What Veg Light should I get?

S

starstrikes

Member
Hey all, I want to make a vegging area (separate from my flowering area). I want to put this in a closet that is not real big. In this vegging closet I will be growing anywhere from 2 - 10 plants for their first 5 weeks of their life. After that they will be moved elsewhere. Now during the winter, I dont mind that this light creates extra heat, because I already have a radiator heater in the room, so extra heat from the grow light would be good. But during the summer, I could probably use something cooler.

What is your guys opinion on what type of light to get and how much wattage? I am tossed up on using T5, MH, or CFL. Should I perhaps use MH during the winter and then T5 during the summer (for heat purposes)? And what wattage? Thanks for any help!
 
chemphlegm

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
t5, all year, its the answer for you.
I use one 2x4 badboy 8 tube t5 and am tickled, never changed a bulb in years, no issues, runs 220 or 120 illuminates like crazy,
very reliable for me.they make smaller ones too, different cheaper names also.
 
qballizhere

qballizhere

Well-Known Member
starstrikes said:
Hey all, I want to make a vegging area (separate from my flowering area). I want to put this in a closet that is not real big. In this vegging closet I will be growing anywhere from 2 - 10 plants for their first 5 weeks of their life. After that they will be moved elsewhere. Now during the winter, I dont mind that this light creates extra heat, because I already have a radiator heater in the room, so extra heat from the grow light would be good. But during the summer, I could probably use something cooler.

What is your guys opinion on what type of light to get and how much wattage? I am tossed up on using T5, MH, or CFL. Should I perhaps use MH during the winter and then T5 during the summer (for heat purposes)? And what wattage? Thanks for any help!
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honestly I would go with cob leds depends on the size of the room as to how many and the wattage but its hard to beat citizen 1212 for $13 a cob or cxm22 for$19 you can diy to save a little or get pre built lights its up to you.

chemphlegm said:
t5, all year, its the answer for you.
I use one 2x4 badboy 8 tube t5 and am tickled, never changed a bulb in years, no issues, runs 220 or 120 illuminates like crazy,
very reliable for me.they make smaller ones too, different cheaper names also.
Click to expand...
Just because a light is not burnt out doesnt mean that you dont replace it. T5 should be replaced yearly
 
mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
starstrikes said:
Hey all, I want to make a vegging area (separate from my flowering area). I want to put this in a closet that is not real big. In this vegging closet I will be growing anywhere from 2 - 10 plants for their first 5 weeks of their life. After that they will be moved elsewhere. Now during the winter, I dont mind that this light creates extra heat, because I already have a radiator heater in the room, so extra heat from the grow light would be good. But during the summer, I could probably use something cooler.

What is your guys opinion on what type of light to get and how much wattage? I am tossed up on using T5, MH, or CFL. Should I perhaps use MH during the winter and then T5 during the summer (for heat purposes)? And what wattage? Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
how big is your veg closet? I use a 2 bulb 2G11 cfl (PL-L55) in a 2ft by 2ft veg closet and veg for 6 weeks from seed with extensive training. a 4 or 6 bulb F24 T5 HO lamp would work well too
 
Huckster79

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
I use a ceramic metal halide... you may be able to vent it enough to keep acceptable temp in summer.... you can be pretty warm if you keep it humid in veg and have happy girls
 
S

starstrikes

Member
Thanks for the replies! The space is 3 feet by 18 inches. So looks like im getting mixed responses between T5 and metal halide. My goal is to produce the best quality weed possible without using to much energy. But like i said, during the winter the room needs to be heated by an additional heater; so a hotter grow light could make up for that..
 
chemphlegm

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
Just because a light is not burnt out doesnt mean that you dont replace it. T5 should be replaced yearly[/QUOTE]


believe me, if my par meter showed a substantial decline in good light, or if my plants hiccupped once, I'd be on it, I'd change them every 30 days if I had to. Yearly is a nice baseline, but a par meter is the tell all for me. I was fooling around at first with this, but then its serious now, and my t5's a rockin it !
my hps and mh in flower are typically changed out yearly, but I notice the cheaper ones show diminished light after only a few months.
 
Huckster79

Huckster79

Well-Known Member
If you go ho,e depot though make sure its a t5 HO if ur geting HO bulbs... i agree though when you buy something to use for growing but purchase it in a way not marketed to growers you tend to save a lot of cash....
 
TurboTokes

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
2 foot T5's sound like your best bet. Count on changing the bulbs every third cycle if you want aggressive plant growth. You didnt specify height, but if you magically have like 7' of height in this small space then I would try a COB setup
 
TurboTokes

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
Huckster79 said:
If you go home depot though make sure its a t5 HO if ur geting HO bulbs....
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They dont have to be HO, they can be reptile bulbs, they can be cheap replacement standard bulbs, the lumens, and color temp will be different from brand to brand. Even the $5 24w 6500k phillips bulbs will put off similar 1900-2000 lumen per bulb, not everyone wants to buy $40 bulbs
 
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