Vegging und HPS

[scratchzilla]

Here's the setup.

2'x3'x5' Tent with a 70w MH. My problem is that the MH isn't powerful enough to cover the whole area, or keep it warm enough. My 250w HPS is. I know that HPS is better suited for flowering/fruiting, but is is safe to veg with it? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

 

[caramelnova]

Drawbacks are electricity consumption and heat generation (maybe not a drawback in your case).
Different bulbs are used for flowering (more red light) but you can get bulbs for veg as well.

Holy toledo batman! I thought i was posting under my (Nova's) profile.
Thanks for activating boss!

 

[LGHT]

I screwed up 1 year and left in my 400 HPS bulb in the cool tube from the year before since I have a dual ballast and couldn't figure out why my new plants where growing so slow after a few weeks. I checked the bulb realized the problem and put in the MH and wow they really took off. They grew more in a little over a week with the MH bulb in then the HPS bulb after 6 weeks.

If you really want a big healthy plant try and get a 400 MH setup.

 

[MGOLD86]

What kind of HPS setup is it? Is it a dedicated ballast or can you switch out the bulbs? I am doing tests for my 2012 start (mid/late jan). I have a 5x5x7 tent and a 600w dimmable MH/HPS and I am getting about 81 degrees consistently when the external temps is about 40-50. I am gonna augment for the dark cycle with a space heater to keep me good all day. If getting a whole new ballast is too much for ya, check out a space heater (you can get a 1500w setup for like 30 bucks).

Keep us updated.

 

[PIC 1]

What kind of HPS setup is it? Is it a dedicated ballast or can you switch out the bulbs? I am doing tests for my 2012 start (mid/late jan). I have a 5x5x7 tent and a 600w dimmable MH/HPS and I am getting about 81 degrees consistently when the external temps is about 40-50. I am gonna augment for the dark cycle with a space heater to keep me good all day. If getting a whole new ballast is too much for ya, check out a space heater (you can get a 1500w setup for like 30 bucks).

Keep us updated.

You could also insulate the outside of your tent for only the cost of insulation. 600w and your tent is 81 degrees, is your reflector open face or glass enclosed?

Greg

 

[MGOLD86]

Insulation is also an option Greg. I have an open sun dome and the tent is Mylar. So there is a crazy reflection, like I gotta drop to 50% and put glasses on to be in the area.

Schratch, what kind of tent is it? Have any pics?

 

[Flakes]

Here's the setup.

2'x3'x5' Tent with a 70w MH. My problem is that the MH isn't powerful enough to cover the whole area, or keep it warm enough. My 250w HPS is. I know that HPS is better suited for flowering/fruiting, but is is safe to veg with it? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

I tried HPS, but - at least for peppers, it sucks. They didn't grow well and because of the spectrum of the HPS lights, the leaves get very narrow and look unnatural - you're not going to get nice bushy plants with big dark-green leaves. If there is any benefit from HPS for flowering spectrum-wise, I think it gets negated by the plants just generally not doing as well as under MH. And, because of the darn yellow light, it's hard to identify issues with the plants and things like that unless you use another light source. IMO, there's just nothing better than CFL's and MH bulbs for growing peppers. Like suggested, a 400w MH bulb does an awesome job.

 

[willard3]

I run both HPS and MH at the same time.....covers all the bases.

 

[POTAWIE]

Chiles don't really go through a veg and bloom cycle like some other plants, they continue to grow, flower, and fruit at the same time. I think ideally you'd want a mix of HPS and MH, but either on their own should work fine

 

[scratchzilla]

Huh, getting a lot of mixed messages here. Guess I should research a little more. Thanks for the input guys!

Also, it's a duel firing ballast. I can run MH, but this time of year with Christmas, and my job being semi-seasonal, spending money on a bulb, or space heater isn't much of an option. Gotta pay mortgage, heat, internet, pet food, people food and the like first. Leaves little spending money. That's why I'm toying with the idea of using the hps 250 over the mh 70..... it just happens to be what i have on hand.

 

[varg]

I tried HPS, but - at least for peppers, it sucks. They didn't grow well and because of the spectrum of the HPS lights, the leaves get very narrow and look unnatural - you're not going to get nice bushy plants with big dark-green leaves. ...

If you're right so why do my pepper plants growing under 250 W HPS look fine?




I think POTAWIE is right when saying:

Chiles don't really go through a veg and bloom cycle like some other plants, they continue to grow, flower, and fruit at the same time. I think ideally you'd want a mix of HPS and MH, but either on their own should work fine

 

[Flakes]

Idk, Varg, they look nice. It could be the fact that mine went from other light sources to HPS, have you been growing under HPS the entire time? It could be my HPS bulb was particularly sucky.

 

[varg]

Idk, Varg, they look nice. It could be the fact that mine went from other light sources to HPS, have you been growing under HPS the entire time? It could be my HPS bulb was particularly sucky.

Yep, I've been growing my pepper plants under HPS lamp only all the time.

 

[Flakes]

Yep, I'm growing my pepper plants only under HPS the entire time.

Well, then maybe that's it. Mine all came from under either CFL or MH, and some from outside. I'll post a pic of one of my plants that were under HPS in a day or two so you can see what I'm talking about, just horrible, thin leaves, more like spears than anything else...

Either way I wont be going back to HPS any time soon, in addition to problems with my plants it also sucks in terms of making everything yellow-ish so it's hard to see whether or not there are any issues with the plants and whether or not peppers are already ripe so you have to use an alternative light source to check them...

 

[varg]

Well, then maybe that's it. Mine all came from under either CFL or MH, and some from outside. I'll post a pic of one of my plants that were under HPS in a day or two so you can see what I'm talking about, just horrible, thin leaves, more like spears than anything else...

1 or 2 days under HPS and

I tried HPS, but - at least for peppers, it sucks.

you made such conclusions??? I don't think the HPS light is the cause in your case.

Either way I wont be going back to HPS any time soon, in addition to problems with my plants it also sucks in terms of making everything yellow-ish so it's hard to see whether or not there are any issues with the plants and whether or not peppers are already ripe so you have to use an alternative light source to check them...

Of course, HPS light is uncomfortable for our eyes, but peppers (& many other plants) like it. If you're satisfied with pepper growing results under CFL light so use it, but, please, don't insist that

HPS sucks for peppers

.

 

[Flakes]

1 or 2 days under HPS and

you made such conclusions??? I don't think the HPS light is the cause in your case.

Of course, HPS light is uncomfortable for our eyes, but peppers (& many other plants) like it. If you're satisfied with pepper growing results under CFL light so use it, but, please, don't insist that .

No, hehe, I'll post the pics in one or two days... The peppers were under HPS for two months+. Only 2 weeks after I changed to MH the difference is very noticable and new growth is normal. I also had two plants in the same room under a CFL, just because I was setting up a small space which I intended to use later for germination, and those plants did fine. I really can't imagine anything else being the cause at this point.