to close to light - what to do?

[quinn]

Okay, given the feedback, I purchased a 400 watt hortilux HPS and also a hydro hut 4X4 for growing (has white reflective coating inside). Also installed a reflector with a fan to remove the heat. The plants look pretty bad, i don't have a picture, but they have turned yellow, all the new growth, the old growth - large fan leaves look fine. Yellow new growth on the bottom and top of the plant, all the white hairs are fine, but all the leaves around the buds are also yellow. The PH is fine, 5.8, the nutes are general hydro, ppm is fine (1100-1400), i change them every 2 weeks, all i can think of is in the beginning the temps went up to over 95 degrees until i got the fans installed (for 2-4 days), and the new HPS lights - maybe this shocked the plants? This new light vs the CFL lights? Will try to get some pictures.

[David Stone]

People need to always remember there is no comparison between CFL's and HID. They are used for different purposes.

Fluoros are for seedlings and rooting clones.
Metal halides are for vegging a plant.
HPS (with added blue spectrum) is the way you flower plants, while still keeping tight node spacing through the added blue.

I would say clone and put those CFLs to the proper use (seedlings / clones ONLY). If you cannot afford a MH light also, (even a small one would outperform CFLs), the CFLs can veg a plant. Then with no MH light, once even close to 12/12 I would just get them under that HPS so they can feel some real lighting power, maybe a few weeks from changing the photoperiod.

I would guess your problem is more than just light. I would bet your grow area temps are going above 80 F degrees. This will usually add to any stretching problems. Be sure to stay near 75-78 degree range.

A northern lights or white rhino plant vegged under a 400 watt MH hood for instance, with mylar walls, will create node spacing that is so tight it is crazy. And in terms of the ability of a light to penetrate the canopy, HPS cannot be touched by anything that grows plants, so once you enter flowering, CFLs fall light years behind when it comes to making the plant bud at the lower nodes.