Are my "extra" lights useless?

from marijuana horticulture couple of numbers changed to avoid issues.I think it depends where you put it. The optimal light diminishes from how far the light is away from the plant. for instnce your 1000 watt. I'd have get out a book for exact numbers but say there are OK got the book. 1000 metal halide 1ft away 115,001 lumens, 2ft 28,751, 3ft away 12,778, optimal 10,000 lumens at 3.25 ft anything further isn't optimal lighting. Now there no info for 100 watt hps but for 400 watt it is this: 1 ft away 50,001 lumens, 2 ft 10,001 lumens(right at optimal levels for a 400 watt hps lamp) So, my guess for a 100 watt is 10,000 lumens at 1 ft away. Unless you are going to put them 1 ft away, blocking the 1000 watter, I think you are better off not wasting your electricity. Every ft seems to diminish available light by about 3 or 4 times. So 100 watts at 3 ft away would be like 500 lumens which really wouldn't do much of anything even if you had 2 of em. Better of supplementing side lighting with compact flouros which isn't recommended, or leds. Just thought I'd save ya 20-30 bucks a month

Personally, i'd strip those lights out of their fittings, and just hang the bare bulbs vertically at canopy level.

hey micron- why do you say supplementing with CFLs is not recommended? Just curious as I've been doing this for my LST'd plants with extremely dense growth and it seems to be helping. I've got a 400 watt HPS and about 300 watts of total supplemental CFLs with a balanced spectrum.

ya i agree. u can use it all the way through if u want. u are never gana hurt the plant. but it will def jack up ur electric bill. i think 100w HPS is usless personally if u have the money go get a 600W for those little guys i think u will be fine. if u really wana fork the money get a 1000w HPS. otherwise keep all those buggers running.

i'd use them all and move the hps around in your area daily or when you water or something

so that the full power of the MH isn't totally blocked in one area(two really) and all areas get light in both spectrums


people seem to be spouting off in this thread... why is supplemental light not good... why should he turn off the 1000w mh... ... ???
you should probably try to back claims like that up a little... at least explain why you think what you think... or else you just sound completely ridiculous and we're left confused about how foolish you actually are... nobody wins there

moshimoshi said:

KENTUCKY lol. what about you man?

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LoL kind of a lame ? I new a guy on another forum went by the same name your useing. So was just wondering. Think he was in saint paul anyway not Kentucky. I live in the evergreen state. Washington

guitar, correction. Cfls for supplemental lighting are probably all right. If it works for you, hey. Cfls supplementing would be better than adding a 100 wt hps 3-4 ft away

Id say more light the better!!!! Unless you are matching the suns light Id say you are safe to keep adding. Considering you have the room and everything for all the lights id say go for it. Your plants will only grow faster and better, I cant see a downfall if price is not an issue.

Hope this helps

Yep, the more light the better. Like the other guy said strip those fixtures and hang em vertical
close to the plants. Happy growing!