Issue #98 - Sunday, March 2, 2014
Dear Fellow Grower, In today's issue... - Get the scoop: CFL vs HPS showdown!
- Learn about a cheap & stealthy way to exhaust your heat!
- This week's Trophy Pic features the
colorful buds of a Raspberry Cough plant...
Happy Growing!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)
"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do
better." ~Pat Riley First of all, you should know that an HID (High Intensity Discharge) Grow Light System isn't the right choice for all cannabis growers. Just like any other cannabis grow lights, MH/HPS grow lights have pros and cons. Many people choose HID
lights because they are ultra-powerful grow lights, including the incredibly popular "Metal Halide" (MH) and "High Pressure Sodium" (HPS) grow light combo for growing cannabis. Yes, this type of system has been used for decades and gets great results, bigger yields, and tends to be easier to maintain than just about any other grow light system for growing marijuana. That's why the MH/HPS combo is often referred to as the "golden
standard" grow lights for growing cannabis... Though there are lots of awesome benefits, this system requires a relatively large initial investment and tends to take a little bit more time right in the beginning to get things set up compared to certain other grow light options. Yet it's worth it when you can grow rows of high-yielding marijuana plants like the ones displayed here to the left. These plants were grown using an HID grow light system. The High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights are what makes flowering plants look
golden in pictures, though the plants look normal under regular light. When I originally started growing weed, I was worried about excess heat, high electricity bills, and making sure I was as stealthy as possible. Yet at the same time, I was also worried about spending a whole bunch of money on grow equipment since I wasn't even sure if I could successfully grow. I ended up going for the cheapest stealth grow light I could find, CFLs, which work fantastic for growing weed, yet are hard to scale up to a bigger garden. After I got the hang of growing weed, CFLs started to become a huge pain as I wanted to grow more than 1-2 plants at a time. Many new growers struggle with whether they should get CFLs or MH/HPS grow lights for their first grow, and I've compiled some helpful information below to help you decide which
one is right for you. CFLs vs MH/HPS Grow Lights As a general rule of thumb, CFL grow lights are most suitable for very small grows with just 1-2 plants, and especially when there is limited height of the grow area. That's why CFLs are common grow lights for smally stealthy grows like
growing in space buckets, or for when someone is just "getting their feet wet" with growing and haven't decided whether they plan on making growing cannabis a serious hobby yet (in fact my partner Nebula first got started growing cannabis for under $300 using CFLs and coco coir). Pros - Small, Stealthy Grows - Since each bulb must be kept just a few inches from your plants, CFLs can be used even when grow space is shorter than 3-4 feet (1 meter) or in strangely shaped areas - making it ideal for small, stealthy grows
- Cheap setup cost - It's inexpensive
to get started growing cannabis with a few CFL bulbs and one plant, though you will likely need to keep buying CFLs as your plant gets bigger.
- Find supplies anywhere - Most of the supplies for a CFL grow can be purchased anywhere - just check your local grocery store, home improvement store, or even a general store like Wal-Mart
- Heat & Electricity - A few small CFLs do not use much electricity or produce much heat.
CFLs are regular household light bulbs and the heat produced by a few will not require a dedicated ventilation system
- Try Out Growing - CFLs can be a great way to learn how to grow without putting in much of an investment
Cons - Just a few plants - CFLs do not work well for growing more than 1-2 plants at a time - you'll need too many bulbs and they will be difficult to place properly around the
plant.
- Must keep plants short - Does not work well for growing large plants (taller than a few feet) for the same reason.
