Auto Lighting: 18/6 T5 HO v. 12/12 100w HPS

I could not find this topic so if its covered elsewhere, please provide a link.

I have a couple of auto strains (Delicious Seeds Auto Cheese Candy & Positronics Super Cheese Express) that are just about three weeks from seed. They are vegging under T5 HO lighting and I expect them to begin flowering in the next week or two.

Here is the question. What are people's opinions on leaving them under T5 through flower at 18/6 light cycle versus moving them to the flower room and flowering under 1000w HPS lighting for 12/12 light cycle. T5: longer light cycle, lower light intensity/lumen and light penetration but longer light exposure time, HPS: Mush higher light intensity/lumens, greater light penetration but shorter light exposure time. I have never grown these strains before and am not sure that light penetration is a big deal as both are supposed to primarily flower one main cola.

let em stay under the T5s for the fist 4 weeks and let em bulk under the HPS last 4 or so, just how I would do it, but Im sure its also a question of space Etc.

Slipon said:

let em stay under the T5s for the fist 4 weeks and let em bulk under the HPS last 4 or so, just how I would do it, but Im sure its also a question of space Etc.

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Thanks Slipon. I have space in both rooms, so that is not a critical consideration.

I'm not sure about the one main cola. My super cheese express is going into it's 4th week (Tuesday was the last day of week 3) and all of it's branches have really shot out and become taller than the center.

Thanks for the insight into the growth pattern for the cheese express. Any opinion/experience on the lighting question?

yankeegreen said:

Thanks Slipon. I have space in both rooms, so that is not a critical consideration.

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why not Veg. em fist half of there life under the T5s and finish them of under the HPS then, wile starting new under the T5s get a good cycle going and harvest every 4-5 week

I do have a regular cycle in play and these are in veg under T5s. The question in the original post was whether to move them to the flower room (12/12, 1000w HPS) or keep them in veg room (18/6, T5 HO) once they start to flower. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Bump.

Any other opinions on which lighting scenario once these girls start flowering? Looking for the most efficient use of lighting to maximize yield.

ive heard that cutting the light to 12/12 on autos hurts yield, ive always let my autos run 18/6 the whole way n got pretty decent results

tw1st3dm3ntal1ty said:

ive heard that cutting the light to 12/12 on autos hurts yield, ive always let my autos run 18/6 the whole way n got pretty decent results

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I've heard the same - all things being equal. Now with apples and oranges I don't know: light type/intensity going from T5 (lower intensity, closer to tops, longer exposure) v. HPS 1000w (much higher intensity, further away from canopy, shorter exposure). Does that make sense?

you wouldnt happen to have 2 autos would u? run an experiment and find out lol i would love to see those results

Good call, I do have two autos started on the same day! Unfortunately, as freebies they are two different strains so apples and oranges.

it shouldnt matter too much i dont think. most autos only avg about an oz anyway. ive grown many strains of autos n thats about all ive gotten except for one ak freak that got me 2.5, if u did them both n one was an oz n the other was like an 8th im sure it would b safe to say those are conclusive results lol

I've never grown autos so this is new territory for me. The were free so WTF - I'll see what i get. Leaning toward leaving them in the veg room but we'll see.

autos r how i got my start, they are great to learn on. alot of people talk bad about them but i never had a problem with gettin an oz in 60 days lol

I hear that!

i would go t5 on 24. that would give you the lowest cost per gram

captkody said:

i would go t5 on 24. that would give you the lowest cost per gram

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24/0 is not an option in my current setup. The t5s are in a shared space with other vegging plants, mums, cuttings and seedlings. May bump up to 20/4 but believe some dark period is beneficial. Thanks for the feedback.

why not have the t-5 and hps in the same cab and just put the hps on a timer put veg on one side and flowering plants on the other

then tjey would be on 24/0 and the hps wouldnt be running all the time