150w HPS light....how close to a baby plant?

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by SHONOFF98, Jun 24, 2011.

  1. I have one little baby plant (how cute) it is 4 days old. I have my 150w HPS approximately 17" away (measured from the soil to the light). I read alot that says if you can put your hand over the plant and it's not to hot then it is good. I could lower the light probably 3-4" and it would still be fine, according to the hand test, but I've also read that it is way close for a baby plant.
     

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  2. Lookin good.

    For a 150w HPS system, Ide say you could lower it a little more if you want, but IMHO i'de just leave it where it is at 17 inches ... your plant doesnt need heaping loads of "sunlight" yet
     

  3. yes, use the back of the hand test. 150 watts is nothing. 17 inches will cause your plant to stretch, which it already is doing....
     
  4. Fine distance for an hps at this stage; maybe could go a couple inches closer, but for now just keep it to where the plant is not stretching, which it does not look to be. Looks like it's doing just fine.

    It has plenty of light and trying to dial an HID down to gnats asshole micrometrics is likely to do more harm than good unless you are very comfortable with how your setup works...3-4" or even 6-10" is just going to get HOT, possibly stress the plant, dry the soil out in that small container quickly, have you overwatering to compensate, potentially leaving you with a stunted plant and behind schedule.

    Let it get a few sets of leaves under its belt so it has the infrastructure to photosynthesize all of that light, then start dialing it down closer. Being ready to transplant is probably a bigger concern than getting the light to the perfect distance.
     
  5. Sorry GB, you posted just before me...didn't see what you had written, just see the situation differently I guess.
     

  6. it's all good man! i keep mine under a t-5 for the first couple weeks and i keep it pretty close. his stem is about twice as long as mine get. i have a fan on em though.
     
  7. I as well start my plants under T5's, and would literally have it 3 inches from my plants. But with HPS systems its different. I dont think it's going to matter too much whether you have it at 17 inches or 14 inches at this point.
     

  8. so what do you think? i'm sold on t-5's!!!
     
  9. #9 MaineCronic, Jun 24, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2011
    absolutely... here you can see that by growing with the T5 for a while keeps eam real short and bushy. These are pictures early from my grow

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Now look at them. My 600w HPS light is about 15" from the tops of my plants.

    [​IMG]
    (1 month into flowering)
    [​IMG]
     

  10. those first pics are how mine look under the t-5, short and very bushy! i run a 1000 watter and keep it around te same distance as you. ever tried putting the lights a tad closer???
    p.s. looking gooooood!!!
     
  11. 150w hps 8 inches
     
  12. I appreciate all the input and advice. When I transplant them into a bigger pot (3 gallon) I will bury up to the first set of leaves and it seems like at that point I'll be able to have the light closer and what not to keep it from stretching.
     
  13. look up LST for max yeilds
     
  14. I'll definitely be doing some LST, I'm just waiting till it gets a little bigger (like 3 or 4 nodes).
     
  15. i LST from 3 nodes on until i put my screen in.

    i'm also LSTing 2 days on 3 days off.

    i only pull the much larger branches down. and i usually pull them back down to 9 inches tipped over because my screen will be set at 10 inches.

    i have a 150 8 inches away.

    putting in an air cooled 400w. hps hood monday. (i forgot the ducting)

    hopefully i can get it as closer than growbots 1000
    2x2.5x5.5 space.

    anywho, hope the LST portion may have given a little insight.
    marta is very, VERY bushy with this method...
     
  16. Your screen in? like a scrog screen?
     

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