I am going to run 8 buckets and was wondering when I can switch from fluros. to hid. I have a 250w 400w and 1000w mh ,could I start with the 250 and work up? also these are to be started from seed so how long should it take before putting them under the bigger lights

There is alot of opinion's out there on this subject.

Some feel the quicker they are under the HID the better. I am sure some would say to sprout seedling's and raise them up under the 250 watt lamp, and it can be done that way.

I do believe in raising the seedling's slowly and use flurescent light's at first, then step up to a 70watt hps vegy lamp, from 80 watt's of flo's, but there is a difference in growth. From here right into the bigger lamp's.

Time wise is up to the grower some will go as fast as the plant allow's, a few week's under flo's and then to HID's.

Now how long before you can flower?

This again is a grower's preference as some will sex them very early and then revegy them some and flower, some will take cutting's and sex those, then there is me who let's the plant age a few month's and wait until it show's me what sex it is. I grow from seed only to find a mother plant that I can raise to take cutting's from and flower the cutting's.

There are other's that will go by node growth, say after getting 5 or 6 node's to the plant the move to a bigger light and area. I say the length of time it take's depend's on the daily growth rate. Under HID light's growth rate can be triple that of what is under flo's.

stay safe and grow the same way.

realhigh.

[Babbabud]

Its all a matter of preference... I put mine under a 400 mh the same day they sprout and never have a problem. It does seem like a more economical way would be to keep them under the floros for awhile .

[I.M. Boggled]

Deep Water Culture, Ebb & Flow, soiless...?
What size buckets, 5 gallon (19 liter) pails?
Are you planning to start them in the buckets?

Welcome to the ICMAG Forums hillbilly and Realhigh.

my setup is the same as hog's in 5 gallon buckets,I not sure which way to start them in plugs or cubes? I always have grown in dirt before

[Harry Gypsna]

I stat seeds/rooted clones under CF's, then after a few days, i add a 70watt hps. then maybe 10 days or so, its in2 the veg room, at the far edge with the 250mh, then i get em used to it, by the time i swaoout for a 400hps for l8 vegging, they can handle it, and are stong, with think stems. Then i have a seperate room for flowering, with 1400watts of hps

[Hugh Jorgan]

I'm vegging my plants outunder a 65W fluorex "daylight" bulb only because I have not set up a veg area with sufficient temperature and light control to use my 150 HPS in there. The growth is definitely slowed in comparison to vegging under the HPS bulb, but this is a plus for me as I use cuttings from the plant I'm about to bloom out as my next crop instead of keeping a mother plant (I really don't have the space)

I've used the starter plugs for both seeds and cuttings with nearly 100% success rate on rooting, sometimes they seem to take forever but they've always worked for me

This was 3 weeks ago


This was yesterday


They will be going into a bubbler bucket the bloom closet as soon as these girls come out on Friday


Given the setup you have described, I'd sprout about 4 of the seeds and keep them under the fluoros. Take 2 or 3 cuttings off each plant as soon as you can and once they've rooted move them to the MH and to the flowering room ASAP. Keeping the seed plants under the fluoros will slow the growth, allowing you time to sex the plants and decide who will be "mom(s)" for a roomful of sour bubble

Hope this helps!

Hugh

you got a couple of nice plants there,what type are they