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Grow light test

Well, I do reserve the right to switch the MH out to a HPS if I think I need to! I'm basing my test on the claims of the seller of the LED: "This panel will replace a 400 watt HID system." In all honesty, I believe if I wanted to test the abilities of the LED vs a 250 watt HID system, and thus move the light about 50 percent closer to the plants, it might be competing.

Yeah, it's all about costs: costs to by and then to operate the system. Greenpinelne showed some LED panels can really do a great job growing plants, but at what cost? $1200 for a system that competes with a 600 watt MH/HPS set-up that costs $250?

I feel like a dog chasing its wagging tail. Get close but can never say that I got it!

Mike
 
I hear you should make the switch to HPS bulbs once they start to flower. Yes sir I most certainly do not have $1,200. to spend lights. That's an outrageous cost unless you've got plenty of money to spare.
 
It's now been two weeks since the plants went into their buckets. I almost feel like I ought to unplug the LED to put it out of its misery. There is simply no competition, both in size and quality of the plants. I'm wondering if I ought to try one or two 105 watt CFL bulbs to see if I can get tighter nodes, then switch to LED once they start flowering.

Here is the page.

Mike
 
haha that happens. Also instead of throwing the led plants out if you stop the test put them under the MH and I bet they will get healthy.
 
I won't throw them out, but I may replace the LED with CFL bulbs. Easily doable. I like tests but I think it is important to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them. In this case, I don't see any possible way on God's Green Earth that the LED will compete with the MH, at least at this stage.

Mike
 
A little late this week - got my new dentures yesterday!

I replaced the LEDs with a 105 watt 5000K CFL bulb. There was no way the LED was going to compete with the MH. Neither will the CFL bulbs but they are doing much better - both in size of plants and tighter nodes.

This MH plant simply exploded in growth this week. No reason why it is so much larger than its partner - same nuits, same type of container, same light!

716mh1.jpg


It is as tall as the Wasp spray.

716mh2.jpg


This one is not doing bad, especially since it is just over three weeks old, but not as good as the other one.

Next - the CFL plants.

Mike
 
The light hangs between the plants to try to ameliorate legginess. I have to rotate the plants each day!

Plant 1

716cfl1.jpg


And the second plant. The nodes are getting a bit tighter but the bottom of the plants is still quite bad.

716cfl2.jpg


Mike
 
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