L
L-Thirt33n
Growing with CFL's is definitly controversial. There are up's and down's to both CFL and HPS lighting. For small personal grows they are perfect. It all depends on what YOU want out of the project. If you're growing for profit then you will NOT be happy with a CFL yield I will PROMISE you this...
The penetration that was mentioned has nothing to do with penetrating THROUGH the canopy of the plants to the leaves underneath. (It does but that's not as important.) You want penetration INTO THE LEAVES to stimulate the chlorophil. You will never get the same results with CFL as you would with a HPS. Likewise, you'll never get the same results with HPS as you would with the SUN! There's a lot of technical mumbo jumbo to prove that but basically Watt for Watt HPS gets better LEAF penetration, PERIOD.
If you put 400watts of CFL in a grow space and a 400watt HPS in another you will yield FAR MORE weight with the HPS than you will with the CFL. This is a fact, not just some guy letting his fingers run a muck. Given all other growing conditions are equal potency and quality should be exactly the same however!
DON'T EXPECT A GREAT YEILD WITH CFL LIGHTING!
As far as QUALITY is concerned...Overall plant potency is designated by the particular strains genetic make up...Results can and do vary based on growing conditions however.
But each strain has it's own genetically predetermined maximum amount of THC. You can MAXIMIZE your potency by giving the plants optimal growing conditions but you cannot exceed that plants genetics...The only way you can increase a plants potency is to introduce genetics that are determined to have higher THC levels...
So in short, as long as you keep the plant/s alive and as healthy as possible, no matter how much you get in weight, it will be just as potent as the same strain grown under an HPS. You just won't have as much! (some variables to this might be insufficient amounts of lighting or very poor growing conditions!)
The penetration that was mentioned has nothing to do with penetrating THROUGH the canopy of the plants to the leaves underneath. (It does but that's not as important.) You want penetration INTO THE LEAVES to stimulate the chlorophil. You will never get the same results with CFL as you would with a HPS. Likewise, you'll never get the same results with HPS as you would with the SUN! There's a lot of technical mumbo jumbo to prove that but basically Watt for Watt HPS gets better LEAF penetration, PERIOD.
If you put 400watts of CFL in a grow space and a 400watt HPS in another you will yield FAR MORE weight with the HPS than you will with the CFL. This is a fact, not just some guy letting his fingers run a muck. Given all other growing conditions are equal potency and quality should be exactly the same however!
DON'T EXPECT A GREAT YEILD WITH CFL LIGHTING!
As far as QUALITY is concerned...Overall plant potency is designated by the particular strains genetic make up...Results can and do vary based on growing conditions however.
But each strain has it's own genetically predetermined maximum amount of THC. You can MAXIMIZE your potency by giving the plants optimal growing conditions but you cannot exceed that plants genetics...The only way you can increase a plants potency is to introduce genetics that are determined to have higher THC levels...
So in short, as long as you keep the plant/s alive and as healthy as possible, no matter how much you get in weight, it will be just as potent as the same strain grown under an HPS. You just won't have as much! (some variables to this might be insufficient amounts of lighting or very poor growing conditions!)