Alternative materials and equipment (poverty edition)

I submit to you these questions:

-Is a single LED panel (300 to 600w) sufficient to produce tight buds in a small grow? I might have been fed a load of crap about LED's and I can't afford a MH/HPS setup.

-Do those DIY CFL/LED bulb racks+reflectors actually work?

-What are the best (for the price) fluorescent tubes I can use for veg?

-Can rolls of rockwool insulation from big box outlets be used effectively as a growing medium?

I found this just pecking around the web. Thought might me interested.
As for fluorescent tubes work Great for Vegging. I use T5s,
For the LED my buddy has been running an old UFO ancient one he swears by it, But I have never tried one myself, but my friends seems to get pretty hard nuggets with the UFO.
On the Rockwool here it what I found.

Not only is rockwool unfriendly to the environment - it's also potentially harmful to your health. New blocks can contain a lot of dust and loose fibers that can get in your eyes, mouth, skin and lungs. It’s similar to asbestos in the sense that the little fibers can lodge themselves in your lungs if you’re working with it a lot. It may not be as toxic as asbestos, but why take the risk? Not something that I'm willing to gamble with if I don't have to - there are plenty of other hydroponic media choices! If you're using rockwool, you should be using a mask, goggles and gloves when you work with it to protect yourself.

Bear

Tight buds come from genetics. Shitty lighting can affect it some but u can have a million watts and still end up with fluffy buds.

LEDs are great. Don't be fooled by the wattage numbers most advertise though. That is usually the max wattage the LEDs can use. Most are run at a lower wattage so they are more efficient and put out less heat. I like to have 125W+ of actual wattage per plant.

Honestly, the verdict is still mixed at the moment. But like you said. Its all you got. Try a S.O.G. and keep them short.

Thanks for the input, guys. I think I'm going to save up for a 2x450w LED setup and give it a proper space. I think I should be able to pull it off for under 400$

Right now I've got T5's and everything is healthy, but I can't keep it going forever with just a bunch of shop fluorescents.
I'll be more careful with my rockwool handling, for sure, since the last time I cut seedling blocks I ended up with welts all over my fingers.

Dirt is cheaper than rockwool

mo841 said:

Tight buds come from genetics. Shitty lighting can affect it some but u can have a million watts and still end up with fluffy buds.

Click to expand...

i agree, most strains dont produce fat rock hard buds indoor so if you find one that does keep it.