- Less efficient than other grow lights - CFL grow lights are less efficient than MH/HPS grow lights or even other types of fluorescent bulbs like T5 tubes (when considering the brightness put out for the amount
of electricity used), so for bigger grows you'll get more "bang for your buck" by switching to MH/HPS (or possibly LEDs)
- Heats up if you use a lot of watts - CFL grow lights get quite hot if you use a lot of them or bigger bulbs - for example 150W of CFLs will put off about the same amount of heat as a 150W HPS
- May still need an exhaust system - If
you get a lot of CFL lights (more than about 150W worth of CFLs), you may need to set up an exhaust system to keep your garden cool
- Requires many bulbs and sockets - You get the best results by using many smaller CFL bulbs than just a few bigger ones (because the light from a CFL bulb is only good for a couple inches), but you need an individual light socket for each bulb (which begins to get expensive) and you also must find a way to place those light sockets
around your plant
- Daily adjustment - CFLs need constant adjustment (you'll need to check on your plants every day and adjust the lights) as CFLs should be kept within inches of your plant while prevented from ever touching plants that grow towards them
In general, the more light you give your plants, the more buds you'll harvest, so when growing with CFLs, more bulbs is better when it comes to yields. Conversely, if you use just a few small CFLs, your harvests will be small. This is a great example of using enough CFLs to prevent any shadowy spots and get good yields. Notice how many bulbs and light sockets are required to prevent any shadowy areas from appearing on the plant, and how the grower had to use creativity to place all the lights around the plant. As a general rule of thumb, HID grow lights like Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) are most suitable for relatively larger grows where there is at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) of height in the grow space, though 5+
feet (1.5+ meters) is recommended for the best results. This is because MH/HPS lights have to be kept fairly far from the plants. MH lights are generally used in the vegetative stage of growth (when plants are young and growing just stems and leaves), while HPS lights are considered optimal for use during the flowering stage when cannabis plants are producing buds. HPS lights can be used for the entire grow and will still get great results. Modern ballasts often
allow a grower to interchange MH and HPS bulbs, but it's important you look for this feature if you want to use a combination of both MH and HPS. Learn more. HID grow lights get better penetration into the plant canopy than almost any other type of cannabis grow light and therefore tend to produce long, thick colas when the growing
conditions are right. The power and color spectrum of HPS grow lights tend to get better yields than any other type of grow light for the amount of electricity used, with the possible exception of some of the modern LED grow lights. Note about mixing LEDs & HPS grow lights for flowering: Recently there have been tests by growers coming
out which indicate that using a mix of HPS and LED grow lights during the flowering stage of growth tend to produce buds that have a terpene (taste & smell) profile that mimics bud grown directly under the sun. Learn more. It's possible that the future of indoor cannabis growing is going to feature a mix of HPS and LED grow lights in the
flowering grow room. Now on to the pros and cons of HID grow lights like MH and HPS... Pros - Proven to work great - Sometimes called the "Golden Standard" of grow lights for growing cannabis, MH/HPS grow lights have been used by growers for decades and will consistently produce great growth rates, great yields, and great results
- Easy to scale up - works well for growing just a few plants or dozens of
plants
- Efficient - When you consider the amount of light produced for the amount of electricity, HID grow lights are some of the most efficient grow lights on the market (more efficient than CFLs or other fluorescent grow lights) with the possible exception of some of the newer models of LEDs
- Deeper light penetration and greater coverage area, which is why HID
grow lights usually work better than CFLs for growing bigger and taller plants
- Intuitive - After being set up, MH/HPS grow lights are intuitive to use and tend to be easier for new growers to quickly understand and master than fluorescent grow lights or LEDs
- No need for constant adjustment - you will only need to adjust the height of your HID lights a few times during your grow, and there's only one fixture to
adjust instead of many tiny bulbs like with CFLs
- Some models work well for smaller grows - A small 150W or 250W HPS can be purchased with a built-in ballast & hood so you can connect the lights directly to a plug in the wall without any extra light sockets or equipment
- Electricity Use & Heat are similar to CFLs watt-for-watt - HID grow lights will produce about the same amount of heat as the same
wattage worth of CFLs, but you will tend to get bigger yields and better results with HIDs. So for example, let's say you purchased 7 x 23W CFLs(161W worth of CFLs). This setup of 7 small CFL bulbs equaling 161W of CFLs will produce roughly an equal amount of heat and use about the same amount of electricity as a 150W HID grow light, except you'll usually have to get better results with the 150W HPS and you won't have to buy 7 light fixtures and find a way
to hang 7 bulbs within 2" of your plants.
