How do you dim your light down?Indeed. In fact, I just did my whole deal from get go this time, germinated, stuck in root plug and into hydro setup and under 600 watt hps on 75% (450 watts). Light is in a cooltube and I kept it about 2 feet above the tops of the tubs. I also use Lucas formula GH nutes, full flower nutes from the start, not one problem, no nute burn, no stunting, no nothing. They came up so fast, I couldn't believe it. They are 3 weeks old today, and 2 days ago I snipped above 2nd node to get quad tops. They were on their 6 node at the time. Im going to let them veg another week or more then turn light up to full 600 watts and hit timer. Can't wait. Usually I germinate, into plugs and under a T-5 flouro for a week or more, then into hydro setup and under 300 watts hps (600 on 50%). They wouldn't even be close to where they are now. Full nutes, right under the big lights from now on for me baby.
HPS will of course work for vegging, especially considering some of the Kelvin ranges HPS bulbs offered today have, but it is undeniable that plants in a vegetative growth stage want and prefer more bluish light and grow better and will have tighter nodal spacing when grown under more blue light than HPS bulbs provide so that makes a MH a better option in the end. It is not the only option, but it is the better of the two options.I like the dimmable ballasts more than the conversion ones. Plus the hps really does a good enough job of vegging anyway. I have a lumitek 1100 - 600 watt and love it. I leave it on the 750 setting because the light is about the same and it runs much cooler so I can put the tops much closer than the 1000 or 1100 settings.
Nodes shmodes. Only buds matter and nothing grows them like an HPS.HPS will of course work for vegging, especially considering some of the Kelvin ranges HPS bulbs offered today have, but it is undeniable that plants in a vegetative growth stage want and prefer more bluish light and grow better and will have tighter nodal spacing when grown under more blue light than HPS bulbs provide so that makes a MH a better option in the end. It is not the only option, but it is the better of the two options.