light set up question

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benmont21

Active Member
hi, i have a question and as much as ive looked blindly the search feature is failing me?/broken?

how high above my plants should a 250w hps be above my plants for veg and for flower? im using for both.

also in the veg stage will using cfl's to keep height down work in combination with the hps? or will cfl's get too hot if they are under the hps?

any help or points in the right direction would be appreciated ;-)
 
RandyRocket

RandyRocket

Well-Known Member
benmont21 said:
hi, i have a question and as much as ive looked blindly the search feature is failing me?/broken?

how high above my plants should a 250w hps be above my plants for veg and for flower? im using for both.

also in the veg stage will using cfl's to keep height down work in combination with the hps? or will cfl's get too hot if they are under the hps?

any help or points in the right direction would be appreciated ;-)
Click to expand...

for any size light hold your hand next to the light for 5 minute. It you can keep it their your plants can stay all so.
 
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benmont21

Active Member
thanks for the quick reply. +rep

any comments on the cfls in use with the hps? will i have heat danger with them being under the hps or will they be good at a safe distance as well?
 
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We Love 1

New Member
You don't need the CFLs if You have a HPS, but it might be good for side lighting. So in that case, Your CFLs wont be under the bulb and the heat won't matter.

I would keep the 250W at least 6 inches away from the plants, 8-10 inches might be good. I would keep the bulb around +12 inches for young seedling, but once the plant is over ~3 weeks old keep the light as close as possible without burning Your plants, make sure the leaves keep stretching up for the light. If they curl down then the lights too close.

~PEACE~
 
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benmont21

Active Member
thank you, you people are an instant database +rep

ive read vegging under an hps could produce stretching. T/F? i was just thinking the cfls over the canopy to combat this but if its not the case freeing them up for side lighting would be great
 
Tronica

Tronica

Well-Known Member
Yeh 6-12" inches depending on the age of the plant and your ambient temp's. I use a cord to hang my thermo at the canopy level so I can easier monitor my light distance.

Getting ahold of some floro tubes for side lighting (65k) or even like 4 26w cfls, placed correctly, willl help with your vegging, and will cut down on the stretch that can occur from vegging on hps. but from what I've read that isn't a huge issue anyways.
 
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We Love 1

New Member
"ive read vegging under an hps could produce stretching. T/F?"

Its true, but its not significant. I wouldn't worry about it. Some people say that MH lights are better for vegging and keep the heights a little lower but its not really a discernable difference, especially if Your only vegging for a month or less.

Just use the CFLs as side lighting, the HPS will do the rest!

~PEACE~
 
RandyRocket

RandyRocket

Well-Known Member
We Love 1 said:
You don't need the CFLs if You have a HPS, but it might be good for side lighting. So in that case, Your CFLs wont be under the bulb and the heat won't matter.

I would keep the 250W at least 6 inches away from the plants, 8-10 inches might be good. I would keep the bulb around +12 inches for young seedling, but once the plant is over ~3 weeks old keep the light as close as possible without burning Your plants, make sure the leaves keep stretching up for the light. If they curl down then the lights too close.

~PEACE~
Click to expand...
Yep,

this is my 430 watt hps w/ side cfl's
 
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