I have 8 Plants (4x KC 36, 4x Super Skunk #1) under a 48" 36W Flouro.

They were started in 2" peat pots then transfered to 5" Plastic Pots in a mixture of specialist potting compost/perlite (60/40).

Have fed with miracle grow every week.

They are aprox 21 Days old and are now over 12" Tall with 5 internodes and several shoots coming off the main stems. As this is my first grow i don't plan on spending big money on lighting systems. Having done some homework i have established they need red spectrum light for flowering. I plan to start flowering on 12/12 next week when plants are 4 weeks old - is this too early?(plants are quite big and i don't have much more space for them)

The lamp i have is developed for tropical aquariums and according to the leaflet has a large peak in the blue and red spectrums optimised for plant growth. Check out the graph at:- Arcadia - Original Tropical Lamp

Any advice would be most welcome.

Happy Growing

i have a similar question i have a white lizard heat lamp( Exoterra products - Sun Glo Neodymium Spot ) would this even be worth hooking up?, it says its good for photo synthewhatever

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A friend with weed is a friend indeed.
Keep your thumb green and your closet greener
Jack Grass

if not maybe these ones? Exoterra products - Sun Glo Neodymium

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A friend with weed is a friend indeed.
Keep your thumb green and your closet greener
Jack Grass

Floro's will and do produce buds however the buds will be small and looser than those grown with a Sodium Vapor or Metal Halide. If you insist on using floros you can grow some real nice green with compact floro's (CFL) or T5's. T12 floro's just dont cut it for great buds. You can use T5 tubes and get great results, but if you are thinking about costs for growing lighting can be an issue and the most for your money you can get is out of a metal halide system. It would take 42 40 watt t12 floro's to produce the same amount of light 1 400 Metal Halide bulb produces. T5's you would need ten 54 Watt bulbs. 5 compact floro's 125 watts would produce the same as one metal halide as well. So if you really want good buds and save money doing it invest in good lighting.

Here is a good web page to compare lighting: ACF Indoor Plant Grow Light Information Guide

They also sell lighting equitment for growing so stop wasting your money and get something that works!

I hope this helps you two!

Puff,Puff,Pass, 420!!!!!!

I started out with a 250 HPS. Then moved up to a 430 HPS. Then finally, a 600 HPS. Now getting just about an ounce per plant from 14, 2.5 foot plants at the finish. The lights are turned to 12/12 when the plants are 12" high.

Vi

You can start flowering when ever you want but yeild will not be much if you start to early. A picture would greatly help but if they are 12" tall then you should be fine but you yeild will be small. you should look into better lighting though!

Many Thanks Guys. Off to the grow shop next week!.

This is my 1st post, but I've read a lot and you're right on, but I would also include High pressure sodium lamps. That link is a good source of basic lighting info. It is a MUST READ for anyone just starting out.

"Big Props" Bigballin.