Lighting Weeks 1-3 Lighting

[Joe420]

Weeks 1 - 3. Once you've started your seeds and they break the surface of the soil, they are in their seedling stage. The first set of leaves to appear will usually single fingered, followed by a second set that may still be single fingered or perhaps 3 fingered. Once that second set appears growth will start to accelerate as the new leaves provide more photosynthesis. This process will continue, more new leaves, faster growth. Depending on the type of soil in use, mild vegetative nutes can be introduced at week 2. By week 3 most plants will start to show their sex. Males will start to produce pollen sacks and females will display pistols.

What type of lighting is recommended for this first stage?

Ill be growing in 4'x4'x7' walkin closet with a 400w HPS cool tube light dimmable ballast.

Can you use T-5's for the first weeks too? or would you just leave the 400 up higher and maybe dimmer??

Another reason for the question is I might not have the 400 light right way.

thanks

Joey420

 

[Muddy]

T5s work very well for seedlings and for vegetative growth in general. Just make sure the bulbs are 6500k as they provide more of the blue light that plants in veg need. A HPS bulb can be used for veg, especially one that has an expanded blue spectrum. Seedlings are pretty tender and the heat from HPS bulbs can easily burn them if set too low. They would be set at least 18" above the plants, maybe more, then raised or lowered accordingly to maintain node spacing of about 1".

 

[Joe420]

ty