Hey everyone, So I would like to run a tent just for seedlings, clones and veg. Tent is a 4x4. What would you recommend for the area. Want to start some plants and move them outside in a couple of months.
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My first question is are you going to need to heat the tent? Because if you are, then a 600w Metal Halide would be okay, and would add a substantial amount of heat to the tent while it’s on.
LED fixtures tend to be more efficient than HID, so heat buildup will be less of an issue. Something like an HLG 260 R-Spec is good for vegetative growth in an area that size, but 2 of them would be more productive.
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I have 300 watts in a 5 x 5 for vegging and clones. Nice lamps I couldn’t return but not what I wanted for flowering. They were sold by Kuarez on Amazon, but are generic OEM lights that are being sold under a few brand names. I got them because they were $80 per 150 watt light on sale. I have the lights in the center and my vegging plants directly under. Clones on the edges out of the direct light. The tent is bigger than I need but got it cheap on black friday and at 60 inches is a little short for vegging.
Contrast the 300 Watts in a 5 x 5 for vegging to my 720 watts in a 4 x 4 for flowering.
Take my advice with a grain of salt. The guy above has a lot more experience.
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I guess what I am really asking is will T5 lights be ok to grow them a couple of months until I move them outside or are they not bright enough.
T5’s aren’t nearly as efficient as other options. If you already own a lot of them, and your electric rate is low, they’ll work to get you a head start on the outdoor season. But if you don’t own them you can absolutely find LED options that are worth looking at.
If you are looking for veg only light, I believe HLG B spec is designed for veg growth. The R spec models have red in them for enhanced flower. Dual purpose veg and bloom R spec is what’s used.
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can you please provide some examples of plug in led lights that are reasonably priced & will give plants as much light as they need for 8 weeks before they go outside? please be specific as possible. thank you sir.
I own an HLG 65 4k that I use to cover a 2’x2’ area full of seedlings. An HLG 100 B spec would cover 3’x3’ in vegetative growth.
I know you basically already covered this up above, but I’m currently using a t5 agrobrite in a 4’ bank with 4 bulbs at 20,000 lumens. I have the unit 4" from my tops with just enough gentle air movement to make the tops dance slightly. If I continue to keep the lights as close as possible while raising the unit as they grow, should this be enough to carry me until around the end of May/first of June? I don’t dare go outside until then & I don’t wanna have to correct stretching issues.