Dilemma about switching light

I have two autos growing alongside two photoperiods, simply because I got the autos free and thought I would give them a go. They are under 400W MH, and I have a 600W HPS waiting in the wings.

The autos have been flowering for a week or so, and it is now time for me to change to 12/12 for the photoperiods, which poses a few problems. The autos will not like 12/12. I have to put up with whatever they do under 12/12 because my priority is of course the higher yielding, more potent photoperiods. However the problem I have a dilemma over is this:

1) I want to keep the photoperiods under MH for the first week or two of 12/12 to minimise stretch.

2) I want to switch to the more powerful, redder sodium bulb immediately to minimize the problems caused by the autos being under 12/12 (I figure the buds will photosynthesize better under HPS and the extra wattage will help ease the pain of the lack of light hours).

What are the RIU experts' opinions? Switch to the HPS now to maximize the autos or keep the MH for the next couple of weeks to minimize the photoperiods' stretch?

bumping as I could do with some advice before I go away for the weekend.

split grow.......use both lights

Would be nice but not possible - single tent, single ballast, single reflector.

And no more money to throw at it.

I know people that grow shitty photos and other people that grow great auto's so it's not quite as black and white as people make it out to be.

BigEasy1 said:

I know people that grow shitty photos and other people that grow great auto's so it's not quite as black and white as people make it out to be.

Click to expand...

Hence the dilemma. I don't want to give up on the autos. However, my photos are massive and *will* give me more than the 20 grams or so I'm looking like gettng out of my two autos.

fuck the autos. they'll do what they are gonna do. focus on the photos, and lose all emotion over the autos who knows.......you might be surprised, with a great yield from the autos.

With that in mind Don, do you say stick with MH for the first 2 weeks of flower then?

FlashBabylon said:

With that in mind Don, do you say stick with MH for the first 2 weeks of flower then?

Click to expand...

straight to the sodium, imo.

Just switched a week ago from twin 600w mh to hps globes I did dim each ballast to 400w each and just turned it back up to 600w today but they are loving life in there dosent pump out as much heat either which is handy

cann.i.bliss said:

dosent pump out as much heat either which is handy

Click to expand...

I thought I had read that the heat per watt was lower with sodium, good to know.