Mars-Hydro LED Grow Light Discussion

[UncleCannabis]

KingJonC is probably correct about some hybrid strains are triggered into going into bloom with over 12 hours of daylight (more day than night). However, based on mother nature cannabis is pretty much hardwired to switch into flowing mode once the solar time reaches 12 hours or less which is in late summer / early fall. I'm sure some hybrids have been bred to buck the laws of mother nature and begin to flower quicker (think auto flower strains) but for the most part the 12/12 rule holds true for sativas and indicas.

Lots of folks use 24 hour light regime from seedling or clone all the way up until switching to bloom with good results. I've always used T5 lamps for seedlings up to about week 1.5 or until the 2nd set of nodes are good and going then put them under MH's with an 18hr on/6hr off regime for the remainder of the veg period. When I switch to bloom I use an 11hrs on/13hrs off regime and make sure to keep em' dark for over 12.5 hours. I've always had good luck with this regimen. That's not to say there's not a better way that would result in better results. But it works for me.

If your girls are in bloom and the light schedule gets switched to more than 12 hours they will want to switch back to veg. When you switch them back to bloom again you run an increased risk of some of your females turning herm and having some of the branches turn male and begin making seeds.
I'm not a light nazi like some folks but I do make sure to keep a strict lighting schedule and keep them well covered and protected from any accidental exposure to ambient light or light flashes while they are asleep. Some folks go so far as to tape over any exposed LED's that may be inside of their tents such as small LED indicator lights on switches, power strips, meters, etc. I think this is overkill but thats how far some folks go to prevent the herm phenomenon from occurring.

Happy growing brother!

 

[Gfcollective]

Taken from cc dot Com
ativa variations
Another aspect to consider is that Indica and Sativa varieties differ in their photo period expression, or photoreactive rate. The typical 18/6 and 12/12 light cycles are primarily beneficial to Indica varieties. Indica became the herb of choice early on in the industry due to its fast maturation and large production abilities under the HID lights. Indica is a variety from the 30th parallel and above, and this timing cycle is more akin to locations north of the 30th latitude (or south, in the southern hemisphere).
Sativa originates from equatorial regions, between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south. Around the equator there is a much smaller difference between seasonal day lengths. The vegetative stage may be 13 hours of day and 11 hours of night, whereas the flowering cycle may be the opposite, 11 hours of day and 13 hours of night. There are pure Sativa strains that require three to four months to mature in the flowering cycle indoors. And although outdoor equatorial crops take such a long time to mature, it is often possible in the right areas to produce two to four crops per year, thanks to the tropical environments.


I&I

 

[UncleCannabis]

I'm old goat that grew up around 11 degree parallel. Once upon a time when I was knee high to a grasshopper I'd plant seeds outdoors in November after the main crop was complete. These seedling would go to flower immediately because there was less than 12hrs of daylight. Don't recall the strains as things were not as advanced as they are today. They would make one really nice main cola about 8 to 12 inches long per plant before the buds would ripen up. I long for sunny winters again someday.

 

[Gfcollective]

I wish I could plant a seed in nobember. I'd have to dig a few inches of snow away haha, wish the plant could grow in 30 degree weather and below.. I want to see what the tropics look like before I say I don't want to leave the mtns, feel I'd love the tropics.

I&I

 

[Dennise]

I've lived in both and I will stay in my mountains and just grow inside in the winter... well in the summer too.....

 

[Gfcollective]

I've lived in both and I will stay in my mountains and just grow inside in the winter... well in the summer too.....

I've lived in washington my entire life. Left to cali when I was 15 to go hitchhitchIking but was young and didn't pay attention to things like where I want to settle down ha. I do love the green hills and large white moutains everywhere but seing pics of the tropics is always breathtaking. Maybe it's because I haven't seen it in person. Either or I need to see the tropics for my self, I'm sure I won't like the heat as i run hot constantly. Outside temps are 20-30 I can be shirtless and fine. Around 14 and below I don't run that hot ha

I&I

 

[froggybottom]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I will go to 18 on 6 off till flowering which is still a long way off right now. Lot's of smart people here. This is my first grow so I'm very green and electric bills are not a concern to me, screwing up months of growing is.

 

[Dennise]

The heat and humidity is what ran me off... I'm about as white as a person can be.. you know the blonde haired blue eyed thing... basically just short of glowing in the dark so being outside at the beach or anything of the sorts during the day is just not an option for me... I did do a lot of nights at the beach but it's just not the same... where with my mountains all I have to do is sit on my azz and look out the window for all their majesty... I do like a good sleep with the windows open and listening to the surf though and that part I do miss so I just go every once in a while to get a good nights sleep....
but as far as growing... the heat and humidity gives you another whole set of issues to deal with... no matter where you grow you are going to have to acclimate to the surroundings and conditions.....

 

[Gfcollective]

I'm blonde/blue eyed too. But i was told I have I can't remember what Indian it was but apparently blonde/blue eyes was common for the tribe. The one thing I do know I am is Norwegian so moutains/cold weather is what I favor. Where I live now the humidity has been around 50-68% these las couple weeks but does the humidity feel warmer closer to the equator? I sit here at nights and watch freezing air fly past the camera, I step outside and I don't see any fog. It's weird, like a ghost ha

I&I

 

[Dennise]

Yes .... yes it does.... The moisture is obviously in the air which is hotter therefore the humidity is sweltering... I would walk outside after a shower and want to immediately go back in and take another... I really don't do the sweat thing and as silly as it sounds that is why I moved... When the humidity is high I have a hard time breathing... Feels like a fat man is sitting on my chest.....

