T5 Grow Lights for veg and flowering?

I've been reading about these T5 Grow lights and can get some a lowes. I understand that I need to use 6500k for veg and 2700k for flowering. Can I use these lights and switch out to 2700k lights for flowering along with CFL's? From what I have read the T5's are only good up to two feet. So I was thinking of hanging CLF's down lower to light up any shadow areas.

About to get all this setup this weekend, so trying my hardest to get my barrings. I have about $225 to spend on lights for about 10 plants. I may not grow that many to start, but I want to be prepared when the time comes.

I don't expect huge results with this setup, but for starting out I want to make sure I am set. Later I will buy another set for clones, but that is a ways off.

I just figured these will work better than just straight CLFs hanging all over the place.

t5's will work for veg and flower/ the penetration though is more like less then a foot. your plan sounds like it would work. you can do the whole grow with 6500k bulbs if you want to. 10 plants is a lot to start off with on a first grow, and to do that many you will need to get a lot more light then just a t5 fixture and some cfls. id say aim for 4 plants, but thats just my advice

Thanks for the reply. I wont be doing 10 to start, I'm thinking around 4-5 for my first grow. Maybe even 3. However, at some point I want to get to the 8-10ish mark. Some will be used to make RSO oil is why I need so much.

Any other suggestions for keeping my lighting system around $225 and still being able to grow more plants down the line? I'm open to any suggestions. I've been going back and forth on this for awhile now.

if your looking for yield go with a 400 or 600 hps

What about a 400-600 watt HPS on only for flowering, and of course the T5 and clfs? Thinking that might be an option to consider. Looking for a budget but decent HPS hood, I may have to get it later, but still. Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get the best lighting setup I can for my budget. I can go slightly higher on lights, but trying not too.

you could build a fixture to put cfl's in like i did. look at the link in my sig.. obviously u would need something bigger than mine but just to get the point... those porcelain light sockets are only like $2 a piece and very easy to wire up with a $3 extension cord (u literally just strip the wire about a 1/2" down and screw them into the socket.) i contemplated the exact same thing your thinking about with the t5/cfl mix.. i went with the cfls because they are brighter, cheaper (im on a serious budget and plan on just picking up more as the plants grow) and easier to maneuver if your plants should start growing at different heights.. took me about a 1/2 hour to build and get everything i needed right at home depot.

You can get a 600W HPS on Amazon for less than $200 with two shit bulbs, MH and HPS, and two ratchet ropes.
Odd, coming from a guy that uses two T5 fixtures with aquarium bulbs and a tiny HPS.
A hefty HPS will work for the entire grow start to finish.

grorite said:

if your looking for yield go with a 400 or 600 hps

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Yea I use two four-bulb t-5s for 12 hours and supplement it with 600w hps for six hours. Why six hours? Well I had hoped to switch entirely to t-5s for heat/electic reasons but they just don't quite cut it w/o some hps.

I'm on my first grow now. Using the PLL T5s in a 3x3 tent. Bought the Tek Four and Tek 2 for top lighting (30000 lumens) got a pair of CFLs on one end for side lighting and another Tek 2 hanging off to the side for more side lighting (10000 Lumens). I have multispectrum bulbs 6400 / 3000 evenly mixed. Growing 7 plants, hopefully they turn out well

If you're not cash croppin, i've read t5's should be more than enough for both veg and flower, just keep them close Good luck!

Make sure the fixtures are HO or VHO as you want HO bulbs (@54w). I don't think Lowes carries them, thy are garden supply

Here's a shot taken 2 days ago. You can't see it, but lots of trics + calyxes developing.

These are clones. Very sat very spindly, but will end up with forearm size colas, though not as wide

The old timer that's been helping me out a little, grows strictly with T5's. He has some kick ass smoke, my only thought on it, is that his buds, while nice and fat, aren't really that dense. That's the only thing I can see wrong with flowering under T5's.

My last grow, using 4/8 > 600+ nm HOT5s was very dense (pic 1.2). This time using 5/8 + 2 Quantum flower bulb, which spectrally look like hps (pic 3)

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PetFlora said:

My last grow, using 4/8 > 600+ nm HOT5s was very dense (pic 1.2). This time using 5/8 + 2 Quantum flower bulb, which spectrally look like hps (pic 3)

Click to expand...

Might be the difference between T5 bulbs from lowe's and HO T5s from a grow shop?????

Thanks everyone for the help with this, still figuring things out. Most likely I will go with straight CLF's with a multispectrum setup and next month buy an HPS or two. I have not seen any CLF's that are 6500k locally. Going to try the hydro shops next.
Lowes sells the T5 growing lights. At least they do here, but not the HO ones. I am getting some T5 lights for clones.

I have an entire bedroom for my setup(s), so room is not an issue. Cash, of course always is.