Reddit mentions: The best plant growing lamps

Congrats on finding the seeds and getting this far. If you are a first time grower, then I would highly recommend a controlled environment starting with a tent. I have done it both ways, and outdoor seasonally, and you will benefit a lot from having a confined space you can control as you learn. Contrary to popular belief, it isnt "just a weed that grows". To have a quality finished product you need a good amount of time and energy spent on the plants. However, because the growth takes time, as a first time grower, you can purchase the items you need as you need them to build out your grow. I have purchased a lot of my items on amazon, so I will provide some links to items I vouch for personally.

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I would start with a light and good soil. This is one of the most important items by far. For indoor, use LED, or a combo of T5 for veg and then LED for flower.t5: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M624OCR/ref=crt_ewc_title_oth_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1KBVFFLR1WEMK

LED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0185OLBPK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_10?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0185OLBPK

I have both of these products and can finish 4 plants in a tent nicely in about 100 days. I know people have feelings about using off brand lights but I have had zero issues, ever. On thing to do though is to not let the plants grow too tall. Rather train them to grow like bushes by topping them early and continuing to top the new nodes at a reasonable height, Id suggest 30 inches max (from top of the pot).

Also buy this : https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-pH-Control-Kit/dp/B000BNKWZY/ref=pd_sim_86_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000BNKWZY&pd_rd_r=5185d750-c735-11e8-83ba-35492fd40af5&pd_rd_w=FfWzV&pd_rd_wg=5opTv&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=5TDAFKEPVRHZC2TKYA3F&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=5TDAFKEPVRHZC2TKYA3F

AND LEARN ABOUT pH!!!! Many young growers don't do this and it makes a HUGE difference.

For veg, you will be able to get by a few weeks or maybe a month without a tent, but the light will become annoying.

For soil. I highly recommend mixing fox farms happy frog and ocean forest. This will prevent you needing to use fertilizers really at all until flower time. Yes it is kind of expensive, but it is worth it. I have tried the experiment of making soil myself... it becomes outrageously priced so fast and unless you are really good at chemistry/botany you can totally fuck some shit up. Trust the fox farms soil. It is the best IMO. Also, I am a huge fan of cloth bags. I suggest these:

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-5-Pack-Thickened-Nonwoven-Handles/dp/B00TF9E6XE/ref=pd_sim_60_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00TF9E6XE&pd_rd_r=fb2641f0-c736-11e8-8198-7d964bea5356&pd_rd_w=GtDju&pd_rd_wg=aCJer&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=H05JF866M3Z3Y0MEV2JX&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=H05JF866M3Z3Y0MEV2JX

So a tent should be your next purchase.

I have two of these and they do a great job.Tent: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJQ8LPY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Shortly after getting the tent set up you need to get an oscillating fan and some regulators to tell you temp, humidity, etc.

regulator: https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humidity-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Indicator/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=pd_sim_86_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0013BKDO8&pd_rd_r=5185d750-c735-11e8-83ba-35492fd40af5&pd_rd_w=FfWzV&pd_rd_wg=5opTv&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=5TDAFKEPVRHZC2TKYA3F&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=5TDAFKEPVRHZC2TKYA3F

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Now even in veg, your plants are going to begin to smell. But by flower time you will have a real problem on your hands, even with a tent. So next you will need a carbon scrubber. I use this one off amazon for a tent and have zero complaints while the tent is closed. I also have the filter hanging in the tent and venting out the side into the attic of my rental. Zero smell, unless the tent is open (which you will want to do in the beginning, but over time you will learn to not go in everyday unless you need to). With this item, every other grow you need to replace just the carbon canister part of it. It is easy to do and worth every penny.

Carbon scrubber:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFRNPR8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Buying all this over time is pretty easy, even on a conservative budget.

Hope this helps!

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a [HLG-100 V2 3000k]($150) would work well for two 5 gal fabric bag plants and should yield around 2-4oz a harvest once you get everything dialed in. It doesn't need any additional parts other than a pair of adjustable hangers($5-10) and a 24 hr timer(for setting 12/12 in flower). Something like this is great for ease of use, low heat, and efficiency. I'd suggest a combo of topping and low stress training(LST) to bush out your plants and increase yield, usually i'll shoot for 8/16 main cola heads however the veg time can be quite long with this method. Fabric pots are cheap and effective, and add some super soil(kinda pricey, but worth it) like fox farm ocean forest/ happy frog and you'll almost have enough packed in nutes to last you until flower. Supplement with budget cal/mag and some cheap flower fert like scott's super bloom and your good to go. Also never try to save time in the drying/curing step, by far the most important part imo and one of the most challenging to get right from my experience. Also you can def veg 4 plants under this but if you want a good yielding flower, 2 would be the sweet spot and you can always add another unit down the road.

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This company makes DIY kits as well for cheaper, however if pure cost to yield is your interest HPS/CMH are still two great options with a few more needed components(duct fans, tubing, light hood). Also check out cobs if your a DIY person. Not as much spread as the quantum boards but pretty damn efficient too.

Ok well scrog isn’t about height. It’s about square footage.
For example I can get more out of two plants Scogged at about 2 feet high in my 4 x 4 x 7 foot tent than I could out of 4 tall plants.

It’s about using the “footprint” of the light in the most efficient way.

With tall plants you lose that efficiency. Basically the top of the plant is going to get that sweet light and the bottom is not. So further your plant gets from the sweet spot then the less yield you will eventually pull, especially from the bottom of the plant.

Now one way you could circumvent that is placing lights all around the plants. I just saw a cabinet grow with a sort of vertical scrog.
In one of the weed subs. Maybe someone else can chime in here. But they essentially grew around a vertical screen with led strips surrounding the plants.

But in the end the yield wasn’t great.

But you could essentially grow tall skinny plants with a surround of led strips and an led topper.

Personally I say kiss. Keep it simple stupid.

I scrog. I like scrog I get about 6 ounces per plant per harvest so 12 ounces total out of my 4 x 4
It’s the best method I’ve found after dozens of grows and experiments.

I do not recommend blurple amazon leds. At the very least I recommend hps/mh lamps (that use a lot of power and give off a lot of heat so you need a good exhaust)

If you’re going to go led then start with quantum boards or cobs. Like someone else said they at least have resale value if you decide to stop growing. You can’t get $5 for an amazon blurple I promise you. I tried to sell mine on Craigslist for months in a legal state.

They’ll last years and in the end they’ll cost you less money in electricity. But you’re gonna pay more up front.

this is not much more than a blurple and is good for a 2 x 2 foot space.

Money far better spent than $100 blurple. Better yield better light.

If you want to see what I mean about scrogging, check out my grows on grow dairies

Check out a lot of grow styles and methods.

Read growweedeasy.com back to front. Then start over. Read it again. And again. Then again. And then again.

Then reference it during your grow.

Once you decide your grow method. Then pick lights to fit.

Good luck.

So I'm gonna be that guy and tell you the answer you don't want to hear which is that you're not likely to be able to achieve what you're trying to do in the location you want without some major drawbacks.

Your seeds aren't thriving because they're not getting enough light. You can tell because your sprouts are so leggy (i.e. tall and thin with few/no leaves). When plants first sprout, they come pre-packaged with leaves that are part of the seed that expand as the plant absorbs water and are what collect the initial light energy which the seedling will then use to construct its own true leaves. If the starter leaves are not receiving enough energy, the plant will delay growing new leaves and instead try to grow taller so that those leaves get better light exposure. That's what causes leggy plants, which bring a host of annoying problems, hence why its usually easier to start fresh and make sure they get light from the get-go. Seeds which are getting enough light will produce very little in terms of stem height but will instead use that energy to start producing more leaves right away. Here's a shot of some lettuce (on the right) with zero legginess and bell pepper seedlings sprouted with minimal legginess. Note that the bell pepper seedlings on the left could probably use yet more light.

Artificial lights put out nowhere near as much as natural sunlight unless you get into the really high caliber stuff. To give you an idea on artificial lighting requirements, here's what's lighting part of my herb garden. That fixture has four 24 watt fluorescent bulbs, coupled with angled reflectors above them to maximize the amount of light hitting the plant. If you're interested, here is that light fixture on Amazon. I recommend this regularly to anyone trying to grow using artificial light. Lux output (a measurement of the amount of light per sq ft) from that is ~15,000 lux at an appropriate distance from the plant, which is about what these herbs need to grow. A single 15 watt bulb like yours probably gets into the 3,000 - 5,000 lux range. You also seem to have a cover over the light, which probably reduces the output as well. Another thing to note is you want your light as close as possible to your plants. They shouldn't be touching it, but they should be (for flourescents at least) maybe a few inches from it. Light saturation decreases rapidly with distance, so the further they are, the less oomph they're getting from it. Your lower hanging plants are getting less light for sure.

Keep in mind that different types of plants have different lighting requirements. Leafy plants light herbs and lettuces can sustain themselves off of something like I showed just fine. However anything that produces a fruit or vegetable will need even more light. Like three or four times as much light as the fixture I showed earlier.

Back in the day most people used something like this, a high pressure sodium light, for their indoor fruits/veggies. This one puts out about 45,000 lux. Think like football stadium lights. These things get painfully bright and also get very hot, plus they require a large ballast (power source) to run. You want your plants at least 2 ft from these otherwise they'll burn. Regardless, it's definitely not something you'd want under your sink, since you wouldn't be able to be in the same room when it was on or else you'd be blinded.

The more recent alternative in artificial light is LED lights. These things put out way less lux, but the light they do put out is concentrated on very specific wavelengths which are ideal for plants. I'm using this one to grow tomatoes and bell peppers, and one light is about enough for one, maybe two plants. They don't get hot at all, but their light output is still uncomfortably bright and the color is just dreadful. Imagine a pink so searing that it makes your head hurt. Here's a picture of some bell peppers, taken from the relative shade under the canopy. Definitely not something you want in your kitchen for the same reason as the HPS: you wouldn't want to be in the room when it's turned on. I grow the bell peppers in a light-opaque grow tent and the tomatoes in a closet I converted for that purpose.

My recommendation: forget about the veggies for now. You're not going to get them to grow without a light source which will be impractical under the sink. Stick with herbs, which work just fine under fluorescent light. Up your light output by getting a higher output light fixture. Rearrange how they hang so that all four of your planters are much closer to the light. And start from scratch once you've done so. You might potential save that batch if you got a new light right away, but they'll have gotten a leggy start, so they'll always be slightly deformed.

I wouldn't bother with those lights. I was on the exact same boat as you a couple of weeks ago. Skmood1 actually pointed me in the right direction.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but you may want to look into COB LIGHTS. They are 1000 leagues better than the viparspectra and all those LEDS in the same tier. They use pretty old tech apparently.

I just started to learn ins and outs of LED, if I'm wrong here, please correct me
Lets take a look at a couple of the numbers Vipar provides (last picture on amazon). Looking at their spectrum sheet, right off the bat the light you selected will under perform where it matters, flowering; buds. It lacks a good deal of red spectrum light. However with that said, it'll be a decent light for veg, worth it? No, but decent. I won't say worth it, because now you want to look at efficiency and lumen per watt. Efficiency in terms of led is basically how much light is produced versus heat from your LED panel.
The Vipar has a pretty shitty efficiency, it loks like you'll be prducing 67% of heat vs 33% of usable light. With COBs, you can essentially choose your own, going all the way up to 70% light. With lower efficiency, you'll get more lumen per watt (more light, I guess?). The next step up are Quantum Boards, but those are always out of stock!

Just a heads up, COBs are generally more expensive outright, and there maybe a little DIY involved, but it totally worth it. I was running the 600w viparspectra PAR series for 2 weeks, and my seedlings grew about 3 inches. I moved over to a 2 cob array (less power than my vipar), and in 1 day I see 2 new growth leaves, both plants grew at least half an inch, I was blown out of the water.

P.S.- this one looks better: Mars Hydro 300w
https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Certification-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBI2/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_86_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FHW46JTAZPEMSK6H1VS4&dpID=51clUyqI-5L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

Check out the spectrum chart! Good luck and have fun. I killed sooooo many seedlings, purchased sooooo many unnecessary things, but the people here helped me every step of the way. You're in proper hands.

yes there is tons of options for lights... i can help you a bit.

where are you from ? whats your main language? if its french i can help explain stuff in french too to make it easier.

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option 1: if you want just to get by until next month... maybe T5 would be best option

my guess this would enough... t5 4ftgreat for veg not so great for flowering

option 2: is a 400w hps you can a vented hood if you plan on using in a tent eventually. Better suited for a full grow than T5 if you want to go at it inside. This kit even comes with a MH bulb thats perfect for Veg.

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option 3: quantum board (from china or usa/canada $$$). Most expensive option but very efficient and effective. i guess a 240w would be enough.

210$ us shipped + duties from china (alibaba - meijiu) or check out HLG in usa or canada who sell probably slightly better product (pretty much same components) for twice the price. But you get faster shipping and easier communication.

QB 240w or from hlg canada - hlg usa)

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First two you can get easily with amazon or your local hydro store... QB board from china is probably 1 or 2 weeks...

