Lighting question

[ELEL95]

I have been using 4FT. H.O. T5 bulbs, 54W 6400K bulbs for grow, and 54W 3000K bulbs for blooming.

My question is, I have been trying to grow from seed in hydroponics, as soon as my seed pops and I get a root I put it in my set up under two 54W 6400K bulbs about 3 to 4 inches from the top of the net pot.
Should I be putting my seedling under a regular T5 fluorescent bulbs for a week or so before switching to the 54W 6400K bulbs.

ELEL95 Reviewed by ELEL95 on 06-25-2010. Lighting question I have been using 4FT. H.O. T5 bulbs, 54W 6400K bulbs for grow, and 54W 3000K bulbs for blooming. My question is, I have been trying to grow from seed in hydroponics, as soon as my seed pops and I get a root I put it in my set up under two 54W 6400K bulbs about 3 to 4 inches from the top of the net pot. Should I be putting my seedling under a regular T5 fluorescent bulbs for a week or so before switching to the 54W 6400K bulbs. Rating: 5

[LOC NAR on probation]

I have not used the sure grow cubes so. I would make sure the cube is moist but not soaking wet. If the cube is moist the root seeks water and if too wet the root dies from pythium. In the begining I have to water rockwool, root riots and rapid rooters by hand and only a few drops just to barely keep them moist.

Your watering time is right but not untill you have roots coming out if the cube. Then water away.

[ELEL95]

Give me some pointer if I am doing something wrong. I put the seed in a paper towel and put int in a plastic baggy and wait for a root about a 1/4inch long. Then place the rooted seedling in a sure to grow cube, then place it in the garden watering it 15min. every two hours. It is under two, four foot 54W T5 bulbs.

I was told to put an half of a two liter bottle on top, sort of a make shift dome till the stem starts to reach for the light? Is this a necessary?

[tinytoon]

I'll try and describe my process and hopefully I dont forget anything. Starting from clone or seed makes no difference to me but I do use a Mother as I hate seeds
If seed start then germ in your perferred method. Ours is DAMP (not wet!!) papertowel folded to a square. insert seed. fold again and put inside ziplock baggie. Place baggie underneath DVD player on top of cable box. Check every 8-12 hours begining after the first 12 hours. When tap emerges from seed aprox 1/4 inch or so insert into a Rapid Rooter that had been soaking in PH balanced water. Now here is the funny part .. RR's float. So how do you soak them you ask?? They are like a sponge so hold underwater and sqeeze and release. rinse and repeat as many times as needed. Tap goes down btw. this is where the clones join in. Place your RR's on a tray inside a dome on top of heating mat (if needed) and place under 1 or 2 23w cfl daylight bulbs. Mist inside dome and gentle mist plants (for clones), then take a handtowel that your better half wont miss for a few weeks soak it and wring it out to where it is just damp. Fold or roll towel till about 2-3 inches wide and put inside tray and put dome on. The towel will keep moisture up so you wont have to foliar spray as much. When either the clones take root or seed sprouts take dome off and start to hand water the RR's. Put a small fan on to create air movement. Plants love air circulation and sprouts get stronger stems from this. Once large amounts of roots appear from RR transfer to buckets and let Floros take over for whatever I feel they need to do before flower.

Now 2 things about this ........
1) The run in my basement atm has had 3 weeks under the floros. This weekend a different grow ends so I can relocate 1 of my 400w Cooltubes downstairs to run with the twinn 600w. MH bulbs do not exsist for a 600w lamp. They would have to be conversion bulbs and I dont have the cash for that so this weekend the 400w goes downstairs in between the 600's. The 400w will be MH bulb and 600w's are HPS bulbs. They will get this lighting for atleast 2 weeks then off to flower with all HPS.

2) My final room(s) when done will allow me to root in the RR's like I do now but when transferred to buckets they will sit under t5's for entire veg period.

Yes you can veg under an HPS. Your entire grow can be done with nothing but your HPS bulb.

[Prodaytrader]

Tiny:


Your system: you have a veg space but you only veg for a couple weeks and then you move them into the flower room? I currently just have one space but I am in the process of creating a second space for mothers and clones. I was wondering how long I might be putting clones into the veg room? I bought 6 x 2' T5 ho's that I was planning to use for about 6 or 8 clones and a couple mothers as well. I hear people veg for a couple weeks in their flower room, but I only have a 600watt HPS and don't want to have to switch bulbs back and forth MH/HPS. I can veg for a couple weeks under a HPS right?

2 weeks in the veg room under 18/6 T5's, 2 weeks in the flower room under a 600w HPS 18/6 and then 8-9 weeks 600w HPS 12/12. Is that the basic system u use?

Is there a way to more effectively use the T5's? Wouldn't I be better served to veg completely in the T5's for 4 weeks or are they simply not powerful enough to go all the way to 4 weeks?

[ELEL95]

So use just some regular fluorescent bulbs first then when she pops out of the hydroton, and roots appear then use the H.O. bulbs.

[tinytoon]

You dont need a boat load of light when first starting out. I run mine under 2 23w cfl daylight bulbs until roots pop out of RR and then they go to either the tent or downstairs to the dungeon

[ELEL95]

Ok so maybe drop the water cycle to about 15min. every 3 to 4 hours. In my previous post could anyone let me know if I am missing any steps or if any step that I need to focus more on.

Thank you all again.