What if you experimented by raising your light more? Maybe it would want to stretch out for you. I have used MH for the entire time, but not HPS, and that is only because I had MH first. I think that it would definitely not hurt to add the other light you have. Your plants look healthy. I can understand the budget thing. I buy my stuff one piece at a time. If you do add more light which you most likely should, a HID light like a HPS will add heat to your area. Make sure you consider wether you need to remove that heat. Your plants will stretch even less with more light, also. I dont see a problem there, though because short healthy plants make good weed just like the monsters that some growers work with. My plants are short because of my space. My herb is still sticky, smelly, and pretty to look at. You can kill it either way.
@QueenCityB Thanks for taking the time! I have a 6" Ipower with speed adjustment knob so venting heat wouldnt be an issue I would think…Just most of what I have came across says HPS is more for flowering hence my procrastination with adding it. what do you think since they say MH(veg)HPS(flower)?
No problem. If you are on lockdown like me, you could just stick it in there and go for it. Check it every couple hours to make sure it isnt freaking out your plant. If your plant doesnt mind, I would bet you would notice faster growth in a couple days. There are plenty of people who have grown the whole grow with HPS. Before LEDs got good, way back in the 90’s when I started the only serious lights I could find were MH and HPS. They were expensive and people I knew only started with one or the other.I just bought the MH first and did my whole grow with that until I could make money off that to get another light and more fans. Experimenting is fun to me. It’s not the most efficient combo, but more light is more light. I havent looked at the spectrum charts like an engineer would, but I bet there is some useful spectrum that would improve your plants. Just a long winded guess.
@QueenCityB Im not on lockdown yet only because Im in mid Missouri but I am a new Missouri medical patient authorized cultivator and plan on taking Full(if not alittle bit more) advantage of the baby years of the establishment of the system especially since I am in the middle of the country …with that bieng said I just had 7 more pop up…3(strawberry haze 1 x Banana OG) reg…3 (sour Mints x Banana OG ) and one of my Green Crack (Fem). I plan on moving these into my 96x48x80 tent and will be planting approximately 20 bag seeds that Ive been saving…I figure this is my pre-lockdown prep plan lmao i should be plenty busy…lol
- putting the 20 bag seeds Outdoors BTW lol
I’m in the same state brother. Be careful. I know it seems like the midwest is like the legendary out west of the 1800’s, but be careful. A house near me got busted with an outdoor grow. It was visible to neighbors. That was the part that got them busted. At that point, it’s not legal in MO, and they could ne dicks and get a three letter agency involved and it could go to a federal bust. Be careful my brother. Dont let the man take this privelage from you.
Really even with the led and 400 watt hps light you are lacking what you want to flower. Either would be fine for veg though. I agree your light was probably just a little low. The hps spectrum would induce a little longer node spacing too.
@dbrn32 any suggestions on what you would consider sufficient lighting for flower? I mean in addition to what I have or maybe one to replace them both?
You want a ppfd average of about 800 umols per second. That’s about the equivalent of having a 400 watt hps light in a 3x3 space.
Lots of ways to get there in a 8x4 space. If you like the idea of running hps lights, two air cooled 600’s would do pretty well. If you decided to stay with Amazon blurples, then 1600 watts actual power consumption. If you get into higher end led fixtures, two designed for 4x4 space.
@dbrn32 Thanks for the info! I am going to start shopping around to try and find some but I will be putting my HPS in with my LED today because that is the fastest available option as of now…
@dbrn32 do you have a hanging distance to canopy for a 400 w hps during veg? Thanks again for any and all help
Depends how big plants are really. Most will use a metal halide bulb. But I think you would be pretty good with mature plants at 20" or so. For flowering you can run a little closer.
@dbrn32 I only have the HPS bulb so far but already switched out my lights…at 19" and holding a steady 77-78F only have 3 plants under it because my others are just seedlings…
I bet they are liking the additional light. Itll be cool to see in like a week.
You paid all this money for equipment and haven’t had any test runs yet? I’m on my first grow, and it’s going PERFECT. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t put your light as close as possible without harming the plant. If your plant ain’t feeling it, it’ll let you know in a few mornings.
@Elfeezy I have changed alot of variables since starting…which is why I sought the knowledge of my fellow veteran growers… @dbrn32 @QueenCityB @AAA @Red4 thanks again for all the help thus far…alittle update my Ladies are responding most profoundly since switching to my 400 Watt HPS its only been two days but I am going to upload new photos in just a few minutes…Please let me know what you all think…
Good work. Those babies will be taking off.
Awesome!