How soon can seedlings go under a 1kw

[rys]

How soon after i pop a seed can i put it under a 1000w light to veg? I popped a few and they are currently sitting under 75watts of t8's. No nutes are currently being fed just h2o.

 

[globe_toker]

It's fine just hang your light a bit higher than normal. Lower your light intensity by raising the light fixture, you should be alright. I use a 1k to start seeds and veg all the time. I'm no indoor hydro wizard but it works.

 

[Asbestos4u]

I would use the T-8 you have for a few weeks befor fireing up the 1K. If your 1k light is already running then go for it. Just keep your distance.

 

[redman420]

i use a 1k to start my seedlings and just keep the light about five feet away from them.

 

[BBYY]

I agree.

To save the hydro, I prefer to run my florescent that take 1/8th of hydro to my big lamps. I usually keep em under the floro's til week two. Then once I start to feed my mild veg solution they go under my HID lamp, still 2-3 ft away til they mature a bit.

I dont see no problem with using a HID for seedlings, less the light was too close.

 

[basement botany]

I would say use the t8's for a few weeks to. They don't need all that power early on. Plus unless you are using a MH bulb I would definitely stay with the t8's. Hps will make them stretchy.They will provide a better veg spectrum and cost a fraction of the money to run. Plus that 1000 watter puts off alot of heat. Could not amagine running my 1000 watt for 18 hours a day to veg seedlings seems wasteful.

 

[steelyeyes]

I like mine to stretch from the beginning. There's nothing at the base of the plant I want but the stem anyway. I have a dial a watt set up so I start at 400 watts for a week then 600 and pull the light up, and then 1000 and move it even higher to encourage a bit of stretch. When they get where I want them I put the light down to about 14" above the tops and they bush out. That's about when I pinch the tops back too.

You can vary your "power" the plants are seeing by starting off with the light high and adjusting it to meet your needs. I've seen some pretty good looking veg plants under cheap 1000 watt lights with crappy reflectors that were five or more feet up. Wasting a lot of intensity that way but he was making up for it in volume. He was selling clones so his goals were different too.