I switched from High Pressure Sodium to COBs. My experience

[ronbo51]

I have a cabinet that I keep in the garage and only grow when it gets colder. South Carolina here in Charleston it only gets down in the thirties but its plenty cold enough to be too cold during lights out and cold days.

After struggling with how to keep temps up I decided to try plant propagation mats under the catch basins ( two side by side 24" grow chambers with a 20" hot water heater basin)


There is no question that these mats raise the soil temps significantly and growth is explosive. Cold soil (and roots) brings growth to a crawl.

 

[Carraxe]

Finally I upgraded my setup with a little HPS light to keep the things warmer both in temperature and color temperature. 600W HPS + 800W 3500ºK Citizen/Cree COBs in a 120x240 flowering tent. I believe that this will rock, it is a lot of light.

I've used the COBs I took out the flowering tent (400W) to overpower the vegetative tent, where I start the flower regime for many batches of plants. This is where COBs are unbeatable: for the first two/three weeks of 12/12, the very intense COB light (600W for a 120x120 cm tent) makes really strong, leafy, healthy and compact plants. Total beauty. And then, some mixed HPS/COB spectrum for the last weeks.

I believe I've found the sweet spot for this. I'll tell you how it goes.
Cheers

 

[Tynehead Tom]

my 4100K maxlight floros grow awesome plants with robust root systems and even growth all around.
Is there not LED tech in the 4100 to 4500K range?

If I was building a replacement veg light with LED..... based on what my floros do I would be looking at reproducing that 4100K

 

[EcoNepenthe]

LED COBs

LED COBs

Interesting discussion. Years ago I switched from HPS to LED COBs and I swear by them. Pics are current grow, 4 in 3gal smart pots, 8 in 2gal smartpots, 2 in 10qt trash containers. Under 600watts COBs Cree CXB3590 on a light mover. I run COBs (QBs and Pucks came about after I built my COB rig). It's all good, though. Were anyone thinking of switching to LEDs...COBs, QBs, Pucks are the way to go. Xcellent results/yields. Digital control ability. Might I suggest doing a youtube search on LED COBs, QBs, Pucks. Like Greengenes garden, justintime2grow, loki gro, growmau5, Mr. Canucks Grow, my channel Homegrown365. Just to name a few. These are all LED COB/QB/Puck users. Seeing is believing. Just to give one something to consider.

Success w/ya grow!!!
Cheers.

 

[Carraxe]

Interesting discussion. Years ago I switched from HPS to LED COBs and I swear by them. Pics are current grow, 4 in 3gal smart pots, 8 in 2gal smartpots, 2 in 10qt trash containers. Under 600watts COBs Cree CXB3590 on a light mover. I run COBs (QBs and Pucks came about after I built my COB rig). It's all good, though. Were anyone thinking of switching to LEDs...COBs, QBs, Pucks are the way to go. Xcellent results/yields. Digital control ability. Might I suggest doing a youtube search on LED COBs, QBs, Pucks. Like Greengenes garden, justintime2grow, loki gro, growmau5, Mr. Canucks Grow, my channel Homegrown365. Just to name a few. These are all LED COB/QB/Puck users. Seeing is believing. Just to give one something to consider.

Success w/ya grow!!!
Cheers.

Again, I don't think I've made myself clear about the subject of this thread. I've been growing pure 3500ºC COBs (2000W) for the last two years, so I don't need to learn about LEDs and how the plants behave. This thread is about things that aren't covered by the standard knowledge running around.

You can have a look into my threads. I have very nice plants, most of them aren't the usual growers weed. I do breeding. I guess you've never grown an extreme sativa or a landrace, nor have found any difference in bud structure between different sources of light. That's the subject, to fine tuning the knowledge.

Enjoy your works.

 

[EcoNepenthe]

Point taken.

Success w/ya!!!
Cheers.

 

[hubcap]

I was thinking on using LEDs for supplemental lighting...
Think HPS/MH over head and LED lighting around the walls, or sides, of the grow space.


The theory behind it is to "surround" the plants more with light, as opposed to just overhead.
I know that LEDs dont "penetrate" the canopy as well as HPS/MH so the theory behind using LEDsalong the sides/walls would be to get light onto the plants that, otherwise, wouldnt be hit with the overhead lighting.


Thoughts? Waste of time?

I've used mylar with success on the walls of my grow, but that is reflected light.


Again....thoughts?


-cap

 

[ESTERCHASER]

i guess you could do that but youd want to turn your plants so they arent being bombarded witht the same spectrum throughout the entire grow. ideally if you can expose them to sunshine its better imho

 

[GOT_BUD?]

ideally if you can expose them to sunshine its better imho

That's not really an option for some of us.

I'm adding some 630nm red QBs to my 3500 Vero 29 COB lights. I might add 660s as well in the future if I feel it necessary.

I'm noticing a difference in bud structure between my COBs and my HLG600 V2 panel. Less leaf and more flower under the HLG light than under the straight COBs.

I should have everything together and in place by next weekend if the power supplies show up on time. Which is fine because I still don't have plants to put under them right now anyways.

 

[hubcap]

That's not really an option for some of us.

Exaaaaactly.


trust me. if i lived in a place where i could grow outside in peace and safety, i'd have to call a team of tree experts at harvest time and the neighbors would have all the free flowers they wanted.


-cap

 

[TychoMonolyth]

I was thinking on using LEDs for supplemental lighting...
Think HPS/MH over head and LED lighting around the walls, or sides, of the grow space.


The theory behind it is to "surround" the plants more with light, as opposed to just overhead.
I know that LEDs dont "penetrate" the canopy as well as HPS/MH so the theory behind using LEDsalong the sides/walls would be to get light onto the plants that, otherwise, wouldnt be hit with the overhead lighting.


Thoughts? Waste of time?

I've used mylar with success on the walls of my grow, but that is reflected light.


Again....thoughts?


-cap

I think it's a great idea. Hitting the plant on all sides can only help the side and lower flowers get bigger. L