150w HPS Club and Resource Guide......

[KolorBlind]

Kolorblind, Im working on box 27inches high by 22inches long and 12inches deep area got any advices I have it painted flat white and thats it got any ideas? Such as light ( i was thinking 150watt remote ballast) but then what kind of pots do I use? I liked the size of ur buds and if I could get away with 2liter bottles that would be great, then how do I trim to get the max amount of nug off of them and so they dont get to tall like you said any ideas I would be so thankful, by far the best set up I have seen for what Im tryin to do ty stay high

With a height of 27" I would go no bigger than a 150w thats for sure. You could probably slap a computer fan in there blowing across the fan and as long as ventilation was adequate I think heat issues would be minimal. Definitely remote ballast, always with HID lights. I would use 2 liters if I was you, or even 3 liters so you can cut them shorter to get max bud height.

As far as trimming, the first time I ever touch them with scissors is when I chop them down to harvest. The only exception is if I am clipping a little bud to sample. I have found that I get just as good of results by not trimming anything. If I was Scrogging or had a more compact canopy I may trim the undergrowth a bit but that hasn't been an issue yet for me. To keep them short, you will HAVE to start with a strain that doesn't get too tall. If you use any autoflowering strain you will be fine, but if not I would look into 12/12/ from seed if I were you. Just do some searching and browsing around in the micro grow section of these forums, you will find tons more info in there.

Good Luck!
KB

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

DiscoBiscuit got any ideas for me?

check post 5643. a 150 might be more than ya need for that cab. A 100 would give you 50wpsf.

 

[Shred42O]

well i mine ended up weighing in at 4.7 oz i just barely missed my goal of 5 but iam still stoaked

 

[catman]

Nice pull Shred. I would be stoked too!

My grow area is 28.5 inches tall and I'm now using the 150w vertically. I have added a 42CFL at the bottom because they don't get enough light. I've seen good micro growers yield an ounce per 42CFL light so I think I can justify the extra heat it will produce. I would probably be better off with 2 vertical 100w, but that would have been expensive.

Because GrowBox's chamber is only 1 foot deep I think he is best off doing the classical Dr Bud array of vertical CFLs or PLL lamps if they will fit. Also GrowBox you should use smaller containers than even 2L. 16oz bottles or cups are about perfect. They will require more attention to watering and will require extra effort, but it is the way to do it if you want the largest quantity and best quality harvest. A real bonus, it is the fastest growing method as well.

 

[GrowBox420]

I heard cfls dont produce nice nugs? Is that true? Ive seen nice set ups with 150watters with cooltubes it seemed like the buds were able to grow fairly close to the light with nice nugs. Were does everyone get there strains from?

 

[KolorBlind]

well i mine ended up weighing in at 4.7 oz i just barely missed my goal of 5 but iam still stoaked

Very awesome man!! Just a hair over what I ended up with! Enjoy the harvest!!

I heard cfls dont produce nice nugs? Is that true? Ive seen nice set ups with 150watters with cooltubes it seemed like the buds were able to grow fairly close to the light with nice nugs. Were does everyone get there strains from?

After growing with both CFLs and HIDs, here is my conclusion:

-Watt for watt, HIDS put out less heat if you have a remote ballast until you get into the 600w+ bulbs. Keep in mind that 90% of CFLs (if not all) are bulb+ballast in one, producing more heat than just the bulb would. But, 600w of CFLs can also be spread out whereas a 600w HPS will be more concentrated heat in a smaller area.
-HIDs have much better light penetration, but it seems that the very top buds dont suffer much at all under well placed CFLs. The lower bud sites are a different story, however.
-CFLs get hot enough to burn plants, but not paper (ive tried). This is a plus vs. HIDs in case a light falls.
-CFLs are cheaper to buy initially, but they should be replaced every other grow at the MOST. A high dollar 150w HPS ($20 for the bulb) can last many many grows and still put out a lot more lumens per watt than a CFL did brand new, so CFLs will need to be replaced more often to maximize efficiency.

So either way you go, there are pros and cons as with anything. Other variables include your grow box, height restrictions, etc. Ive CFL growers pull 1g per watt or better, so dont listen to anyone that says CFLs are inferior. HIDs will give you much denser bud and more lower bud, but honestly we all now the top buds are the best and Ive seen top colas grown under CFLs that were absolutely amazing. I am more partial to HID for the simple fact that I have 1 bulb to worry about, but if you put your mind to it and do it right, no matter what you choose you will get great results. Just read a lot and ignore as much negativity as you can.


