150 watt hps or 200 watt cfl for flowering?

I say get the HPS.

From what I've heard, your CFL option actually produces more heat. I ordered a 125w CFL for a friend for the purpose of using it to put off heat. They are just using it to keep random gardenables from dying in the freeze. For those doing "real" growing, HPS. I hear quite often they run cooler. I'll know for sure when I see it for myself, but I hear about really cool things being done with a 150w HPS. I think there is some sick computer grow with a 150w in it on here. But I'm pretty sure the 150w is the better choice all around, even for keeping it cool. From what I've read long ago, once a CFL passes the 60w threshold, it starts becoming less efficient. I think the 68w's at homedepot/lowes are amazing. They only cost $15, and fit in a clamp lamp or any regular light socket.

Since I got most of the supplies now I think I'm going to veg under several cfls on a power strip which should give me 16,800 lumens and get a HPS for flowering but I 'm still wondering if 250 isn't to big for my cabinet? Going to buy the HPS at HTG btw good prices there on small HPS's with reflectors. If heats not a problem I'll augment the HPS with some cfls for more lumens.

tweekjones said:

Since I got most of the supplies now I think I'm going to veg under several cfls on a power strip which should give me 16,800 lumens and get a HPS for flowering but I 'm still wondering if 250 isn't to big for my cabinet? Going to buy the HPS at HTG btw good prices there on small HPS's with reflectors. If heats not a problem I'll augment the HPS with some cfls for more lumens.

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Lumens don't add like that. You have two 23w CFL's with 1400 lumens, you have two points of light disbursing 1400 lumens. You buy a 1000w with a bagillion lumens, you got a bagillion lumens. You buy another 1000w, you still only have a bagillion lumens, just now they come from two different points.

But if you ask me, old school rules say plants need at least 2700ish lumens to flower, so the rules are bs and 1400 lumen CFL's bloom plants.

I'm talking about veging under 6 cfls which each give off 2600 lumens. A lot of people veg with cfls and flower with Hps's.

I'm thinking about going with an all rubbermaid grow now to save some money on cabinets and spend it on more important things,after my first harvest I can upgrade if I want,but that means NO HPS which is ok. Thanks for your help guys.

tweekjones said:

I'm talking about veging under 6 cfls which each give off 2600 lumens. A lot of people veg with cfls and flower with Hps's.

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Ok. Cool. Just remember just cause you have 6x CFLs rated at 2600 lumens, doesn't mean you have 16,000 lumens. It means you have sixe 2600 lumen bulbs. Lumens dont add in the way you attempted.

Yeah I looked into it though it is a better lux then just one by far and thats important to. So long as I keep the cfls as close as I can to the plants it should be fine especially for a cheap first grow.