1000 watt HID for vegging, or T5's?

[green217]

I am building a new grow room. I was under the impression that I should use HID for vegging, but on some threads I've been looking at seem to be having success using T5's during the veg stage. This will be will be my first attempt at inside growing. I will be flowering with 1000 watt HPS maybe two if I can get away with using the T5's. I have no experience in inside growing so anyone with experience using T5's versus HID for vegging input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Doer]

Here is 5 weeks on 250w CFL. So, if you can get a high wattage set of T5, it will be the same thing.



The reasoning for me is always heat. The smaller the room the more problem with heat.

So, it is cheaper to run CFL, than HID, always. CFL can be run closer without light burn or heat burn. So, there is no difference but cost, hassle, funds and heat load.

You can bloom on CFL, they have 2700 K CFL.

All about the Watts for yield. So, I use 1000w HPS for bloom.

 

[Marla 420]

T-5 for Veg mang, HID for Flower.... Mang.

 

[NorthofEngland]

Here is 5 weeks on 250w CFL. So, if you can get a high wattage set of T5, it will be the same thing.

View attachment 2988585

The reasoning for me is always heat. The smaller the room the more problem with heat.

So, it is cheaper to run CFL, than HID, always. CFL can be run closer without light burn or heat burn. So, there is no difference but cost, hassle, funds and heat load.

You can bloom on CFL, they have 2700 K CFL.

All about the Watts for yield. So, I use 1000w HPS for bloom.

What type of differences is there in the RESULTS of VEGGING with T5/CFL's VERSES HPS???

For me, at this time of year, the extra heat from HID's is actually a positive thing.
Without it, I would have to spend more to keep the room warmer.
In the Spring/Summer months this will no doubt change.

 

[Doer]

Good point, I don't see any difference, any more, between, feeds, lights, and any other considerations for growing indoors.

To me it is all Situation, Location and Funds. It is all consideration. There is not only one right way. But, it is just a plant and a hardy one at that. I find anything I "do" is a stressor, and stressors lead to stalled growth and a stunted plant. So, I strive to do less and less, especially at first.

There is only one thing and you know it well. Can we grow or not? Until that is answered for ourselves, all this gearhead stuff is fun, but not productive.

if you need the heat, or need the heat gone, it is still your situation, only. And as you say, that changes with the Seasons.

 

[NorthofEngland]

Good point, I don't see any difference, any more, between, feeds, lights, and any other considerations for growing indoors.

To me it is all Situation, Location and Funds. It is all consideration. There is not only one right way. But, it is just a plant and a hardy one at that. I find anything I "do" is a stressor, and stressors lead to stalled growth and a stunted plant. So, I strive to do less and less, especially at first.

There is only one thing and you know it well. Can we grow or not? Until that is answered for ourselves, all this gearhead stuff is fun, but not productive.

if you need the heat, or need the heat gone, it is still your situation, only. And as you say, that changes with the Seasons.

As of NOW the heat is beneficial and, without it, I would need to use energy on additional heating
(in fact I already do use a 2ft, 120w tubular heater - during the 1 hours of darkness in my FLOWER tent)
By Mid-March I am quite sure I will use more energy to remove the heat THAN TO INCREASE IT.
And, from APRIL TO OCTOBER, this will be a certainty.

What I need to figure out is:

Will HID's create VEG GROWTH that is so superior (to T5/CFL's) that it justified the cost of cooling the space???
OR
Do T5/CFL's produce VEGETATIVE GROWTH that equals (or very nearly equals) that produced by HID's???

Currently I use 600w of MH
in a 4 x 4 x 6ft tent.
WHAT T5/CFL SET UP WOULD BEST REPLACE THIS???
(I understand that 6400's - BLUE SPECTRUM - lamps would be suitable.
But how many?
Of what wattage?
and Should some 2700 - REDs - be included???

 

[Doer]

As of NOW the heat is beneficial and, without it, I would need to use energy on additional heating
(in fact I already do use a 2ft, 120w tubular heater - during the 1 hours of darkness in my FLOWER tent)
By Mid-March I am quite sure I will use more energy to remove the heat THAN TO INCREASE IT.
And, from APRIL TO OCTOBER, this will be a certainty.

What I need to figure out is:

Will HID's create VEG GROWTH that is so superior (to T5/CFL's) that it justified the cost of cooling the space???
OR
Do T5/CFL's produce VEGETATIVE GROWTH that equals (or very nearly equals) that produced by HID's???

Currently I use 600w of MH
in a 4 x 4 x 6ft tent.
WHAT T5/CFL SET UP WOULD BEST REPLACE THIS???
(I understand that 6400's - BLUE SPECTRUM - lamps would be suitable.
But how many?
Of what wattage?
and Should some 2700 - REDs - be included???

I'd say it is only about the watts, next is the spectrum mix. We want as big wattage across the board in the PAR range,( ie, what the plants see,) as possible. Watts is yield.

So, here we are as a star in Kelvins.

And as a spectrum. Nano meter wavelengths map directly to temp in Kelvins.

And we can look at this and see some comparisons.

.

Finally, what the plants like, they say.

