xblazedx421

Ok , i understand how the whole light thing works ...MH=blue/purple light spectrum which =better/more veg.

then you have HPS which are better for flowering because of the light spectrum(yellow,orange,red,)

I am constructing a stealth grow box... i guess the question im about to ask is about constuction and light, but more about the light.
i plan on building a small (very small)cloning box.
i have that all figured out i will use an array of cfl's.

now here is the delima.. i am aiming for 4 harvests per year.(this is for personal use) i dont know if i should construct a veg box and a flower box or just one box.

my concern is that i keep hearing how mh is better for veg and hps is better for flowering....but i also am hearing that people have used hps all through out the grow cycle and get pretty good results.what im wondering is it really worth the extra money(and $ on the elec. bill) to buy another 400 watt light(mh) for a veg chamber.or in my case for just growing 10-15 plants, would it better to have a one grow box but with just an hps light??
(i just sampled some very fine hash,so its taking a little longer to explain this than i had planned )

what im really trying to ask is if i had the 400w mh for veg. and the 400w hps for flowering would there be a better yield and promote more efficient growing than only one grow box with only hps??

....i think i just found the answer to my problem and it is this..
Hortilux H.P.S. Conversion Bulbs Metal Halide to High Pressure Sodium, this means i could use this hps bulb but for a mh set up right??

i really need some help with this

OOO btw does anyone have any suggestions about Hortliux or son agro, from what ive read it seems it would be wise to go with a Son Agro hps bulb ,due to the fact that it will still be great for flowering but with the added blue spectrum will help during veg) but im not too sure at this point.

any help??...anyone

Ripcord

I use the Hortilux Super HPS EYE. Love em. From the Hort EYE website..... "Hortilux High Pressure Sodium Bulbs allow you to give your plants the spectrum that they need for flowering. Ordinary high pressure sodium bulbs do not put out light in the blue and violet spectrum. These Hortilux bulbs give excellent color with enhancement in the blue and violet spectrum. If you are going to use only one bulb for both vegetative growth and flowering, you should use an enhanced spectrum bulb. They also help to keep the plants from stretching in all phases of plant growth. These bulbs are available for 1000, 600, 430, and 400 watt ballasts. They are universal burning bulbs which means that they can be used in any fixture, vertical or horizontal. These bulbs are environmentally friendly."
They cost more, but I think its well worth it.

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Blippy The Slug

Ok...

1st off. Yes, It's possible to use HPS for the whole shebang, veg to bud. And get spectacular results therefrom. That being said, back to MH vs HPS in a small cab.

My closet growspace is 18"d x 36"w x 1Mh. Sorry for the mixed measurements, but I'm in Canada, and that's how it works out to the mm. I use a 400W MH in the "normal" (4000°K) spectrum, and can do up to 3 budding females. 2 is the norm.

In a space that size, the sheer number of lumens, and the output spectrum of the bulb, ensure that the plant is getting more than enough light in the right wavelengths, even though that same bulb would be next to useless in a grow ROOM.

So, in summation: in a SMALL stealth box, using a 400W HID bulb/ballast, the type & spectrum of the bulb is nowhere near as vital as the FAQ make it out to be. Your main concern will be temperature, not light.

speedracer-x

I flower with a 400wMH (24"x20"x48") and veg with a 250wHPS?!?! Lesson: Don't buy no-name convertible ballasts off ebay (400w was the one bought on ebay, of course bought first). Some people says that MH in flower produces tighter, more heady buds...I couldn't tell you though. I am just working with what I have at the moment.

If you are into quality and not just a get-me-by product, then purchase a quality ballast (electronic if you are sure that you will be using it for a long time). That 400w ballast w/reflector cost me $260 where a quality ballast and reflector would have been a bit more, problem is that I now have to spend the original $260 plus some to get the new ballast .

Don't settle for a get-by product when in the long run quality costs so much less.

RDNUGME

i use hps for vegging and it works fine. i have buddies who use MH, but they say it doesn't make a huge differance.
one thought about using one grow room with one hps bulb, if you are trying to veg and bud at the same time you wont be able to get the timing right unless you rig it up so you can block out all the light from the budding plants. the budding plants require 12 hours of complete darkness, so this might be hard. also, 400w hps is gonna be small for 10-15 plants, unless your doing a SOG.

knna

For a small cab you dont need a MH to veg. Use CFL instead, in a cab with mums and clones in veg, and a HPS in the flowering cab.

knna

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Bulb Analyzer Tool

Lollie

Exactly what I wanted to say. You'll be fine with that set up. Just before you place the plants in the flowering area, cut off the lower branches and root the cuttings. They'll probably grow into mothers and clones of those will be ready to go in when the first onces are ready to come out. You might even have to throw a couple away because they get too big. If everything goes well.

All the best,
Lollie

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xblazedx421

thats a great idea! thanks alot if you(or anyone)could helpme out a bit more i think im about ready to start getting set-up.

1)I read that 5000-7000lumens per sq ft. is optimal for the plants to strive.is this true?

2)i would like to be harvesting around a 1/2lb (give or take an ounce or two) every 3 months for a total of 4 harvests a year. So about how many plants would I need, I know it depends greatly on genetics + enviroment.

3)considering both factors are good would 10 plants every 3 months get me this if I vegged for about a month and then flowered for the next 6-8 weeks under a eye Hortilux HPS enhanced bulb(btw would 600w be good or could i benefit with the 1000w?)

4) also,what type of cfl's should i use(watts,spectrums,quanity,ect.)thanksfor the help,its greatly appriciated.

and if anyone thinks i should change something or what ever please tell me so i dont go buying all the wrong stuff.Also some ideas ....

btw...those ten plants will most likely be clones i take from a mother plant that ill grow out for a month or so to get this whole operation started .
The reason I mention that their clones because im pretty sure i remember reading on here that if you use clones they will be smaller and thus yield less.(not sure if its true or not)Thanks for all the great help everyone....HAPPY GROWING/Smoking!

Prophit

I agree you dont need a MH for veg. Ive used MH and HPS for zeg, and while the MH produces stockier denser plants I see no other advantages.

If you plan on raising your own clones, some form of flourescent lighting should do you good. Ive been vegging in a large terrarium lined and covered with mylar with a couple of scraphead flourescent lamps my homeless friend brought over and theyve been working great.

As far as pulling 8 ounces out of a growbox with a 400w, Im sure its possible but I wouldnt expect to hit that mark without some experience and some bells & whistles...(some form of hydro +co2 enrichment maybe? Im happy to pull 6 oz out of my big ass closet (12ish ft2) w/ a 400, but im in soil and its not a technilogical marvel in the closet.)

Goodluck!

sleepyrz

1. yes that is a standard by which a lot of people go by

4. 2-3 100-125 watt blue cfl (thats 6500k)

we really need to know the dimensions of said box to accurately determine the amount of light you need