Where can I find HPS bulbs?

Not really. What wattage do you need? Try:
- a local hydro store
- insidesun-dot-com
- htgsupply-dot-com
- eBay
- Google "HPS bulb" and get dozens more seller listings

 

Home depot has HPS ballasts and bulbs. But all their ballasts need to be wired into the wall or rewired so they can run remotely.

 

i just wanna make sure you know you cant just put a hps bulb in a regular socket!

 

I have first hand experience with this so I will tell you. My first grow I used strictly HPS lights from HD. The plants grew but they stretched bad right towards the HPS flood lights. So after about 6 weeks they started dying.

So next grow. Did some research. Went back to the store and bought two t12 ballasts. Each one held two t12 tubes. The workshop ballasts were like $40 or $50 and I got plant light tubes right off the shelf. They had 2 separate brands so I bought both. I planted 6 plants in 5 gallon tubes(make sure to use at least 5 gallon or they will root bound). I put them under the 2 fixtures hanging in the closet about 2 inches from the seedling. That's 2 fixtures and total of 4 plant light tubes. I used an indoor miracle grow soil.

Well much to my suprise they grew fast, fluffy, and big. I had a fan on up high in the closet to keep circulation but they weren't directly on plants. They grew so well. As soon as it was time to flower them I took those same home depot HPS lights and mounted them and turned them on as well. I kept those at some distance from the plant. I heard that it may be possible to use CFL to flower but I am not sure so I know you are supposed to with HPS lights so I kicked them on. After a few weeks everything was fine and they were growing. I still had them under the CFL tubes as well. One thing I did notice was that the branches started stretching toward the HPS flood light after a few weeks.

My opinion, the Metal Halide and HPS lights at home depot and lowes isn't going to cut it. However, you can definitely grow them with the T12 plant lights no problem and grow them very nicely. And they don't get hot, no high electricity bill, much better. I ended up remounting my flood light HPS so it wasn't directly on the plants and will see how that does. That is where I am at right now and it's my second grow.

If you can get a switchable ballast from a hydro store which can hold both metal halide and hps then you can start them out under metal halide and then after 6 to 8 weeks put your hps plant specific bulb in there and your good to go. With 200 to 400 watts you should be able to slam about 6 to 8 plants under there because only about half will be females anyways. I had 6 in 5 gallon tubs under 4 40 watt CFL plant tubes and they grew just fine so I know you could do that many under a 200 to 400watt system.

So that's my experience. Hope that helps. Stay away from the HPS lights at HD. I just don't think they really work. Go CFL for cheap and easy and slap in closet.

 

i used a 400 watt hps from menards im sure its very simular to the ones at home depot it worked great.

Hps is recommended for flowering i use cfl for the first 3 4 weeks switch to mh then flowering is under hps

 

yes, lowes and home depot sells hps bulbs, up to 400w. not the best for growing pot

 

WHAT??? actually HPS is the best for growing pot, when used during flowering you cant beat it pal!!! its something like 1 400 watt HPS is equal to 40 4foot 40 watt tubes...

for veg a good Metal Halide is perfect.

smoke another one pal

 

Both my bulbs (MH and HPS) where bought at Homedepot ($22 each). I find they grow weed pretty good.

 

the reflectors/ballasts at home depot are not really practical for use in growing plants in a confined space, as these reflectors are meant for security reasons, therefore meant to cover a large area, like a parking lot. i dont know, i just say get one from ebay, they are much more practical, you dont have to switch the wires or anything, and the ballast is seporate from the reflector, and the reflector usually comes with some built in hangors, as opposed to the security lights having a built-in bracket meant for bolting to the side of a building.

 

go to lowes, they sell 'em there

 

Wow, I have to look again then. Last I looked in Home Depot and Lowe's the only had the lower wattage bulbs (70w or so) replacements for their security lighting kits. Here in my town anyway.

 

i dont know if they sell the balasts but i know for a fact that if you go to lowes you can get HPS up to 400w

 

htgsupply.com, ebay

 

Aaron, it's the security lighting section not the regular lightbulb section, different part of the store.

 

I just went to home depot and bought the 400w HPS its in the same section as the cfl's only problem is they have no good fixtures, or ballasts for that matter, is ordering through e bay even safe?