Hi everyone!
I have a small (1.3m x .6M x .4M) autoflowering grow closet with a 250 watt HPS. I get good yields off this setup, but my plants sometimes look pretty sick and tend to get really lanky. I have to keep raising the light to avoid bud burn, which means that only the very top of the plants are getting the best light.
I briefly considered replacing my HPS bulb with Ceramic metal halide, but have decided against it due to their scarcity in the UK and high price.
Now I'm left thinking one of two things:
1. Get a 125watt maxibright 6500K CFL + lead (£30). I thought I could use it exclusively for the first few weeks of veg and then switch on the HPS and keep the CFL as a supplemental side light. This would pretty much even out the cost of the extra electricity and add blue through throughout the entire grow instead of just veg.
2. Get a Powerplant 250watt Metal Halide retrofit bulb (£15) and run it for the first 3 weeks before swapping it out for the HPS when flowering begins. There would be no difference in electricity use as I could only have one bulb on at a time.
What do people think is the best option?
Obviously, the MH retrofit bulb would be half the price of a CFL and lead, but I've heard retrofits aren't always too great. Also, most of the really bad plant stretch seems to happen in early-mid flowering when the MH wouldn't even be on. Would vegging under MH prevent this, or is it be better to have a less intense blue light running throughout?
Thanks in advance.
I have a small (1.3m x .6M x .4M) autoflowering grow closet with a 250 watt HPS. I get good yields off this setup, but my plants sometimes look pretty sick and tend to get really lanky. I have to keep raising the light to avoid bud burn, which means that only the very top of the plants are getting the best light.
I briefly considered replacing my HPS bulb with Ceramic metal halide, but have decided against it due to their scarcity in the UK and high price.
Now I'm left thinking one of two things:
1. Get a 125watt maxibright 6500K CFL + lead (£30). I thought I could use it exclusively for the first few weeks of veg and then switch on the HPS and keep the CFL as a supplemental side light. This would pretty much even out the cost of the extra electricity and add blue through throughout the entire grow instead of just veg.
2. Get a Powerplant 250watt Metal Halide retrofit bulb (£15) and run it for the first 3 weeks before swapping it out for the HPS when flowering begins. There would be no difference in electricity use as I could only have one bulb on at a time.
What do people think is the best option?
Obviously, the MH retrofit bulb would be half the price of a CFL and lead, but I've heard retrofits aren't always too great. Also, most of the really bad plant stretch seems to happen in early-mid flowering when the MH wouldn't even be on. Would vegging under MH prevent this, or is it be better to have a less intense blue light running throughout?
Thanks in advance.