Halogen lighting?

[jimboyia]

Howdy all,

Is there any good reason why halogen lights should not be used to supplement outdoor grow (I only gever get 12 hours daylight)?

I was thinking about putting 2 x 300W Halogens on a moveable frame, with timer etc and just putting the whole shebang over the plants between stages of germination and vegging. I guess it would initially cover an area of 3' x 2'

Power source is nearby but I can still keep the grow reasonably discreet

Your ideas?

 

[gianammenicolo]

Hi
halogen lamps are not suitable for cultivation becouse the spectrum and excessive heat emitting. You will lose the money you save by buying these bulbs (usually are cheap) by paying the electricity bill.

 

[Pompey_Monkey]

HI Jimboyia,

I noticed from another of you postings on another thread that you suspect your plants are reacting badly to the natural 12/12 light cycle*

The halogens would not do much to help with the actual growth of your babies, but they might do the trick of keeping them in a vegetative state until you decide they're big enough to let flower. If that's all you can get hold of, it might be worth a try...

*I'll bet it's nice and warm where you are though - it's bloody freezing here in the UK atm!

 

[jimboyia]

Hi Pompey Monkey -you'd be surprised how cold it gets here in the mornings. Because we're at about 1900m we have a large temp gradient. From as low as 6C up to about 28C early afternoon is quite normal.

However, judging by what i'm currently seeing on the news this is still wildly tropical by UK standards.

I had done as you suggest and was able to keep the veg cycle going with a mere 60W bulb until the plant got about 1&1/2' tall - this meant dragging the plants under a light when it got dark and then out again in the morning but it worked. Then to flowering and I'm stoked to see 4 nice colas and several smaller buds developing. Plant is now about 2&1/2' tall.

In future I'm going to scrap the idea of using cheap halogens because I really would like to maximise veg growth AQAP and then simply harden the plants up before putting them outside to flower. Next grow will be Mango - know anything about it?

Good luck with the cold, I hope it doesn't last too long!

 

[jimboyia]

Hi
halogen lamps are not suitable for cultivation becouse the spectrum and excessive heat emitting. You will lose the money you save by buying these bulbs (usually are cheap) by paying the electricity bill.

Thanks for the info! Wll, I've got the timer, cable etc now soI guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and invest in the HPS, igniter & ballast....