MH vs CFL for seedlings

[oilman5150]

i was wondering which would be better for seedlings so i ran 3 seedlings under an adjustable 600w MH at 50% (300w) and i also ran 3 seedlings under a full spectrum 65w CFL

 

[oilman5150]

these are the seedlings run under the MH at 300w, they were germinated in R/O water for 24hrs, paper towel for another 24hrs, than into solo cups under the MH uncovered around 12" from the light at 18hrs on/ 6hrs off. temp was at 79-84f and RH was around 45-55%

 

[oilman5150]

this is 2 days later

 

[oilman5150]

this is day 5 of the seedlings under the MH

 

[oilman5150]

now fast forward to day 28 of these seedlings..they are now in bigger pots getting ready for vegg/adjusting the MH to 600w. In my opinion the MH has kept these plants bushy rather than tall. Also i feel like the growth rate has been outstanding and the nodes are 1/2" apart. I love what the MH has done for these seedlings

 

[oilman5150]

this is one of the 3 seedlings that went from germ to a 65w CFL approx 4-6" below the light. Same schedule of 18/6 and same temps but this is day 12 of these seedlings

 

[oilman5150]

this is day 18 for the seedlings under the 65w CFL....i just put these under the MH because the growth is no where near what it was with the MH....the seedlings under the CFL look weak, they hardly use any water at all, they are also slender and the leaves look strange....not at all close to what the seedlings looked like under the MH. I think the MH produced not only a healthier seedling but a much better plant structure, and by far a superior growth rate.

 

[farmerlion]

oilman 5150 I myself use two 105 watt cfl's and one 600watt HPS for my seedlings. They get one week inside then outdoors in the sun. If bad weather I move them back inside for the night. Once they get 4 true leaves they stay outside. If they struggle and die. I don't want them in the grow anyway. Peace

 

[oilman5150]

this is day 38 from seed. the first pic is BCBD god bud, the 2nd is RD GTH1, both started under 400w MH 18/6. IMO the MH is far superior than CFL for seedlings if your looking for that short fat bushy plant structure with tight nodes....already showing preflowers

 

[oilman5150]

this is day 38 from seed. the first pic is BCBD god bud, the 2nd is RD GTH1, both started under 400w MH 18/6. IMO the MH is far superior than CFL for seedlings if your looking for that short fat bushy plant structure with tight nodes....already showing preflowers

the one in the back is BCBD GSC, its my runt (or was) The fan leaves are huge, started with 3 fingers and now shooting out 9 finger fan leaves. The stem is twice as fat as the others (GTH1, GOD BUD) and its super stout. Its getting more bushy than tall, 2" shorter than the other 2, and also showing pre-flowers at every node

 

[oilman5150]

also..they have been at 600w for over a week now..maybe more..my ballast is an adjustable 600w (50%,75%,100%)

 

[paranoidnz]

Wow, Thanks for this, there is a huge difference, i was wondering how long i should use my CFL light before i switch over to the MH or Led. Looks like the sooner the better

 

[oilman5150]

Wow, Thanks for this, there is a huge difference, i was wondering how long i should use my CFL light before i switch over to the MH or Led. Looks like the sooner the better

these plants have never seen a cfl....always been under the MH since day one....this is 8 days after my last post, they are now in 5 gallon smart pots in moonshine mix less than 30 days in veg....going to flip to 12/12 in 2 days and i will be switching to a HPS bulb at 600w

 

[oilman5150]

the MH seemed to keep the plants short enough to let all the other leads catch up and become future tops, the Ghost Train Haze has 12 tops, the God Bud has 10, the Girl Scout has 10....i only topped 1 time. All of my future grows i will only be using MH for seedlings all through veg

 

[GanjaGrin]

That is quite a difference! Are you venting your 600w light to be able to run it only 12" above your seedlings?

 

[oilman5150]

actually im not..i run 2 fans and i dont seal my tent. i have a vent blowing almost directly into the unzipped area. i keep my ac on 74f and my tent stays between 79-81f with 50-54%rh

 

[oilman5150]

these girls are now 6 days in flower and around 52 days from seed

 

[MrGrowboto]

Those look good man! I might actually run my 315 cmh from seed this time instead of even bothering with the t5. I will actually be starting some rd gear in a few weeks here. I have a pack of 501st og I have anxiously been sitting on for about 3 months now. Im interested to see how those gth turn out. I definitely want to run some of those one of these days!

 

[oilman5150]

just an update on the GTH, GSC, and GODBUD....day 13 of 12/12 under 600w HPS