In regards to bulb choices in Veg.
Has anyone noticed any slower growth with the use of Blue actinic bulbs? The plants do respond well to the light but the growth for me is slower. Based on this repeating 4 bulb mix @ 18/6. (6500 - Reefwave - 6500 - Bluewave) The nodal spacing does appear tighter. ...
-48
There are quite a few people recently claiming faster growth using grow bulbs in veg vs actinics. I was going to point out something but 48 kinda did it for me... (in my experience) Actinic bulbs or a very blue dominant spectrum (Actinic/6500k) will promote very tight node spacing and will grow very bushy squatty plants,
but it will be admittedly slower vs a more equal ratio of blue to G/Y/O/R like you'll get if using standard commercial grow/blooms only (*Actinics only, are NOT recommeded, dont go over 50% actinics, at least I dont recommend it). Those that arent using any Actinic bulbs at all or those that only use more balanced tri-band bulbs like the Quantum grow/blooms or the AquaSun probably will get faster growth (which may be their goal) but I can guarantee their node distances arent as tight as if there were actinics in play (I guarantee some will argue with me, but I promise you're not getting the fast growth
AND 2-3 nodes per inch that I usually get with half Actinics) It aaaaalllll comes back to personal preference. I see stuff on TV and youtube, big professional grows etc and I see plants under 2ft tall with 6 inch node distances and I laugh! I personally prefer to keep my plants as small as possible and am not concerned with the fastest growth (there are times I wish they would slow down lol). For me, a good strong short squatty frame is more important to develop in veg to support massive colas and more yield in flower while still staying smallish. Others prefer the fastest growth for the quickest turn around. Everyone has their own personal preferences and techniques. I dont want to say that my way or anyones way is any better, I just want everyone to realize that there are many different ways to skin the same cat. Pot grown naturally outdoors under the sun usually has pretty long node spacing, and I do think the tri-band grow bulbs do simulate natural sunlight a little better than an Actinic (a-Duh! lol) but I like playing god to my plants and making them grow up how I want them to. Even if they appear freakishly un-natural with 10 nodes at 5inches tall!
just saying that you cant claim "better" performance from a bulb, since the performance/results are all relative to the growers preferences.
Same mexican bagseed strain, same age. 2nd pic was vegged under my flowering spectrum for 10days before 12/12 flip (no side branching). Just to show the different ways they will respond to light and how it will affect their actual physical structure.
In Flower i have an interesting thing happening to a Kola. It is centered between a Coral Wave and Red Wave tube. Half of the Kola is getting more Coral while the other is getting Red Suns. Imagine looking at a side view of a Kola on you screen, the hairs on the left side of the bud are exploding and pulling more towards the Coral Wave light on the left. The side of the Red Sun looks great but there is a physical difference between the two.
-48
thats shows evidence of another fun fact. Phototropism, your plans are responding to the Actinic Blue light from the CW. Plants will grow towards a blue light more than others.
Youre gonna see more physical response from blue light than red, the red light plays more into promoting the internal processes involved in flowering, whereas the blues (abundance of, or lack of) will show more in their physical/structural appearance
maybe shift the light or the plant 2inches to kinda even it up, give the otherside some love
