compact fluo....or hps..which one is best

[allmashedup]

hello all well i have a question. i have some plants veging under a 250watt compact fluo. blue spectrum. and i have a flowering room with a 400 watt hps light. what i would like to know is what would be best for flowering.... either 2 ,250watt fluos..red spectrum...or 1 400watt hps.
thank you..

 

[gettinggray1964]

i think it is hard to beat a good HPS light for flowering, i veg with CFL's and flower with HPS

 

[BBFan]

Hey AllmashedUp- Can you do a test and settle this for all of us? Switch out your blue cfls for some redder ones- and split up your grow and see what happens with some under hps and some under cfls.
I use HPS myself- never used cfl's, so I can't offer an opinion.

 

[nikimadritista]

Why not use both? Unless you have two rooms for flowering and vegging...
If both can't be used go for the HPS...
The more lumens the better...

 

[gettinggray1964]

the first two grows i ever did was with all cfl's from start to finish. they will grow some nice looking bud, but it want be as compact and full as the HPS light will produce.but i aint no expert,and anything is possible????????

 

[Wiseguy_Chef]

ok i just read that a 400 watt hps lamp will pruduse 50k lumes. no way that cfl's are going to come anywhere close to that. HIDS pentrate the plants more an get more light to lower plant growth. IMO an others that have sold me on hps, (i run 4 150watt hps 64k lumes 16k each) an am enjoying how my buds are super swelling!!!

 

[Kupunakane]

A most excellent question, :aok:
We are going to get a few differing opinions on this, but I think I have arrived at a good and viable answer.
I also used the tubes, mine are six 48" grow lights for aquariums and I can veg like crazy, and go all the way through flower, but my buds turned out light and airy like a foxtail, so HPS for the flowering was the way for me to go.
Then I got to thinking that the tubes don't eat up that much energy and my girls like it so much maybe I should just combine them. Well guess what, that was just what I did and I think that this will be my best year yet.
Try it out and tell us your results, my only problems was how to locate the lighting so I didn't create shadows.

So I vote for combining them if you can.

smoke in peace
KingKahuuna

 

[slowmo77]

i've also used both for the whole grow a few times. i've gotta say imho you can't beat the hps for flowering. i had to use twice as many cfls ( like 57,000 lumens) to get similar results as 30,000 lumens from an hps. i still veg with a mixed spectrum of cfls and floros and they work great for veg growth without a doubt. i've thought about addin a few cfls to my flowering area just to see how they do.. good luck and if you try this let us know your results