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maybe a fourth option is a blurple led light... i wouldn't suggest that but its an option that will probably do the job ok and its the cheapest i guess for the 600w

not sure but i think you would need a 900... old technology. not the wattage advertised.

blurple

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if you have more question feel free to ask

Lights: I have the mars hydro 300 (132 true watts) as my main light on the top, and plan to add a couple strips for side lighting in the near future.

Ventilation: As you may see from the pictures, I have the heat exhaust on the top side. The exhaust is being pulled into a secondary tote. In the secondary tote I have a large carbon filter attached to a 6 inch inline fan with variable speed control. This kit. Definitely overkill but I like the room for expansion.

I plan to start growing in a 3 gallon smart pot knock off, with some ak-48 autoflower seeds.

I have really enjoyed watching this community grow through the years.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful contributions. Guys like /u/Ekrof, SAG, /u/Halfmpty, /u/exactly25smeckles, and the rest have really inspired me to try this for myself.

I would like to add some filtration to my passive intake, any suggestions?

This post will get downvoted to oblivion, but sadly this is simply the wrong sub to ask this question, unfortunately. As usual when this question gets asked here, every answer is ignoring your query, dismissing your budget, and instead is insisting that you NEED to spend 2-3 times as much instead. This simply isn't true, and this elitist attitude creates an unnecessary obstacle to people wanting to get their feet wet in this hobby.

You can achieve perfectly acceptable results with a 600 watts LED like this one..

Similarly, this one is a good choice for getting started.

In point of fact, there is a ton of snobbery and bro-science in this hobby. Interestingly the latest research on this subject seems to indicate that tuned-spectrum grow-lights might even be a waste of money, and that bog-standard 5000k LED light bulbs might be perfectly adequate for maximizing indoor-growing yields, at the least.

The Impact of Light Intensity and Spectrum-Tuning on Cannabis Yields

>The results show that holding all else constant, cannabis yields are primarily driven by the intensity of the lighting, whereas there is little evidence that tuned-spectrum lights have a significant increase in yield versus general-purpose, broad-spectrum lights. Moreover, the positive, apparently linear relationship between intensity and yields continues at least to 1500 µmols/m2· s, which is over twice the level provided by an HPS fixture in a grow configuration, which is currently the industry standard. These results are important for two reasons: First, many horticulture LED lights are tuned-spectrum varieties that justify a significant price premium above commoditized broad-spectrum LEDs by arguing that their proprietary spectrum increases the value of a grower’s yields. It is possible that spectrum tuning may improve the cannabinoid profile substantially enough to justify a price premium, but our results provide no evidence that spectrum tuning increases yields. Rather, the more profitable strategy would be to buy commoditized, high-intensity, broad-spectrum LEDs (like flood lights), which are about one-third the cost per watt of horticulture LEDs. The second reason these results are important is that the vast majority of growers use HPS lights. Those who use LED lights are using lights that were designed to use less electricity while providing the same light intensity as an HPS. Our results suggest that both these strategies reduce the grower’s expected profits, since both provide less light than is optimal when trying to maximize yields.

Having read this, I purchased these LED bulbs, splitters, and hanging cords from Amazon, and am running two of those on a single plant in my north facing window as an experiment. So far, the plant is doing just fine, and it seems to be progressing as well as the plant I have under a 600 watt COB.

As of right now, I am good on space. I have some room on my window sill on the other side behind my bed that I can fit some IF I get any more. I have 42 total plants so I really don't NEED any more... I am trying to stay pretty cheap to be honest. Less than $50 but I don't want something so cheaply made that it won't last me a month. I have been looking at something like this bulb in this lamp to clip onto my bed to get pointed at each window or even onto a cat tree, which I moved out of the way for the sake of the photo but I usually keep to the left of my nightstand. I don't know about the LED lightbulb but I also know that succs prefer blue light but I read that fluorescent light is ideal for a cheap, quality lighting setup. While I know that LEDs aren't cheaper than fluorescent, do they work as well? I honestly know little to nothing about plant lighting, sorry for the essay!

Edit: Looked at the Overwinter Megathread and someone posted that their Succs loved this bulb so I might just get 2 these if they are tried and true. I also might just end up getting a real, hard setup with shelves, lighting, the mix. It might be my best option at this time.

If you're open to alibaba, you can get much more for your money by buying a quantum board there. Should be able to get 200w+ of QB from alibaba... look around here because they're posted all over. They keep changing so I don't bookmark them but they are cheaper than HLG and the same technology.

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OR you could easily grab two 65w QBs off Amazon for $200 and have 130w QB lighting in there which is a bit less than most people recommend, but so would two viparspectras be.

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2x4 should be 400 TRUE WATTS (not advertised numbers) of blurple, or 200-240w of QB by most people's calculations.

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Those two viparspectras are likely not even close to 400w of true blurple lighting. They may say "600w" or "1000w" each but that's a lie. Read further down on the item description and it will tell you the true draw, which is likely closer to 100w each than anything else. So your two viparspectras would probably be like HALF the lighting you need, while your two QBs would be more than that, and way better lighting overall with better penetration for faster growth.

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My little 65w QB beats the brakes off a 135w blurple I used to use for reference.

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https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ

This is the exact light that I got here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LG39B3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It had a lot of good reviews, and it seemed pretty close to sunlight. So far I think my herbs are doing quite well (my cilantro and dill have really taken off) but I would absolutely love trying to grow fruiting plants like tomatoes or peppers inside if it's at all possible. I live in an apartment in Minnesota with no balcony, so I'd really love to find a good alternative to a yard! :)

I'd love to have a link to your YouTube channel, if you wouldn't mind sending it to me.

TL;DR: see links below.

Beyond the actual science of which light is best, it really depends for many casual plant owners whether they want the light to look "decor friendly" or they want it to do a bang-up job of growing their plants. Honestly, there aren't many effective lights that look like they belong in a residence. No matter what anyone says, when it comes to grow lights, you do get what you pay for.

Below are 5 well-recommended options. I own all these (and others), having tried many entry-level grow lights. They're ordered by price, low to high, from $15 bulbs that go in ordinary lamps to an excellent entry-level grow light for about $175. The lower end work best as a supplement for natural light. The higher end will let you grow almost anything, even without a window.

Hope this helps you. Any questions, just ask. And yes, there are detailed, technical, scientific explanations for why these are better options than others; you can dive in there if you choose. Let's get to those 5 lights:

Miracle LED Almost Free Energy 100W Spectrum Grow Lite - Daylight White Full Spectrum LED Indoor Plant Growing Light Bulb for DIY Horticulture, Hydroponics, and Indoor Gardens Single Pack

ACKE LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Plant Light for Grow Light Stand,DIY Indoor Growing Light Panel for Germination,Seedling,Vegetative Growth and Flowering

Three Heads Grow Lamp, Bevice Full Spectrum LED Plant Light Auto ON&Off with 3/6/12H Timer and Memory Function, Light Intensity Adjustable, for House Plants Seedling Growing Blooming Fruiting

Roleadro LED Grow Light 1000W Full Spectrum 3500k Sunlike Plant Light Dual-Chip with ON/Off Switch and Daisy Chain for Indoor Plants for Seedling,Succulents,Growing,Blooming and Fruiting

Spider Farmer SF 1000 LED Grow Light,with Samsung Chips LM301B & Dimmable Mean Well Driver, Sunlike Full Spectrum 3000K 5000K 660nm 760nm IR for Indoor Plants Veg Flower

You need more than 36" vertical space. Your fan + filter will take up 10", pots another 10", and you will need to keep the light 12"+ away from the plants. This tent is close in footprint, but with a much more manageable height. Tons of good tents out there though. Just make sure you have at least 5' if you are flowering. 6 or 7 is better.

Can't speak to that particular Mars light. If you only have $150US/100GBP to spend, I'd look into more options. Mars300 for a first grow is an idea. A better idea, if you have the time/inclination, is to build a light. You can get diode strips (Bridgelux EB, Samsum Series H, etc) + 100w driver for the same price, and it'll put out more useful light with less heat. If that sounds like something you want to do, search a bit on this subreddit, and post questions. Lots of builders here.

As for fans, Active Air is a solid brand. Just don't buy anything that look like this--which is a duct fan, not an inline or this--which is an inline that will work for 3 months then break.

Cooling and ventilation are all about the efficiency of your systems to vacate unwanted air while creating proper circulation. Couple things to consider before changing your setup:

• Your room is 22ft^3. The fan you were looking at is rated at 430cfm (cubic feet per minute). Little less than 20x the volume of the room. Essentially, you will be creating dramatic negative pressure in your grow space. Might want to look at a smaller fan buying a fan speed controller. Max cfm rating should be somewhere around 4x the volume of your grow space. This will allow air to still be moved properly, while allowing the exhausting system to draw in fresh, cool air.
  
  
• Your plants will acclimate themselves to whatever temperature you have them at. People say that ~24^o C is proper, but in nature temperature fluctuates dramatically, with more extreme temperatures than your plants will ever experience growing indoors.
  
  If you do decide to go the inline fan route, make sure you're using passive intakes for your cool air. You do not want to overpower/under-power your exhaust fan. Good way to burn out motors. Keep your 6" fan for circulation.
  
  
  EDIT: Forgot to mention cool tubes. If you're running a 400W system, look into (eventually) purchasing one of these. I recently purchased this set. Installed, I have noticed a huge decrease in ambient temperature in my tent. Here is my set up for a reference. If you were to do something like this, your light would have to be put in diagonally. Corner to corner, your room should measure ~3.5" across.
  
  EDIT 2: Buy a fan speed controller

You're probably going to have to break down and get some lights if growing outside isn't an option. Even a very bright window is still way less sun than actually being outside. Weed loves light, and needs tons of it to thrive. As it happens my current crop is about the same age as yours. I'm growing them in a pretty cheap no fuss setup. They're all around 2-3 feet tall and fairly covered in buds already.

If you're going to spend any money at all on this, get lights first. They will make a far bigger difference than anything else. (As you're seeing, you can't really grow indoors without them.) You can get a decent enough light to grow one or two plants for $100-ish. Something like this. It's not the best light in the world, but it's plenty to grow a couple plants and get a decent yield.

For my 2 cent, the hierarchy of 'stuff to buy' looks like this:

1. LIGHTS. You really can't understate the need for good light. Unless you've already sunk a ton of cash into them, these should always be the first thing you upgrade.
   
2. Soil. Spend the $10-15 for a bag of the nice Fox Farm soil. This stuff is excellent. If you're growing autos in this stuff you don't need any extra fertilizer.
   
3. Tent, fans, filters. You don't want your house to smell like weed. When you get your first plant growing well you're not going to believe how much it smells.
   
4. Fertilizer. Careful with this stuff, a little goes a LONG way. Especially when you're already using 'strong' soil.
   
5. Fancy pots.

Thanks! For a lot of red plants co2, fertilizer, and high light will bring out their color a lot more and have them growing pretty fast. I have the 3 extra fixtures on my tank because I got two of those bulbs as gifts, and decided to get a third because I’ve found they do a lot for growth and color on my red plants. Also since this tank is pretty tall, I wanted to add a bit more light than what my beamswork light can do.

The beamswork lights are pretty good for planted tanks especially if you’re on a budget. I got the 36” full spectrum LED fixture for my 40 breeder for about $50 and it works great. If you want a lot of red plants I’d definitely go with a full spectrum WRGB LED fixture like this one. it’s the exact one I use. The one pictured in this post is a different one tho, it’s only got white and blue lights. You can check my previous post here to see what the full spectrum one would look like.

Here is a link to the pink bulbs as well.

I helped set up a grow with an LED light. The light itself was about $150-$200 but it's perfect for veg and flowering. I would recommend going that route since it helps with the heat and electricity.

This is the light. 600w equivalent only using 300w. It's full spectrum and the light is actually a really intense violet color, its pretty badass. The person growing says their electricity has only gone up by about $30 (.12c/kWh or so)

MarsHydro Mars300 Mars600 Led Grpow Light(Mars600 with Veg/Bloom Spectrum for Hydroponic Indoor Greenhouse/Garden Plant Growing, 272W True Watt Panel) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XC3LBIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KvovxbYQTRKNV

Sorry for the link formatting, on mobile. I highly recommend the light though. It has had plenty of power for the three plants that they have in about the same footage as your grow.

They're under this Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGFW0XO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wvS4DbB3R91HY) about 11 - 12 hours a day.

The soil is a 60/40 ish mix of Miracle Gro cactus mix and bonsai jack. I sifted a thin top layer to create a finer layer of dirt for the seedlings to root into initially.

Temperature fluctuates, but I would estimate that they're kept between 67-74 depending on the season.

I also grew them in the KORAM 10 Sets Seed Starter Trays (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX0JBUU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HDS4Db30AQAJR), so I kept the soil moist pretty much constantly until recently when I've been able to neglect them more and let it dry out a bit. I admit my watering is kind of arbitrary and I've been hoping for the best since this was my first attempt at growing from seeds lol. I have another more detailed comment somewhere else that I could find if you need more info 😊

Imho they will be fine, I've finished plants with similar or colder weather and some overcast days but not constant maybe two and a half days per week, if yours are just cloudy then better. They may take a little longer to mature though. Yeah a 12/12 or similar to your sunset/rise time is ok too, I was just trying to make it clear with the question it wasn't mockery just letting you know haha.
Leds are often advertised with their equivalent wattage of those old bulbs, much like cfls, not what the bulb actually draws. Like this one is actually around 25w, this is about 130w, and this are about 255w. I would get this 600 last one over the other recommended viparspectra, more bang for your buck and less bulky.

