Florescent or Metal Halide?

arc209 · Aug 1, 2012

Hello everyone, yes I am new to this board and new to growing. This is probably one of the most common questions asked, but I need to know. I have some great females growing 4 to be exact (blue dream, white widow, purple AK47 and sour diesel, all about 8 to 10 inches tall). I am going to use them strickly for cloning. I have them currently under a 4ft 6500K 38watt florescent light, runing at 18/24. I just got a hydrofarm 1000W light set up with a HPS light for in the future when I start fowering. I want them to grow big and fast as possible.
I have 3 questions.
1. Is it ok to put my 4 females under a 1000W Metal Halide, just for veggie?
2. Should I keep them under the florescent or Halide?
3. What light will get them big and grow fast so that I can start cloning.

Thanks, and sorry for the newbie question, I just want to do the best thing for them.

calicat · Aug 1, 2012

arc209 said:
Hello everyone, yes I am new to this board and new to growing. This is probably one of the most common questions asked, but I need to know. I have some great females growing 4 to be exact (blue dream, white widow, purple AK47 and sour diesel, all about 8 to 10 inches tall). I am going to use them strickly for cloning. I have them currently under a 4ft 6500K 38watt florescent light, runing at 18/24. I just got a hydrofarm 1000W light set up with a HPS light for in the future when I start fowering. I want them to grow big and fast as possible.
I have 3 questions.
1. Is it ok to put my 4 females under a 1000W Metal Halide, just for veggie?
2. Should I keep them under the florescent or Halide?
3. What light will get them big and grow fast so that I can start cloning.

Thanks, and sorry for the newbie question, I just want to do the best thing for them.

Over excessive a 1000 watt for just four plants. I vegetate with fluoros until I know my girls can handle a MH and I have 12 under a 400 watt. You would have to keep the 1000 watt at a distance of over 3 feet from your canopy not to fry them. T5 systems are out there and work extremely well I will upgrade in near future..Ive seen systems out there that can produce the same amount of lumens that my 400 mH can minus the heat and cheaper on electrical bill. In terms of vegetation t5, cfls, fluorescents, MH or combinations of the aforementioned will work.

smokinrav · Aug 1, 2012

Yeah, to do four plants justice under a 1000 watter, you'll need a 400 MH to veg them big enough to make full use of the area a 1000 watt light covers. Or grow 8 plants, veg the for 1/2 the time (under the 400) to fill in the same space, and save yourself 2-3 weeks on the harvest date.

The fluoros you have will do for keeping moms alive, I'd probably add one more like the one you have, and that's it for the 4 moms. You'll have to keep them well trimmed and trained under a small mother light.

vortexsniper · Aug 1, 2012

are you planning on saving the four as moms? or strictly doners?

Opm · Aug 1, 2012

I run a t5 setup and it works awesome. For a mom I would mix in a 3000K bulb or two. This will help with stem/root development.

arc209 · Aug 2, 2012

I plan on saving the four moms and use them strickly for cloning. I just want them to grow big and fast, in a small amount of time. Once I get them to a desired highth and fullness then I will just maintain them.

chrishydro · Aug 2, 2012

I have two under a 1k but have the ballast set at 70 percent. I know it is overkill but I used a 400 last time did well so I spent the money and got te 1k. Def overkill but the plants are doing fantastic. Greeen Green Green and they are six weeks old and the odor is fantastic. Just about floors me when I walk in there.

calicat · Aug 3, 2012

I usually use flourescents to my seedlings then more often times than not when I see three to 4 nodes that is usually in about two weeks then I use my 400 watt metal halide. I usually do 10-12 plants vegging for about 4-5 weeks and the 400 watt MH works fine. IMO 1000 watt MH is ecessive for the amount of plants your doing. I use to have a stadium grow specifically for vegging and did about 250 clones with a single 1000 watt MH.

Florescent or Metal Halide?

arc209

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calicat

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smokinrav

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vortexsniper

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Opm

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arc209

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chrishydro

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calicat

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