I have the option of using my cfls my hps or some florescent bulb which would benefit the plants most during veg i want the plants to grow more leaves faster Sent from my HTC One using Grasscity Forum mobile app
hps is an hid not necessarily, it depends on other things, non of which are relevant to the question about lights
if i was you id veg plants for a couple weeks under your cfl if you got enough wattage then swap to hps after that cause the hps will have much more lumens per W and high lux than cfls.don j means cfls and mh are good for veg this is be cause you can get 6500k cfl and mh is around this spectrum more blue light same as sun would give around spring and summer as aposed to hps or 2700k cfls which is more autum spectrum as the sun is lower in the sky think thats about right.? im sure gold grower will correct me if im wrong
tho if you got an hps ballast buy a same wattage mh bulb use that untill you are flowering then switch to hps then in the last week switch back to mh as mh gives off some uv and the plant reacts by increaceing terpin(sp?) which inturn increaces thc after few days under mh it looks like someones dusted it then when it come to the chop, chop before your lights come on or keeping it darkness for 24-36 hours dark period is when the plant produces more thc and light degrades it
blue/white CFLs (around 6400k) and metal halid are best suited for vegging yellow CFLs (around 2700k) and hps are best suited for budding but it isn't as important as so many people say. all of the above will work, however, if you were to choose one lamp all through then hps is best all wattage being equal. the lamp wattage is of far more importance
A 400w mh/hps ballest hood and bulb is only $130 on amazon if price is your issue. Mh for veg itll fill out more quickly. LEDs keep it compact node spacing but slower growth $35 for 4 on walmart online. CFL's are just a headache. Ive used all of the above. Best bet is MH.
If you want nice tight internode spacing try a T5 HO (high Output) grow light. If you have good control of your temps and with a small fan pointing at canopy level you can have it with in an inch or two of the top of the plants. I get tighter internode spacing with T5`s then I do with my 1k MH/HPS light.
when the plants are small they can only use so much light. if all the leaves make up say 6 square inches, there no point having a lamp running that covered 9 square feet. a 20 watt CFL placed an inch away from a seedling will give it all the light it can use in the first week. a 100 watt CFL will do it for its second and even third. after that as long as there is nothing wrong it will greatly appreciate a larger lamp though
I agree sith tplat I gef a lot tighter nodes wifh my t5. It takes about a wdek or so longer to vet them to my height bit nice compact nodes. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Grasscity Forum mobile app