HPS vs CFL 100W on PC grown

Working on a setup for a PC grow w/ autos:

veg: 1x 105W 6500K CLF top, 1x 17W 2700K lateral CFL, 1x 17W 5000K lateral

flower: Here is the question.
Going use a 100-120W 2000-2700K~, not sure if better HPS w/ cooltube or a simple CLF 2700K? (the lateral ones will be the same)
(remembering that it will be a PC grow)

got the idea of Lateral lighing w/ different colors from CrazyTrain's:
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/363197-crazytrains-pc-case-perpetual-autos.html


another simple question
Here on Brazil, ppl ALWAYS do 6500K and 20on/4off (lighing time) on autos because they are autos ofc...
BUT, even being a Auto, having a lamp for veg and another to flower, will it be better harvest, wont it? same to lighing time, not always 20/4


Thanks sry for bad english

I'm a newbie too, but everyone seems to agree on either 18/6 or 24/0 on veg cycle...but flowering is always 12/12...and I've heard that 6500k strickly for veg and 2700k for flower...here's my setup, I have big peices of cardboard covered in tinfoil, in my closet, and two 4 foot hoods on top and smaller CFLs hanging on the side. I had the hood too high for CFLs and some more experienced growers said drop it to within 2-4 inches from tops of plants and hang smaller ones on the side...

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RIKNSTEIN,

I got your point about color and lighing cycle, thats excential for normal strains, but my question is if its Better to autos, since autos can do since seed to harvest w/ 20/0 and 6500K, people always do this way on brazzilian foruns, (most of them), i wonder if you do the normal way (different colors and lighint cycle to different time of the plant life) to AUTOS will make them Better than just 20/0 and 6500K or it doesnt matter at all because they are Autos

also i'll wait someone tell about the CLF vs HPS on flower..

btw, thanks for showing up and nice setup! do you have a diary about your grown?

https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/621810-n00bie-closet-cfl-grow-update.html
Here's the link to my journal or posts...and I'm not sure about auto-flower, but I'm sure someone on here can help with that...good luck

for a Auto the vegetive stages mostly only last for 3-4 weeks before it start to set flowers

so its mostly in the early stages it will need more colors in the high spectrum (blue) tho it can use it all grow, it will just need more or a warm light (red/yellow) once it have set its flowers ..

if it was me I would either use a single 23W CLF in 6500K for the fist few weeks untill it have a few sets of leaf`s and have outgrown the CLF and then finish it with a HPS
or mix up the CLFs (2700/6500K) and use em from start to finish

dont matter much if you go 18/6 or 20/4 tho I believe most do 18/6 with Auto`s dunno if it is to safe power ? but I dont think the 2 hrs extra will make much of a different so suit yourself, I would probably try 20/4 if you only use CLF and 18/6 with the HPS as if get hotter and use more power

most importent IMO, if you use CLFs, you need to keep em close (already tried to explain it to RIKNSTEIN) CLF do provide good light in the right color/Par but penetrations is`t the best, they loose there strength really fast, you will need to keep em 2-4 inch`s from the plant to get really good strong light, from 4-10" they still provide ok light but after 12" my light meter don't even show a reading, so do consider a Scrog or atleast LST em if you use only CLFs

that in my opinion is the biggest different between CLFs and HPS lights, the HPS have way better penetrations so if you can make room for one in there and is able to keep temperatures under control (cool tube is a must IMO) go for it, a small 150W HPS will do much better then Etc. 6x23W CLFs

sumthing like this:



can find it online for like 80$ and even run a MH so you could just start with that fist 3-5 weeks and finish it with the HPS and just forget about CLFs

change you're spectrum from 6500k to 2700k when the plant starts to flower, auto's like more light like 18/6 20/4 or 24/0

Slipon,

Got it, so basically, even for a Auto, its GOOD to change the color spectrum. This is a important info thx.

About the 150W kit, its impossible to fit a Wing reflector inside a PC... I'll try to find a cheap cooltube, or even make one, there is good tuturials, and buy a HPS for Flower.

I dont think i'll use a MH for veg on a PC grow, since on PC the secret is to keep them short because of very limited space, so I dont think the veg will make much difference on a PC grow by using MH instead CFL, please correct me if i'm wrong. UNLESS using a MH instead CLF bring me a more productive harvest? (keeping the plant the same size of using a CLF)?? really not sure about this. Would you use a MH on a PC Grow on Veg stage instead CLF? Why?

iiKode, got it, i'll use 20/4 on VEG, but this lighting cycle is for VEG, for flower on autos, is ok to 20/4? or should do 12/12?


So,:
- Lighting Cycle on Flower stage on Autoflowering, Do I keep the same than Veg? (20/4) or change to 12/12 or another?
-Found some HPS on 1000bulbs.com with 30/50W only, do I need a ballast for that? Do I need a ballast for a 100W HPS?

just go 18/6 or 20/4 all the way, what suit you best ..

I run my Veg 18/6 to safe power and give em some night time (not autos) and I Run it at night, for two reasons, to keep it cool and Im home to keep a eye on it, I make night time when Im at work doing the day ..

and yea wing refletor is`t the way to go, need a cool tube in a Pc case if you want to go with HID lights, only reason for useing the MH instead of CLF is if it already run it, why not, as long as you can control temperatures, the MH might even give you better/faster Vegetive grow in the start (some even finish with there MH) and you safe money and work if you only use one light, but a 70W HPS and a few 23W CLFs in 6500K can also work fine Im sure ..

Alright, so use the same lighting cycle on veg and flower, when growing autos.

about the light,
Every HID lights needs Ballasts? even the low W ones? like 50W HPS light?
exemple:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/60055/PLT-991360.html

Hey Slipon, I took ur advise & lowered hoods..raised pots...stopped nutes till feeder leaves wilt...I'm learnin thanx to ppl like u that actually answer questions with some knowledge..

Hey Rik,

wonder what nutes you bought for your grow and how you going to use them?

mokuro said:

Alright, so use the same lighting cycle on veg and flower, when growing autos.

about the light,
Every HID lights needs Ballasts? even the low W ones? like 50W HPS light?
exemple:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/60055/PLT-991360.html

Click to expand...

yes you need a ballast, some have em build in the hood, most CLF have em build in the bulbs but you can get CLFs that require one as well ..

but most places you can buy a set with ballast and bulb aso.

I have a Blue Dragon kush (all 6) and they will veg for probably 2 1/2 months, give or take a few weeks, it depends on how fast they grow & how tall they get. I'm limited on space & equipment so they will get to 3 feet before I start the flower phase. And yes, right now I use an 18/6 with 6500k @ 16,800 lumens (I'll add more to sides as they grow) and when it's time to flower I will change all the bulbs to 2700k @ 20,000 + lumens for 12/12..Although I've also heard you can give full spectrum of lighting like 2-6500k to 1-2700k ratio for veg, and 2-2700k to 1 6500k ratio for flower.....planted 9 and got 6...hope I can get as lucky with my male to female ratio...I could go w 3 or 4 fems...lol...and then I will learn to clone!!!!