Additional lighting

[unkownSuperstar]

Hi Guys,

I am new on here and to growing so thanks for having me on board. I am in week six of my first grow using a 600w multi spectrum lamp. Which has done the job pretty well so far. My plants are now getting to the size where a few of the lower leaves are going yellow due to not getting enough light. Is it worth putting some extra lights in to light all the plant or as its my first grow not over complicating things and just cut the yellow leaves away.
What additional lights do you guys recommend? I need something that lights off as least heat as possible as my groom is in the loft so on hot days (Not that we get too many in the UK) it can become a bit warm despite a half decent venting system.
The three plants I am growing look healthy enough, its just I would like to get as much out of them as I can.

Thanks in advance!

[GetThisOrDie]

Whats up? Welcome to the forums!

Its always worth putting more lighting in lol. You shouldnt worry about the yellow leaves on the bottom. The plant is actually using the energy in them so why cllip them off? They will fall off when they are completely useless.

LED lighting would be your best bet for side lighting as it puts out little to no heat. Only problem is they are expensive for the ones that work. CFLs work great as side lighting but they do put off heat.

[unkownSuperstar]

Hey, thanks for the welcome. If they let out heat they are going to cause more harm than good I recon. Could be an option over winter though.
I will get some leds priced up, even if they are expensive I suppose I only have to buy them once and the use I get from they will pay for themselves over time, as I no longer have to buy weed.
One of the plants is a darker green than the others could this be down to lighting and it wilts a lot, then some days it looks like the healthiest plant going. Could it be bacause I can't get my soil to shift from ph 7.8?

[GetThisOrDie]

Theres alot of smart people on here when it comes to LEDs... Ask questions in the lighting forum.


Do you have pictures?

PH 7.8 is very high. I usually keep my soil plants between 6.5 and 6.8.

[unkownSuperstar]

I will get some sorted out mate, my pet rabbit chewed through my lead for my digi camera. It doesn't even smoke, but that little critter always has the munchies. It will eat anything ;-)Serves me right for letting it have the run of the my house!!
Give me a cvouple of days and I should have a new lead.

[GetThisOrDie]

Here are some links for you to look at.

LED Bulbs - LED Light Bulbs - Hydroponics | HIDHut Discount Hydroponics Supplies and Equipment (http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/led-bulbs-c-147_101.html)
These are the LED bulbs I use for additional lighting and they work good. Its just that they are expensive.

I was also looking at these
25w Beagle GrowL�® LED Grow Light (http://shop.ledgrowlight.com/45w-Beagle-GrowL-FC-BGL45w.htm)

Dont know how useful those links will be since you are in the UK. Gives you somewhere to start though.

[stra8outtaWeed]

GTD is correct...LED lighting is the way to go to beat any heat issues :thumbsup:

i have been using them for couple of years in veg and recently (about 5 grows) found lights that i have been happy flowering with...you can check my bottom link to see :jointsmile:

[unkownSuperstar]

Thanks ever so much guys. Let the research begin!!

[bigsby]

I was also looking at these 25w Beagle GrowL�® LED Grow Light (http://shop.ledgrowlight.com/45w-Beagle-GrowL-FC-BGL45w.htm)

Those Beagles are 45w spread across 112 LEDs. That's less than half a watt per LED. Not much use unless you remove them from the housing and string them on your house at the holidays or perhaps you could arrange them in the shape of a unicorn to please the neighborhood kids ;)

You want at *least* 1 watt per LED for side or supplemental lighting and preferable 3w / LED or better for flowering.