does light really have to be close to the plant ?

This will be my first grow , and Ive read for hours on how to make my plant live and survive this hard life it will live *until I smoke it*.

So, I have ordered a 400w HPS light and I plan to just post to the top of my grow tent and leave it there without ever adjusting it , is that okay or will it make the whole process a lot slower? Really doesnt matter to me as long as the bud comes in over time, but I dont want to mess with the light every few days as the plant grows .

Also after I finish my Germination process Im just going to plant it in a big 8 Liter pot and leave it in there til harvest. Is that okay?

Im not looking for a large yield as it will be for my personal use only and I dont mind to wait a few extra days or weeks if it means I can make this a lot simpler by not moving and transplanting anything.

Thanks .
PS great forum

Hey, for a 400w I would suggest buying yo-yo's to hang your lights closer to the plants. You don't have to but they're so easy to adjust I can't see why it'd be a bad idea.

Sounds like your not willing to put any effort into your grow, if you can get buy with minimal amounts I suspect buying will be a better choice for you.

If your ordering equipment take the time to set it up correctly, hanging your lights without moving is easy if you put smaller plants on crates or a table. Transplanting seedlings into their final home from the start will slow your growth.

regards,

Depends how tall your tent is... If its 5' I would agree with P10p

You can get a set of adjustable for like 10 bucks give or take, that way you can keep your light closer and adjust as you go.

Putting it all the way to the top will cause your plants to stretch to it, you will end up with alot of stalk and a few tops.
While I understand the want for simplicity, with any plant the better you are to it, the better it is to you..

Look into doing some LST, thats where you tie down the branches as they grow keeping them low and making you have an even canopy of top kolas.

Every time you double the distance from the light you reduce it's power by 4.
If it's 50K lumens at 1', then its 12.5K Lumens at 2', and 3,125 lumens at 4'.

WHOA thanks for the super fast replies ,

Okay I think I'll buy some easy roll adjustable strings to get the light closer then.

So starting out and finishing with a big pot and not doing a transplanting is okay u guys think ?

And what about when its still a seedling and I plant it , how does the lighting system work best then?

As I read on here lots of different things that doesnt make sense, like some people change the light bulb between veggie stage and flowering stage or that u shouldnt use as much light during the first few days ?

I really dont want to buy another bulb as they are expensive just to use for a few days, Can I start out and finish all with my 400w HPS light as long as I adjust the height as the plant grows ?

Once again thanks so much for any further information .

You can but you will have more stretching if you don't give it enough blue spectrum during vegetative growth period. I think the people you are referring to are saying it is a waste of money to use huge lights during the early stages. Since they are so tiny they wont be able to use all of the light you provide but i cant see how that would harm it if you have ventilation and circulation with proper temperatures. Some people even go 12/12 from seed all with hps lighting but you will not yield as much as if you had aloud the plant to veg for a month or two.

The problem with starting in a large pot is watering. It will be difficult to tell when you need to water with a really large pot and a seedling. You would want to water when the pot feels light. With a really large pot and no real roots to suck the water up out of the bottom of the pot the top of the pot will be super dry while the bottom is still really wet. Transplanting does not take that much effort. As for the light you can get a 23w cfl bulb for like 4 dollars and veg for the first week with that one bulb just keep it about an inch from the plant.

Yes , I would say you need to do some reading here first. Find out what you need to know. Knowledge is the seed of life. Always remember it is a weed and if you were a weed which you are not would you want to be given a good care giver?

Could i Just use any normal light for the first week or 2 until leaves start too show?

What I recommend (and do personally) is to get yourself a cheap t12 fluorescent tube fixture (they come in 1 or pairs) this amount of light is perfect for seedlings,starters, and clones. You can literally keep the light an inch away from the tops until they strengthen up.. say a week to two weeks. Then you can place them under your 400 watt light... place the light as close to the tops as possible without burning the leaves. Too much light too quick is detrimental to the plant... on top of that why burn the wattage when the plants cant even use it yet? Calculate the money alone from 2 weeks at 18/6... your wallet and the plants will thank you! Everything in moderation for your first grow.... water in moderation, feed in moderation.. etc. etc. Good luck to you!!

tk86high said:

Could i Just use any normal light for the first week or 2 until leaves start too show?

Click to expand...

You can get some cfl's, you want a 6500k bulb for veg. Stick a few inchies from the soil and let the sprout...

This here is the best information you will get:

doogey420 said:

Yes , I would say you need to do some reading here first. Find out what you need to know. Knowledge is the seed of life. Always remember it is a weed and if you were a weed which you are not would you want to be given a good care giver?

Click to expand...

Read Read Read and Read some more. Make sure you have everything you need before you start.
Skimping or cutting corners will affect your grow. Trust me, I am new to it as well and am telling you from my experience.

10acjed said:

Read Read Read and Read some more. Make sure you have everything you need before you start.
Skimping or cutting corners will affect your grow. Trust me, I am new to it as well and am telling you from my experience.

Click to expand...

Man Ive done so much reading and so much purchasing its getting insane, I first thought it would cost me around $250 for my setup and maybe a few hours of reading . Im well over the $750 mark now , *including $150 worth of all different seeds from all different sites as i dont know which to trust and which has the best* and into days of reading.

But I think I finally got it down and Im going to do it right or not do it at all .