Hey there! I think you're going to have trouble growing in the window if you're facing north. South is best, and I've grown nice window plants with good east and west exposure, but never north.

I think your best bet is to do a small indoor set-up like mine. This is where I start my peppers before moving them outdoors. I have three of these panels suspended from a shelving unit, and I'm growing below using Khang Starr's 2-cup method. The lights are on a timer for 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark, but you could get away with a little less if it keeps your roommate happy.

I actually germinate the seeds in a starter with a heating mat to keep it around 85°, but while that will speed up germination, it's not completely necessary. You can also get good results by germinating the seeds in a paper towel, dampened with water, and sealed in a ziploc bag.

Last thing is the fertilizer solution for the bottom cup. I use MasterBlend 4-18-38, mixed with the recommended amounts of ammonium nitrate and Epsom salt. I've had really excellent results so far.

If you get started soon, I don't think you'd outgrow a small setup by mid-May.

Alright man thank you. I'm leaning towards the 400w HID light because it is cheaper than 2 LED's and I have read that it provides denser and more potent buds.. but I have a few questions/concerns that I hope you could clear up for me:

• This is the setup I would plan on running. HID LIGHT
  
  
• Would this light fit in my tent size with ample room to grow in. I wont be running huge plants but I plan on a SCROG as well as some fat buds. Could I do this without the possibility of burning my plants.
  
  
• Would I be able to run this light without having crazy temps in my tent? I live in texas but the area I am growing in will have AC as well as a place to vent.
  
  
• How would I go about cooling a light like this? I see that on the picture it has a place on either side of the light for ducting. How would you go about doing this? I already have an inline fan in my cart but what would you specifically do? Hook vents up to either sides of the light and exhaust out a window or something? Is there a video that demonstrates this or any photos you could share of your own setup?
  
  Thank you in advance, I'm just trying to make my dollar reach as far as I can.

Nice cheap light

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XC3LBI2/ref=mp_s_a_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1498932753&sr=8-20&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=RoleadRo&dpPl=1&dpID=51mUVXHUvzL&ref=plSrch

Seeds

https://www.seedsman.com/en/cannabis-seeds/flowering-type/autoflowering-feminised-cannabis-seeds?dir=asc&order=price

Grow tent

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01NGZ216U/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498932973&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=grow+tent&dpPl=1&dpID=51K5M7TCfmL&ref=plSrch

Personally I like soil. Easier to diagnose and remedy in my opinion. Can't cheap out on the soil though. Fox farm gives good results and can be found at almost every nursery or online.

Heard decent things about this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010NQR5WQ/ref=cm_cr_srp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

Inline fan

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XJYR2R7/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1498933348&sr=8-15&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=inline+fan+carbon+filter+combo&dpPl=1&dpID=41zr9rEHVKL&ref=plSrch

If you can squeeze any extra money out I'd put it into the lights.

Also check the side bar and all this stuff can be found in there. I just smoked so I'm feeling especially helpful lol.

Anyway remember it's a weed and will grow you just have to have the patience to let it. Also remember to have fun.

Good places to start.

http://www.growweedeasy.com/basics

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHWaWOfju3y4PIoQtO4B6KWQIY6wng_UD

Thanks! Yeah I had 1x 300w Roleadro LED, but the plant got too big so I upgraded to those 2 COBs a couple months in haha

Now the Roleadro is over a couple cherry tomatoes and peppers that I planted cause why not? The other freebie photo I planted turned out to be a male so I had space

Excited to see how much I'll get from my first harvest! If it's ever ready -_-

I've gotten a fair amount of help from this sub over my grow, Henry has re-assured me quite a few times haha :D

currently using a 300W LED light from VIVOSUN and its been doing great for my 2 pepper plants 2 cannabis plants and a tomato/dill plant i have going,

but im looking into investing into another LED light, this time a 600W to add to my 4x4 tent.

Looking at a few options but im not sure if they're good or not.

vivosun 600w vivosun is reliable and great but its cost is 120$

This no name brand named wakyme is only 60$ and has a dual switch and comes with a few things, but i've never seen any on this subreddit and the reviews seem alright but im not sure.

and lastly this one, phlizon tons of reviews, seems like an older model but also comes with goodies and is only 80$ with a dual switch.


should i go with ol reliable and spend almost double without a dual switch and no goodies with it, or do some of you use these brands and know they are reliable and great to sustain my 4x4 tent with my already 300W led light which is doing great.

I recently picked up a few of these and absolutely love them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LG39B3M

Not hawking them, but not having to live with a purple glow all the time has been awesome, and my plants love it at least as much as the red/blues. I know a lot of people use them, but this little greenhouse / LED combo has been amazing as well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FZTKYXV

I use a 400w HPS ($140 on Amazon and 2 of the cheapest Chinese "1000w" grow lights like [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Thermometer-Humidity-Adjustable-Spectrum-Consumption/dp/B07BV3KQMM/ (Link is just an example, I'm not recommending that product) that I can find in my 5x5 tent.

I haven't done any clinical study or anything, but they seem to perform better than the Mars Epistar (IIRC, not 100% sure what model I had. It was 3 years old when it was killed) I had before a direct lightning strike at my house murdered it last year. I'm sure I'm paying a few cents an hour extra as the Chinese lights are likely far less efficient, but for a personal grow tent, they're fine.

If LED tech ever stabilizes, I'll definitely go for a more efficient, expensive light again. But currently, a new $70 chinese light is often about as good as a $700 light was 3 or 4 years ago, so it's not worth it for me in my personal grows as I'll never get a return on my investment before the tech evolves again.

That said, since you're starting from the beginning, I'd take /u/iShatterBladderz's suggestion and get a quantum board from Kingbrite if you have the means to do so. As long as you aren't a moron like I was and include a good surge protector in your setup, it'll likely be a better investment in the long run.

I don't know if you're still looking, but I've loved this 40W one. It's $20, it comes in two days, and it's brought out some great colors in all my different plants. It's not the strongest, but I think my plants are happier and I'm actually about to buy a second one. It has a timer feature and can clip onto tables and whatever else. I love it.

Always happy to share knowledge. :) All my lights are diy pendant lights so I don't have personal suggestions for clamp hood setups but here are a few suggestions:

Clamp light fixture - No personal experience with this one but it's a broader clamp hood to accomodate larger LED lights but they may poke out of the bottom of the hood. Ymmv


LED Light suggestions:

• Sansi - This is the light I use and I really like it. I have no useable windows in my apartment so all my plants are under 4 of these lights and they're all pushing out new leaves all the time. The monstera uses 2 bulbs as its become quite large. Sansi also makes this bulb in a couple lower watts if this one is too intense but you'll have to move your plants closer to the bulbs.
  
  
• GE - No personal experience with this one but the specs are really similar to the Sansi above. Btw/fyi, PPF/PPFD is a more accurate measurement of how much light is available for photosynthesis.
  
  
• iledlight - Again no personal experience but this looks like a super bright light, brighter than the Sansi or GE. I might consider buying this one to try on my monstera... 🤔
  
  Hope this helps and good luck! 🌱☘🍀

Well, the folks over at /r/SpaceBuckets are working with the idea of a small 1 plant grow that can be put together using hardware store parts for $100. That idea has been modified a bit, but it's essentially the same.

I've been able to grow a plant successfully in a spacebucket. The yield is about 30-40 grams cured bud plus a few grams of bubble hash. I can grow 3 crops per year in such a setup.

I switched up to a small 2 plant grow tent and I use one Marshydro 300 lamp for the tent. Now I can get a yield of 50-60 grams cured bud per plant, growing 2 plants at a time. And again, I can grow 3 crops per year.

Once your plant starts to flower, it will become very fragrant, and it's a very nice smell, but unless you are located out in the countryside, a little cabin in the woods, then you will want to have an odor filter of some type.

The good news is cannabis is an easy plant to grow. And when you're growing it, you can smoke the clippings. After about 3 weeks, you'll have clippings every week.

Also see r/microgrowery

Indeed you can keep auto flowering plants small, but you can actually do that with any plant. Look up sea of green or screen of green methods to run small plants effectively. But can't stress this enough, I don't recommend autos, and if you're beginning with clones it's doubtful anyone has auto clones. Autos by nature are tough to clone, as the clones almost immediately begin to flower and don't have time to grow out as they would if they had been from seeds.

The tent method is great for beginners, but will run a bit more than $100. In total you would need a tent, LED light, inline fan, pots, soil, nutes, bamboo stalks, garden twine, PH testing kit, carbon filter, hanging clips, trimmers, drying rack, mason jars, and 62% boveda packs. If you search craigslist you can probably find a bunch of people selling their used gear. With a 2 x 4 tent you could yield 8 ounces or more, although it's more likely that you'll harvest 3-4 ounces your first go. A 4 x 4 tent would allow you lots of room and twice the yield.

Also in regards to LED's, be mindful of how many square feet you're trying to cover. I've got a few different LED's in my gardens, as well as MH/HPS lights. Many of the LED's claim to be full spectrum, and while that may be true, they vary quite a bit in terms of what they mean by that. I've got ones that are blueish white, blue, purple, more red, and one that has a switch from veg to flower. Out of all of them I really like my Mars Hydro , although I will say it does run very blue. Despite the dominantly blue spectrum, it's produced buds comparable to a 600w HPS, but with significantly more frost.

Hey dude - I'm in the middle of flower on my first grow and think I can help out a bit here.

Not sure if you're already on this site but growweedeasy.com is an incredible free resource

You could easily do one plant in a tent like this or go bigger and do a 48" x 24"

As for LED's in that range, most people seem to like either the mars hydro or viparspectra (I'm currently using an mh/HPS light)

Enjoy!

Dude, don't get the light with the ballast. It'll be hot and difficult to manage temperature, etc. You should use LEDs. Try ones like this one:

King Plus 1000w Double Chips LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing (10w Leds) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0185OLBPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xqPizb00PCJG9

This light is stronger, quieter, and cooler to operate. Your plants and electricity bill will thank you. It's also cheaper than the light with the ballast! Buy yourself an ice cream cone or something with the money you save. It's a good idea to get a 6 inch fan and carbon filters as well. Good luck!

These are probably overkill for a 5 gal, these are what I use on my 30 gal. You'll need a lamp or a waterproof socket. They make a vert bright purple light, which is optimal for plant growth. You get less algae than from a white light.

https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Spectrum-Hydroponics-Organic-Wavelengths/dp/B0748D2SMB/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1539504329&sr=8-6&keywords=e26+led+grow+light

​

If you want white light, google "high cri led par"

cri - color rating index. Basically, how well does a LED replicate the color of an incandescent bulb. I look for over 90cri

par - describes the lamp shape. Directs all the light forward in a wide cone, great for overhead lighting on a tank because a single lamp's light will spread out to cover the whole tank, and the bright lens of the bulb is pointed away from your eyes. For choosing your wattage, you'd probably want something in the 10-15W range.

Also, choose one that is 3000K. This replicates the warm amber color of an incandescent bulb. The higher the K, the more blue the light. Plants need mostly red light, and a bit of blue. It's also easier on the eyes, and I know how much time we all spend staring into our tanks.

​

​

The big traps are pre-dormancy, but all those little ones are post-dormancy. (You can't see well in the pics, but from the other side there are TONS of tiny ones.) I got it last November, so it isn't fresh out of a nursery. From November to February, it lived on a windowsill in an uninsulated basement. Now, I spend all day moving it around the apartment to wherever the sun is. I also have this little baby grow light that I bought without knowing anything, and I'm aware that I definitely need to get better lighting. (Figuring that out is its own challenge!)

Currently, I live in an apartment in a big house and don't have the option to put it outside, but will once I move to a new place June 1. There, I'm hoping it can live outside in the backyard at least until autumn. It wasn't very smart of me to buy a carnivorous plant in Zone 6a, so now I'm just trying to do the best I can to take care of it!

The more you spend, the better the light. The better the light, the better the plant. The better the plant, the more you yield. The more you yield, the more cost effective the operation is.

Cheapest option. Buy two:

https://www.amazon.com/ACKE-Germination-Seedling-Vegetative-Flowering/dp/B07GGX3R9T

Slightly better:

https://www.amazon.com/Lenofocus-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Vegetable-Flowering/dp/B07TV9GWPB

Best option within your price range:

https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-High-Efficiency-Upgraded/dp/B076QDKVDZ

how many plants? full mature plants or babies for transplanting? Budget?

HLG quantum boards great. https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ is good for like 1 full size plant or a few smaller ones, or a few trays of seedlings.

But if you want to get a big boy you can get a 1000W Double ended HPS. https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Ultrahigh-Reflectivity-3-Mode-Adjust-Reflector/dp/B07MYQFMHW that will light up your whole shed and heat it lol. good for like 4+ big plants or lots of smaller ones or lots of trays of seedlings.

I've had great success with these simple grow lights. I'm pleased to say I don't have any etiolated succulents, thanks to these guys, lol. I've had them for close to nine months and liked them so much that I bought another pair of them when I needed more light for my growing succ collection.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LG39B3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_4BVphjNfcCm8p

I am talking about something like this (random link, not an endorsement) that can be used in a DIY setup. Check /u/LEDWizard 's threads to learn more about DIY leds.

