a little weed with not-so-dense buds, slowly- or none at all.

It's all in the light intensity. Flo's are low intensity light sources; HPS is a high-intensity source, which at optimum spacing isn't too far off from the intensity of sunlight. In some ways HPS is better than sunlight as you never have a cloudy day in a grow op!

Flo's do have good uses in every op- they're THE light for clones and can veg your mums adequately as well. However, if you want solid nugs and lots of them in the quickest way possible, you need HPS in flowering.

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Get a harvest every 2 weeks - A batch of clones in rockwool - Al B. Gone

If there's any moderators pssing by, my lead post in this thread needs an edit. I can no longer edit the post.

The text

should be amended to

I've found the weak nutes slowed rooting and eliminated the step some months ago. 50% grade H2O2 should be applied at 1ml/L. Instruction is amended to 9ml to suit the ultra common 9L bucket size.

If you keep a bucket of clone watering soln for more than a couple of days, check pH after a couple of dip waterings- RW cubes may have some limestone dust which has a tendency to raise the pH of the watering soln as cubes are dipped in it. Correct down as needed. Add H2O2 every 3-4 days to keep soln sterile.

The hardest thing about cloning in RW cubes is not overwatering them. A damp 40mm cube should weigh no more than 25g. Heavier than that is too wet.

I water cubes by dipping only a corner of the bottom of the cube for less than a second until the clones have sent out first roots. They will want a LOT more water once they have a good spray of roots and are actively growing. Cubes with advanced rooted clones may have to be immersed to get them wet enough to carry the clone through 12 hours!

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Get a harvest every 2 weeks - A batch of clones in rockwool - Al B. Gone

I've got a 24" dual T5 setup for seedlings, a 48" Quad T5 for clones, getting a 600w HPS for mothers, and a 1000w HPS for flowering.

T5's keep small bushy plants, slow veg, plenty of nodes. If I mixed in some red light they'd be taller than they are now; I'm using all blue lights right now.

The HPS on the mothers will help with making nice big clones for DWC.. thanks to Al's example.



Enigma

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Heat is not an issue with HPS lighting if the ballast is located outside the airmass and cooltubes are used.

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Get a harvest every 2 weeks - A batch of clones in rockwool - Al B. Gone

That's a lot of light for mums. I am supporting 10 mums with a 400HPS and probably could do with a 250.

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Get a harvest every 2 weeks - A batch of clones in rockwool - Al B. Gone

Really?

I'll post a pic of my new idea.. later.



Enigma

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... Hey everyone, I just reviewed this thread after posting my 4000th post in Al's other required reading thread, Get A Harvest Every Two Weeks. Couple thing I had forgotten to do, good thing I practiced on those male's. And I still have them damn T-5 lights hanging around.lol Props Al. VV

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http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/53595-vv-singing-blues-seed-perpetual.html
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-de...p-journal.html

Well done, VV.

You realise that one day I am going to show up at your place and force you at bongpoint to install some HPS lights.

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Get a harvest every 2 weeks - A batch of clones in rockwool - Al B. Gone

I will make it there before you get here. My wifes next business trip is going to be to Australia. They usually stay in two different cities, 3 to 4 days each. Don't know the details yet. You did notice I still have one of the 400 watt hps lights in use right? I am going to use it for about 10 mothers here in the next few months. IF you have the time I would appreciate it if you could post one of your clone pictures in my blues thread. I want to use it to explain the difference between running an op that is alreay set up and going and the shoestring operation I am running and I think having the picture right there will help drive the point home. VV

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http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/53595-vv-singing-blues-seed-perpetual.html
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-de...p-journal.html

I have a question that is sort of relevant to this topic, but i didnt think it was worthy of making a thread, does rockwool germinate seeds well? BEcause i had tried to germinate in rockwool and it didnt work, so i threw it in a wet paper towel and in a bag and it germinated in 24 hours but i left it in for an additional day, but i only left the seed in the rockwool for about a day and a half, i think i was being impatient and didnt give it time, but does it work in rockwool bc i dont think i left it in for long enough.