Newbie HPS

Okay so let me start off with I'm just self-taught.. I've learned some from people I've seen grow some danky-dank and I aspire to be one of them. I've had one unsuccessful grow (6 plants) in the past with fox farm soil, 4 t5 lights three inches from the plant watered once a day, the plants out great their container too quick and I was forced to push them into early bud with an bs 400 watt lamp and the t5 lights the bud ended up stringy and airy.. No bueno... So this time around I started 12 seeds from soil started under a 200watt CFL and an 75 watt "GE Plant light" the forst six seedlings have started STRONG with GREEN leaves and what seems to be rigid stalks. I came across a 400watt HPS lamp/ballas deal so I transplanted what was close to ready and loaded three plants in one 4gallon pot and another three in one 4 gallon pot. (Fox farm soil, light 20" away running 24 hours being waters once a day.. They are now on seven since they've sprouted and I was wondering if there's any advice for promotion of some danky dank, I'm running the same 75 wat plant light and 400watt hps... Any suggestions??

Throw as much light at them that you can. For now - use Metal Hylide or CFL for vegging. If all you have is CFL - get color spectrum cfls when you go to flowering (I'm not sure what the best colors for CFL flowering are).... In the future don't combine plants in the same pot - They end up fighting each other for root space.
Keep reading threads on things you need info on. Happy growing...

I think the reason your buds were airy isn't from you using a 400w hid.
I think its much more likely that you had issues with heat, air.exchange or nutes.

I say this because I use 400, raised higher than I see most people have them and i still produce rock hard buds.

Also like was said before one plant per pot will save you a lot pf trouble.
Also don't water so frequently. Next time you water feel how heavy the pot is. Now let that pot dry to almost weighing nothing before you water again.

I woke up and checked them this morning (when I usually water) and notices the pots are still holding some good moisture.. But the leaves have became sort of thin and the steams jumped/stretched about an inch over night. . . any suggestions? Do I not have enough fresh air?? My room. Is 5'x4'x5'5" running one circulation fan and one 4" fresh air intake...help

Bro the 400 will work just fine. I veg under 600. Flower 1000+ and LED's. I did a 3 bucket DWC in a 3x3 under a 400w super red ushino lamp, monster!

Biggest issue new growers have is 'Too Much Love' for the new plants = Over watering and Over Feeding.

Itscottymarley said:

the bud ended up stringy and airy

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Is the grow space light tight? Is the intake ducting casting light on buds through the reflector during lights out? (need to get inside during lights out with every light on in the outer room.) If not fix it.

So I'm aware of the fact that with HPS I'm missing out on the light that causes "Green" plants so I've been told my leaves will naturally yellow some...? I'm using a 100watt Plant light by GE that "Promotes Green plants" so I'm balancing out on what I miss by giving each plant a one day turn under the 100watt while also under the 400watt.. I've noticed it does turn the plants a darker richer green and the stalks seem healthier each turn.. I burried a good inch and a half of the stalk of each plant to shorten them up a bit but I'm think give then a week or two and transfer them to a 6-8 gallon pot and keep the 400/100watt GE? 24/0 ?

I'm pretty sure hps will not cause leaves to be yellow but it will in face cause they to appear more yellow in the light, take them out of the grow light and look at them under a normal light spectrum, (daylight) they should still be lush green even under hps, the new growth will always be a lighter green then say fan leaves, but everything else should be normal.

You can get glasses that are designed to reduce solar flare which will allow you to see truer colors.

Check out didymium glasses

Also I would cut out that other bulb and just keep the plants main light source consistent.

OGMMJ said:

I'm pretty sure hps will not cause leaves to be yellow but it will in face cause they to appear more yellow in the light, take them out of the grow light and look at them under a normal light spectrum, (daylight) they should still be lush green even under hps, the new growth will always be a lighter green then say fan leaves, but everything else should be normal.

You can get glasses that are designed to reduce solar flare which will allow you to see truer colors.

Check out didymium glasses

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Thanks bro I'll for sure grab me a pair of those glasses.

Itscottymarley said:

Thanks bro I'll for sure grab me a pair of those glasses.

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Just be careful some of them can get pretty pricey, you will spend probably 60 bucks on the cheapest true didymium glasses so might not be the first thing on the list if you have environmental conditions to work out first. they are a necessity for glassblowing and since I set up an at home studio I have a few pairs and figured I would try them in the hps because I would often get headaches and it would take my eyes longer and longer to adjust after coming out of the flower room. They are a nice addition.

I woke up and notices the center of the seedlings are a little more yellow than usual... Anyone have any idea on what I could do to fix this? Like 2 out of the 6 are like this... Fox farm dirt.... Distilled water... ??

Looks like new growth to me.

Cx2H said:

Looks like new growth to me.

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It's not on all the plants and it's more yellow than the picture portrays

Like this

OK gotcha. Well the pix is not the best; is the whole thing showing this yellowing?
Did you do anything to it in the last 5 days. Feed, water, transplant etc?

Cx2H said:

OK gotcha. Well the pix is not the best; is the whole thing showing this yellowing?
Did you do anything to it in the last 5 days. Feed, water, transplant etc?

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Transplanted 5days ago exactly and waters them once since.. The light is 20" away exactly from the plant.. No neuts when I watered, the lights are on 24/0

Give it a day or so; will likely darken up

Itscottymarley said:

Thanks bro I'll for sure grab me a pair of those glasses.

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$20 on Amazon for a pair of Apollo's. They're cheap but work fine for what you need them for.

Just keep an eye on it. New growth in the middle will be yellow/ ish green. With no food it will grow sloooooow. It should darken up if there is any N in the medium.

Chef420 said:

$20 on Amazon for a pair of Apollo's. They're cheap but work fine for what you need them for.

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Good looks bro! Just saved me some money, I found some "UV protection" ones at meijer, think they protect the same??