can i start my seeds under 1000 watts of light?

teknival

Active Member
Hello. I have just set up a walk in closet with 10 plants under a 1000 watt light. When the light is on at full power the temperature is 73 degrees. However when I lower the power down to 75 or 50 percent the temperature drops to the sixties. I dont want to run a heater and the temps are optimal when the light is on full power. I have just planted my germinated seeds in coco and they have not sprouted yet. Is it alright to expose them to 1000 watts of metal halide light for when they first pop out of the ground. A response would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!:leaf::leaf::idea:
 

MydogCody

Member
I would recommend not using such a big light, even if its dimmable, for the first 2 weeks. Past grows of mine under a 600 watt metal halide were successful, but it seemed like my plants were slow to grow and were stunted. After a month, beyond sprouting, my plants were only on there fourth set of leaves. It could be other factors that led to this such as genetic and environmental controls, but my other grows, when I used (4) two foot t5 bulbs, did much better when I started them out with fluorescent lights and a lower wattage.

I have heard of people using big lights such as yours, but I would recommend fluorescent, then metal halide and finish with high pressure sodium. Just my two cents, I am sure you are fine. Just keep the light about a full 2 feet about your plants and dim it down to 50% for the first two weeks after sprouting.
 

teknival

Active Member
thanks guys. right now i just have my metal halide but if i had t5's i would definitely use them tho. right now i have the lights on at 50% and temperature is 72 %. I am using the ipower 1000w cool tube with digital ballast. The metal halide does not produce as much heat as the hps sodium bulb that came with the lighting package . Is this normal? From what I have read everyone says that metal halide produces a lot more heat. The temperatures are so low off of this metal halide bulb that I am considering using it instead of the hps for flowering during the hot summer months. Do you guys have any information possibly comparing yields with high pressure sodium vs. metal halide? Thanks again
 

MydogCody

Member
Do you guys have any information possibly comparing yields with high pressure sodium vs. metal halide? Thanks again
I known a couple of people that used metal halides for veg and flower cycles, and since we they didn't have a control group to compare it to it wasn't known if the metal halides produced less bud (weight). I have always heard to never use metal halides for flowering.

Here is a cannabis culture link to what they have to say about using metal halides for flowering.

http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2833.html

I think you would be okay, but if you got HPS lamps I would definitely use them and find a way to cool your room.

Happy Growing fellow toker.
 

vostok

Well-Known Member
Hello. I have just set up a walk in closet with 10 plants under a 1000 watt light. When the light is on at full power the temperature is 73 degrees. However when I lower the power down to 75 or 50 percent the temperature drops to the sixties. I dont want to run a heater and the temps are optimal when the light is on full power. I have just planted my germinated seeds in coco and they have not sprouted yet. Is it alright to expose them to 1000 watts of metal halide light for when they first pop out of the ground. A response would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!:leaf::leaf::idea:
Yey!!! .... another noobie with NO plan....! turn of the lights and use the heater until you got some leaves, same cost and study more

Marijuana: Jorge's RX
http://books.google.com/books?id=WRNNS2TUB3YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=related:ISBN1878823272
 

anzohaze

Well-Known Member
I sprout my seeds i use t5s they get sucker leaves then there 1st set of true leaves I put starter cubes into 1 gal soil then I put under 1000 watt works for me no problems. My light is 6 ft away usually and I move closer through out the week. The sun dont give new growth a break on germination or sprouting so I dont either I give all till it becomes to much back off a few inches and let the good times roll
 

teknival

Active Member
:weed:9 out of 10 of my seeds now have their first set of leaves. I have them under the 1000 watt metal halide dimmed to 50 percent. The temp is now 72 degrees. The light is almost 4 feet away from the plants. I am growing blue dream from HSO as well as sour blueberry from HSO. I have them planted inside 5 gallon bags with botanicare coco. As far as nutrients , I am using the Dyna grow line.
KLN
Foliage pro
Pro tekt
Mag Pro
Bloom

I am also using calimag from general hyrdoponics because coco is known to sometimes deprive the plants of calcium. I just germinated an amnesia automatic from dinafem so to replace the one that did not germinate. I think i am gonna have to train and supercrop it . I know this may cause stress to the auto but i heard this strain grows tall and I dont want it blocking the light to my sour blueberry. I have started them in my walking in closet however i will be putting them in two 4x4 tents keeping each strain separate.
 

teknival

Active Member
thats what i was thinking too. you can start them under the sun. anyways i have them under 750 watts metal halide now and they seem to be doing quite well. The ppm of my tap water is 330. I am adding another 150 ppm of kln, foliage pro, calimag and protekt to make total 480 ppm. I am getting RO next week. I ordered a pure water club RO system for 70 dollars on amazon.
 
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