8wks flower ballast crapped out what too do?

Hey whats up..kinda fucked up day woke up to no light in the op. so i bought a new bulb and still doesnt work..My ballast is fucked..Its 3 days away from 8wks flower on my Northern Lights..Flower time says 6-8 hairs are just turning amber i dont think its quite ready..I have 2 plants about 6ft tall.1 is starting to turn amber and has nice colas the other seems a lil more over a week behind the other in maturity..So i have no light but still a week to go..What should i do pull or let them sit there in the dark or what???How bad is it going to be if i pull now?/How fucked im i..

dude try to get flouros

Im broke...i do have a 48in fixture..I could exchange the new 250w bulb for two 48in flouros..But would it even be enough two 48in bulbs??

hydrogrower420 said:

Im broke...i do have a 48in fixture..I could exchange the new 250w bulb for two 48in flouros..But would it even be enough two 48in bulbs??

Click to expand...

No. I doubt it anyway. I would let them sit in the dark for 3-5 days and chop. They should just try to finish themselves really fast with no light. At least this will let it ripen up a little before you pull them. sorry about your ballast. Was it digital?

just get them under any grow lighting you can. its hard when your shit go,s down on your grow especially when your flowering. but i myself would get those two fluros and carry on. it cant do any harm (not like you will lose bud) something is better than nothing and if you are low on cash then you dont have much choice. hope it works out for you.

by the way that^ is just my opinion. you should do what you feel best.

ya..i got a dual 48 fixture and a single 24 im gonna go exchange my 250w i just bought for 30 bucks and get the bulbs any preticular spectrum should i get???

Your ballast just may need a part. They can fix them.

Get them under a grow light...there is no proof that darkness before harvest does anything.Just try to keep them on the same schedule of 12/12 and finish them out.Maybe get some cfl's for supplemental until you can get a new ballast and HID light.Are you still under warranty, by any chance?

I think the ignighter is out.i called the place to see if they repair them and they said no they can order a new ballast and i dont have the money for that so ima go get the tubes for my fixtures but what spectrum i ask for..??

nah not under warrenty bought it off ebey..was good for 3.5 months but now the ignighter is out..ima email the dude to see what i can work out ill prolly buy a ballast off him for pretty cheap when i get the money

If you're in flower, you want warm white, or 2700k.This is redder light, which is what the plant receives under natural conditions in flower, towards the summer/fall season.

hydrogrower420 said:

I think the ignighter is out.i called the place to see if they repair them and they said no they can order a new ballast and i dont have the money for that so ima go get the tubes for my fixtures but what spectrum i ask for..??

Click to expand...

hydrogrower420 said:

nah not under warrenty bought it off ebey..was good for 3.5 months but now the ignighter is out..ima email the dude to see what i can work out ill prolly buy a ballast off him for pretty cheap when i get the money

Click to expand...

Go to your nearest hydro store and they can put a part in it.

Stoney McFried said:

Get them under a grow light...there is no proof that darkness before harvest does anything.Just try to keep them on the same schedule of 12/12 and finish them out.Maybe get some cfl's for supplemental until you can get a new ballast and HID light.Are you still under warranty, by any chance?

Click to expand...

Ive had my bulb go out a week before harvest. They don't grow alot but they do mature and finish in the dark. I also threw some under the 48" fluro veg tubes for their 12 hrs. Not much difference. The light penetration is so much different. Fluros hardly penetrate compared to a 400w hid. Im just saying they are so close it probably will make no difference. Either way, at least they will be allowed to mature a little more.

I just don't personally think it's a good idea, mold can form from this.But if you say it worked for you, more power to you.I wouldn't personally do it because I haven't found an overwhelming preponderance of evidence saying its beneficial.In fact, most of the evidence I have read says it won't work.Though the light penetration is different, it's still light, is my point.

SomeGuy said:

Ive had my bulb go out a week before harvest. They don't grow alot but they do mature and finish in the dark. I also threw some under the 48" fluro veg tubes for their 12 hrs. Not much difference. The light penetration is so much different. Fluros hardly penetrate compared to a 400w hid. Im just saying they are so close it probably will make no difference. Either way, at least they will be allowed to mature a little more.

Click to expand...

I would get the under as many lights as you can scavenge up, try to find some cfls. hit up the thrift store anything you can your hands on until u can replace your HID

hydrogrower420 said:

I think the ignighter is out.i called the place to see if they repair them and they said no they can order a new ballast and i dont have the money for that so ima go get the tubes for my fixtures but what spectrum i ask for..??

Click to expand...

I just bought some for my 48' fixture, make sure it is 2700k and it is soft white or it may be warm white but im sure it would be soft white.

I would use my local resources in the neighborhood if I was you.

Meaning, Id call a "lighting" shop in your area, or your local HYDRO store, tell him your Orchids are gonna DIEEE and you need his HEEELP! haha... I'm not talkin' call home depot for help, Im talkin bout a Mom and POP family owned Electrical store that MAY offer to fix your shit for like 5 bux. Id offer it to them. Call a few of them locally and maybe youll hit a good person with a good heart, and a stash of igniters hes about to toss in the garbage or whatever, or some one that will help someone out to repair thier ballast box.

Or not. Im probly dreaming, but Id give it a shot. You may make a friend at the place and get discount deals.

Maybe study up on how to diagnose repair your ballast assembly for the future, or ask the people at your local store to help ya out with some question.

Just harvest early for what the flouresents would give you during flowering its not worth it cut them and cure for longer

Even incandescents help during flower(it would be better than nothing at all, the higher the wattage the more efficient they emit light, ~20% as effective as CFL at 100w, maybe 25-30% at 300-400 watts). But the heat... and power bill... ouch. GL with the CFLs or Ballast!