Other than that, even just stringing together enough LED spotlights/directional bulbs would do the trick, just not as good as a COB led array (the ones I linked at the beginning).

Or you could go for a couple (or 3) of these ready made panels. Again, this is an example and not an endorsement.

Either way I'm sure it'll be great, because your setup looks pretty sweet as it is and you generally can't go wrong with LEDs. They last a long time and produce the most PAR (photosyntheticaly active radiation) per Watt consumed that any other artificial lighting source.

since it's a clone it's not an autoflower so the right subreddit is /r/microgrowery which also has an informative sidebar

if you want to flower it you give it 12 hrs of light a day, otherwise you give it 18. if you flower now you will not get much. you could put off flowering and keep it in veg for as long as you want, trimming it back as it gets leggy.

you don't have enough light to do anything but keep it alive until you get a good light

this one would work
https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Plant-Light-Spectrum-Generation/dp/B01HI3AFYM

you can actually get a more efficient light for less money here http://www.ebay.ca/itm/100W-100Watt-High-Power-White-LED-Light-Heatsink-Cooler-100W-LED-Driver-LENS-/262253316319?var=&hash=item3d0f8408df:m:mwpcPILybO0GxGbdS-vIwjg

you could keep that plant alive and in veg until you've got your equipment together. maybe /r/spacebuckets is more your speed than a tent. the sidebar on /r/microgrowery and http://www.growweedeasy.com will help you do that

also you need to pot that thing up 3 weeks ago

If you want to be as cheap as possible, you can get a duct fan - but they suck and are loud and they break.

cheap option:

• 4 inch duct fan
  
• 4 inch carbon filter
  
  good option:
  
  
• 4 inch inline fan
  
• 4 inch carbon filter
  
  options for lights:
  
  
• https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/kits/products/hlg-100?variant=8108197478492
  
• https://www.rapidled.com/vero29-triple-cob-array-kit/
  
  i don't recommend it, but if you want cheaper lights:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/HydroplanetTM-Fixture-Complete-System-Hydroplanet/dp/B01KMW7RYM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1536940051&sr=8-3&keywords=150+watt+hps
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Generation-Spectrum-Greenhouse-Hydroponics/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1536940093&sr=1-4&keywords=roleadro
  
  my 2 cents, get the HLG 100 (or 135 for more yield) with a good 4 inch inline fan and a good 4 inch carbon filter
  
  if you can't afford it now, wait til you can. your first harvest will pay it all off and you'll save money and a whole lot of head ache in the long run.

Oh jesus, I am amazed that plant has as many leaves as it does and has not fallen over being under that light. So I give you props there.

You need to get a much more powerful light than that in order to grow cannabis. I personally prefer MH/HPS lights but they can put off a lot of heat, that is a bonus for me since I grow in my basement but its a negative for others. You can grow 4 plants under 400 or 600 watts https://www.amazon.ca/iPower-Digital-Dimmable-System-Reflector/dp/B005GYRB9S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543012060&sr=8-5&keywords=400w%2Bhps&th=1

Good quality LEDs will work as well, but good quality LEDs are expensive. Unless you are going to get serious about growing and willing to go with something like a Quantum Board or high end Cree COBs, I would stick to old fashion MH/HPS system. LED has its place, and I use them for my clones, but cheap ones suck for growing good weed.

its a marketing ploy really, they say its to increase the longevity of the light boards themselves but who knows. https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Updated-Spectrum-Certificate-Hydroponic/dp/B00XC3LBIW

if this is the same light or similar then you can read on the page that it actually only pulls 132 watts +- 10%

" ENERGY-SAVING: Consuming only 132watt±10% with the same effect of typical 150W hps or HID grow lights. "

its a common mistake you shouldn't really worry about it, just know that most people recommend anywhere from 30-50 watts of actual true wattage per sqft of tent, and in your case you only have about just a little over 15.

Again only saying mars hydro 600w gives it a bit of leniency but the best 600w blurple led ive seen maxes out at like 180 watts which could work but you would probably see a massive improvement if you added some more light in there.

If your light isnt a blurple then i could be totally off.

Yeah your tent is the right size for flowering 4 medium-large plants or 9 smaller ones (like if you took clones of a photoperiod strain). Anyway, 3 autos have a good chance to not even fill up the whole space, which could be good for your first run not having to invest as much in lights all at once.

"Quantum board" specifically is a name brand by the company HLG that I mentioned in the previous post. They're really good and use the highest efficiency LM301B Samsung diodes but require a bit of assembly unless you want to pay a whole bunch extra. No soldering or anything though, just some screws and wire connectors This 260W kit for $350 would cover most of your tent at a full flowering brightness and spectrum. It would probably require that plus a second smaller light to completely cover the 3x3. Which could work out great if you started off with a small cheaper light during veg for the first few weeks and then add the bigger light later on.

My suggestion if you wanted to do that would either be to start with the small HLG boards you can get preassembled on amazon (two of the 65w $100 HLG65 or one of the 100W $150 HLG100) or one 150W $140 MarsHydro SP-150.
I would not suggest any of the other MarsHydro lights besides the SP-150 or SP-250. Those are their only ones with a proper heat sink and high efficiency diodes. They are not quite as efficient as the quantum boards but are fairly close and are much cheaper than any other preassembled light in this efficiency range with a decent build quality.


Another option with the same type of Samsung diodes as the HLG in another form factor are the chilled logic pucks I mentioned like this 400W 4 puck system for $600 which would absolutely completely cover the entire tent right off the bat and could even be dimmed down while plants are younger.

I got them both on amazon! The top lights are: KINGBO Newest 50W Led Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Super Bright 100 LEDs Sunlike Full Spectrum Grow Lamp White, Dual Head Gooseneck Desk Plant Light with 2-Switch, Replaceable Bulb (2019 Update) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07LG39B3M/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1#

The purple lights are: from Brite labs and have a timer with adjustable light intensities
https://www.amazon.com/Brite-Labs/b/ref=bl_dp_s_mw_19491218011?ie=UTF8&node=19491218011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Brite+Labs

Happy planting! 💜

Thanks! Im going to get some today.
The light im using is a Marshydro 600W LED (275W true output). I got it for $140 from the Marshydro store on ebay!

http://www.ebay.com/usr/marshydro?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754

https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Mars600-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBIW/ref=pd_sim_86_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P6JXBRPZQ6WV5ANKFJA2

I really like the light because I feel it has good penetration, it does not produce a lot of heat, and it is easy of my electric bill haha. I have not experienced a single problem with it!

Yeah I hope this does not break any rules though.
It says 300w but it actually only draws 150w 300 is like the max or equivalent or something.
https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Upgrade-Developed-Spectrum-Generation/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1485299846&sr=8-26&keywords=LED+light+full+spectrum

It's pretty great! Slightly loud fans but can't complain for the price.

There is no definitive answer on this because there are too many variables. Examples: The light requirements of each individual plant. The PAR given by the light. How far the plant is from the light. How long the light is on daily. How much natural light the plants receive. Yes grow lights CAN work, but you have to find the perfect balance. The great thing about indoor lights is you can control the environment! Too much light, you can reduce the time or move the plants further away from the light source. Too little light, move them closer or give more hours of light. It's not something you'll probably get 100% right on the first try.

They do make white LED grow light panels, but they are harder to find than the red/blue. You may want to try something like - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HI3AFYM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_35?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2L94QV6P0R9ON -but it may be overkill, I don't know how many plants you have or how large of an area you need to light.

For a tent that small, I think you'd be better off with an HLG 100 v2 3000k (the same light is available at Amazon). The Viparspectra light is cheaper, but that's about the only thing it has going for it.

I don't have that light, but I use the next size up (an HLG QB288v2 3000k) in my 2x2x5.5' tent, and I've been very happy with it. I had a Viparspcetra 450W, but it stopped working after 10 days so I returned it. The QBs seem significantly better made, have a better light spectrum (and the purple light felt very harsh to my eyes), and only use like 2/3 as much electricity for similar amounts of usable light.

Also, the white light spectrum from the QB lights means that you can use a cheap lux meter to get your light position dialed in. That won't work with the purple light spectrum, you'd need a much more expensive PAR meter.

If you're growing in a tiny space, r/SpaceBuckets also has good info about light, airflow, and so on.

My Setup:

• Lumin Tekco Indoor Grow Tent, 36"x36"x72"
  
  
• Apollo Horticulture 6" 440 CFM Inline Fan with 6" Carbon Filter
  
  
• 2 Roleadro 2nd Generation 600W LED Plant Grow Light's.
  
  
• FFOF soil now and open to different brand for the transplant from 1 gal pot to 5 gal smart pots this weekend.
  
  
• Nutes: Just started 1/4 strength FF Grow Big and FF Big Bloom last watering (I have FF tiger set aside for flower)
  
  
• Supplements: Cal/Mag and Silica. (first time also this week)
  
  
• Temps: 76H/68L
  
  
• Humidity: 38%H/25%L
  
  *pH: Water going is phd to 6.5, runoff fluctuating between 5.8-6.4 recent waterings.
  
  If I missed something let me know.
  
  New Pic!

>Nice little setup and great plant !

Thanks :) Here is the full setup.

>Do you need your fan to be always turned on when the leds are on ? Do they produce a lot of heat

Yeah, I keep the fan running 24/7. This cools the lights when they're on but it also keeps good air circulation around the plant which helps prevent mold.

>? I've always wanted to try it but never really jumped into it . Last time i checked leds pannels were expensive :(

You can build a Spacebucket for a couple hundred dollars. The LED UFO I'm using was only $120 which honestly wasnt that much considering how well it works.

Ninja Edit:
You also don't have to invest a ton into trying to grow. There have been people that just put a bag seed in a solo cup full of soil and watered that shit. If you're nervous about growing, you can try growing tomatoes which respond in very similar ways so learning how to grow them will help you with any future weed grows.

Well if an ounce is all you want, check out /r/SpaceBuckets. I could never get myself to do it as growing a weed plant, even just 1, is a huge investment of your time, resources, and effort. I think about it like: If I can get 1-2oz from a spacebucket in the same 3-5 months time, why not invest money that'll make itself back twice over just the first grow (even if you dont sell any, to me getting 1000$ of weed from my grow is making my 1000$ back but ima stoner lol)
and spend my 3-5 months growing 16-20oz.

Ya know? But I can understand why some people can't or dont want to.

edit: here's some links

nice sale on the tent i use right now, these are HIGH QUALITY, only tent ive found is better is gorilla but even then they both have their own pros and cons:
https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Obeservation-Window-Growing/dp/B01DXYMQ9M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1493165611&sr=8-4&keywords=2x2+grow+tent

roleadro 300w led

https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Upgrade-Developed-Spectrum-Generation/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493165668&sr=8-1&keywords=roleadro+300w

fan and xarbon filter: https://www.amazon.com/iPower-GLFANXINLINE4-Hydroponic-Conditioning-Pre-wired/dp/B00D7M6692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493165639&sr=8-1&keywords=4%22%2Bexhaust%2Bfan%2Bfilter&th=1

you would still need soil and all the odds and ends pieces still though.

Here's what I posted previously, hopefully this helps! Once I situated them, I've pretty much ignored them except for watering.

I'm using Hoffman Horticultural Perlite, without the miracle grow: found here and Better-Gro Premium Grade Orchid Moss: found here for my mixture. I got them local, but found the links to the specific items on Amazon. Neither has any plant food additives and are nutrientless for the VFT. This is my second time having some. I let the moss soak in distilled water before I mixed portions in a bowl until I felt there was enough perlite in it. They sit in a decorative glass jar inside a medium size open top terrarium next to a window. However, because my other plants weren't doing well at the window, I bought and installed this LED Plant Grow Light for Hydroponic Gardening: found here, but from what I understand I could also use my flex strip LED lights on blue and violet to give my VFT the right amount of light.

I have the light scheduled to turn on at 8 am, shut off at 6 pm through my Alexa devices.

Tips: I've found they grow better in a container that is deeper than it wide. Mine are watered gently from the top along the edges with distilled water, just enough to keep the moss wet. Since May the dead moss apparently has new growth from seeds or whatnot in the mix, so those are growing in there with the VFT too. :)

I use 20w LED lights. Specifically this model:

ACKE LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Plant Light for Grow Light Stand,DIY Indoor Growing Light Panel for Germination,Seedling,Vegetative Growth and Flowering https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGX3R9T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_daXOCb4WJYD91

I switched to LED from fluorescent this year. If you use fluorescent you need to move them to be about 3 inches from the tallest plant so they don’t burnt on the bulb.

With my LED lights I have the plants up to 1 foot away and they aren’t stretching for the light because they offer great lighting for plants.

Does that help? If you like you can check out my channel for a bunch more of pepper related stuff:

www.youtube.com/c/farmergeorge

Let’s Share and Grow Together :)

Another question - this one about grow lights. It gets pretty cloudy here, sometimes for weeks at a time, and I figure I would rather prep and make sure my new plants are getting enough light now so when winter comes it won't be an issue (Illinois does not get much sunlight then). My windowsills are small, though, so I'd like to set up a rack in the corner of the kitchen with lights and expand a bit. It won't be a huge area though.

