Please set me straight - HID lights

[SparkeySTi]

I've poked around this site a lot recently. I thought it might sort me out a bit, but now its kinda sent me into a loop... so ima post what i know/think... and someone set me straight plz k thx.

My understanding is this. You want phat buds, quick growth, and high potiency, you want HID, HPS or MH i never researched much.

If you want nice buds, little cheaper, better spectrucm then average, and compact space, you want CFL's.

Then T-5

and god forbid... you use whatever's left.

I want to start growing soon, but still have to many loose ends. My plan is for SoG, DWC, Two levels (one room flower, one veg) and depending on light situation, and space, maybe two week harvest style, otherwise just reg ass two room system. My plan is im buying 5 fem seeds, take 3 keep as mothers, the other two will just be my first harvest. I picked a decent strain for SoG, 75/25 indica/sativa, 50 day flower time, indoor strain, and the site states that its a plant that likes to focus itself on the top cola.

Any help would be much appreciated...


P.S. Its an apartment grow. My beef with HPS isnt really price... it will pay for itself in no time. But im worried about current draw, heat, and thats about it.

 

[goldengirls4life]

growing with mh/hps is the way to go.i myself use t5 high output lights for veg.when it comes to flowering its hps all the way.you'll get better density,potency,ect.my 600w hps doesnt produce to much heat.during the summer i run an exhaust fan but other than that its fine.cfl is gonna be a last option,go with t5 before that.as far as your 5 seeds,why 3 mothers?keep one mother and flower the four..get more weight

 

[SparkeySTi]

Thats one of my loose ends... Re-gen periods for mothers and such. I know quite a bit about my set up, but im still a little iffy on plant spaceing, mother's, cloning, and lighting.

I've been told if i switch EVERY light in the apartment to CFL (i want to any way) i can get away with HPS. My big fear is current draw. Im worried about a large spike in the electricity bill and then the apartment people knocking on my door...

My over all goal is 2 rooms, 2 closets each (One Veg room, with a wall for two pots of 4-6 plants, ditto for flowering) for a 2 week harvest cycle. Im looking for quality over quantity really. I only need 4 ounces a month personally (me and a roomie) and anything i get extra will go to a distant homie for huge discounts to help re-pay the build costs.

... wait... i was just about to kinda throw my idea for venting out... but uhh, then i remebered SoG doesnt require a veg time... just flower. So technically i want 4 flower rooms rather then 2 veg, 2 flower correct? Then have just my cloning room where i start clones untill they get nice roots in the rockwool, then transfer into the hydro systems.

Thanks.

Ugh. Pot growing is so much more complicated then shrooms! im so confuseded!

 

[ugmjfarmer]

I'm pretty sure if you stick to 250 watts of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) nobody will knock down your door. Thats just too small a discrepancy to be anything particularly huge. Shit, if you buy a new desktop computer these days your looking at a 200w draw on idle. When playing a game, most computers run 350-500w or more! thats huge compared to what a 250w HPS could do for a small 2-4 plant garden.

Veg with T5's or CFL's. T5's will probably be enough light to get everything going, and for around 100w of power your golden.

All in all, probably a setup like this will cost you around $12 a month to run, and when done right can supply 2-4 oz of dry bud every 2 months. I dunno about you, but when you have some nice green sticky of that kinda weight, your usually set for more than a month. My personal use is 3.5g / week rolled, 3.5g / month when 1 hitting.

 

[SparkeySTi]

I'm pretty sure if you stick to 250 watts of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) nobody will knock down your door. Thats just too small a discrepancy to be anything particularly huge. Shit, if you buy a new desktop computer these days your looking at a 200w draw on idle. When playing a game, most computers run 350-500w or more! thats huge compared to what a 250w HPS could do for a small 2-4 plant garden.

Veg with T5's or CFL's. T5's will probably be enough light to get everything going, and for around 100w of power your golden.

All in all, probably a setup like this will cost you around $12 a month to run, and when done right can supply 2-4 oz of dry bud every 2 months. I dunno about you, but when you have some nice green sticky of that kinda weight, your usually set for more than a month. My personal use is 3.5g / week rolled, 3.5g / month when 1 hitting.

Ok, that puts it a bit more into perspective. And i believe with SoG you dont veg actually... so no worry about that.

And you dont smoke much at all, or im just perma-baked. When it was just me, and i had almost all the money i wanted to spend on bud, i could go threw about 4-5 grams a week, easy. That wasnt even what i would smoke if i could. that was just when i had time, a bowl in the mornin, one or two during work, two at night. Then when i got with hommies it would just deplete my sack rediculously. Cause rather then one hittin, or rolling, i just smoke what i want when i want. Usually that ammounts to a bowl in my mini bub or pipe. About 5 hits solid. And im twisted. But i can only get that good shit from one guy. Anyone else i buy from its a full bowl each session.

Plus, two people... and he can conserve, unless he doesnt have to. I've seen him go threw a quarter in a week... but then again it was a awesome week... three of us went threw a quarter each that week...

