Height / Type of light above sprouting seeds

Thank you for the helpful info thus far.

After I plant my seeds, should I use my 600w lights? Also, how high above the soil should I put the lights? Is it just a matter of putting them in the soil and letting them do their thing?

Thanks again everybody. I appreciate all the help.

Which lights (manufacturer/model)?

600w mh

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They put off quite a bit of heat. They should be far enough away such that the plant cannot sense the heat from the lamp. Place the back of your hand at the canopy level and if you can feel the heat, then it is too close. Anything else is fair game, but be aware that light intensity controls node spacing. Too much light and the plant will be short and dense (e.g. hard to manage airflow.) Too little light and you will have a spindly plant.

I would think about going to HPS or LED for flowering. MH is good for veg, but no so much in flowering. Too little red spectrum in the MH light.

You might find this helpful:

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You can definitely grow some good bud with MH/HPS, but your utility bill will suffer. When you can, I’d highly recommend upgrading to a good led with Samsung lm310 diodes. You won’t fight heat, or utility bills. LED is the technology now. HLG is a good brand, and yes, they are somewhat expensive, but they’ll pay for themselves in utilities.

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I’m definitely going to switch to HPS for flowering.

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I’ve read that I should use a florescent light for plants just sprouting and for a week or so after. Do any of you think that is the case or can I just start right away with the MH?

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Is there a guide or chart to let me know how much DLI is enough or too much?

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