​

I found these two grow lights and I'm not sure if one would be significantly better? The flexible one would be nice and more space efficient for me but would getting the bulb and a cheap desk lamp be better for the plants?

​

https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-TT-CL013-Grow-Light-Black/dp/B07JVGLGTD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748D2SMB/ref=emc_b_5_i

​

Thank you!

watts don't apply to LEDs in the same way as cfls or HPS/MH. and these are reflector series which are different than regular LEDS. companies have come out with newer reflector series recently.
for example with mars hydro
they have regular

and new reflector series

wattage is lower but they are more powerful or the same power while using less energy, check the ratings on both. they direct the light more intensely with the reflectors.

i have 2 viparspectra 450 watt reflector series and they work great for my 4x2x5 tent.
and 2 smaller lights are generally easier than one big one. more evenly distribute the light to your girls

DETAILS ON SET UP

Light: Roleadro 300W LED light

Fan and filter: ipower 4" inline fan with carbon filter (my roomates are worried about the smell

Tent: Millard 30" x 18" x 36" tent

Odds and ends: A digital timer to schedule lights

A fan speed controller

3-gallon smart pots

A humidity and temp sensor

Plus a small clip on fan.

GROW DETAILS

I have three different strains, Northern Lights, Pre-99 big bud, and pure power plant, and then an unknown seed(which I planted about two weeks ago as the previous unknown seed turned out male, see previous post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/microgrowery/comments/5qo1yo/early_sign_of_balls_details_in_comments/0. One in each 3-gallon smart pot. For the first two weeks of growing I had an 18/6 light schedule, and then switched to 12/12. (I'm essentially doing 12/12 from as early as the plant could respond to the change in light schedule). Over the past 15 days I watered twice with tiger bloom nutes.

I definitely made the mistake of not listening to your advice when I originally posted and am trying to grow 3 plants in a 1.5X2.5X3 foot tent...It is getting crowded, I should've listened and stuck with one, maybe two plants. Other than that I haven't had any problem that I have noticed other then a few spots of damage on leaves occasionally but no pests or wilting. I'm sure there are things I could've done better though. Thank you for all your help, I can't wait to get to harvest.

The tent is going to be in a closet though, so I'm worried about airflow.

Also, seeing as I haven't bought everything yet, there seems to be a well rated 1000W LED Grow light that seems much better for the same price. It has better effective wattage, less heat, and draws less power. Any criticisms on that?

I've decided on doing this 4-way LST technique if that makes any difference with lighting, as I do know that LED grow lights need to be further away, especially one so bright.

One more thing that I can't find the answer to, how do you control the grow lights? Do people just unplug them manually when they go 12/12? Because I can't find anything when I google "grow light controller".

Thanks so much for your help so far!

I’m using this one. It was super easy to set up, but the thing is on the flimsy side and as you can see in the pictures, it’s really the bare minimum. No casing or anything. But it doesn’t get too hot and because it’s so minimal, it fits flat on the underside of the shelf so you don’t see it unless you’re sitting on the ground. Like I said in another comment, all this gear is super new so I can’t give any solid recommendation other than that I’ve had a good experience so far!

Get a better light, dude. It's the one thing that directly correlates to yield. You got all this awesome stuff (tent, filter, plants with good genetics) but have a light meant for a closet bagseed grow. Go with something like this and you've got a much better shot at being successful.

that would be fine, but I prefer grow lights that have colored LEDs in order to help my plants produce chlorophyll. a cheaper alternative that I’ve had for abt a year is this: ankace grow light . This is the best one I’ve tried!! :)) hope this helps

If you have these hanging in the open they will annoy you with it's blue/purple colors and are not good for your eyes. Try getting full spectrum LED.

Look up Quantum boards from horticulture lighting group or Atreum Boards, Amazon may not have them. They are generally more efficient and give off nice white light which will not annoy you and even brighten up the room!

A Quantum Board 65 Kit (65Watt real draw) is about 100$ and available on Amazon and should be enough for a first light but probably underpowered for 4x4 but for half shaded plants this will work fine. Most use them to grow weed which likes a lot of light. Veg/bloom switches are mostly for weed, yes.

But sure, the QB are a bit bare and not that pretty yet really lightweight aesthetically...so who knows.

​

The Maxsisun 300W has about 130W real draw (the 300W is misleading since it's just an euivalent to HPS lights. So it draws 130W which is equivalent to a 300W HPS light) but is probably less efficient than the QB.

​

I'm growing Chilis with a DIY Fixture with full white LED comparable to the QB ones. I started out with a Viparspectra 300W (basically same as the Maxisun) so i know em both. Gonna take the Viparspectra apart soon to exchange the LED to full white ones. Will never touch the blue/purple lights again :D

I hate asking you to do my homework for me, but do you think you can reccomend to me some grow lamps to have in my tent?

​

This is what I ordered

​

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Reflective-Indoor-Hydroponic-Growing/dp/B07HQMX3S1/ref=pd_ybh_a_14?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WRQP0659XB8JMPFFNS5D

​

I looked at this,

​

https://www.amazon.com/Niello-Spectrum-Dissipation-Hydroponics-Greenhouse/dp/B07H3WPVL6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cob&qid=1561939034&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

and this.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Spectrum-Greenhouse-Indoor-Flower/dp/B0185OLBPK/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cr_simh__8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0185OLBPK&pd_rd_r=08b35f2c-7e42-4923-a741-db427e372e14&pd_rd_w=fg5nM&pd_rd_wg=9sXJL&pf_rd_p=67aa5820-8762-4202-90ba-881bb99c913c&pf_rd_r=P503HNVMP0KBFTX09G19&psc=1&refRID=P503HNVMP0KBFTX09G19

​

I would love your reccomendation. I'm growing just a few plants currently. Also, I think my tent is pretty cold. It's at 75F currently, i'd like to bump it up to 82F. Do you have any suggestions?

I would stay way from any of the cheap Chinese LED lights like Roleadro, Mars Hydro and similar. The light that I would recommend for your setup would be the HLG-65 from Horticulture Lighting Group. This light uses top bin Samsung S6 diodes which are extremely efficient. They put out a ton of light and use very little power. This light also generates very little heat and doesn't require a heatsink or fans. It produces white light at 4000k which is a little warmer then sun light. I recently bought two of these boards and they have fantastic for vegetative growth.

Giantex Indoor Grow Tent Room Reflective Mylar Hydroponic Non Toxic Clone Hut 6 Size (32''X32''X63'') https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXK7ICK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UhVuybY2C4CHS

Roleadro 2nd Generation 600W LED Plant Grow Light Upgraded Full Spectrum Indoor Growing Light with 120pcs 5W Chips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IVQ96MW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_diVuybHJCV7XV

VIVOSUN 4 Inch 203 CFM Duct Inline Fan with Variable Speed Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CTM0H6I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BiVuybSGHVZTE

Century 24 Hour Heavy Duty Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVFF59S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nkVuybNGBW6PS

MacDoDo PH-02 Digital PH Meter Tester Best For Water Aquarium Pool Hot Tub Hydroponics Wine - Push Button Calibration Resolution 0.01 / High Accuracy +/- 0.05 - Large LCD Display - 100% Guaranteed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JOHTMEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MkVuybZ08V91M

VIVOSUN Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Reflector Clip Hanger Rope Ratchet with Zinc Alloy Internal Gears 75lb Each https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7TZNPQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nlVuyb1Q8670K

This is my setup, my fan is coming in today and my seedlings sprouted this morning. I did quite a bit of research and The light is a little underpowered but I was on a pretty tight budget and can always add more light later.
I spent $40 on seeds and super soil mix from Mephisto genetics, going a more organic route and won't require nutes.
I also spent about $30 on peat moss, perlite, and compost. I already had some ducting and pots.

Hey man, happy birthday!

For lighting, check out this MarsHydro 300W LED that's been on sale for the last few months for $89.99 (might be Prime-only?). It is absolutely worth it.

I successfully grew three autoflowers in a 5 gallon bucket and they each had their own peat moss starter pot (you can plant the starter pot directly into soil), but they didn't get too big. I'd start with one autoflower at a time till you're comfortable with the grow process and feel like you want to move up.

I you want to just grow 2-3 plants from the start, consider using two 18-gallon plastic totes stacked rim to rim (like a GNK Power Droid from Star Wars) - you'll have plenty of space, and it's not much different from a 5-gallon build!

What will you be putting in there? If it's mostly high light species you probably don't want to cheap out too much on light, but if you have a mix or mostly intermediate to low light you can probably get away with cheaper and fewer fixtures.

I have a few of these led panels, which are strong enough to tan a cattleya at a close range and could also cover a very wide area at a further distance for lower light plants. My oldest ones have been running daily for a little over a year and no issues so far, so hopefully they'll last a good long time. You could probably use one of these on each side at an angle so that the front of each shelf gets some direct light and arrange your plants closest by ordered of light requirements.

I also have some areas where I supplement light with a setup of cords---socket splitters---and smaller sized grow bulbs that I can swivel to target a wider or narrower area.

One more tip that I haven't tried with orchids but might be worth a shot in a setup like this, you could line the walls with foil or something reflective to help bounce light to the back sides of the shelves and have less spillover "going to waste". I've only ever done this with seedlings for my garden but it seemed to help.

You using this light?

Looks like you have it 12-16" above plants and a what... 3'x3' area for each one? I just built mine, but was considering getting more or getting a setup for when the big plants get bigger than the shelving would allow.

Looks like you have ~13 tomatos under one and ~17 tomatos/peppers under the other... how big will they get until you plant outside? Will those 2 lights be enough? (Just trying to figure out my own logistics)

I like the room though btw :)

def at least 4 for a tent that large. honestly you'd be better getting a few more powerful versions. 4 of the [100 watt version] (https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-3000K/dp/B07C59J8L2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542073882&sr=8-1&keywords=hlg+100) would beast out a 4x4 tent through flower. This 285 watt version could handle a 4x4 at veg but you may want to add some supplemental light at flower. And this 480 watt monster would be ideal, but it's getting pricey at that point.

if you are wiling to do a little wiring and buy you're own driver, you could buy just the boards for cheaper from the company on their website: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com. Then you could wire all the boards to a single driver and have a good set up for less cost.

One of these, I’m pretty happy with it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TT3EKD2?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I also have a bunch of these lighting up a shelf, I like them because they’re pretty compact but they cast light over a pretty broad angle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07428QCCZ?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I have three of these lighting another shelf, but I wouldn’t recommend: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GDT048Y?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

So the one you see on the top is this one:


Winjoy Grow Light, 30W LED Grow... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JLJFWNY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


But my plants don’t love it, they kind of put up with it. They seem to do better with this light but they only come with two heads and the cart needs three for good coverage.


Grow Light, Ankace [2018 Upgraded... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H57K565?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


The succs stress better with this second light than they do with the first one too! The third row I have this lamp for my light hogs.


50W LED Grow Light,Growstar... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LF21378?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


I only keep one side on at a time because I’m afraid to melt my plants but I just got this one and am a novice user!

Hope this helps you decide on one! I know how tedious it is to pick some lamps out, especially online.

Hey Guys.

As my first grow ever, I had 3 seedlings germinate after planting on April 5th into my AeroGarden 6. Here is a progress picture from about 3 days ago.

As you can see, my guy on the left is really taking off, but my other two have kind of stalled. Should I be worried about that?

I hear I can wait about another week until transplant. Would then be a good time to move them into 5 gallon pots? I am also laxing behind on my equipment. I’ve been scoping this tent and this light off of Amazon. Would you guys recommend? Any other recommendations for ventilation? Working a bit on a budget.

Also, I checked all 3 of them, and they have mainly just one long root as seen here. Should that be concerning?

Appreciate any info, and sorry for the noob questions. Happy growing!

I use a Phillips Grow bulb and a clamp lamp, but that’s because I’m growing my mushrooms in the same room I’m growing my weed, and that room is locked down like Fort Knox against light.

But indirect sunlight should be just fine, my friends growing mushrooms in her craft room/office, and her tub’s only getting indirect sunlight and they’re doing fine. Bod even tells you that sunlight isn’t necessary, mushrooms just look weird apparently without any.

This is the best one I’ve had! It was recommended by a friend and provides great light! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IVQ96KY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Nice! You won’t be disappointed. Good luck!!!

Just an FYI - it looks like the 135 is a lit you have to assemble and the actual light board is the same wattage as the 100. Either way you’ll be happy.

The HLG 100 was fully assembled:

https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-High-Efficiency-Upgraded/dp/B07C59J8L2

Last bit of advice - if you’re going to get a exhaust fan don’t get the Vivosun. I love their tent but the fan started making horrible noise after 17 days. They were cool about the refund but I went with:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002JQ4N92?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

It’s not a variable speed though but at least it’s an even sound. Like a window AC unit. Maybe a bit louder.

Without seeing pictures of your setup, I'd make a wild guess that they needed a ton more light. As an example, here's a popular light - https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Indoor-Growing/dp/B00XC3LBI2 - and it is advertised as being for a 2' x 2' growing area (though I think you could get more out of it than that, especially if you made some sort of grow tent equivalent. It's easy to underestimate just how much light plants need.

