best use of digi ballast settings...

Skuzzy · Mar 12, 2015

My ballast can be set to 250, 400, 600 and 600+

I only have a single grow space so I was thinking of using the 250 setting to germinate and start of seedlings, then the 400 setting for the first 2 weeks of veg, then 600W to end veg and start flower and the 600+ when I see buds.

Is this a decent plan or should I just slap it on 600 all the time and adjust the height to avoid heat issues?

Diabolical666 · Mar 12, 2015

The wee ones are able to handle the 250 setting for starters. Once they have about 3-5 nodes the light can be bumped up

Cannasutraorganics · Mar 12, 2015

I grow under 1000 watt for seed, clone and everything else too. God made these seeds to grow in the sun. Anything less then that is fine..... Just control the heat.

mr.schroederific · Mar 12, 2015

Go to your local hardware store and get a CFL for the seedlings. After that, you did say it had 600+, fire that thing up. Stop wasting time, as soon as you catch the growing bug, your next post will be this....." how much more light can I put in my space?"

Cannasutraorganics · Mar 12, 2015

Do not fall for the cfl blathering idiots. No T5 crap. For keeping costs down your plan is solid. Just keep light close at lower watts. I'm assuming glass covered and vented hood.

ISK · Mar 12, 2015

Cannasutraorganics said:
Do not fall for the cfl blathering idiots. No T5 crap. For keeping costs down your plan is solid. Just keep light close at lower watts. I'm assuming glass covered and vented hood.

I'll assume you haven't seen what @RM3 is doing with T5's, as I doubt anyone would call his grow crap

As for CFL, they work just fine for a young seedlings, no need to blast 250 watts on a 2 inch seedling

Skuzzy · Mar 12, 2015

Individually I have to say thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it, but collectively you have confused the fuck out of me! XD So many different opinions.

So I will take the advice that says the plan is fine, and adjust the height of my light if I see stretching or signs of heat stress. If all my seedlings die I will plant more and move on. No biggie.

Thanks guys.

Love and kisses

Diabolical666 · Mar 12, 2015

IM all about making do with what ya got

WE all start somewhere

CC Dobbs · Mar 12, 2015

I would.

grapefruitmarmalade · Mar 12, 2015

I don't think you can run a 600 Watt bulb on the 250 settings. I may be wrong but you need to be sure before you try it for any amount of time

Cannasutraorganics · Mar 12, 2015

ISK said:
I'll assume you haven't seen what @RM3 is doing with T5's, as I doubt anyone would call his grow crap

As for CFL, they work just fine for a young seedlings, no need to blast 250 watts on a 2 inch seedling

I've seen. He's running many different wave bulbs and like 1500 watts or more. I clone for a living. Under MH, plants grow better and closer nodes. Yours don't look like mine...

ttystikk · Mar 12, 2015

Skuzzy said:
My ballast can be set to 250, 400, 600 and 600+

I only have a single grow space so I was thinking of using the 250 setting to germinate and start of seedlings, then the 400 setting for the first 2 weeks of veg, then 600W to end veg and start flower and the 600+ when I see buds.

Is this a decent plan or should I just slap it on 600 all the time and adjust the height to avoid heat issues?

Running HID under full power is guaranteed to reduce the life of the bulb, AND it hurts spectrum output. HPS less so than MH- running an MH at half power will reduce its life by up to 90%, this according to Philips' own informational literature.

For seedlings and fresh to rooted clones, use cool white T5 or CFL. It's a much better spectrum for the job, less watts and nowhere near as much heat.

ISK · Mar 12, 2015

Cannasutraorganics said:
I've seen. He's running many different wave bulbs and like 1500 watts or more. I clone for a living. Under MH, plants grow better and closer nodes. Yours don't look like mine...
View attachment 3370302

good for you....and mine are not the point....the point is you called people using CFL as" blathering idiots" and those using T5's as "crap"

not everyone can or does grow as you do....so why chastise those using alternate equipment?

ttystikk · Mar 12, 2015

Cannasutraorganics said:
Do not fall for the cfl blathering idiots. No T5 crap. For keeping costs down your plan is solid. Just keep light close at lower watts. I'm assuming glass covered and vented hood.

Exactly WRONG. Running the 600 at low power will eat electricity and ruin your bulb. These do NOT reduce costs.

'T5 Crap' LOL some of the dankest, frostiest herb I've ever seen came from being flowered under T5, let alone vegged inset them!

ttystikk · Mar 12, 2015

Skuzzy said:
Individually I have to say thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it, but collectively you have confused the fuck out of me! XD So many different opinions.

So I will take the advice that says the plan is fine, and adjust the height of my light if I see stretching or signs of heat stress. If all my seedlings die I will plant more and move on. No biggie.

Thanks guys.

Love and kisses

Or, take the advice of people who have already walked the path and just told you where the stones are.

You'll get there, but it's up to you how many stubbed toes it will take you.

Dirty Harry · Mar 12, 2015

You say your ballast can be set to 250, 400, 600 and 600+...You should use a bulb that matches the setting. If set at 400, use a 400 bulb. If set for 250, use a 250 and so on. Running a bulb using less watts than it was made for stresses the bulb and will blow it sooner. You can actually use more electricity running a bulb dimmed than at full power. If your using cheap general purpose lighting bulbs, experiment as they are cheap. If your using expensive grow bulbs, treat them with kid gloves and match the bulb watt to the watt set on your ballast.

Alexander Supertramp · Mar 12, 2015

Cannasutraorganics said:
I grow under 1000 watt for seed, clone and everything else too. God made these seeds to grow in the sun. Anything less then that is fine..... Just control the heat.

Yep. Young plants can handle much more light than many on cannabis forums would lead you to believe. As a matter of fact the more light from the start the better.

Alexander Supertramp · Mar 12, 2015

Skuzzy said:
My ballast can be set to 250, 400, 600 and 600+

I only have a single grow space so I was thinking of using the 250 setting to germinate and start of seedlings, then the 400 setting for the first 2 weeks of veg, then 600W to end veg and start flower and the 600+ when I see buds.

Is this a decent plan or should I just slap it on 600 all the time and adjust the height to avoid heat issues?

Just set it at 600, keep it 28-30 above the top of the plants and grow. Seedlings can handle the light.

althor · Mar 12, 2015

I use cfl until the seedling sheds the seeds and opens up, then it goes under MH.
Only reason I use cfl during the shedding stage is why waste the electric for a stem that is just opening up the sucker leaves..

Skuzzy · Mar 12, 2015

Alexander Supertramp said:
Just set it at 600, keep it 28-30 above the top of the plants and grow. Seedlings can handle the light.

Just in case you're not on the metric system... 28-30 centimetres or inches?

cheers

best use of digi ballast settings...

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