Cons - Need a tall grow space - Since HID bulbs must be kept relatively far from your plants, MH/HPS grow lights can only be used even when the grow space is taller than 4 feet (1.2 meters), though 5+ feet (1.5+ meters) of height is recommended for the best results.
- Higher initial investment - Will almost always cost more of an
initial investment to get started with HIDs (compared to CFLs) though you are much less likely to need to upgrade your lights during your grow
- HID grow lights can be difficult to find locally - Since HIDs are considered specialty growing lights, they almost always must be purchased online or from a grow store.
- Heat means you will likely need an exhaust system - HID grow lights produce a lot of heat when you use bigger bulbs
like 250W, 400W, 600W and especially 1000W HID grow lights, so you will need to create a way to exhaust the heat outside of your grow space. However, I will teach you how to set up exhaust systems and show you the relatively inexpensive way I set up a stealthy exhaust system for my house below. This exhaust system has proven effective for cooling a 600W light without an air conditioner even in
sunny southern California :)
Conclusion: MH/HPS Ended Up Being Right For Me... I'm glad I first started growing cannabis with CFL grow lights, because they were cheap, gave me beautiful buds, and taught me how to grow. Yet when I
started looking at upgrade options a few years ago, I realized I was ready to take my grow room to a new level of efficiency. I knew I was ready for professional grow lights and I believe getting a 600W MH/HPS light was the best decision I've ever made for my grow room. I knew that if I upgraded to HID grow lights, I could spend less time worrying about adjusting lights, and more time on learning new, better ways to improve yields, potency, and taste. The results of the switch have been amazing, and if you're also ready to upgrade to MH/HPS grow lights, I will walk you through the whole process so you can understand exactly what you need if you're ready to go pro and set up the perfect MH/HPS grow light system for your indoor garden. Are You Ready To Go Pro With Your Indoor Garden?
| Who Runs This Newsletter?
|
Nebula Haze:Marijuana has literally
saved my life, and I'm dedicated to showing you how easy it can be to grow.
I have made it my mission to build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money.
|
|
|
Sirius Fourside:Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture, bubbleponics). "Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, perlite, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!" "Potent yet calming sativa high, spicy Thai flavor with hints of berry, and produces fat buds that stack on top of each other on thick colas. This strain smells less than many strains while growing, but
the odor tends to increase after drying/curing while taking on fruity accents. If growing indoors, you will need to train this plant with LST (low stress training) to prevent her from growing too tall."
Wow! What incredible colors on this Raspberry Cough plant! "After harvest the smell & taste is incredible..."
|
Dear Nebula & Sirius,
I just want to take the time to say thank you all at GrowWeedEasy.com for your site and all of the no-nonsense information you have provided here. It's refreshing to find a site that is easy to understand and not bogged down with tech-speak.
All of your articles are my go-to guide on everything. I keep a tab open on my iPad and also have you bookmarked on the desktop as well.
Your articles have enabled me to literally grow better meds than the buds in the best dispensary around for 40 miles. If not for your site I would still be scrambling to find all of the information here scattered all over the web or have to learn the
costly way by trial and error.
Thank you again for all of your help!
Yours,
John
|
Remember, sharing is caring!
Forward this email to a friend in need.
Get Your Seeds Safely! |
|
GrowWeedEasy.com has put together an extensive list of all the available SEED BANKS including what payment they accept and where they ship in the world!
Questions
about buying cannabis seeds online? - Learn Who's Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to
YOU!
Find a Seed Source to suit YOUR Needs
|
Copyright (c) 2014 GrowWeedEasy.com NOTE: If URLs do not appear as live links in your e-mail program, please cut and paste the full URL into the location or address field of your browser.
Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out
ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as
you can be arrested, put in prison, or worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws
to address your particular investment or legal situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. Nothing in this e-mail should be
considered personalized Health Care or Medical Advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Advisor. Didn't Sign Up For This Newsletter?
Our records indicate that requested to be added to the GrowWeedEasy.com weekly newsletter at .
Date:
To unsubscribe:
|
|
