Flourescent vs. Hps

[sirsmokalot989]

I've been growing for a little while... 3 small crops with a 125 w cfl putting out 6400k and I just bought a 250 w hps system I was wondering will I notice the difference in amount of dry weight as this new light wasn't too cheap.... Also I have a plant flowering under the cfl now can I just throwit under the hps when it gets here or should I finish it up with the cfl then use it for new plants

The cfl does make some nice looking buds but it takes forever to flower and my plants are stretching alot which is I think a lack of light

Any info apreciated

[Dandaweedman]

You could place the old girl under the new light at lights out with no issues, more light won't hurt it... only less. The HID takes some time to get up to full power (up to 20 mins) so it'll get a gradual introduction like a summer day.
Make sure you keep the new one further away than the old tho or you could get a surprise

The HID WILL make a difference in bud density and should help control stretch a little better even just from the heat the bulb puts out.

Congrats on the flowering with CFLs. I would love to try it but the room would be a problem.
And also on the new light, don't you love new toys... I mean tools?

[stoneric]

Next step, 400 hps. Don't resist because it's an eventuality. Enjoy your 250, you'll see a big difference.

[Dandaweedman]

Ain't that the truth? start out small and the next thing you know you have 12 1000K HPS and 20 strains going.

[sixpiece]

yeah but the thing is you might as well have bought a 400 or a 1000 watt because the price is about the same. 1000 watts are used as street lights so they happen to be utilized the most often in the world and make them the lowest possible cost generally speaking. I think around here it costs something like $150 and if you want a 250 watt you usually have to pay more if you can even find it. Nevertheless congratulations on your purchase you will notice a huge difference. You should be able to obtain approximately 1-2 grams per watt with your HPS. This is because their is higher illumescence from the sodium vapor bulbs that the fluorescents (more energy efficient). My suggestion is that you keep a mother plant with your fluorescent lighting and you use your fluoros for vegging plants and cloning thus you can maximize your efficiency and also you can constantly get the same strain of plant that you enjoy. also by doing this you are not terminating the life of your weed you are just enjoying the fruit of your labor, that the plant gives you. another obvious advantage is that you will be able to constantly harvest. if you add new plants into your flower room every week you can technically harvest every week rather than every 3 months so that way you always got the freshest bud coming in. Another point of consideration is the light coverage. Your fluoros will cover a plant up to a foot high not much more in terms of light penetration and coverage and not all that much distance either from the plant, so if you keep a mother you will have to keep her short, this is not a problem for vegetating plants. Your 250 watt light can cover a maximum of 4 x 4 but in reality it will cover a 3 x 3 space and about 1.5 feet maximum of height to get the nice heavy hard quality buds that you are ultimately and realistically looking for. if you say exceed it to 2 feet the buds on the bottom will be all fluffy and you could end up getting less hard buds on the top because some of the plant energy is consumed towards keep the bottom alive and thus your batch could be slightly less good cause nobody really likes those buds that aren't rock hard and juicy and you can toss them against the wall that are hard like a hammer and oozing with resin. nevertheless, if you get buds that don't have much substance that is fine too and they can also be used to make hasj etc.. i wish you luck and a good pound of weed + harvest. keep us informed and don't hesitate to ask further questions or clarifications.

[farmergiles]

^ Some good points in there but I`d find it a lot easier to read if you used paragraphs . My head hurts now!

[sirsmokalot989]

That was alot of help... The reason I went with a 250 is I'm doing this in my closet... I'm thinking of putting 2-4 plants under the hps and yes keep a mother of my black domina under the flouros... Thanx for the advice....

I also wanted to know how you would keep the mother short? I have space problems I wish I had a room for it but that's in the future... Is there a nutrient that slows upward growth or is topping and bending the best way to control height? Also how far away am I going to need to keep the hps from the plants?

Again thanx for everyones help and any other advice is greatly appreciated

[stoneric]

I kept my 250 around 12 inches from the plant without any problems.

[Dandaweedman]

Originally Posted by sixpiece

yeah but the thing is you might as well have bought a 400 or a 1000 watt because the price is about the same.
1000 watts are used as street lights so they happen to be utilized the most often in the world and make them the lowest possible cost generally speaking.
I think around here it costs something like $150 and if you want a 250 watt you usually have to pay more if you can even find it.
Nevertheless congratulations on your purchase you will notice a huge difference.
You should be able to obtain approximately 1-2 grams per watt with your HPS.
This is because their is higher illumescence from the sodium vapor bulbs that the fluorescents (more energy efficient).
My suggestion is that you keep a mother plant with your fluorescent lighting and you use your fluoros for vegging plants and cloning thus you can maximize your efficiency and also you can constantly get the same strain of plant that you enjoy.
also by doing this you are not terminating the life of your weed you are just enjoying the fruit of your labor, that the plant gives you.
another obvious advantage is that you will be able to constantly harvest.
if you add new plants into your flower room every week you can technically harvest every week rather than every 3 months so that way you always got the freshest bud coming in.
Another point of consideration is the light coverage. Your fluoros will cover a plant up to a foot high not much more in terms of light penetration and coverage and not all that much distance either from the plant, so if you keep a mother you will have to keep her short, this is not a problem for vegetating plants.
Your 250 watt light can cover a maximum of 4 x 4 but in reality it will cover a 3 x 3 space and about 1.5 feet maximum of height to get the nice heavy hard quality buds that you are ultimately and realistically looking for.
if you say exceed it to 2 feet the buds on the bottom will be all fluffy and you could end up getting less hard buds on the top because some of the plant energy is consumed towards keep the bottom alive and thus your batch could be slightly less good cause nobody really likes those buds that aren't rock hard and juicy and you can toss them against the wall that are hard like a hammer and oozing with resin.
nevertheless, if you get buds that don't have much substance that is fine too and they can also be used to make hasj etc.. i wish you luck and a good pound of weed + harvest.
keep us informed and don't hesitate to ask further questions or clarifications.

OK, it's so easy to go over someone elses hard work and say this is wrong and that is wrong but I am going to add my opinion in here.
Ah yuh, tough to read.

-1000 HPS is NOT the most efficient for your cash, that would be the 600. Have to take into consideration ongoing costs.
-1-2 grams per watt is attainable, but good luck with that shoot for .5 and you are doing slightly above average. (without a light mover)
-250 puts out loads less heat than a 400 so could be better for smaller cabs and those who don't want to go with an expensive exhaust system.
- 1.5 depth of light. They told me 2' with the ole 400 watter but I managed to grow 6' plants AND get phenominal yields with dense buds (at the top 2 feet ) . Having to have a minimun distance so they don't burn doesn't bode well if that is the case.
-600 watter is good for 3.5 square, 250? depends on the reflector but I would think 3 x 3 would be really stretching it, but note the 6' plant under a 400 watt...
- cost of 250 bulbs and ballasts. I can get them for 14$ CAD for the bulb and 120$ CAD for the ballast, you in the states should be able to get them for what? 1.50 CAD for a bulb and 13.95 CAD for the ballast??

OK, that was fun. It was a great post sixpiece, it just appeared to me to be stated in a "the way it is" way, and there really is nothing like that.
I am sure I am way off by saying that so no fence please? Hard to get emotion in a post if yer not a chick.
(I know I am going to pay for that comment)