Indoor light color change veg to flower

[mkultra]

A buddy of mine and I have been tossing around the idea of recreating outdoor light cycle indoors. meaning the later in fall it gets the sun emits a more orange to red color. Were trying to recreate that by bulb kelvin temp. We run a six table setup with two 1000w hps over each table. 21 day cycle so we rotate 3 times a harvest. Tables 1&2 intro to flower 3&4 midflower and 5&6 bulk and flush. In veg we use 10k 1000w mh that just make the plants go crazy. From there we introduce them to table 1&2 under 4k mh bulbs for three weeks as intro flower. table 3&4 3k hps bulbs for maj of flower 3wks and 2100k opti reds on 5&6 3wks. Right know we use hortilux hps threw out flower and want to know if there is any exp grower that has tried this out before i go and drop $1400 on bulbs. any info would be awesome.

 

[Seamaiden]

I haven't tried doing it quite that way, but I also don't think you need the expensive Hortilux bulbs and could get away with almost any HPS. Most manu's specifications on lamps is fairly reliable, so I think you can use that data to figure a less expensive bulb for flowering.

What's interesting is when I first got started growing I was really stuck on that whole concept of spectral shift throughout the seasons. I've ended up using a mix of warm and cool white fluoros in my veg-table-box and that works well, have not played around with my actinic bulbs or the 10K MH I have lying around. Since I'm giving the indoor growing a toss for the season this year I won't be able to play with it until I've gathered up my courage and resources to try another go.

What are the benefits you've found to playing with color temperature this way?

 

[mkultra]

well when we first got started the grower that tought us only uses hps for veg threw flower. After doing it this way for bout a year didnt want to question the master we started thinking for our self. I finally talked my partner in using mh for veg right next to the hps. We first used 600w digulux conversion bulb and had crap results found out that is was a 5500k bulb. Plants grew but the node spacing was still stretching like crazy and for some reason the plants grew a turttle shell color. we got a hold of some 7500k bulbs from a buddy and what a world of diff. the plants stopped stretching and started to bush out and lush green as all hell. we even had to top ouff our rez 2 times more than normal in this stage.so we thought blue spec is it so we grabbed 10k and never looked back. ever since then weve been gettin 9s the size of our hands and the stock on the plants doubbled. we used some stock sylvian hps in flower and that was the wrong thing to due. spent 60 bucks a bulb and was just utterlly dissapointed they grew but the dencniss wasnt there. The hortilux bulbs we got from our master that were 2 years old produced more byfar. So we went with all hortilux bulbs and results are awesome. we found out they make grow bulbs for a reason and we have noproblem spending the money on them. Cheap bulbs are no good and the loss in product well lets say spend the money and get ushio or hortilux. The hole reason we started this was to get rid of stretch when introduced to flower and gett tighter node spacing threwout. ill keep posted when we get the 4k bulbs for intro and let know if any change.

 

[Gartner]

For vegetative growth Light of Blue Spectrum, which is of 6000k color temperqature,
this is also being called day light colors.
But during Flowering period light sorce of red spectrum of less intensity 2500k holds good, as high temperature will burn the flowers.This is called soft light.

 

[Seamaiden]

Very interesting information, mk, thanks for sharing your experiences and observations. :)

 

[treehugger]

Btdt, and the fuss is not worth the muss. The problem is the lag that the plant shows in dealing with each and every spectrum change. Go through five different bulbs and you're adding two weeks to your cycle.
There is a slight difference in pharmacological effects between straight MH and straight Hortilux, but nothing that exceeds the normal. When you include all the extra expense (mh's last half as long) and labor it just isn't worth it, whether it's for head or patient...

 

[mkultra]

I tried just about every mh and found that the stronger the blue light the better our strain grows. Nothing under 7k for veg anymore keepin it blue. Thats crazy to think about light burn on the flowers with higher light k, I never thought about that. You still think 4k will burn the first 3 weeks orf flower, light is to be used last weeks of veg. I just now got wind of some guys using 10k bulbs for the last 2 weeks of flower kinda like a natural bulking agent. Havent seen it first hand but to scared to give it a try. Ushio opti reds is just about the best flower bulb 2100k. And only companie to say they use 10% more red in there flower hps.

 

[mkultra]

I dont see how by going threw five diff bulbs im adding 2 weeks exp plz