You're in Oregon. If you're a patient you can join OGF and get a discount on grow supplies and access to garden geeks who will help you.
Otherwise, You can get started using a bunch of cfl's, while you save up for an HPS. I use the 26W daylight bulbs. They give the most lux for your low budget. shoot for 50W per square foot (that's real watts, not 'same as' watts).
You can get low wattage HPS (70-250W) at home dePot, but they're not as efficient as the higher wattage ones, especially the 600W which are specifically designed for horticultural use.
I recommend using the CFL's to start, then get a 600W HPS and use it all together. (if you have the electricity to run it) Eventually you might want a 400W Metal Halide to augment your spectrum too.
psteve Reviewed by psteve on . What's the best CHEAPEST lighting for flowering?? I don't have alot of money left to put into my system and they're going into flowering stage very soon...I don't have 200 dollars to spend per HPS light is there a cheaper way? Or does anyone know where i can pick up a cheap HPS? Considering the places i've called here are contractor only...:wtf: I'd appreciate your input considering this is the first grow 'round for us:thumbsup:Thanks in advance!! Love, Tiva Rating: 5