Will MH added help in flowering?

I have 4 females that are 3 weeks into flowering, I'm using a 250watt HPS due to electrical draw issues in my shed....I have several 1000 watt units but they pull way to much for my supply.

Would a 400 watt MH added to the 250 watt HPS help much with bud production? I know it is not the prefered color spectrum for flowering but would it help fatten things up a bit more? I'm sure it wouldn't hurt but I'm just looking for some advice.

Thanks,
~Outlaw~

i think it would do wonders for the plant overall considering a 250w hps is not alot of light to be growing yet alone be flowering 4 plants.

dr danky doodle said:

i think it would do wonders for the plant overall considering a 250w hps is not alot of light to be growing yet alone be flowering 4 plants.

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LOL...yeah I know, it's wimpy,...I turn them every day and they actually look pretty good for just a 250watt. I could run a 1000 watt if I didn't have the A/C running too! Thanks,....I'll plug her in tonight!

Absolutely MH will add a lot to your grow, but if you add up the wattage a 250w draws more like 3 something adding ballast losses and a 400 draws more like 5 something. That's not that far from one of the 1000's, which also draws more than 1000.

Look at the label on the ballasts and it will show total draw.

If you have to only run one the 400MH alone will do better than the 250 hps alone.

Also if you have a mag ballast you can probably run a pulse start halide bulb which has a spectrum even better than HPS for flowering. They're like $40 a bulb.

your plants will love the extra light. I was thinkin of doing a lower watt HPS on top of a higher watt MH for veg stage. what did you use for your veg stage and how much did you spend on that 250 watt HPS? does it require a ballast?

OregonMeds said:

Also if you have a mag ballast you can probably run a pulse start halide bulb which has a spectrum even better than HPS for flowering. They're like $40 a bulb.

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is this different from a regular MH? i have never heard of them

I agree I haven't been able to flower yet I'm really new. But it makes sense. I would give it a shot.

pulse start metal halide bulbs are relatively new and yes they are very different from regular halide bulbs. They have a very broad spectrum of light across the board at high intensity where as regular MH bulbs don't and just put out a more narrow band of high intensity in the blue range.

Most digital ballasts cannot run pulse start bulbs, they run at a frequency that's too high for them. There are top brands of digitals that can though, if you have a top brand digital ask the manufacturer. I am pretty certain that all mag ballasts can run them though, they all run at 60hz.

dr danky doodle said:

your plants will love the extra light. I was thinkin of doing a lower watt HPS on top of a higher watt MH for veg stage. what did you use for your veg stage and how much did you spend on that 250 watt HPS? does it require a ballast?

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I used the 400 watt MH for veg....then planted in 5 gallon buckets and put outside till they got to tall for the livestock trailer I had them in....then I put them back in the shed about 3 weeks ago and started flowering (they had already started flower outside).

I didn't pay anything for the 250 watt or any of my other lights! haha
I used to work at a scrap yard where the local DEA would have their accumulated confinscated equipment destroyed....I got lucky and was able to smuggle 1-250watt, 2-400watt, and 9-1000watt complete setups, ballasts, hoods and bulbs for all. Worked out well....for me!

I've seen standard fixture (if I remember correctly) 250watt HPS bulbs at Lowes....I think they were like $15.

On a side note,.....could I place the 250 watt between the plants towards the bottom with out the hood and the 400 watt from the top? Would this effect anything from the light shining up under the leaves?

~Outlaw~

the more light the better

Be sure not to put it too close if you do. Big fire hazard. Also it might cause lower leaves to flip upside down by confusion. Just not knowing which way is up. But it would cause larger bud production around the light just because its closer than in normally would be. Other than that I'm not sure.