Hello GC, I have been going back and forth with this and wanted some input. If I picked up fifteen clones from a dispensary, would they work with a 1000w metal halide as far as vegging? I was wondering whether to keep them in solo cups and have them under a CAP Maxlume T5 (4ft model) or just put them in their final 5gal pots and FFOF soil and have the MH on? I want to figure out the most efficient way for me, input would help and be greatly appreciate, I had done a smaller grow and want to start with this amount and possibly increase and do a perpetual. Anyways, thanks for reading guys!.
Get the 15 clones and leave under a T5 rack for 4 weeks..(use blue, 6500k) then change the 4' T5 tubes ti 2700k, red then bud 12x12 for 2 months, forget the 1Kw Mh as too hot and wrong kelvin. to my blog ...library help ya self peace "V"
Depends how big you want them to get before flowering. If you're doing more of a SOG style grow with all 15 then just use the T5's @ 6500k then 2700k for flowering or switch to an HPS. If you want to veg them really big use the T5's until they get established then switch to the 1000W MH when they're in bigger pots. I wouldn't use the 1000W while the clones are still getting established as it would be a waste of power.
CAone: listen to Vostok. T-5's are great from seed sprouting to harvest if you know what you're doing. They're cheap to run, they burn cool and the offer a variety of K valued tubes for every stage of growth. Just make sure you get a fixture or fixtures big enough to completely cover your grow space. I hope that helps. Hank
MH's are absolutely un fucking matched by any other light for veg.. But they would like a week under some cfls after being cloned..
Hey Guys: I don't want to start a pissing contest here but it may have a lot to do with the scale or size of your grow. I grow only for my personal medical needs; six plants and 1/2 pound or less, so I found that T-5's do everything I need and in a 2' by 4' tent there's no heat problem. If I was growing commercially for profit I would be growing under Metal Halide, no argument there. I hope that helps. Hank
Hey Hank, I just started my first grow but i chose to use a 2', four lamp T5 setup. I currently have five seedlings and they're all growing well (Had some issues with watering but lights are perfect). No heat issues, only need a small fan for exhaust, and running costs won't kill me at the end of the month. The setup cost me less than another 400W HPS setup that i was gonna buy and is much more simple. If you're just growing for yourself, are new, and don't need a huge yield then florescent and CFL is the way to go it seems. If you're going to be growing for a long time though and want to increase yields, get an MH/HPS setup. Steep learning curve on the first few grows it seems, but final yields seem to be worth the initial capital once the experience comes in. Good luck! AZ