Just read your using a 300W Halogen, this is not a good light to grow with.
Halogens are a broad spectrum light and has a poor PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) rating. The PAR rating refers to how much usable light is available to the plant.
Halogen bulbs are very inifficient and produce a lot of heat this has various negative effects -
- It will heat up your grow space, which will make it harder to control temps or you need to use more enegry to get rid of the heat
- If halogen lamps are too close to combustable material then can cause a fire.
- Whilst some of the light is usable it is only a small percentage, a grow light with a better par rating will be cooler and produce a better yeild
Alternative lights you could use -
- Cfl (which you arleady have some) inexpensive , have a range of colour temps ie parts of the spectrum covered
- T5 flourescent tubes - inexpensive - have a range of colour temps ie. parts or the spectrum covered
- HPS (high pressure sodium) - inexpensive , tend to be more on the orange/red side of the spectrum , but some dual spectrum lamps have added blue
- LED - will cost you more,but have long life time, are efficent and cooler temps
- LEP (light emitting plasma) pricey, full spectrum that tend to be a bit heavier on the blue side of the spectrum
Blue side of the spectrum more suited to vegetive growth
Red side of the spectrum more suited to fowering growth
Full spectrum covers the whole spectrum and is similar to the light the sun provides , this what plant like best
In the early stages of growth you can set the bias of the light more to blue and in the later stages (ie flowering) you can set the bias to more red.
You would do this by either having a single colour biased bulb/s ie blue veg,red flower, or having a mix of bulb/s biased to the stage of growth you are in.
You can of course use full spectrun from start to finish, many LED light are full spectrum.
Some LED light have a veg/full spectrum/flower switch settings.
Have a good look round the forums and look to see what other growers are using, then look online to see what prices the lights you like are.
Understandably price play a big roll when buting lights.
If money is tight buy a light that does the job and is inexpensive, you can always save up for the light you realy want and buy it at a later date.
Peace
Growerz
:smokebuds:
