First Time Flower SMALL BUDS:(

Shes about 30 inches tall, has been flowering for 3-4 weeks but the buds and hairs are very small I dont know the strain but Its a indica type. She started sprouting two little hairs from about 30 different spots but it just stoped there and hasent filled out or grew for a week or 2...She did her stretching period with the hairs already showing and thats the last that happened. I have her under a 500 watt hallogin on top and a 1000 watt hallogen on the side so shes well lit. Can I use this lighting?? Also Its quite warm 80-90F could that stop the budding?? Could Ferts be a problem that also slows budding??
To better explain buds the biggest are on the stem and are only (----) that big including the two hairs. Also they only have two hairs some light brownish orange. from all the pics on the internet in comparison to mine, mine looks like only one tinsy tiny part of the their big bud(Basicly I need a experienced grower to tell me if its normal for the plant to slow budding or is there a problem?)
Thanks for helping! can also post a pic upon request.

 

:talk2hand HALOGEN LIGHTS ARE VERY INTENSE AND RELATIVELY CHEAP. They are also incredibly inefficient compared to metal halides and HPS light for growing pot, sorry they dont produce the spectrums required for proper flowering. The heat generated by these light also is going to make you plants grow stringy or stunted, if you were using a 1500 watts of mh/hps lighting your 3/4 week old plant would be a hell of alot taller imo. Your wasting energy on useless lighting.. Hence wasting money and time... The power bill alone for the waste could buy you a Real MH/HPS lamp!!!!!

 

^ yep. Keep in mind that 3-4 weeks in flowering will look alot different when you are hitting 9 weeks. But the halogen lights have to go.

 

So halogin lights are ok for vegging but not flowering.. I have a metal halide light thats 400 watt with a balist but the fixtures too high of a watt for my house and I tryed to plug it into my kitchens oven outlet but the prongs on the balist are different "slanted -- this way not /\ this way" and homedepot said there is no adapter for that. Butt.. to make a long story short would metal halide work or do I need a high pressure sodium? and are there any cheaper alternitaves because Im pretty sure I cant use a metal halide balist for a high pressur sodium light bulb. this growing stuff is ALOT more complicated than I thought!!! MAD PROPS for growers!!!!

 

Noooo halogen are not for either. Take the ballast into a Grow Shop and have them rewire it for 110V - what you have is probably 220V.

A MH is good for both.

 

Maybe you could just buy several large CFLs... they would work much better than the halogen.... CFLs are great for first timers... very easy to use... hard to fuck up..

 

There should be two Contacts on the ballast, one for 110,120v and the other 210,220v. and it should be Black wire in color. If you were so technically inclined you could change that contacts yourself. Just look on the ballast wire wrapping and you should see a prong thats not being used if its not marked its still easy to switch it over. Switch that wire over and plug it in to a 120v outlet be sure to solder the wire hard to the contact for full voltage flow otherwise youll stress out the ballast, compasitor, and your bulb will flicker and shorten its lifespan.

I might also add that Phosphorus Coated MH Bulbs are the correct lights to use with your system. Not clear bulbs..

 

there are only a few hps lamps that can used in MH ballast. they are always lower in voltage but not by much, They are electronically designed to work with MH ballasts.,, If the Ballast is for A 400 watt MH. The conversion lamp in HPS will be 360 watts. a 940 watt HPS bulb that works with a 1000W MH ballast, I think you get it now.. But those
HALOGEN lights got to GO GO GO GO GO.. cause they dont help grow anything
but large electric bills!!!!!!!

 

you have been sooo much help!! Ive been trying to find someone to help with the lighting and you guys answered all my questions I thought I was gunna have to call a electrician But now its all good!!
Thanks again guys!!

 

Yep, but I wasn't going to be the one to recommend a DIY with that big cap in there

This page should help:

http://www.venturelighting.com/BallastHTMLDocuments/wiring_diagrams-Stand.html

 

What you talking about them there stun guns dont hurt one bit..:lol:

 

Yeah you must be an electrician. Tapping a 220 with the back of your hand - if it closes real fast its 220 slow its only a baby 110

 

You can handle millions of volts through your body you just dont want to be the load..the voltage jump for a 400 watt cap off a MH is about 600/900 volts. I could be wrong. I just dont feel like doing the math. kill the hot cap with a insulated screwdriver contacting both prongs,
You can accually arc weld with a MH ballast, a heavy cap, and some jumper cables.
never done it but Ive got a freind who I think sometimes invented electricity cause hes like 70 years old and I worked this job once with him and he got zapped by some three phase, fell on his ass, boggers came out of his nose and he said "that will wake you up in the morining better than coffee any day"

The MH lamp really isnt lit, its strobbing. When they are properly lit in phase and never turned off they are said to last forever "not",

Ever use a Mercury Vapor lamp to grow, Ive heard mixed reviews all my life just wondering?

 

I know about the capacitors and have a few screwdrivers that have divots taken out from discharging them - yowee!

I laughed my ass off about the three phase and the older guy!! I had an uncle like that - he felt the need to always test the wiring with his fingers. "Oooo that's just a tickle.... woooooo that's 220" I was always grateful he never hit the 440 like your friend. I can almost smell the burnt hair

Re Hg Vapor lamps. I never heard of someone using them. Now the low pressure sodium looks good but again haven't found someone that has used them.

 

i used 2 regular fluorescents and they worked great! i had a gorgeous plant and if i wouldnt have gotten busted i wouldve been reaping the rewards of takin the risk...lol...the buds were so nice

 

Lps/sox lamps ive read that some strain must be flowered with this lamp. and no other for like some super max yield,, from what ive read on the spec of this lamp, totally true in my book! Pros dont print that shit to sell lamps or pot, its just FACT!!

 

Im not planning on actually rewireing it myself I was just going to take your advice to go to a grow store and have them rewire it if they could but thanks budbill for the link also. interesting advice I might have to conduct an experiment with lps/sox lamp during flowering and see how well it will work.

 

LPS has been around since 1932.. so figure people know they grew plant then also..

check out this link...

http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/SO1 Introduction.htm

 

When I get some free time I have to search to see if there are any grow logs using one.

Another interesting lamp is "the reptile light" supposedly the uv really bumped up resin production. Theory was the plant was producing the THC for protection. Saw the information on pottv (or one of those withe the Marijuana Man).