Peace
KB

 

[Shred42O]

cfl's just dont penetrate as far as the HID 150

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Here's a couple pheno's of Zombie Virus and about a gram and a half of quick wash. The hash looks like oatmeal in this crappy photo but actually has a nice gold color and tastes lovely.

 

[Shred42O]

nice!! what you use to make your hash with?

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

ISO

 

[sito007]

what is a good mesh to make hash? Anyone

 

[KolorBlind]

Here's a couple pheno's of Zombie Virus and about a gram and a half of quick wash. The hash looks like oatmeal in this crappy photo but actually has a nice gold color and tastes lovely.

Very nice man. May I ask how you cure your bud? From chopping to cured how do you do it? I must know, those buds look fuckin amazing man! I have been hanging my girls up for about 4-7 days till slightly crispy at the tips then putting it all in mason jars, opening the lid once a day. I don't seem to get as good a result as you do though, could just be the bud who knows

Peace
KB

 

[Shred42O]

it could just be his trim job that makes the difference

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Very nice man. May I ask how you cure your bud? From chopping to cured how do you do it? I must know, those buds look fuckin amazing man! I have been hanging my girls up for about 4-7 days till slightly crispy at the tips then putting it all in mason jars, opening the lid once a day. I don't seem to get as good a result as you do though, could just be the bud who knows

Peace
KB

Thanks, KolorBlind. You're right, trim is dependent on strain. The dense nugs get a close shave and airy buds just a trim. Leafy pot is lightly trimmed to shape, especially if the bud leaves are frosty. All buds are removed from the stalk and stems are trimmed short. Once it's jarred, bud weight will cause the buds to compress slightly.

The rest is a cheap trick. I fill a jar half full of choice buds and shake the jar. The shaking causes the buds to compress slightly and look fuller. All pics are taken on the "Shirley Temple" side only. These buds are shared with friends and the rest just gets jarred w/o shaking, lol.

EDIT: 99% of my smoke gets no cure. A typical ounce will be gone in 10 to 14 days. I use the cab exhaust to quick dry, usually done in 48 hours.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

what is a good mesh to make hash? Anyone

Sorry sito, never dry sifted. I've read 75 to 90 is a good range. I'm sure there are a few posts in the hash thread

 

[cosmiccowboy]

i've got a 1500 watt,general electric fixture..any way to put a mh or hps in it?

 

[Pipedream]

Unlikely worth the effort or expense involved.
However, if you throw up a pic or two, or some more details, we might have a better idea of what you are dealing with.

 

[cosmiccowboy]

Unlikely worth the effort or expense involved.
However, if you throw up a pic or two, or some more details, we might have a better idea of what you are dealing with.

it looks like a street light..this bulb gets so hot,if you get close to it you would get burned..guess its a 1500 watt incandescent bulb...

 

[MueXX]

Hello all, looking for some advice and assistance.

I have a 150w HPS I fashioned from a security light, growing in a metal storage cabinet. Using DWC with the Lucas formula in a 5 gallon home depot bucket.

The plant is AK48 at around a month into flower. Started out as a very bushy indicia dominant plant. Floral cluster are exploding all over the place, and boy there's a delicious fruity/musky smell to it. If I could bottle the smell I'd make a fortune!

The problem I'm having is height maintenance. No matter what I do it seems the plant keeps growing into the light. At all times I attempted to keep the light around 4-6" away from the growing tips.

I initially fashioned a scrog screen from coat hangers and attached it to the lid. The plant overgrew the screen by a magnitude in flower, so I removed it and began tying things down. That didn't seem to help.

My incredibly branchy and indicia plant keeps growing like a cow on steroids! The hps is now at the top of the growing space and the plant is growing past the light.

So I'm looking for help with two things.

First, what options do I have this late into the grow to manage this monster? Can I break the thick and wooden stems to pull them back away from the light without killing her? Should I get more aggressive with the tiebacks, pulling stems to opposite sides to keep them low?

For the next grow from clones, what would you folks suggest for dealing with such monstrous growth? I was thinking 4 three inch net posts in the bucket lid, with an SOG. Is such a branchy and explosive plant suitable for a micro SOG?

Here is the cabinet's utility chamber. Ballast remoted. Pulling air out of the grow chamber is an old air filter device I found in the garage. It pulls more than enough air for the 150, but alas it's so old I can't seem to find the round carbon filters for it.

 

[MueXX]

Here's the two seedlings I started, before switching to home depot buckets for easier maintenance. The plant to the left is the female in my previous post. The plant to the right was a spindly sativa dominant male, which is now in a landfill somewhere.