CFL vs FLORO vs HPS - Page 2

lando421 · #11 03-20-2007, 04:47 PM

wow quite a difference from regular fluoros to CFL's.....
I'm using CFL's and just started flowering, but I must say they are very dense plants

KushMaster85 · #12 03-20-2007, 07:18 PM

Very nicely done. I am very surprised that the cfls have stayed ahead for all 5 weeks. Keep us posted as to what happens in flower.

th3bigbad · #13 03-22-2007, 08:03 AM

ok i started to flower them all today. i took pics of just the best plants under each light. the HPS and CFLs are to big to take the whole tub out without risking brakeing the plants. i wont be adding CO2 or any kind of bud boosters to this crop. they will just have GH 3 part mixed 0/2/3 (G/M/B) and cal/mag plus.
the HPS is starting to really show more growth than the CFLs now that the plants are getting big. the CFLs just dont reach far enough down into the plant and the bottom leaves are starting to drop off alil. but thats expected from those lights on a 2' tall plant i guess. and the long tube floros are still sad looking. you can really see the difference in the size of the roots now. the HPS plants roots are huge, but a close 2nd with the CFLs and the long tube floros are small and thin. im letting all the plants just grow without any pruning at all.

pic1 is of the long tube floro plant
pic2 is of the HPS plant
pic3 is of the CFL plant

th3bigbad · #14 03-22-2007, 08:07 AM

just some root pics.

pic1 is of long tube floros roots
pic2 is of CFL roots
pic3 is of HPS roots

hearmenow · #15 03-22-2007, 08:20 AM

Great thread. I'm glad you decided on this. I have been debating whether to get a 150w HPS and I may yet but I think I will go CFL all the way on this grow. Space is my biggest concern. We have kids and it's getting harder and harder to hide our grow. I don't think I can hide the HPS.

Bigbad, maybe if you topped and/or FIMed the plants the CFLs would reach down further into the plant. I know this is an experiment but I will probably do that to mine, along with having my light all over the plants. Maybe that will stimulate bigger buds. I will say my stems are pretty thick now, ranging from about 1/2" to 1.5".

Keep us posted!

Doctor · #16 03-22-2007, 08:25 AM

Fu*king amazing.... thanks m8 for doing such a good experiment lol, i think im goin to have my grow on cfls all through the grow. HPS uses way to much electricity for me lol and im only growing them for personal use lol ... thx again

wkarma · #17 03-22-2007, 08:31 AM

What do you think would be the difference if you used a 1000MH for the veg stage?
peace

th3bigbad · #18 03-22-2007, 08:41 AM

its funny you brought that up. im takeing some of the lights and moveing them to the sides. 2 lights on top of the plants and 2 on each side to see if that will slow the upward growth alil and help them bush out some.
when i started this i was going to leave all the lights on top of the plants to make it completely fair, cuz i cant have the HPS or long tubes spread out. but the more i think about it it seems completely fair to move the CFLs to get the best growth. the ablity to have the CFL lights in different places around the plant is one of the good parts about growing with them.
if the CFLs do 1/2 aswell in flowering as the did in veg i may try a CFL grow with 1000watts worth of CFLs to compair to the HPS from this grow. but thats something to think about when i get this grow done. i just dont have the space to do it now.
on a side note,,, i was so impressed with the CFLs i went to wally world over the weekend and bought a 6 light fixture that is made to go over a bathroom mirror (12.00), 6 of the Y type fittings(10.00) so u can 2 bulbs in place of 1, and 2 boxes 6 lights in each box of 13watt CFL lights(20.00). 42.00 for all and that gives 156watts on a 4' light fixture. i was going to use that for clones but i may just buy a few more setups exactly like that and do a whole grow. if i bought 5 more setup like that i would have 936 total watts and just like now they would be completely movible and nowhere near the heat of the HPS. if i do thy that it will be in a 4'x4' room like i have the HPS in now.

th3bigbad · #19 03-22-2007, 08:49 AM

glad yall dig the thread.
hearmenow, i was thinking about toping when i first started this. to get the yield up, but when i i saw how poorly the long tube floros plants were doing i decided not to. im trying to keep everything as close to the same as i can and i could top the big plants atleast 2 or 3 times before the long tube floros plants would get over the shock of the first topping. so im going to a single cola on all the plants.
wkarma i have no idea. ive never used a MH light before. i have a digi 1000watt ballast so i may try that after this crops is done to see what happens.

milk man · #20 03-22-2007, 09:12 AM

This is one of the most interesting thread I have read. I am growing in a 9x12x8 with 1 400 wt conversion hps 1 1000 wt hps and 40 23 wt cfls and was thinking of replacing the cfls with another 1000 wt hps but now I am rethinking that. Thanks please keep us posted