Mixing MH & HPS - Any thoughts?

[Natures Cure]

I can purchase a both a MH & HPS light from my local hardware chain. They are 150W a piece and around 100 bucks a piece. Can I use both of them at the same time and would they be better than my current lighting setup?

Currently I'm using 2 CFLS from SH (sold as dual spectrum II lighting) One light spectrum is geared more for veg and the other for flower. I'm using them both together -

1 Sunlite Warm White 85W Spiral 4200 lumens - 3000 Kelvin (rated 350W incandescent replacement).

1 Sunlite Day Lite Color Spiral 4200 lumens (rated 350W incandescent replacement).


Thanks for the help!

&

 

[cowboylogic]

How big is your grow space? Does the $100 include fixture/ballast ect? And to answer your question. Yes you can use both at the same time. Its always a good thing to mix spectrums throughout the grow. Just lean more towards the blue spectrum during veg and the red spectrum during flower.

 

[jeffchr]

I can purchase a both a MH & HPS light from my local hardware chain. They are 150W a piece and around 100 bucks a piece. Can I use both of them at the same time and would they be better than my current lighting setup?

Currently I'm using 2 CFLS from SH (sold as dual spectrum II lighting) One light spectrum is geared more for veg and the other for flower. I'm using them both together -

1 Sunlite Warm White 85W Spiral 4200 lumens - 3000 Kelvin (rated 350W incandescent replacement).

1 Sunlite Day Lite Color Spiral 4200 lumens (rated 350W incandescent replacement).


Thanks for the help!

&

Lighting purchase: you can do a lot better than that. $200 for two 150w bulbs is not what you want to do. you can look at htg. two 400w bulbs (1 MH and 1 HPS), a reflector and ballast should run about $165. http://www.htgsupply.com/growlights.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=155&typeID=55 High Output F5 flourescents are also in the same price range.

you should try for 6500 kelvin and 2500 kelvin lighting. the stuff in between is only good for supplemental lighting and not necessary, but nice if you have it.

 

[oregonism99]

hps is normally geared to bloom plants and mh is usually used for veg, however i have used mh and hps for bloom in the past. its a really good way to add lumens and spectrum up to about week 5 in bloom. reason behind that is due to the natural cycle of the sun late august into november the sun puts off more red in the shorter days stimulateing bloom in flowering plants. so the mh is thus effective up to about week 5. hps in veg however will cause plants to stretch a bit much. maybe the addition of some t5s or one or 2 more cfls would help.

 

[cowboylogic]

Lighting purchase: you can do a lot better than that. $200 for two 150w bulbs is not what you want to do. you can look at htg. two 400w bulbs (1 MH and 1 HPS), a reflector and ballast should run about $165. http://www.htgsupply.com/growlights.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=155&typeID=55 High Output F5 flourescents are also in the same price range.

you should try for 6500 kelvin and 2500 kelvin lighting. the stuff in between is only good for supplemental lighting and not necessary, but nice if you have it.

Good advice on the other lighting options. But remember this. ROY G BIV, the only initial a plant completely ignores is the G.

 

[GypsyBush]

I use both MH and HPS in my flower room...

But I think that an even bigger decision for you right now is what SIZE light...

I would vote for at least a 400w HPS...

Remember... 2x 150w still = 150w, over a larger area, but still 150w...

Just like adding speakers distributes the sound better, but does not augment the volume...

I would vote for a single 400w over even 3x 150w.. ANYDAY...