600W HPS or 400W HPS + 200W(s) of CFL?

[Harry Red]

What would be the pros and cons of using a 600W HPS -vs- using a 400W HPS + 200W(s) of CFL for a flowering room?

Would a 400W HPS with a 200 Watts of CFLs hanging strategically give better coverage than a 600W HPS in an overhead fixture?

What are your thoughts?

[biggreenbuds4]

yes. i would go with the 400+cfl. the cfls you can move around everywere.

[Racefan]

The 600 HPS is the most efficient HID made to date. More lumens per amps used compared to any other HID. I would use the 600 myself. The penetration one would get from it would outweight the ability to move the floros around. Plus...going off my own grows...lights rarely get moved around in the middle of a grow except to raise or lower them. Of course everything is dependant upon how well you can control the enviroment.

[Harry Red]

Thanks for the assistance, guys!

Racefan, I have read that the 600w is the most efficient of the HID bulbs. I guess I was thinking that I might be able to cover more area from top to bottom by adding the CFLs. I'm hoping to flower at least 4 plants that could reach 5+ feet. Maybe I should be more concerned with getting lots of good colas and keeping an even canopy, rather than being too concerned about bottom growth.

What do you think?

[Racefan]

Well all the expert grows I've seen and I have seen a couple, they cut out all the extra bottom growth and grow the top buds for yield. The most efficient grow I've ever seen was a scrog which relies on a even canopy. Besides, floros can be added as you go. They are cheaper than heck. lol

[WestCoastToke]

Why not get the 600 now, and save up for the cfls to do in addition to that?

[Boss]

I think you could be really suprised at the quality of your end product by mixing the hps with daylight CFLs. If you were to add 200 watts of CFL's, the spectrum would have a noiticable effect on your harvest, unless you can use a 400/200 HPS added blue bulb, that would work very good as well.

[TraumatizZed]

I would go with the 400w&CFL works great for me... If I had the money at the time I would of just got a 600w HpS....

[Harry Red]

Originally Posted by Boss

If you were to add 200 watts of CFL's, the spectrum would have a noiticable effect on your harvest, unless you can use a 400/200 HPS added blue bulb, that would work very good as well.

Are you saying that the added spectrum I could get by using the proper CFL's during the flowering stage could be better than another 200W(s) of HPS? What would be the best CFLs to get for that? Also, what is this blue HPS you speak of?

Thanks Boss!

[Stix]

Originally Posted by Harry Red

Thanks for the assistance, guys!

Racefan, I have read that the 600w is the most efficient of the HID bulbs. I guess I was thinking that I might be able to cover more area from top to bottom by adding the CFLs. I'm hoping to flower at least 4 plants that could reach 5+ feet. Maybe I should be more concerned with getting lots of good colas and keeping an even canopy, rather than being too concerned about bottom growth.

What do you think?

I wouldn't let the plants get any taller then 4 foot. I usually keep mine at around 3 foot. When your plants get to tall your lights will have a hard time penetrating the canopy. I run (3) 600 watt hps and (1) 400 watt hps over a an 8X5 area and I still have under developed buds under the canopy. I run a SOG operation with alot of plants though. I would suggest you get a 600 watt light and maybe in the near future pick up a light mover. Light movers work very well to help penetrate the canopy. I would also suggest planting more plants and just keep them smaller. Instead of (4) 5 footers I would do (8) 3 footers using SOG method and use a light mover to cover the area. Just an idea you may wanna think about. Good luck with whatever you should decide to do. Keep us posted!

I also use Hortilux HPS bulbs. It gives a touch of blue spectrum as well. I use these bulbs for veg and flower.