T5 lighting

[jason.hall28]

I'm using T5s for lights my white widow is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and in flower mode at 13 weeks old. how long does it take to complete?

 

[logic]

Jason you should not be flowering plants under a T5, please go and buy a minimun of a 600w HPS light :) im sure some other farmers will chime in and offer you some help soon...im to busy to right now.

 

[Smoking Gun]

Like Logic said, those plants are way too big to be flowering under a T-5. Invest in an HID light. As for the flowering time of White Widow, I would give it at least 10 weeks from the point where you flipped to 12/12. However since your light is going to be a bit weak for your plants it may take longer to get a final product.

 

[jason.hall28]

im always up to new ideas so all will be accepted

 

[jason.hall28]

i just added four 4ft 2 bulbs floresents units in each corner and left the T5 hanging above it. really cant afford HPS systems. now will that help or work? lol

 

[tattoojim]

i just added four 4ft 2 bulbs floresents units in each corner and left the T5 hanging above it. really cant afford HPS systems. now will that help or work? lol

bro that will help alot...but what spectrum are you running in them flouros?

 

[jason.hall28]

lol all i know is they r daylight bulbs they r very old need to be replaced soon as work picks up.

 

[tattoojim]

2700 k is what u need to grab..6500 k is most daylight bulbs..6500k will make bud but it will b small and fluffy, and take a bit longer. cfls make good filler lights

 

[SmokeyPipes]

That's a pretty big plant and theres no way a T-5 is gonna penetrate your canopy! If you can't afford a HPS than you could always pick up some big 300W CFL's,they only use 62 watts each for around 15 bucks a pop at home depot

 

[urbanfog]

Yeah man even a 250 or 330 or 400 cmh would be a nice add to your area. CFL's also would be a bit better. Check craigslist, I have been seeing 400's for 125 with hoods and 1000 watters for 175 if you look.

 

[LexLuthor]

I got a 600w HPS from ebay for $150. yeah its "made in China" so its low quality and the bulb went out 1 month after I bought it but they sent me a new bulb for free and its been working fine since. If you really want good dense buds with a decent yield go on ebay and look for either a 400w or 600w, whatever you can afford. Don't expect much of a harvest by using T5's. I'm NOT talking shit I just dont want you to get your hopes up. T5's are great the first few weeks of growing after that you need HID, especially with such a tall plant. Good Luck!!

 

[kixxx]

agreed very much, try get hps or sunlights

 

[ttystikk]

The theory behind the consensus of inadequate light is as follows; T5, flourescent and CFL all are fairly diffuse light sources, that is, they make light over a wide area, but they don't pack any punch. The usable light they throw will not reach much further than maybe 6 inches from the bulb itself. This is fine for veg. but flowering plants need more power, Scotty!

Back in the day, I grew one under a tripod of 3 shoplights, total of 6 bulbs, and I got a decent plant but it was fluffy and didn't yield a lot.

If I were you I would lurk on craigslist, that's where I got the vast majority of my gear and I usually got it for less than 50% of retail.

 

[fishwhistle]

t5 is for veg silly boy...

 

[StickiestAbyss]

t-5 cost as much as a 1000w magnetic w/bulb and bat wing reflector.. you'll be glad you did it.

 

[LexLuthor]

Craigslist is great but I rather use ebay when it comes to expensive electronics for the simple fact if you buy an item from someone on ebay that has a good reputation 99% of the time you wont get ripped off and if something needs replacement (like my bulb) its usually free. Craigslist on the other hand is still a great website but its usually private sellers that wont return items or give you replacements and I know some people that got ripped off buying electronics on craigslist for example my younger brother sold his broken xbox to someone and ripped them off I dont condone what he did but thats the chance your taking when buying from a private seller. Ebay has lots of actual business's selling items and alot of them offer returns and like I said before will replace certain items for free. Good Luck!!