So, the point here is that we can get the knowledge to decide. Plants like buish or the 6500 K range for veg and they like the reddish, 2700 K range to bloom.

However, all those frequencies are in sunlight, including the yellow middle temps, we see by. If you can have full spectrum, full power artificial sunlight, that is best. But, since the plants don't need it, why buy them the eyeball active sunlight? More cost effective to go by kelvin colors and use the best nano-meter wave length for the job, right?

Then there is the point, that Bloom is not a switch that they suddenly they cannot have 6500K anymore, or the opposite, that you cannot have 2700K in veg. It is all growth. I don't even change to bloom food any more.

MH is hot, but, it is a lot of watts of blue. Get 600w of 6400K CFL, and that is the same thing. But, not nearly as hot and not nearly as expensive.

And sure, I add the blue color for bloom with another 6400 CFL. I am bombing the room with growth, now. I had them setting on the table, still in veg with with 350w of 6400K and 1000w of 2700k HPS. They gained almost 4 inches that week.

This stuff you know can get very tall and 10 feet across. It is ALL about watts and food....after you get roots, of course.

 

[green217]

As of NOW the heat is beneficial and, without it, I would need to use energy on additional heating
(in fact I already do use a 2ft, 120w tubular heater - during the 1 hours of darkness in my FLOWER tent)
By Mid-March I am quite sure I will use more energy to remove the heat THAN TO INCREASE IT.
And, from APRIL TO OCTOBER, this will be a certainty.

What I need to figure out is:

Will HID's create VEG GROWTH that is so superior (to T5/CFL's) that it justified the cost of cooling the space???
OR
Do T5/CFL's produce VEGETATIVE GROWTH that equals (or very nearly equals) that produced by HID's???

Currently I use 600w of MH
in a 4 x 4 x 6ft tent.
WHAT T5/CFL SET UP WOULD BEST REPLACE THIS???
(I understand that 6400's - BLUE SPECTRUM - lamps would be suitable.
But how many?
Of what wattage?
and Should some 2700 - REDs - be included???

I am concerned about wattage/energy consumption/light bill. I live in the south so I will be using a a.c. unit for our hot/humid summers down here. Hopefully a window unit will keep the heat at tolerable levels. What I really want to know is how much growth will be sacrificed by using T5's/CFL's opposed to HID. Thanks for the input guys. I am about to invest alot of money in this in the next week or so, so all advice is welcome. Can I get a T5 light to give me what I need with less wattage than the HID?

 

[anzohaze]

I live in the south I use 1000 watt for veg. My nodes are like .5 inch between nodes. Under t5 the plants stretches more and theres more space between nodes and less bigger buds. This is my experience. During flower I run 2 1000 watts, a mini split, 2 carbon filters co2 controller sniffer water pumps bubblers, 1300cfm fan from a house ac unt (pulls 9 amps).I have a 3 bedroom house with nornal everything and the most my electricirty has ever been is 320 dollars and thats full tilt wide open

 

[green217]

I live in the south I use 1000 watt for veg. My nodes are like .5 inch between nodes. Under t5 the plants stretches more and theres more space between nodes and less bigger buds. This is my experience. During flower I run 2 1000 watts, a mini split, 2 carbon filters co2 controller sniffer water pumps bubblers, 1300cfm fan from a house ac unt (pulls 9 amps).I have a 3 bedroom house with nornal everything and the most my electricirty has ever been is 320 dollars and thats full tilt wide open

Thanks man, that's all I had to hear. I'm sticking with what is going to produce.

 

[anzohaze]

Thanks man, that's all I had to hear. I'm sticking with what is going to produce.

no prob another big thing to do is trim the bottom bullshit as well. it will also help big fat ass colas form if the b
The bottom bs is trimmed away

 

[Doer]

It is like the all over shave. Some do, some don't. For me, I have some experiments underway testing this, as an important source of clones vs an important source of THC for concentrates. I just want a staged, 1 harvest of 2 plants per month.

Really, many of us think, it is all the same, except the bottom growth matures later, and you can do a second harvest by just trimming of the tops and giving it a few more weeks.

I kinda just wing it and keep it simple. But, I want to know, so I use a USB microscope and check.

It is all according to what you are doing. I really don't know yet, if that is true about bigger colas.

Have you done a side by side comparison you can share?

 

[anzohaze]

Not a side by side but just from past experiences. Of course all variables can change but if you lst bend let branches get big then brances come off them etc you end up with a massive stalk big branches and smaller bramches off them. I have never had the little branches produce decent tight nugs. They always tend to be more airy. The plant concentrate its energy on growing more branches and lil weaker more airy buds. all that energy can be kept on main branches etc. To produces bigger colas bigger buds all around amd not waste energy on side branches leaves airy buds etc. From my experiences and I dont have years and years and years of experience. The bigger the bramches the bigger then product. Lil branches equalnlil buds to a point. I would rather have 12 colas at 10-14 grams a piece per plant then 10-14 7 gram buds and the remaing in bullshit thats good for.personal smoke or hash. Trimming alsonis 20 times faster with just colas then colas and 100 little twig branches