Growing from seeds will be more difficult and create lots of new hurdles to overcome, if you're still getting comfortable with plants I'd just pick up some seedlings.

However, you mention that you'll be a homeowner, so you might just consider growing your herbs outdoors. Not all of those herbs are perennial (basil is an annual, it will set seed which you can harvest but then it's gonna die), but you could also harvest and dry the herbs so you could have them in the off season if you cannot keep your cats away.

Another or additional option is to grow cat grass and catnip to distract the cats and give them something else to be excited about, and also give them vertical shelves away from your plants to play on or even a catio. Lots of times cats get into indoor plants because they are bored and need more stimulation. Plants and soil are full of interesting smells. Hope this helps.

I'm not the person you asked, but I've been using these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IVQ96KY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So far EVERYTHING I put under them does fantastic. I have apple seeds that sprouted really fast, I have succulents, I have a few flowers and things that don't like too much cold. Everything is doing super well.

I have two of these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH1MQV8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
and one of the Mars
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XC3LBI2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

the first one - galaxy hydro - is much purpler .
All three are in a small area - about 5 feet by 3 feet
I have 3 plants in there and they are doing great.
My total wattage consumed by the fans and lights is under 500w so obviously the advertised wattage is not accurate (3x300"watt" leds producing under 500watts?)
however they are SUPER bright and the leaves are deep dark green.

Hi everyone, here is an update on my first ever grow. So far my plant hasn't been as vigirous as I would have liked, I would love to hear what you guys think. Below is all the information on my setup.

Light: 180W Apollo ufo

Side Lighting: None

Growing Medium: scotts osmocote plus organics vegetable and herb mix mixed with 1/3 perlite

Temps: 21-24C (70-75f)

Humidity: 35-55%

Distance from top of plant to light: 30cm (12 inches)

Water ph: 6

Runnoff ph: 5.5

Nutrients: None (3 months of feed was advertised in the soil I used)

I fim'ed roughly 7 days ago. Is that supposed to dramatically change how the plant grows? It seems as though the plant is back to growing normally just with slightly shorter leaves on the top two nodes. I also lst'ed last week by bending over the main stalk. Finding a place to wrap the plant wire around without blocking nodes was kind of hard as it is very short and bushy.

Based on the pictures and information do you guys have any recommendation to increase the rate of growth? Also how should I be preparing her for flowering?

I use a few different ones: first is a Root farm LED which gives me AMAZING results. https://www.amazon.com/Root-Farm-10101-10135-1-All-Purpose-Light/dp/B074SG33M2 - they’re pretty pricey so I also have this one that’s more affordable and it’s been doing amazing too!! ACKE LED Panel Grow Light, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076B1W99T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_S8VwCbH2S70VS

I would recommend the Roleadro 300w 2nd gen LED light. No blurpleness (which is why I got it), it's a decent light for about $70 on amazon. I'm only using about half of my 4x2x5 (LxWxH) tent, so I would get two if you'll be using your entire tent.

It's my first growing season with it so I can't comment on its long-term reliability but so far it's been great (I.e., decent build quality, no burnt LEDs). Heat hasn't been an issue and inside of my tent, it hasn't been too loud.

It does have its downfalls though. One is the hanging hardware it comes with is pretty cheap and doesn't adjust so you'll need to figure that out. Also, there isn't an on/off switch or the ability to daisy chain lights, which many of the other brands have.

However, for $70 it's a decent budget light.

Roleadro Upgrade and Newly Developed LED Grow Light Full Spectrum 2nd Generation Series 300w Plants Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SQU7ybW3KAC37

Positronics Auto Express...a little over an ounce. Nice herbal scent. Bought from Sensible Seeds.

Happy Frog Potting Soil 70% Fafard Perlite 30%...get them BOTH at True Value Hardware store for less than twenty bucks. Order online, pick up at the store.

Did not use any medial light strips. DID use Low Stress Training.

Used "The UFO That EVERYBODY Has."
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGFW0XO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FGFW0XO&linkCode=as2&tag=spacbuck-20&linkId=CCK4BF7UHRYLUSOH

But watch it, keep an eye on it, this is OFTEN on sale.

Used Modified Lucas feed starting one month in...this means a teaspoon of Maxibloom per feeding.

Grew in the basement, and my casa is big enough that I didn't need a carbon filter...kept an ona block outside the door, but I don't know if I even needed that.

This was a nice plant. Well behaved, quiet, low maintenance. Kinda like a Golden Lab without the blonde hairs.

Such a nice plant that I even took it for an occasional walk.

Tin

looks like this one https://www.amazon.com/Panel-Light-System-Spectrum-Replace/dp/B00RZ78ISM

1 bad review, one guy doesn't know that all lights have about half advertised wattage.

meh. it's a gamble on reliability. some people who know more about LEDs than i do, apparently, talk shit about these "blurple" lights, in favor of full-spectrum. basically the cree bulb with the highest model number is near the best you can get. i'm still digesting this stuff myself. efficiency, higher lumens per watt is what you get in the good ones.

I'm not an expert, but you're asking me, the lights i wish i got were two https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Greenhouse-Germinating-Flowering-Generation/dp/B01IVQ96WW key words being full spectrum cob. It comes with the Cree CXA3070 which is the chips hobbyists on /r/microgrowery used in their own builds a year ago. They've moved on to better cob chips, but a cutting edge light for 2015 can't be that bad.

I got one of these https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Plant-Light-Spectrum-Generation/dp/B01HI3AFYM along with a mars 600 and the roleadro isn't bad for a $70 light, it may not be worth the cob premium for all i know. Three of those may do you.

You really should run a tiny second setup at your place too. It opens up a world of possibilities and would instantly add months of extra flowering time each year. I use a small (~12" W by ~20" H) round plastic garbage can with a lid as quarantine when I bring new clones home. You'd use it in one of two ways, both of which are different than than what I'm doing with it. It'd totally be a game changer though. Cut a hole in the top of the garbage can lid and use a light along these lines https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TT3EKD2/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3171424582&pd_rd_wg=128g8&pf_rd_r=997NGACEFB6JT6KA6X48&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00TT3EKD2&pd_rd_w=QscmD&pf_rd_i=led+grow+e26+12&pd_rd_r=H8D1VFCVZGXG1K20XZ00&ie=UTF8&qid=1504341333&sr=2 . Cut a smallish hole a few inches above the base of the can so that cool fresh air will be pulled in while the warmer stale air rises away. You'd have to look around to pick out the best light for your container, but something on the smaller side is good. They put out less heat so you could possibly use it in closed closet depending on temps while it's on. Also, if plants get way too much light in veg they grow slowly and don't have enough internode spacing for training. You'll probably want to make sure that you have your cloning technique dialed in before trying this, as you only get one shot to keep things on schedule. At first you could use the bucket to determine the sex of your seedlings. Grow the seedlings up a little larger than you normally would before FIM'ing them. When you top the young plant take enough of the top to use for a clone. Attempt to root the clone under 12/12 right away in the bucket. it might root and show sex, it might show sex and die, or I've had them just die before showing sex. While you're waiting on the flowering clones to show sex start shaping your newly topped plants in veg. We're hoping for the vegging plant to be ready or nearly ready to flower when the clones show sex. If the clone doesn't pull through you're really only a few days behind if you hadn't tried to flower a clone and FIM'd the plant earlier.

So there are only specific fans that will do that? Every fan I have looked at has pretty mixed up reviews but I haven't seen that mentioned. I'm probably over thinking all of this but this has been something I've been fixing to do for awhile too.

And now I'm looking at this light would this be the better move? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076QDKVDZ/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_YRHhDbF4STW1M

I'm trying to get everything on Amazon because I have a lot of credit there

A full spectrum LED light is going to be your best balance of light quality, low heat, and light that doesn't look crazy weird.

LED Grow Light Bulb, TaoTronics Full Spectrum Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, Grow Lamp, Plant Lights for Hydroponics, Organic Soil ( 36W, All Wavelengths, FREE E26 Socket) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748D2SMB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LYQYAb1WEX1PK

With that said, one of these will be enough to nurture a juvenile plant along, but a mature plant will be straining for a little more then just one bulb can offer. This type of bulb should be used within a couple of inches of the foliage in a perfect world.

If I was really trying to go for the bare-minimum cost setup I'd have it in a closet and here's what I'd do:

• Random large plastic container with drilled holes on the bottom as a pot (3-7 gallons). I would recommend fabric pots from your local Hydro store which cost around $6.
  
• Cheap soil and nutrients (look for Tomato nutrients) that you can buy at Home Depot/Ace Hardware/Your local Hydro store (FoxFarm Ocean Forest is GREAT and you get 12 gallons for $10).
  
• PH test strips, for around $5 online (very cost effective, giving your plants the right PH of water will help them a LOT)
  
  The hardest decision would probably be lighting... I'd advise you either go the CFL route (look it up on growweedeasy.com) or a cheap LED light from Amazon. You can get a 180W draw light from Amazon for $66, and it's decent, not the best, but you can surely go from seedling to harvest with them. MarsHydro is a well-known and relatively reliable brand: https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Certification-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBI2/ref=sr_1_7?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1506140832&sr=1-7&keywords=led+grow+light
  
  The last thing you will really need is ventilation. To start you can just use some small-fan you may have laying around but later the odor will become an issue. You can make your own carbon filter for cheap, or you can buy one. I believe you can get a basic carbon filter/fan combo for around $50 online.
  

This is the guide that got me started, it's pretty comprehensive. The only think I would suggest different is getting these net pots instead of the ones they suggest.

If you have a sunny windowsill you can just put it there. If you want to grow year round or in the basement / darker room I would recommend a light like this

1. The Kelvin was for older light technology such as HID or Fluorescent. Plants actually only need red and blue light. LED grow lights are far superior, I've personally used this one with [great luck](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076B1W99T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I like that it's much bigger than most other lights, so it's spread out and multiple plants can be below it. With a small light plants will grow towards the light.
   
   
   
2. Consider using a white or foil lined box, this will reflect the light and make it even brighter. If the box closes, it will be warmer inside. I use a $15 ice chest. I added a $5 timer and pretty much had a small greenhouse for $40 with room for 15-20+ plants.

Okay thanks. I was going to wrap the jars in foil with the reflective side out and place fish stones on top of the rock wool to prevent light from touching the roots. I think I'll look into UV light growing with soil and pot set ups. I can assume the plants you did not list work with the mason jar set up?

Also, this worked well in some guys video and are the perfect size for the shelf I am using.

10 of those will definetly do. I started with CFLs until i bought a 250W version and it fucking sucked balls. (was listed a grow CFL). the package shows 14W->65W so that bad boy will produce the equivalent of a 65W subjective "brightness" for human eyes. Definition of Lumen. The specification is kind of misunderstood since it tells you something about the brightness a human eye perseives. A plant has other needs.
nonetheless, with 10 of those you will grow weed, but if you pay more than 7$ a piece you should consider getting one of these for starters: 300W LED for beginners. they got a much better spectrum (not the best, but theyre cheap and easy to use)

I followed /u/spkmoneky's lid build and it's been phenomenal.

I bought this light: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGFW0XO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this muffin fan:
https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-Cooling-Ventilation-Projects/dp/B009OWRMZ6/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ac+infinity+muffin+fan&qid=1558105478&s=lawn-garden&sr=8-2

And followed this write up: https://old.reddit.com/r/SpaceBuckets/comments/8ktr9b/my_ufo_bucket_lid_installation_tips_instructions/

Fits like a dream and works wonderfully!

I added a speed controller for better noise control and it's been spectacular: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00809BQZG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am just getting into the hobby so I don't have any real results, but I posted the same question here a few weeks ago and was recommended this: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_18674157011

​

I ordered it and like it so far. Very bright, lightweight (I am holding it in place with only a few zip ties), and doesn't get too hot. They also make a bigger one if you're going to have a lot of plants: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-3000K/dp/B07C59J8L2?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_18674157011

Big thanks.

-Okay, i'll get a $50 kit. Roger that.

-Drat on humidity tray.

-Window, check. It's South facing and iirc gets 2 hours of direct light, and i have a fire escape that i plan to put the elm tree on for whatever seasons will work for that. But it gets super hot in summer and super cold in winter so it'll have some time in doors.

-yeah, re: prices. There's a Bonsai specific place in Brooklyn (https://bonsaiofbrooklyn.com/products/bonsai/ce.html) with lower prices, maybe i'll do that instead. Buying online is a no-no, right? or are there places online that are acceptable?

-Here's the light on Amz i was looking at earlier: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LG39B3M/?coliid=I3L8V2P868S6XI&colid=2Y089HAZ3UH6C&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it thoughts?

I'm trying to see what the actually pull on this thing is.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IVQ96MW/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

It says 124 but I think that's talking about their 300w because my Vipar 300 draws actual like 130 or something according to the manual.

So if the 600 draws 240-260, that's not bad for the price. $137. And the roleadro has the white/yellow light so it would compliment one of the disco ball lights well.

