Hi all, SWIM knows HPS is better for flowering than MH. But, is it better, if you have both systems, to veg under MH or just keep it simple and go the whole way through with MH. SWIM was thinking veg under MH and then add the HPS to balance out the spectrum during flowering. OR is the MH just wasting wattage during flowering? Thanks
Is there benefit in running both a MH and HPS during flower worth it or does it not produce usable spectrum?
Hps for flower.. If you have more lights and want to add them both go for it.. the more light the better.. use, two.. 400w mh veg.. and two 400w hps flow.. Total 1600 watts.. thats Eqv to a small space heater and everyone has those.. LIGHT MATTERS
Sorry but i have to lol abit at this thread............absolutely your plants will benefit from abit of MH light then abit of HPS light. Mixed spectrum is totally the way to go. I dare anyone to prove me wrong.
Depends what ya want. If ya want picture post card looking bud ya'd use both over the complete grow but if ya want a quick simple knock it out setup ya use the sodium surely.
Okay i can agree with you as i only use a hps to flower my buds.....BUT, mixed spectrum would be ideal IMHO...........i do have to say tho if your using mixed spectrum it's not going to make your buds magically flower faster........they just may be more trichome laden and potent........but definately if you have to pick just one......use the hps to flower......the mh to veg........but if you can, definately run both during flower........your buds will thank you and your yield will surprise you...... EDIT:: i see what your saying dude.......disregard part of that post. :cheers2:
I would use them both, mix them up.. If you find the plant/strain responds to that.. I find it can have a bit to do with that aswell..
HPS is better during flowering but it would be VERY nice to have both as there are many that report having frostier (but smaller) buds while flowering with MH
If I've got it rite sodium(sox) lighting was invented for street and motor way lighting coz there cheap to run and being on the low limit of what your eyes can see they have good depth perception but lacks colour perception so they boosted the blue to gain true colour perception and the son-t was born.
Hence... Another benefit of MH in flower, other than short internodes and so tighter colas etc, is they emit UVB which encourages trichome production and so more THC's and Cannabinoid spectrum and so will add to potency, this is not a theory, it is botanic science and common consensus. Hashy plants and desert/tropical and those indigenously found at high altitude benefit the most from more UVB especially in late flower.
Twist this around your noggin'...........sure MH DOES work for flower and DOES cause closer nodes/tighter buds and a few more trich's..........but think about the MH MIXED with HPS lighting ...............close to a full light spectrum........'long as you have mostly everything else dialed MH and HPS mix would be best.
Add yourself a roatating light fixture, good genetics, good ventilation, and organic soil mixed with some coco coir and you are set Using Organic home made tea's ofcourse :cheers2:
When i was madly into fish keeping the metal halite lights were always considered to be the closest to natural light man could ever make so ppl used to boost them up with actinic blue coz mh is 4000k and natural sunshine is around 4200k..
Indeed RockLobster, the actinic lamps fill the spectrum for reptiles and fish, Coral also, but actinic light is UVA band not UVB. Plants do not use actinic light which is UVA band so as a PAR source is not good. A MH at 4000-6500k (6500 is more common), if you look at the manufacturers spectrum graphs, has mainly full PAR with a small actinic band and a good bit of medium band, UVB with no shortwave UVC, which we don't want because UVC destroys plant tissues. No, aquarium Halides which are high kelvin, 12-25,000k and high UVA may be good for fish/reptiles and actinic light is great for coral, but for plants is not good, very high kelvin Halides for desert Lizards emit some UVC which while not damaging the skins of reptiles, they like a bit of shortband light, UVC will fry the cellulose of soft tissue type plants like Cannabis. A couple of 10,000k lamps as supplement would add a fair bit of PAR light but plenty of UVB compared to a 6,500. I discussed this on Cannabis Culture and though i'm not working at the moment, just about managing to keep my HID and Net connection alive, i will be putting 2x 150w MH's each side of my 400watter next time i'm working and have extra cash for my 'hobby'. Mainly for finishing but as i've plants at different stages all will benefit. At the moment i switch out my deluxe HPS and burn my 400w Powerplant Halide for the last 2-3 weeks of whatever plants are finishing and i do notice a difference from before i did the switching out, more trich's and stickier and seems a better buzz, hence my wanting to add 2x150w Halides. I've already looked into it and 10,000k is about as hot as you want to go, higher kelvin above 10,000 do give more UVB than a 6,500-4000k but also a much wider UVA band which is the actinic light and not PAR , in fact the hotter the light the less PAR is emited. So a Grolux/similar will burn as full spectrum during the main 12/12 with 2x150 Halide supplement overlapping the 400w output, then switch out to deluxe HPS to get more bulk into the buds, mid late flowering, then a full Halide burn at 700w, 400+2x150w, to finish. I think doing that will get me more potent end product than a conversion lamp or HPS alone and more weight than just using Halide and better distribution than another 400w lamp. There are UVB reptile lights called Reptiglo10 which are CFL's but although medium band UV doesn't drop intensity to the square of the distance like PAR and a 20w CFL will throw that UVB a good couple of feet where PAR useable by plants stops at 6", 150w Halides at 6,500-10,000k throw out more UVB a few feet and PAR to about 15" before dropping off to unuseable so hitting my laterally trained tops nicely with that nice potency inducing UVB, so Halides it is. Paxus.