But im not to worried about quantity. Thats why i just want frequent harvest. If i could do the 2 week SoG, i would be content with 1oz a harvest... cause i know with school started up, i want a blunt each night to make sure i get a DEEP sleep...

 

[Bong...James Bong]

So I've been reading around this site alot too recently...I want to start my first grow this summer, just something simple probly like 2-4 plants just a closet grow. And I'm having a pretty big personal struggle with choosing lights. I know i want hps for flowering, not sure if i want to use mh or cfls or t5s for vegging. And for hps do you really need a ballast? whats all that about, i was just at home depot and saw some bulbs and some cheap hoods, why cant i just put the two together and save my pockets the pain of having to get a whole light and ballast setup?

sorry to steal your spot on your thread but ive been looking around for the right thread to ask my lighting questions and this title said it all.

now please someone set ME straight

 

[bfq]

er, there is no real savings of power using CFL for flower... the 250 watts for 10 CFL's is still 250 watts and the pain in the ass of adjusting them takes them right out of contention on any larger grows.... they do work though, so dont think i am bashing them like some do... i actually am using CFL's now. CFL's are just not practical for SOG either.

your four room plan is nice and all, but you are sounding like you have more ambition than a clue to me....

i suggest you start with one lowly setup to get started before you jump full on in and wind up with a cluster fuck on your hands that grows some really nice spinach.

Al B Fuct has a really good thread on perpetual SOG harvests with hydro... dig it on up... i dont have it book marked cause i use soil but i have read it and you can tell he has a clue.

while SOG doesnt veg in a normal way, there is clone rooting time, so you will need a setup for your clones.... and unless you have a supply of clones, you will be starting from seed anyway and require a veg tank.

did i read you correctly, do you think a crop takes 2 weeks?

a fast crop is over 2 months.

also, not really sure, but i think you mentioned revegging your plants... that would definately take a veg room but due to the nature of SOG growing, it is not a really good option.... takes far too long and lollipopping the plants pretty well cuts off all the plant matter that gets used for revegging... personally, i have never tried revegging because the bulk of my growing was SOG and it wasnt practical and in my "modern" growing i just havent gotten to the point where testing is possible.... leave some bud on the plant? are you mad?!? imma smokin this shit!

start small and simple and grow (heh) your into larger goals!

even as an experienced grower i started small this time out because the way i am having to do things now is totally different than the large op i had in the past.... and i dont regret it at all since i have changed my setup three times so far and will be changing it yet again as i move to a different part of the house with it.

 

[bfq]

So I've been reading around this site alot too recently...I want to start my first grow this summer, just something simple probly like 2-4 plants just a closet grow. And I'm having a pretty big personal struggle with choosing lights. I know i want hps for flowering, not sure if i want to use mh or cfls or t5s for vegging. And for hps do you really need a ballast? whats all that about, i was just at home depot and saw some bulbs and some cheap hoods, why cant i just put the two together and save my pockets the pain of having to get a whole light and ballast setup?

sorry to steal your spot on your thread but ive been looking around for the right thread to ask my lighting questions and this title said it all.

now please someone set ME straight

you need a ballast because that is how they work... might as well ask why you need tires on your car. HID builds are heavy load and there is not enough power in the wires to ignite the gasses in the bulbs. (VERY lose lay explanation, the real answer is more involved)

if you can afford it in space/heat/startup cost, go MH for vegging. the growth is nice and tight.... it needs a DIFFERENT type of ballast from HPS or floro.

sides, for the smaller HID lights, a ballast is only another $30 or so from what i have seen.... they dont start getting expensive till you start getting up there in wattage.... and Home Depot doesnt seem to carry those high wattage bulbs anyway.

 

[gotcha1st]

you need a ballast because that is how they work... might as well ask why you need tires on your car. HID builds are heavy load and there is not enough power in the wires to ignite the gasses in the bulbs. (VERY lose lay explanation, the real answer is more involved)

if you can afford it in space/heat/startup cost, go MH for vegging. the growth is nice and tight.... it needs a DIFFERENT type of ballast from HPS or floro.

sides, for the smaller HID lights, a ballast is only another $30 or so from what i have seen.... they dont start getting expensive till you start getting up there in wattage.... and Home Depot doesnt seem to carry those high wattage bulbs anyway.

agree 100%

 

[Bong...James Bong]

makes sense...

actually the one i just went to had a 400w hps bulb, but all the ballasts that they had (at least that i saw) were for floros.

and wait mh and hps need different ballasts??!?!

i've been between getting all the stuff i need myself from home depot or something and just putting it together or just getting it from htgsupply. and the one i was looking at had all the stuff, hps bulb, hood, ballast, and had an option of coming with an extra mh bulb, so i would need another ballast for that? i thought i could just switch out the bulbs.

