Greetings from South Africa. I recently started experimenting with indoor growing. I am used to growing outdoors, here in South Africa we have great sun, but it is quite a long time to wait for the plants to mature growing outdoors. I would like to try 4 harvests per year. I have HPS, but learned that HPS is not efficient in the veg stage. Could I perhaps mix the light with natural sun, say my HPS (on timer) goes on at 1 in the morning and off at 7....then I'll take them out until 7. I don't want to mess things up, because I've spent quite a lot of money on the room and equipment. Can this work?
Mixing light
- Thread starter DonovanSA
- Start date
Dr. Skunk Bud
Active Member
I would just grow outside I would fall in love with growing giant 10-20 foot plants a couple trees like that and I would be set for a few years worth of smoke. If you wanted to make them flower earlier I would bring them in for 12 hours of darkness and then put them out for 12 hours of light. It would be a lot of work for you and you would basically be married to the grow till it was complete.
Sunbiz1
Well-Known Member
I've been using this method for several years...my wife recently filed for divorce.
ThorGanjason
Well-Known Member
Dude I cannot stop cracking up at that avatar, lolI've been using this method for several years...my wife recently filed for divorce.
canefan
Well-Known Member
I move my plants outside every morning at 5:30, well most every morning sometimes I sleep a little later. My timer comes on at 5:30 if I sleep in, then I place them in my spot where they get some direct and lots of light filtered sun. I move them inside in the afternoon or evening depending on the weather where they either get lights or lights out depending on whether in flower or veg. Veg is 18/6 and flower is 12/12 to 10/14 depending on week of flower.
It can be a pain in the arse doing this but my plants love it, the draw back at my age 5 gallon containers are the biggest I can move around anymore. I love being able to put my flowering plants outside to soak up the UVb and get a little frostier. Good Luck
It can be a pain in the arse doing this but my plants love it, the draw back at my age 5 gallon containers are the biggest I can move around anymore. I love being able to put my flowering plants outside to soak up the UVb and get a little frostier. Good Luck
Sunbiz1
Well-Known Member
HPS alone can be used in vegetative state, but isn't a great idea b/c plants tend to stretch quite a bit...thereby reducing yields. I shut down my vegetative room from May until about now(we just hit flowering season), all plants veg outdoors and are then brought in(I have a sun room)to flower. Since your seasons are reversed at 30 degrees south latitude, you should simply be able to do the same when temps warm enough.
I always prefer real sunlight when possible, but you might wish to consider an MH bulb...which would resolve your problem/scheduling issues.