HPS or LED

[Fulltimefarmer]

I have a few grows under my belt, started with t5s...then cfls, then an hps, and now I have LEDs. I have a few harvest with LEDs and they were adequate. 200g per plant under two 100w Samsung amazon lights In a 2-4-5’ tent. I still have a electronic ballast 600w+ hps, hanging around but not in use. I have since gotten a bigger tent, and have more room (also bought a few bigger amazon lights I think they are 150w)...

but is it worth running the hps for a session during bloom to get harder nugs? Or is there any benefit of running the hps as compared to these low power low heat LEDs? The heat is hard to justify..

 

[Dwight Monk]

200g dry per plant in that small a space? Not sure I would change anything personally, as if it ain't broke don't mess with it.

 

[Nunyabiz]

If you need the extra light and don't have anything else then run the HPS with the LED.
HPS doesn't create bigger or firmer buds unless you're comparing a 600w HPS to a single 100w LED.
Get a 600w LED and it will be considerably better than the HPS.
You just need about 800 PPFD across the canopy regardless what type of light it is.

 

[Fulltimefarmer]

If you need the extra light and don't have anything else then run the HPS with the LED.
HPS doesn't create bigger or firmer buds unless you're comparing a 600w HPS to a single 100w LED.
Get a 600w LED and it will be considerably better than the HPS.
You just need about 800 PPFD across the canopy regardless what type of light it is.

Thanks, that’s kinda what I figured. I just know the hps puts out a lot more IR than the couple diodes on these led panels. And in the past that always equates to harder buds. I upgraded to a 4-8-8 tent and the 150w leds seemed dwarfed, but I am continuing a bloom from the smaller tent, so the plants are all squatting and not taking up as much height as possible.

 

[BlackRuss]

I think that you would be better of running with the HPS only because of the quality of the lights. I have used both HPS and LEDs and comparing both (with similar qualities) I would choose LED. In your case its different though, low power LEDs can result in a "just ok" harvest

 

[Fulltimefarmer]

I think that you would be better of running with the HPS only because of the quality of the lights. I have used both HPS and LEDs and comparing both (with similar qualities) I would choose LED. In your case its different though, low power LEDs can result in a "just ok" harvest

Well they are Samsung LM301D diodes, so they are decent, inexpensive, but decent and have gotten good harvests so far. i run them about 12-14” during flower, and when the plants get wide (last two have been about 4’ wide each) they just don’t cover enough area at that height. The hps is just soooo dang hot. but I a, finishing this bloom (last two weeks) with the hps to see if there is any yield difference. running a full bloom with the hps may just not be worth the power/heat to yield I am getting off the LEds.

 

[HeartWW]

I use all LED's now but I still have my MH and HPS lights from the past but instead of adding the heat I just added more LED's on the side walls. It really helped develop the popcorn down there.

 

[Fulltimefarmer]

So not sure if it was just a difference in growing these via bubble vs the last bloom that was ebb flow...but the hps on the last two weeks of flower really hardened then flowers up nicely. Still haven’t gotten end dry weight, but quality is up some from the led only grow. at around 130g so far, but still have 5 or 6 spears left (letting some overripen to test the degradation times of this strain). 9.5 weeks gave good results but barely any amber, so seeing the absolute time to see amber.

 

[Spitz]

I am a LED guy. This winter I’m going to purchase and run some HPS. I have no intention of saying one is or isn’t better than the other. I also typically run some classics. I’m more of a Blueberry, White Widow, Bubblegum, Northern Lights, Haze, etc… kind of grower than anything with Fire, Glue, Alien, etc…. I can’t dismiss the fact that all the selective breeding done on the strains I grow was done under HPS. I’m convinced LED is a superior light source. I’m not as convinced there aren’t strains out there that won’t perform far better under HID lighting. It’s not at all an argument about Par, lumens, spectrum, etc…. It’s only a consideration that the cultivars I grow have multiple selections and back crosses based on a very different source of light than what I currently use. It’s only a qualitative “hobby thing” I’m going to investigate.

 

[Nunyabiz]

R.I.P HPS grow lights, LEDs finally finished the job | Grow Weed Easy

Published February 13, 2021 by Nebula Haze What is the most controversial cannabis growing topic in your opinion? For me, I’d have to say grow lights! And for many years, the two biggest competitors for top spot have been HPS and LED grow lights. [Other top growing controversies include grow...

www.growweedeasy.com

 

[Fulltimefarmer]

I am a LED guy. This winter I’m going to purchase and run some HPS. I have no intention of saying one is or isn’t better than the other. I also typically run some classics. I’m more of a Blueberry, White Widow, Bubblegum, Northern Lights, Haze, etc… kind of grower than anything with Fire, Glue, Alien, etc…. I can’t dismiss the fact that all the selective breeding done on the strains I grow was done under HPS. I’m convinced LED is a superior light source. I’m not as convinced there aren’t strains out there that won’t perform far better under HID lighting. It’s not at all an argument about Par, lumens, spectrum, etc…. It’s only a consideration that the cultivars I grow have multiple selections and back crosses based on a very different source of light than what I currently use. It’s only a qualitative “hobby thing” I’m going to investigate.

Ya, I can’t justify the heat during the summer months. although this plant yeilded 6.2 oz with only 2.5 weeks of finishing under the hps. It’s sister plant (cloned, trained the same way..but slightly differnt medium) yielded 4oz. So can’t say for sure if the hps helped things along, but the buds are thicker and more dense but hard to chalk that up to the finishing. either way I have been happy with the Amazon leds I bought, i forgot how crappy it is trying to do anything under that yellow ..hot ..hps.. I think I’m with you and will break out the hps when winter comes around for some ”free” heating.

 

[Fulltimefarmer]

R.I.P HPS grow lights, LEDs finally finished the job | Grow Weed Easy

Published February 13, 2021 by Nebula Haze What is the most controversial cannabis growing topic in your opinion? For me, I’d have to say grow lights! And for many years, the two biggest competitors for top spot have been HPS and LED grow lights. [Other top growing controversies include grow...

www.growweedeasy.com

Leds have come a long way since I started growing. The full spectrum cobs are the bees knees..I still have some qualms that there isn’t much representation on the ir/nir spectrum. Results are good enough for the handoffs in ease of use and heat. I actually noticed on one plant that I didn’t rotate as often, the nuggs that were under the ir diodes were more solid..anecdotal sure, but something noticable