 

[bfq]

they do make switchable ballasts for MH and HPS, but they cost more and are not the standard... and as i am sure you guessed, a floro ballast is not the same

 

[gotcha1st]

makes sense...

actually the one i just went to had a 400w hps bulb, but all the ballasts that they had (at least that i saw) were for floros.

and wait mh and hps need different ballasts??!?!

i've been between getting all the stuff i need myself from home depot or something and just putting it together or just getting it from htgsupply. and the one i was looking at had all the stuff, hps bulb, hood, ballast, and had an option of coming with an extra mh bulb, so i would need another ballast for that? i thought i could just switch out the bulbs.

Ya they make a switchable ballasts.1 ballast for both mh and hps.

 

[SouthernOregonOrganic]

I'm pretty sure if you stick to 250 watts of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) nobody will knock down your door. Thats just too small a discrepancy to be anything particularly huge. Shit, if you buy a new desktop computer these days your looking at a 200w draw on idle. When playing a game, most computers run 350-500w or more! thats huge compared to what a 250w HPS could do for a small 2-4 plant garden.

Veg with T5's or CFL's. T5's will probably be enough light to get everything going, and for around 100w of power your golden.

All in all, probably a setup like this will cost you around $12 a month to run, and when done right can supply 2-4 oz of dry bud every 2 months. I dunno about you, but when you have some nice green sticky of that kinda weight, your usually set for more than a month. My personal use is 3.5g / week rolled, 3.5g / month when 1 hitting.

I personally use about 14 hundred watts of lighting power, one 1000watt hps and one 400 watt hps. Iv had no problems with power consumption. I think unless your running like a dozen 1000watt lamps you wont ever get a knock on your door from authorities or your land lord.

 

[SouthernOregonOrganic]

Ya they make a switchable ballasts.1 ballast for both mh and hps.

YEAH BUDDY!! switchable is where its at!!

 

[panhead]

My understanding is this. You want phat buds

Whats a "phat" bud,i dont think ive ever seen one

 

[SparkeySTi]

Lol, i r not gud at teh esplainin.

No, im not as clueless as im sure i sound. To set the record straight, no i dont think a crop takes two weeks... god no. And 2 months, i havent heard of, i've heard of 3 months for quick.

And a "Phat" bud (pronounced FAT) is a nice dense, good smoking, quality bud. Nice ratio of stem to bud and such...


And back at BFG, as i stated, i've researched this for a solid year now. I've been researching the growing of shrooms for a few years, and pot every so often. But now that im out of the parents house, its time for quality growin. So i looked up soil growing, then learned hydro, then found DWC. Then SoG. And im a REAL visual person. So i can read 100 grow ops, with full details, and possibly not get anything from it unless i have pictues to look at with it. So i have the large details, but have some issues i really need some specifics on that im researching now that im here. IE. Lighting. I've read stuff about 1000w HPS and all this... and thats not what i want, so i thought HPS was bad. But now that i've had people tell me theres 250 w, and even with CFL and such, its gona equal the same current pull and such, i understand, if i want worthy PHAT buds, i want HPS.

Now im researching mother plants, cloning, and nutes. Then i'll know more then i want to about growing bud.

And im growing currently really. Its a soil grow i took over for someone. They nute burnt the fuck out of em and WAY to much wind, in sufficent grow conditions, and the list goes on. So i fathered em for 3 weeks now getting em back to health. Re-potting, flushing, ect ect. They were bad... all 3 weeks not even a cm of growth. So for 3 days now they've been on the 12/12 to start flowering. Ima determine gender, and go from there.

Cause im anal about stuff... so i want to know whats best, and why. I could probably get a decent grow set up going... but decent doesnt cut it for me. I want buds that people nut over...

So am i still clueless, or do i just have some holes that need filled like i think?

 

[bfq]

if you are growing healthy plants, you cant be clueless

keep growing and you will learn what you need to know

lots of plants go in just over 2 months, but yeah, 3-4 is more likely.

 

[SparkeySTi]

if you are growing healthy plants, you cant be clueless

keep growing and you will learn what you need to know

lots of plants go in just over 2 months, but yeah, 3-4 is more likely.

Thanks. Lol. I'll try and get some pics up... i wouldnt say healthy, but doing better then they would be with the previous grower, yes...

Word. Cant wait to get a setup going. and cant wait till tommarow, from beer tonight, chronic tommarow...

 

[icemassa]

hey james bong. you might wanna just start off with cfls. hps and mh are very nice if you can provide ventilation to keep it cool. but they are a little more diffcult to handle. it wouldnt be a good idea to run out and buy a large hps until you do your self some research. growing is only as easy as you make it. most of everyone starts off with some kinda floro. just remember cool white cfls for veg and warm white and cool white for flower. ive been growing indoors for 7 years and about 1 year ago i just upgraded to a 600w hps. i went from 4 foot floros to compact floros to 175w mh to 150w hps to 2 150w hps's to a 600w hps. do as much reasearh as you possibly can before jumping in. this site will pretty much tell you everything about growing. if you do just get a hps look into digital ballasts, it'll save ya a little on the electricty bill. and its easier to handle the ballast. peace.