Ive been using a 1000 MH light bought at home depot.(not a blue) My plants are 6 inches high in 3.5 weeks running 19-5 light.(to conserve the little energy bill i can) Im thinking to change to the 1000 hortilux hps with the same amount of hours.Have these plants progressed with the MH enough to keep using it?Or is the HPS the all year round light to go to? Or does it really matter?
I use a HPS bulb with an extended spectrum. Heres the write up on it. 'The Sylvania Grolux HPS bulb was designed specifically for greenhouse supplementary lighting. It has increased blue light and the highest PAR rating. This is the hottest bulb right now and is consistently out-performing the Hortilux.' It does away with the need for MH.
I like how companies can add the word "horticulture" to those bulbs, improve is SLIGHTLY, then tack on $90. Bullshit.
While harvesting I think a Low Pressure Sodium is best. For the initial drying I like to switch to a Mercury Vapor lamp. But for curing - nothing can beat several small Quartz Halogen lights, maybe four 200 watters! What? You thought I was serious?
I flower my plants with the light on my cell phone, 2 candles and 600 glow-in-the-dark plastic Jesus's. The high is heavenly.
Metal Halide is great for veggin your plants. Then its best to switch over to a HPS for flowering. The MH gives off more in the blue spectrum for plant growth and the HPS gives off more in the reds and oranges which the plant needs for flowering.