I just can't find for sure what the actual on it is.

something with a little more power , they got 100watt (20w) versions of these bulbs that are a lot bigger on amazon but a panel is gonna be the best bang for your buck , These ones are cheap and efficient

I want to start by saying that you would get a lot more grams for not much more money if you saved up a little more and spent ~$80 on a 125 true watt panel like this:
https://smile.amazon.com/Galaxyhydro-Indoor-Lights-Spectrum-Flower/dp/B00PH1MQV8/
but if your budget is fixed and 10g is your only goal, then you could add a 25 true watt panel like this and probably reach that goal:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01IVQ96KY/ref=psdc_14252951_t1_B072HNNSFZ

I don't know about strips, but this is probably the 'cheapest' light that will be effective, it draws 250 watts. The spectrum is a little more red tilted, but with the window light as well that should be fine. My basil plants exploded under that light, although it wasn't bright enough for peppermint. (I'd recommend the 150w version but it's out of production(?)) https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Generation-Upgraded-Spectrum-Growing/dp/B01IVQ96MW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480962538&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=roleadro+full+spectrum+300w

I currently have a dieffenbachia, peace lily, bromeliads and croton. I’ll use the light for the croton, dieffenbachia and peace lily. I’m considering this light: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LG39B3M/ref=psdc_14252941_t1_B07Q4RQ4V6

Thanks!!!

Hi there!

So I would really like to get into the art of Bonsai. I've been looking at getting a Ficus. The only problem is that it would have to permanently (at least for the foreseeable future) live indoors, as I live in a townhouse complex, without access to a balcony/private yard/fenced in area. I completely understand bonsai don't do well indoors, but with the proper lighting is it doable? I have been looking at lighting from local hydroponic shops and am having trouble picking a light. Would a basic 100 Watt-Equivalent CFL work? Or should I get something a bit fancier like one of these?

250 Watt, 6500K CFL with Reflector

2 Foot, 2 Tube, T5 Fluorescent

60 x 10 Watt LED Grow Light (600 Watt Equivalent)

60 x 10 Watt LED Grow Light (900 Watt Equivalent)

[CFL 13 Watt = 65 Watt Equivalent, 6500K] (https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.cfl-13w--60w-mini-twister-daylight-6500k---case-of-12-bulbs.1000681198.html)

CFL 23 Watt = 100 Watt 2700K

CFL 23 Watt = 100 Watt 6500K

If I were to get Fluorescents I would need a stand of some sort. Would something like this work? Should I change the bulbs to something more powerful?

24 Watt, 6400K, 2 Feet T5

Any of the lights purchased would be kept on an automatic timer indoors. Should the length of the timer be affected by the power of the bulb? Less powerful = More time per day?

Sun: Nepenthes generally like bright light without much direct sun. About 50% sun or dappled shade is good. Plant lights often work well if they are broad spectrum and are kept just far enough away to prevent overheating or scorching. Thin, spindly plants or poor coloration are a sign of too weak a light.

Light is a key factor in growing healthy orchids. Direct sunlight may cause plants to burn, and too little light will prevent plants from flowering. An ideal location is behind curtains or window blinds. If you receive your plant by mail, expose it to light gradually in stages over a period of several weeks.

You will want purple grow lights (blue + red spectrum), higher wattage for the nepenthese and lower wattage for the orchids. The wattage depends on how many plants you have and how big the grow tents are. You can find them all over Google and Amazon in different prices/sizes/wattage. For a grow tent, you will probably want a light array similar to this that spreads the light around well inside the tent:
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Spectrum-Greenhouse-Indoor-Flower/dp/B0185OLBPK/ref=sxin_3_osp48-36a8c5f3_cov?adgrpid=61475560212&ascsubtag=36a8c5f3-ad91-4b5b-baf5-381dd8900eb5&creativeASIN=B0185OLBPK&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.36a8c5f3-ad91-4b5b-baf5-381dd8900eb5&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw4iuwa2w5AIVEo7ICh1aRAVsEAAYAiAAEgLChfD_BwE&hvadid=274666766145&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9009930&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15593883700157648173&hvtargid=kwd-13364273&hydadcr=10883_9617036&keywords=indoor+grow+lights&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B0185OLBPK&pd_rd_r=03fed2af-5618-40dd-b75b-b1dd98f55272&pd_rd_w=vtrRy&pd_rd_wg=cD7cK&pf_rd_p=f66a2d45-e005-45b0-958c-0ca757b1aa11&pf_rd_r=7PDNM0R6N35YJMSW26YR&qid=1567366046&s=gateway&tag=spyonsite-20

BESTVA 1000W LED Grow Light Full... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01871AHTC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

BLOOMSPECT 1200W LED Grow Light: Full Spectrum for Indoor Hydroponics Greenhouse Plants Veg and Bloom (120pcs 10W LEDs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JZ52D82/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_rXT2vYA1jdd5S

Those are the links I don’t really know how to calculate true wattage, but if you do by all means thank you, but from what I said yes that’s the wattage but please let me know if it’s not regardless adding more lighting was very necessary for me since I was repeatedly told my tent was under lit.

Return it. The single bulb ones don't really have much spread to them, even if wattage is ok. I've had good luck with square panel
LED grow lights (about 45w but works), but better are the 122+w (true watts used not "equivalent watts listed so these are sometimes sold as 300w) full spectrum LED (yellow light) like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Generation-Spectrum-Greenhouse-Hydroponics/dp/B01HI3AFYM?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4

I have this light hanging from a shelf that I use for growing basil indoors: ACKE LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Plant Light for Grow Light Stand,DIY Indoor Growing Light Panel for Germination,Seedling,Vegetative Growth and Flowering

https://www.amazon.com/ACKE-Germination-Seedling-Vegetative-Flowering/dp/B07GGX3R9T

You can configure it lengthwise instead of how it’s shown in the picture. And I think you can connect two set together, but don’t know that for sure.

It’s a warm white light which is accomplished by having white and red LEDs

Edit: link

The moisture seems to do alright spreading without the fan. I don't think you would necessarily need it. I use it to increase air flow in order to prevent algae from taking over the tops of the soil on my plants in there and possible mold.

You might want to ask more about lighting from r/mosses since they're better equipped to discuss moss needs than I am. I know that my moss has been fine with this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07LG39B3M?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title) placed about 10 inches from the moss and turned on for 10 hours a day. But, I have no clue if that's optimal, I just know it works for me.

It depends on how many plants you have. I️ have roughly ten small houseplants clustered in a 4X4 foot area and use these lights and as a broke biochemistry student who studies plants. I know that plants actually use a very limited spectrum (that these lights supply) i have more growth from two of these lights than i had in my actual window sill. I️ bought mine for $8 a piece, and I’m not sure why they’ve had such a huge price jump. Mount them up high, as they emit more of a beam than a dispersed light.

They are made in the same factory as the “Taotronics 12W LED grow light” (look it up on amazon too) and that produce has over 1000 reviews and 5 stars. I’ve used them for about a month now and i am truly blown away by how much my plants are GROWING and not just staying alive.

I have three prayer plants, a rattlesnake calathea, a jade plant, an alocasia elephant ear, and others under this light and I’m growing new leaves literally once every few days. I just wanted to keep them alive, and i got something better.

Yep, absolutely love taking all this information and learning more about it, i am so fascinated by this process and have learned so much. Thank you for the input, and idk what my “liking” is right now as i yet to find out what i like rather then what they need and im at that point where ill do anything for them to be ok. Lol(to a point ofcourse) just, am inpatient so looking at them everyday and seeing no difference is bugging me, hopefully this new one will do better.

New one

Horticulture Lighting Group HLG 100 V2 3000K Quantum Board LED Grow Light Veg & Bloom | Version 2 High-Efficiency Upgraded LM301B LED's https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C59J8L2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Uyv4Cb2WP4FQM

They don’t need them - they don’t get hot only “warm” and they are full spectrum which means you have a grow and bloom light. Very efficient at creating light and spread and cost effective :-)

Some reviews here:

https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ

https://youtu.be/dM0ow-t6n64

Get something in either 3000K or 3500K range (spectrum output).

Let me know if you want to know more!

Honestly I thought the same thing, but it was a lot easier than I thought. Without having to wire anything, it was all pretty common handiwork with a drill or a Dremel saw. It's a GardenMate 8 Gal grow bag

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073NJYCFJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I used an Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGFW0XO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fans:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C82SYZ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I should probably clarify. On a smaller box/project, with about 200-300cfm of total exhaust, I hit heat problems with over the counter CFL's. Granted I had a lot of them, but I still had to reduce my lighting and watch the temps like a hawk. The hydrofarm fixture is at my local grow store. I can touch the reflector and not burn myself, I estimate it to have a surface temp of say 100-120F. How would that compare to a 150watt HPS?

My friend has used both 600 and 1000watt hps, the 600 alone puts out insane, heat; too hot to touch the reflector assemble bare handed, and the lens/glass has burned people in the past. Granted he could have used a cool tube, but he was low on cash and time.


Perhaps 2 of the smaller 150's: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-SBM150S-150-Watt-Mini-Sunburst/dp/B0055F80H0/ or a single 400 with a cool tube http://www.amazon.com/iPower-GLSETX400DHMCT6-400-Watt-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B005GYRB9S/ would be better than the CFLs?

Also looking at a Roleadro 300w (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM/?th=1). I guess my question also comes down to whether I need one or two of these. I heard the 50w/sq.ft measure, which 300watts ideally covers; but I've also heard that you should cover the ceiling of your tent to get the proper coverage, but these panels are pretty small compared to the tent (which is also pretty small).

Not OP, but I just bought this one and I'm pretty happy with it.

If it's heat you're worried about, CFL's will actually put out more heat than HID, if you use the same wattage. It seems counter intuitive, but because CFL's have a larger surface area they seem cooler. Sure, they aren't has hot to the touch, but they will warm your grow room up more overall.

If you have the full height of the closet at your disposal, then you could go up to a 600 watt fixture but a 400 watt would also be sufficient. It would require a cool tube or air cooled hood, and a good inline fan with a place to exhaust to.

It's a pretty expensive startup, but if you do things right, you'll make your money back in the first harvest alone.

Do you want to buy or is DIY an option?
DIY with Strips is fairly easy. But I don't know about canadian prices and availability of components.
An easy yet efficient solution would be 2 vegging QB.

I would highly recommend these, especially if you've got shelves that you can easily attach zip ties to(like wire shelves). I've bought two sets and couldn't be happier with them. They are unfortunately WAY too bright for a handful of plants, but the majority of mine are thriving under them. The only part that gets fairly warm is the metal bar on the tops of the lights, but with the way mine hang, it doesn't actually touch anything so I'm not worried.

I've also got several of the bendy LED lights that you clip on something, those seem like they work well also. I have one of each of these for some of my lower light plants like calathea, and a couple ferns, and just the remainder of my plants that won't fit on my shelves. My only complaint is that the purple one I bought doesn't have an auto timer, nor does it have a manual on/off switch, so I have to turn it on every morning I come in. It's just an inconvenience, but it also means it doesn't run on the weekends, so. I'd love to replace it with a different one. The rest of my lights I have on timers from 8-5 every day.

>If your house is 77F, but your water is 93F, something is wrong. The water should be at ambient temperature, which in your case seems to be 93F. Do you have a lot of hot lights right up against the plants with no fan? If so, fix your lights.

This is from the default Aerogarden Bounty LED setup - I bought two of them - both have consistent (high) water temps. The issue it seems is that while germinating and while the plants are youn, the black deck that the water runs directly under is 100% exposed to the lights - I think a combination of that along with the 10" height of the 45w lights during the germination & young plant phase is causing the 16F difference - in the bounty growing the basil, where they shade the deck the water temp is only 8-10F higher...still 87F seems too high for basil so I add ice to that one as well... I brought up my observations to Aerogarden who said just to add ice cubes (my thinking plants dont like sudden temp changes), but that seems to work ok....but seems ridiculous I would need to add 10-12oz of ice twice a day just to bring it down to 70F for a a few hours.. (the ice I add now, is solution I had to remove from the bowl to make room for the ice)

​

​

Since it seems my issue is that the room already starts kinda warm, the LED lighting (along with a black deck with water running across it) is the culprit of the high water temps?

​

In my planned Kratky/DWC setup - should start off with?:

- White Lid/Deck

- fan/forced air blowing on each deck

- 3w or smaller light source when germinating

- moving up to a 10w when young

- moving to a 25w+ when the leaves are covering the deck 90%+?

-- Beyond, moving the lights up and down - is there any other way to keep them from warming things up too much - do they make lights with adjustable intensity?

​

>Don't use pure blue LEDs, you want either whites or red/blue. something like these: https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Greenhouse-Succulents/dp/B01IVQ96KY/ref=sr_1_5

If I were going with just greens, Blue is best?

I'd suspect your light is the leading cause of slow growth, barring ph issues. From what I can tell of the leaves, it looks pretty healthy! Light leaks don't bother the plant as much during vegetative state, you mostly have to watch for those in flowering. You could always grab an additional light online to bolster your plant.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Generation-Spectrum-Greenhouse-Hydroponics/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1542517552&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=roleadro%2Bled%2Bgrow%2Blight&dpPl=1&dpID=41T44TtuwqL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Might be a good addition. Get the second Gen full spectrum yellow colored 600w (it's not a true 600w, but it's better than some of the other blurples and it's light penetration is solid)

Sorry, I didn't mean that brand wasn't important. I meant I'm not brand biased and open to any suggestions. But yes, I'll share with you the links to the lights I was considering.