 

[Gfcollective]

I'm 5 6 and 125 lbs so I'm a short norwegian pretty typical. I sweat when it's 40 degrees in our room and I'm under covers naked (sorry for that bit of info) I usually sleep half in half out, fiance gets real cold easy so window or fan can't be used

I&I

Without going I don't think I'd like the heat as i have no problem sweating in the moutains cold. I do plan to visit, sounds like I'll be like u

 

[lobosolo]

Many moons ago my wife and I took our honeymoon in Hawaii. We visited "The Big Island" and Maui. I would love to live there for a while but I have your problem. I'll sweat like a pig at the drop of a hat and I'll drop the hat if needed. 99% of the time I looked like a wet rag and I loved the A/C, but It was beautiful and peaceful. Except for the bugs of course. Now the mountains like in Colorado or California etc. are the opposite end of beauty, kind of the light spectrum, except for the bugs. Red and Blue. Sorry just got lost in memory ville. I'll vote for the mountain. Have a great day. Dan

 

[Gfcollective]

Waking up soak and wet literally needing to dry off with a towel and then lay a towel down so I can fall back to sleep if I don't want to go down to the couch use to be a almost daily thing. When I quit construction, paid my fines off, and started doing what I wanted to do as well as quit eating red meat (only fish and birds now) it's gone down to about once a month, but I still have to sleep out of blankets and in my bday suit. I'm sorry u have the same issue but glad to know I'm not the only one.

I&I

 

[Hiker]

Re light movers....

They help. There is no doubt that a mover lets you get more yield with the same watts. The key is to not move them very far. IMHO, no more than the short side of the footprint. In most cases, moving 10-12" is plenty. You're just trying to penetrate the canopy better.

gf, your concern about the cords IS valid, but CO Finest said how to handle it. You just have to secure the cord to something that is moving FIRST. If the cord came out of the lamp socket and was attached to the ceiling, you would have a fire hazard with a mover. It's an easy fix though. As CO Finest said, secure the cord to the lamp first. I used to attach mine to the mover support structure. From the lights' perspective, the cord isn't moving at all.

I've stopped using my mover. Not because it doesn't work, but because I basically outgrew it. I need a trolley style that uses multiple tracks since I would need to move multiple lights. I did start designing something to adapt my agramover, but that project is shelved for awhile.

 

[Gfcollective]

I did read yesterday that light movers are best used w sativa strains in flower. As it keeps them from reaching straight up as in the 30 degree north or south of equator never has the sun straigjt above it. That if using a light mover with sativa it would keep the stretch to a minimum. Anyone have this experience? I figure it's a rare test as many tend to grow indicas or hybrids

I&I

 

[Hiker]

hmmm.... I'm not sure about that, but maybe. I found that moving the lights too far will increase stretch in the plants at the end. I may have exacerbated the problem though by always shifting my plants around to put the tallest at the edges to the cent isn't shading the other side. This is why I came to the conclusion moving a very short movement (~12-24") is best.

I've found 2 effective methods of reducing/halting stretch.
First is to keep intense light very close. This won't stop it, but you don't want to. Some space is needed for the buds to develop.
Second, is defoliation. If you take off the large fan leaves during stretch, the plant will stop stretching. I do this often to help even out a canopy.

That's an interesting thought about Sativas and the equatorial Sun, but once we take the plants indoors we've changed sooooo many variables. When I think about the environment I'm creating, I focus with the broader aspects before I get into specifics like the angle of the Sun. I want the good lighting, the right air (temp, rh, co2), and good conditions for roots (food, temps).

 

[Gfcollective]

i would agree, and now that im focusing on supplying my own shop i dont have the time/plant count to be able to experiment with lighting. this current flower that is 3 weeks off from being done i did do a 11/13 (on/off) light cycle and i can say that nycd and grape ape smell twice as strong as last round. but i also wasnt using the new line of nute boosters that ive been using and will continue to use from now on. i can honestly say ill never try setting my lights off to the side of my plants and having them move on a mover like they do in the tropics because like you said were indoors. but the read did make me think about how the sun rises and falls by the equator and that it really is never over top of the sativas that grow naturally down there. so could possibly be a issue why sativas stretch so much indoors (or outdoors in the northern hemisphere). good food for the brain

I&i

 

[Lookout Bro]

I am so excited, I just got my Mars Hydro tent today and finally got it put together. I have the 3'11" x 3'11" with the Mars hydro 144x3w reflector Led light inside. Temps are at 70 degrees F, and it looks great. I have been waiting for this for a while. I think that I have finally reached a point that I am satisfied with the setup that I have now. Thanks Mars Hydro for the great prices and friendly customer service. I will be recommending you to anyone who is looking to purchase LED lights.

 

[k0ncept]

I am so excited, I just got my Mars Hydro tent today and finally got it put together. I have the 3'11" x 3'11" with the Mars hydro 144x3w reflector Led light inside. Temps are at 70 degrees F, and it looks great. I have been waiting for this for a while. I think that I have finally reached a point that I am satisfied with the setup that I have now. Thanks Mars Hydro for the great prices and friendly customer service. I will be recommending you to anyone who is looking to purchase LED lights.

I think you will like it, I am using a 144x3 too in my veg tent, its a 2'7" x 5' and I love it.. I think I just need to add one more little light to get the longer coverage, but I have been using it at only 1/2 power, here is a shot of it yesterday in action.. This is all under just one 144x3 in there and I even use it over my ez cloner... I have a separate flower tent so I have yet to try to flower with it.... But in the flower tent I have a Mars 700.. Post up a pic as soon as you can I want to see it!!

 

[BootyImplants]

Peace y'all
So..I have a 4x2 tent that I would like to use for flowering my plant. Should I use a 700 watt mars 2 instead of the 144x3? Wouldn't I get a better yield that way? Or would it be too hot in there?