L
Lynk
Guest
Getting ready for another T5 bloom story. There seems to be a lack of diaries using full-term fluorescent lights. While I've read a few scattered accounts of folks using T5s for flowering, they are few and far between. On top of that, every story I've read is muddied by the seasoned grower who can't stand some opposition to his HID setup.
Here's a taste of realism for you - I don't care how you grow. This is my diary. I hesitate to even document this grow. Yet, I'll do my best to show you what the T5 HO does for me.
Just so you know, I'm terrible with plants. House plants usually die by my watch. A giant rhododendron in my back yard was darned near destroyed by spider mites a few years ago. Heck, I'm surprised that I still have a rose bush in my outdoor garden. Fast forward a bit, and suddenly I've found a soft side. I grew a tomato plant to five-feet tall last year. Now, I'm hooked.
On to the grow...
I obtained a couple of clones from the local dispensary on the first of December. Here they are, a week later. As you can see from the 2x2' T12, tin foil, and 875 lumen tubes, I hadn't a clue what lighting to use.
10 Dec 2011
12 Dec 2011
Halfway through the month, I decided to move straight into five gallon pots. The Sun Blaze 24 (4x2' T5 HO) came from the local hydro store. From 1,750 lumens @ 5000K to 8,000 lumens @ 6500K, the new lighting was a definite improvement!
16 Dec 2011
Onward and upward, they say... I had a few ideas about closet construction. Prior to this point, I had been planning to purchase a 4'x4' tent; however, the notion of a 2'x4' closet seemed more appealing. So, construction begins, and the plants have a new home.
20 Dec 2011
As you can see, I got the original two some friends. Plus, the 8x4' T5 HO assembly fit beautifully.
21 Dec 2011
Then, 10 days later, the pair of Afghans made it known that they wanted to be alone!
31 Dec 2011
Fair enough. I took care of the crowding problem.
2 Jan 2012
Trying to describe the intensity of this 8x4' T5 HO in such a small enclosure is rather difficult. The calculated luminance of the cabinet floor is ~53,000 lux, but that doesn't truly convey the relative brightness. So, I'll do it another way.
In the first of these photos, I focused on the plants, which are properly exposed. Next, I took a picture with focus on the top half of my cabinet. The second photo is properly exposed for a typical "bright" room (17.5' x 18.5' with four 100w-equivalent CFLs @ 2700K). Granted, the "bright" room has a total intensity of ~6400 lumens, versus 40,000 lumens in the box!
3 Jan 2012
Finally, after cutting a half-dozen starts from each, I began installing the bloom (2900K) bulbs. Today was "Day 0" of flowering. This picture shows four each, 6500K and 2900K tubes. I have six of the 2900K tubes in there now, and the plants are in the middle of their first long night.
3 Jan 2012
Now for the public opinion. Do you think I should bloom with a pair of 6500K tubes, or run a full set of 2900K, and why? I'm inclined to practice the latter.
Here's a taste of realism for you - I don't care how you grow. This is my diary. I hesitate to even document this grow. Yet, I'll do my best to show you what the T5 HO does for me.
Just so you know, I'm terrible with plants. House plants usually die by my watch. A giant rhododendron in my back yard was darned near destroyed by spider mites a few years ago. Heck, I'm surprised that I still have a rose bush in my outdoor garden. Fast forward a bit, and suddenly I've found a soft side. I grew a tomato plant to five-feet tall last year. Now, I'm hooked.
On to the grow...
I obtained a couple of clones from the local dispensary on the first of December. Here they are, a week later. As you can see from the 2x2' T12, tin foil, and 875 lumen tubes, I hadn't a clue what lighting to use.
10 Dec 2011
12 Dec 2011
Halfway through the month, I decided to move straight into five gallon pots. The Sun Blaze 24 (4x2' T5 HO) came from the local hydro store. From 1,750 lumens @ 5000K to 8,000 lumens @ 6500K, the new lighting was a definite improvement!
16 Dec 2011
Onward and upward, they say... I had a few ideas about closet construction. Prior to this point, I had been planning to purchase a 4'x4' tent; however, the notion of a 2'x4' closet seemed more appealing. So, construction begins, and the plants have a new home.
20 Dec 2011
As you can see, I got the original two some friends. Plus, the 8x4' T5 HO assembly fit beautifully.
21 Dec 2011
Then, 10 days later, the pair of Afghans made it known that they wanted to be alone!
31 Dec 2011
Fair enough. I took care of the crowding problem.
2 Jan 2012
Trying to describe the intensity of this 8x4' T5 HO in such a small enclosure is rather difficult. The calculated luminance of the cabinet floor is ~53,000 lux, but that doesn't truly convey the relative brightness. So, I'll do it another way.
In the first of these photos, I focused on the plants, which are properly exposed. Next, I took a picture with focus on the top half of my cabinet. The second photo is properly exposed for a typical "bright" room (17.5' x 18.5' with four 100w-equivalent CFLs @ 2700K). Granted, the "bright" room has a total intensity of ~6400 lumens, versus 40,000 lumens in the box!
3 Jan 2012
Finally, after cutting a half-dozen starts from each, I began installing the bloom (2900K) bulbs. Today was "Day 0" of flowering. This picture shows four each, 6500K and 2900K tubes. I have six of the 2900K tubes in there now, and the plants are in the middle of their first long night.
3 Jan 2012
Now for the public opinion. Do you think I should bloom with a pair of 6500K tubes, or run a full set of 2900K, and why? I'm inclined to practice the latter.