Bulb spectrums for SCROG

[tdj714]

so im doing my first grow and im using the scrog method and the question i have is that can I use full red spectrums through the whole cycle from grow to flower or should i get a mixed spec in there or something along those lines i would greatly appreciate any input from experienced growers in scrogging

 

[Spimp]

You can use a red spectrum for the entire grow. The veg stage will be slow and bushy compared to up and out. The recomended course of action is blue for veg, red for flower.
Personally I think a mixed spectrum heavy in blue for veg, heavy in red for flower is ideal.

 

[tdj714]

so wouldnt the slow and bushy effect be ideal for scrog? i know that blue is better for veg and red better for flower im just trying to get the most outta my setup with paying as little as possible im thinking of using a dual spec for grow and throw in a couple full reds with it, but I only need 600watts but i know im going to add more like a another 600 watts im just tring to figure out waht i should get first and thank you for your help

 

[Spimp]

Yes and No. If you have a wide screen, slow growth is gonna be a pain to weave to the outside edges. You will have manytops competing for the inner spots in your screen and not make it to the outside.
IMO it would be ideal for an LST style because you can manipulate the growth without the 'set holes' for the tops to come out of. Having said that, if you have 60 days to veg and fill up the screen as apposed to 30, the blue would work ok I think. Most of the SCRoG's I have followed constantly move the grow outwards until getting a 50% fill of the screen. In theory a bushy plant may not make it all the way to the edge if that makes sense.

BUT if you have 1200w's of any spectrum, they are gonna grow alot.

 

[tdj714]

ok so my next q is whats LST? and could i get away with using one dual spec and one red for my first grow then give it another six doing the same dual spec and red, so in the final setup ill have two duals and two reds. and can you elaborate on the LST?

 

[Richard Richardson]

Hi TDJ Welcome to 420land

If you want them to grow fast into the screen, use cool white cfls.

If they are already in the screen, use warm white.

You can use warm white cfls exclusively.

Pics are always good.

You also get a free Grow Journal with every membership

How to Make a Grow Journal

 

[David Bowman]

LST, Low Stress Training, is where you bend the young shoots/stalks of a vegetating plant sideways to allow light to reach the side shoots which then grow vertically up much more rapidly and fully than they would without LST. This allows for more and bigger buds on the side shoots than would normally occur with the single stalk "Christmas Tree" like appearance of an normal plant. LST plants have a bushier appearance as compared to an untrained plant.

 

[tdj714]

well i do plan on using fluorescents , the hps is way to hot for my box i have not started growing yet im just trying to figure out what i can get away with at a reasonable price and so that my buds come out great and im using a 3 x3 scrog screen too and im planning on 4 plants in 5gal each and 600 watts at first and bump up to 1200 later down the road

 

[tdj714]

I thought so spimps wording and such threw me off with confusion haha

 

[tdj714]

ok so i looked into some cfl's and im getting results that say 105wt= 400wt compact fluor. lights, oh and whats the diff between warm white and cool white and can i use the warm white throughout whole grow? again thank you all for your help and input

 

[David Bowman]

Go by the true wattage as that equivalent wattage is a comparison to incandescent bulb output and means nothing to us growers. In simple terms, cool white more closely matches the sun's summer spectrum, which promotes vegetative growth, while warm white more closely matches the sun's fall spectrum, which promotes flowering. Although there is no hard set rule that says one must use only one type of spectrum during one particular phase, typically more cool white for vegetating and more warm white for flowering is the standard practice.

 

[tdj714]

so can i get away with using a dual spec 300wt cfl and a red 300 wt cfl with shields and add two more when i want to? and whats the ideal size grow medium for what im doing? im going to use a indica based hybrid that ive experienced with growing before so i know how they grow and they grow very kushy but with the sativa stretch so these ladies will be ideal for my scrog i wasn't growing them persay just assisting

 

[David Bowman]

Soil is best for first timers, it is way more forgiving than say hydro, but that is entirely your decision. What I found to be helpful, as I am a first time grower myself, was this - How to Grow Marijuana - Everything You Need to Know!

 

[tdj714]

i didnt make my self clear haha sorry i plan on only using soil i just wanna know what size buckets, my plan which i think im going to stick to is using 5gal buckets and making slots for them in my scrog box that sits up off the ground its pretty ingenious. once i get it set up ill post pics for sure... so anyone chime in and give me their 2 cents all IMO will not be ignored, i wanna use 1200watts all together but i need to know waht is ideal and what i can get away with I know the bud likes the red/orange spec better and blue for veg but can i use one dual 300 and one red 300 and use that for my whole grow, i have only a 3x3 screen to fill and i will be using 4 plants in 5gal buckets