Greetings and Salutations,
I'm a novice grower, and I have some questions concerning lighting during vegetative growth. I would be immensely appreciative of any help that you could provide to my queries.
My research has led me to believe that, after genetics, lighting is the most important requirement for vigorous plant and bud growth. Further research revealed that light emitted in the blue spectrum is more beneficial to plants in the vegetative growth phase.
Metal halide bulbs provide more light in the blue spectrum than high pressure sodium lamps thus helping to promote healthy stem and root growth with shorter internode spacing. So, what types of metal halide bulbs are the most efficient for vegetative growth? Why?
For example, the solarMAX 1000W Vegetative Metal Halide has a Kelvin rating of 7200 degrees and emits 85,000 initial lumens; its color temperature is the highest of all the horticultural lamps I have seen thus far which means it puts off a fair amount more blue light than even other metal halides.
The 1000W Sunmaster Cool Deluxe Metal Halide has a lower Kelvin rating of 6500 degrees and emits only 80,000 initial lumens; it provides a slightly more balanced spectrum than the solarMAX but has an incredible 320 PAR watts.
The 1100W Sunmaster Warm Deluxe Metal Halide by contrast has a Kelvin rating of 3000 degrees and a whopping 133,000 initial lumens; it provides light rich in the red-orange spectrum and a whopping 385 PAR watts.
Would the solarMAX be the best at encouraging the plants to grow short and squat, with little spaces between the internodes and greater lateral branching?
Are there any disadvantages to having the internodes spaced closer together?
Would the Sunmaster Warm Deluxe cause significantly greater stretching even though it has the greatest lumen output by far?
Could that stretching be averted by adding "Cool" CFLs to the grow room?
Would having more light in the red spectrum encourage more males?
Have you tried any of these lights? Do they have problems running on electrical ballasts?
Would the "Turbo Charge" feature on a Galaxy Select-A-Watt Digital Ballast offset the lower lumen output of the metal halides? Or would it be a recipe for disaster?
What other factors need to be looked at when selecting a bulb for vegetative growth?
Many thanks,
Polysmart
I'm a novice grower, and I have some questions concerning lighting during vegetative growth. I would be immensely appreciative of any help that you could provide to my queries.
My research has led me to believe that, after genetics, lighting is the most important requirement for vigorous plant and bud growth. Further research revealed that light emitted in the blue spectrum is more beneficial to plants in the vegetative growth phase.
Metal halide bulbs provide more light in the blue spectrum than high pressure sodium lamps thus helping to promote healthy stem and root growth with shorter internode spacing. So, what types of metal halide bulbs are the most efficient for vegetative growth? Why?
For example, the solarMAX 1000W Vegetative Metal Halide has a Kelvin rating of 7200 degrees and emits 85,000 initial lumens; its color temperature is the highest of all the horticultural lamps I have seen thus far which means it puts off a fair amount more blue light than even other metal halides.
The 1000W Sunmaster Cool Deluxe Metal Halide has a lower Kelvin rating of 6500 degrees and emits only 80,000 initial lumens; it provides a slightly more balanced spectrum than the solarMAX but has an incredible 320 PAR watts.
The 1100W Sunmaster Warm Deluxe Metal Halide by contrast has a Kelvin rating of 3000 degrees and a whopping 133,000 initial lumens; it provides light rich in the red-orange spectrum and a whopping 385 PAR watts.
Would the solarMAX be the best at encouraging the plants to grow short and squat, with little spaces between the internodes and greater lateral branching?
Are there any disadvantages to having the internodes spaced closer together?
Would the Sunmaster Warm Deluxe cause significantly greater stretching even though it has the greatest lumen output by far?
Could that stretching be averted by adding "Cool" CFLs to the grow room?
Would having more light in the red spectrum encourage more males?
Have you tried any of these lights? Do they have problems running on electrical ballasts?
Would the "Turbo Charge" feature on a Galaxy Select-A-Watt Digital Ballast offset the lower lumen output of the metal halides? Or would it be a recipe for disaster?
What other factors need to be looked at when selecting a bulb for vegetative growth?
Many thanks,
Polysmart
