Question for the hps growers

Go with the air-cooled hood unless you're doing a vertical grow.

 

If you're planning on using HPS lamps, most definitely go with the air-cooled hoods. They have some reflectivity build into them and will cover more sq. ft. than the LEDs do...as they shine straight down only. We flower with 1000 watt HPS lamps and flower 2 plants per lamp on a 10 week cycle and have been averaging around 5 oz a plant after harvest and cure. You'll always get a better harvest by giving each plant in flower optimal wattage and quality light, space to grow and tend them properly, than attempting to flower 3 in the same space. Crowding up plants tightly in a space just creates a ton of shading out growth and buds that can't get light will not develop out. You basically end up with tops and that's all. But HPS lamps get hot and you have to have a method to deal with the heat they put off. The air cooled hoods allow you to force it out of the light and room altogether. There is still a lot of heat. We run 4 lamps per room and have a 25,000 BTU AC unit in every room. We live in the sunny humid south so temps around here during grow season can be pretty brutal. Just remember that unless you have the light to cover all the plants in flower adequately, you're just robbing from all. Light and plant as close as possible during flower gets you the fattest and most dense buds. Light being too far away just causes the plant to spend most of it's time stretching to try and get to the light and you end up with lanky sparse buds instead of nice full dense tops/buds. If you have light to support only one plant, then flower only one plant. The difference in the harvest is big-league. Best of luck and happy growing! TWW