SpaceTote2 Lights:

Philzon 600w LED Grow Light

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752CL6KJ/ref=emc_b_5_i?th=1

VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control PAR600T 600W LED Grow Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RTG4H1J/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_taa_eagCDb5MWT707


5x5 Grow Tent:
-Was going to buy

Phlizon 1200w Grow Light

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07527N1F7/ref=emc_b_5_i

-Interested in buying now

Phlizon 1800w LED Grow Light

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SRR8ZD/ref=emc_b_5_i?th=1


VIPARSPECTRA 1350W LED Grow Light

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078B4VJ35/ref=twister_B07N66DGXN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

VIPARSPECTRA Dimmable Series PAR1200 1200W LED Grow Light - 2 Dimmers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7CEW5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_taa_-9fCDbVAK62AB

King Plus 1500W Double Chips LED Grow Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZ8C34S/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_taa_9NfCDb5APW8K3

King Plus 2000W Double Chips LED Grow Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MY27Q9H/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_taa_aOfCDbCPXWYN8

I will have one 5x5 with either setup mentioned above and two space totes using a 600w led light each. I'm trying to use all of the same brand equipment to limit the amount of manufacturers to keep up with and monitor warranties with. Any suggestions, experiences and advice welcome.

Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light for Plant Growing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGFW0XO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Jbw9BbQC8XC32

Yeah I had this light too close for a little too long. Raised it for the last couple of weeks. Now I know for the next grow!

Smell was stronger than I expected, smelled great though. Seemed to have a citrus smell too it while trimming.

why not just a roleadro 300w watt LED or something if you're just going to go with a veg light for starting seeds + vegging. I assume you'll be moving your plants outside in a few months? A lot of people on here seem to be liking the roleadro lights over the mars hydro lights due to each LED being a little more full spectrum compared to the bluish purple hue of the 1st gen mars 300's.

As for the light I switched to, I saved up for a CMH setup because it was Ideal for my situation and I wanted to get good lights in the meantime until I start messing around with COB LED's. Kinda pricey, but my buddies also grow and would be interested in taking that light off me secondhand once I get my COB's built down the line.

well I recently bought 2 of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GL60LED-Spectrum-Growing/dp/B00FGFW0XO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421426521&sr=8-1&keywords=led+ufo

As for why I posted is I just got an email from the site that I posted above that they are having a sale on a lot of LED's. Figured that they are probably no good, but thought I'd ask and post for others. Maybe someone can find something useful on there. :)

Sorry, I don’t know much about the strips and shelves - though I do use some on my reef tank macroalgae reactor (clear tube with led strips wrapped around) seems to work well and puts up with occasional salt water with out electrocuting me or fish. I don’t know how to fix them onto shelves tho.

I use these one on my plant shelves and added one of these just so it wasn’t bright red. You can see my shelves in my last post. They’re super low profile. But my shelves are wire mesh which allowed me to easily tie them to the underside.

Take them home and place a growing light on them during winter. If you have your own office or are the last one to leave, set a growing light on them for the night.

This is the one I use. It has 5 brightness settings and 3 timer modes.

Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H57K565/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_96A4CbQ9MQEJN is this the light youre using? let me know how you like it, it looks pretty perfect for my window setup & relatively inexpensive!

I have two of these lights

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IVQ96KY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

They are not powerful at all, they meet none of the standards that people recommend. But I’ll be darn if they don’t work just fine. You have to have the light within inches of the plant. I mostly wanted something to prevent stretching since I’m in Ohio and we have very dark days ahead of us. But to my surprise they brought out some cool colors that I hadn’t achieved even after months of being in the sunniest window. I have them hanging under a desk and the plants are on the floor.

4 different ones.
lights


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C59J8L2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IVQ96WW

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IVQ96MW

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015FLSOCE


fans


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8ZC566

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I8Q30SC

clip fan


other stuffs


Frog soil

Smart pots - half 3 gallon half 5 gallon

Advanced nutrients nutrients

hygrometer: https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wireless-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Android/dp/B01AEQ9X9I/

6 inch intake fan from home depot

filter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NYF8S4

filter fan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CTM0JF2



strains


1 white widow

1 amnesia haze

2 money bush

2 jack herrer

It's under one of these: http://amzn.com/B00XC3LBI2

I had it about 12" above, had put it a little closer, but then moved it back up after a day or so (when I started trying to save it). If it's light bleaching, would increasing the distance from the light save it or would it be too late for a seedling this small?

Heats not really a big issue. They can take colder temps, just not under freezing. If you are in a garage, someplace cold, you should look into building an enclosure, or buying a tent you can heat.

The bigger they get, the more light they need to keep growing. https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-High-Efficiency-Upgraded/dp/B076QDKVDZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=hlg+led&qid=1572995821&sr=8-7

Blurple or full spectrum lights can work, but something like this is way way better. Look into indoor weed growing set ups.

I have the 300w from this brand: https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Indoor-Growing/dp/B00XC3LBI2


I have definitely added the thermometer to my shopping list, thanks for your input, its greatly appreciated!

DIY are superior, as you can get the exact nm frequencies you like, but if you aren't handy with electronics you can run the risk of fire or simply blowing money on a dud product. You can get 600w leds for 150 now on amazon, and they work really well.

https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Mars600-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBIW

Good luck, and keep the sub updated!

Depends on how much you’d like to spend. An HLG65 would probably be perfect for her, you can find em on Amazon here.
HLG 65 Quantum Board LED Grow Lamp Veg & Bloom 4000K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076QDKVDZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wOz.Bb0FT0XJ0

If you’d like to go with something cheaper I would just try and find something that puts out more than 100 Watts.

Invest in a better grow light. Something like an hlg 65 would be perfect for you grow space

HLG 65 Quantum Board LED Grow Lamp Veg & Bloom 4000K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076QDKVDZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2ND6BbTVQR4BZ

Might also want to give them some kelp extract as a root booster to fortify.

I have purchased 3 of these and although I have no long term results they are working quite well for the price. My lettuce likes it. There is a slight pink hue but not as much as other led grow lights imo.

Hopefully Amazon links are ok:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGX3R9T

iPower 600 Watt HPS MH Digital Dimmable Grow Light System Kits Air Cooled Reflector Hood Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GYRZV2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_VMnElrNdwb561
2x BESTVA 1000W LED Grow Light Full... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01871AHTC?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I could honestly use 1 more 600 hps light to get the most out of my area. I can dedicate an entire room, so I have veggie companions.

As for the trichs, you'll want to measure calyxes on your mature buds (the one you pic'd).
You already have a good amount of amber, so if the rest are milky you'd want to harvest.

It’s an LED array. It’s a cheap one; you’ll find they can get very expensive. LEDs are nice because they consume little power, produce almost no heat, and last a long time. These plants get some sunlight; I use a timer to run the lights 2-6 hours/day, depending on time of year.

I’m no expert, but I find they work well, especially for seedlings/young plants. Some plants do fine with limited sun, others need lots of light. Flowering plants apparently do better with a wider spectrum light than the one shown here. I’d suggest researching a bit, getting one that fits your needs, and giving it a try.

These are the lights and These are the smart outlets I ended up getting, based on tips from other redditors. I have two pairs of lights and two smart outlets, both configured to run 4hrs on and 10 minutes off all day.

So far the regrowth of my e.metallica is looking really good, as was my water logged e.prolifica. I have a ton of baby succs and they all seem to be doing fine. It's only been about a month but so far so good. Even the props below are looking good, as does my wife's orchid (hopefully it blooms again next year).

I can't thank everyone enough for their words of encouragement and incitful tips. My biggest takeaways.

1. My porch wasn't cutting it as morning sun wasn't bright enough and 5 hours of sunlight wasn't enough.
   
   
2. My sole east facing window in my apartment was ok-ish, but because the glass is 2-pane a ton of light is getting cut off.
   
   Based on this I opted to just get grow lights. I plan to decorate the house with these guys once they've had enough time to soak it in, and will move them back when they begin to show signs of stretching.

Mars Hydro 300, it's the standard intro LED and very cost effective. Lots of great grows posted here under those lights. Even if you upgrade to higher wattage, the little 120-130W "300W" panel will be excellent for the early stages of your plants.

You can also look into T5 fluorescent, which is what I use for veg but could be used for a small flowering setup. The best part about T5 is its extremely low heat output. You can grow the plants until they're touching the tubes practically. I would skip CFL, I feel it's a poor lighting solution that's a waste of money (up front and cost over life) in the light (heh) of high performing LED panels and inexpensive and more efficient T5 setups.

ACKE LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants,Plant Light for Grow Light Stand,DIY Indoor Growing Light Panel for Germination,Seedling,Vegetative Growth and Flowering https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGX3R9T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_p3LYDbDX85QCH

These would work great with your table!!

How quickly do you need to set up / tear down?

A couple of these:
CHAUVET DJ CH06 Lightweight Lighting Stand w/T-Bar (50lb Capacity) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096JYRY6/

...would give you a mounting location above eye level. Now you can decide your light budget. At the cheapest would be 4-6 basic hardware clamp lights (like these, but get them at a local hardware store for about $6):
Simple Deluxe 2-Pack Clamp Lamp Light with 8.5 Inch Aluminum Reflector up to 150 Watt E26/E27 Socket (no Bulb Included) 6 Feet 18/2 SPT-2 Cord UL Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XD1PK37/

Point them up at the ceiling for good ambient light, or aim one or two at the performance area. Higher in budget, a couple of inexpensive LED par lights may be enough to light the practice space. You probably won't need sandbags for that small amount of weight.

Brighter, but a bit more expensive: you could even suspend /attach shop lights to the light tree cross bars. I recommend LED in case they fall.

Sunco Lighting 2 Pack LED Utility Shop Light, 4 FT, Linkable Integrated Fixture, 40W=260W, 5000K Daylight, 4100 LM, Frosted Lens, Surface/Suspension Mount, Pull Chain, Garage - ETL, Energy Star https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0725D24X2/

The trees will make setup and teardown easier, you can run power right up them, and if you move spaces they're useful in the future. Those string lights are not very bright and you'll begin losing bulbs as soon as they get jostled while hot (if incandescent). Plus taking tape on and off each time may be a big pain.

Check out this light. Only costs a little bit more and has more wattage. Definitely a good light but my only concern would be too strong of lighting for a relatively small space.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0185OLBPK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have an orchid that was gifted to me this spring. It bloomed beautifully through the summer, and when it finished, I trimmed back its spikes (they were being sacrificed anyway) and repotted it (the included pot was very small and couldn't drain). So far, it seems to be doing well: I have two new sets of leaves. However, I'm a cold apartment in Seattle (though it is south facing). How much benefit do you think I'd get from installing this $70 sunlight colored LED grow light?

Edit: it's a young phal.

Well a gift card u just scratch off and put in the code.. I could give scratch it off and give you the code myself.. But I mean I'm sorry I don't mean to insult.. I'm just not very patient lol.. And have like no experience with reddit either..
Now I came across this fairly cheap LED light... Will this work?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FGFW0XO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1412955760&sr=8-1#

And also I heard the wattage per sq foot is different depending on what kind of light.. Is that true? And it doesn't matter how many plants, just sq ft? And how far away do I out them from the plant?
And what do u mean by extraction and a filter exactly?

For a light I love these MarsHydro Mars 300W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum ETL Certification Lighting for Hydroponic Indoor Greenhouse Garden Plants Growing 132W True Watt Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XC3LBI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UOkEzbEW2ZGQ5

It's actually just a clamp light like you get from home Depot or Lowe's or any big box hardware store. They're all the same really roughly cost around 6-10 bucks. I got 2 of these off Amazon for about 16 bucks, and bought a 6 pack of 6500k LED lights as well for I believe 23?

Simple Deluxe 2-Pack Clamp Lamp Light with 8.5 Inch Aluminum Reflector up to 60 Watt E26 (no Bulb Included) 6 Feet Cord UL Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XD1PK37/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UxkaBbF461FSZ

(They're on sale for 14 and some change lol)

Leson 100 Watt Equivalent A19 LED Light Bulb Standard E26/E27 Base 13W Energy Saving, Daylight Cool White 6500k (6 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FYGDX3A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xykaBbVR6BNS1

Aiming for a low maintenance grow. Only thing I have to do is refill the 5 gallon (soon to be 10 gallon) bucket every few days and adjust PH, nutes, as needed.

With that said - we both still enjoy checking up on our plants daily!

Here's a pic of when they were just little cuttings

and another

They spent their teen years under 2, 300w (125 true watts) Roleadro LEDs

Pre-veg Stage

For full Veg I'm running 2 400w (250 true watt) ViparSpectra LEDs on an 18/6hr schedule. When the plants get a bit bigger I'll drop down the 1,200w (350 true watt) Morsen LED LED to supplement the Pair of ViparSpectras.

Veg WK 0

Veg Wk 1

Veg WK 2

Using an (AWS-10) automatic watering system. Each plant gets 25 seconds of water 5 times a day.

Thank you for sharing! That is really impressive growth. I hope my plants get that large when I am ready to start them. (Zone 5A currently getting lows at -20F). I have never heard of that type of light, seems to work really well for you and they are on sale so I might have to try one. I wonder if I have one of those but still my other lights if there would be an issue, or if I would just use the mars one.

Also the comments from people on imgur really get on my nerves at times.