I've more or less finished first grow (from seed)
I've achieved a frankly pretty poor yield .
it'll be okay for my percy but probly wont last till next time:(


but im wondering about lighting.
used enviros (2 125 reds) for flowering , but have been told and read here thaat they're not so good......

What would you all suggest I do for the next grow , bigger enviros or summat else?

I'm (well the missus) a bit worried about elekky and heat from the lights being fire hazard , this is why i used enviros before .

also , as with everything the cheaper and longer lasting the better.

also considered trying scrog with the enviros i already have , as the top colas were really quite impressive last time .

cheers peeps

Hello there

I understand your considerations about electric, with the prices how they are now it's always something to think about. But when you think that you used 2 125watters which would be the equivalent to a 250 HID in terms of electric used and that the HID would yield much more, you would need to grow less often therefore it's cheaper for you to use a hid.
I can't understand where you are coming from with the fire risk. Thats usually a case of dodgy electrics, people bypassing meters etc

You haven't filled out your profile so i don't know if you have extractors fans etc but these are necessary for any grow, be it enviros or hids for a plant to do well. Once you have made a good environment for a plant to grow e.g good airflow good light it's a case of feeding it some good nutes (i like biobizz personally) and thats pretty much it!

The enviros you have would still be good for starting out new seeds/clones as you can keep them very close to the littluns, meaning they won't stretch, so at least it's not money wasted


All the best with your next grow, i hope it's much more pleasing yield wise for ya

Kc

I would get a 250W HPS or even better, a 400W HPS.

The 'leccy concern is a real one. When you get an HID, you not only have to account for the light, but also any other ventilation you may need to install to deal with the increased heat. Do some research here, ask questions, before you make your next buy!

A 250hps. An appropriate extraction will be required to deal with heat issues.

HID bulbs will produce more yield in comparison to the enviros.

This would be your cheapest option, and will definately improve your yield considerably.

However, a 250 watt hps is far more efficient than 250w of enviros, and will probably double your yield for the same amount of electricity. Heat is a concern, but only in the area immediately surrounding the bulb, so if you have enough headroom to work with, they needn't be any less safe than enviros.

Even a 150 watt HPS can compete with 250w of enviros.

Whichever lighting you choose, i would definately recommend some form of training (LST or ScrOG), rather than untrained growing.

If you don't mind the extra legal risk from having a larger number of plants, you could also go SOG, which would improve your yield even more. This also gives you the option of staggered harvests, so you never have to be withut a smoke for very long.

Thanks for your reply .
The fire risk i mentioned is because my missus did a very amateurish grow at university (quite some years ago!) and nearly burnt her rented house down , so shes well worried about the same happening again

Regards my first grow , it was a bit slapdash really and not well organised from the beginning , so i never really sorted ventilation properly , maybe this too affected my yields . My grow space isnt totally enclosed , so i know im wasting a bit of light , and i've only occasionally bunged a fan in there , primarily to beef up the stems earlier on.
I also didnt use any nutes except an occasional bit of organic tomato food very diluted .

It seems like im answering my own questions , so do you all think that with good nutes , proper airflow and the same lights that i'd notice a markedly improved yield??
especially with this scrog idea ??

cheers for your time folkes

To be honest with the setup like your saying i reckon you could have plants Hermie on you because of light leaks and also will have less yeild and more problems due to a bad environment.

Really id start from scratch with everything as it should be then you will get a descent yield no doubt and have much less problems.

A plant with no nutes is like a human with no food yeah it will live for a while but you will get sod all of it hardly as it will be under stress with no food bad environment and bad air , pure recipe for disaster.

yes. Growing great pot isn't down to getting one or two elements fantastic. It's all about getting many elements to a certain minimum.

Good air, good compost are critical and should be addressed before lighting IMO. If you have a 250W HID you can get by with a heavy duty timer (no need for a relay to prevent fires).

Do be thoughtful in regards to 'leccy/fire issues. It's not hard to make it safe, but it's not hard to be unsafe.

It wasn't a total diaster (im being a bit defensive , sorry)
light leaks during dark times are def not a problem, its totally light proof where they are , but the area is big so i tink i may be not using all the light to its maximum.
With 2 plants the yield looks like it'll be around 3 oz (dried) , so im quite pleased , but sure i could do better.

thanks again for all the replys

you want reflective walls around your plants and lights. I use white foam core (I get it for free), others use white plastic with a black backside.

if you got 3 oz of dried bud (from 2 plants) for a first (or even 2nd or 3rd) effort you should be very proud of yourself!

at the end of the day in my opinion the envionment has to be right and as close to its natural growing environment. you have to create it for the plant.

i will say replace enviro with 250hps. what are your growing are dimensions? because you dont want a 250hps in a really small grow room in terms of the bulb producing excessive heat and if its too close it will burn ur crop.

get decent ventilation system.

M8 spend a little now and u will be rewarded with better yields and buds. so it works out better in the long run.

Thank you sir .
iam very pleased (and so's th missus, who's told me that i can do it again ! yes!)

and to be honest i'm not sure what the dried bud will weigh , because its only just come down and is drying , i'm only going by size at the moment.

If I do enclose the area for better light use , will it then become more important to sort out airflow etc , and can this be with only one fan or will in and out be needed?
also does the in air have to come from outside? or just from the room?

do you think i should just go again, using a scrog , or replan from the start ???

I think you should do more research and try to answer your own questions (forming the questions is the first step). Since you know your needs and environmental parameters far better than any of us could, it's better you educate yourself and apply that knowledge.

If the area is enclosed, air flow has to be considered. Controlled extraction is generally a must (odor control, temperature control, fresh air control). I'm in a biggish room and just hang panels around the grow area. That way there is loads of air flow around the area. I still use fans though. Check my grow diary (link in sig file) for pictures.

Hi
As other posts suggest setting up a grow room is not a 10 minute exercise. 80-90 grams with a raw environment, so why not give it an inexpensive tweak get another grow underway and swot up on the environment suited (especially if you have room to set up independent of used space). As Randalizer says maximize light available, enclose, panels or cup-hooks, lines and sheets (black and white), if you do not need to light tight good (in this case), better air circulation. Chuck in a big oscillating fan and let it rip. Also check on nutrients. Odour not a problem on last grow?

thanks to everyone who's given their advice.

I think what i shall do is to try to tweak the environment a little .
get some reflective panels hanging around , bung in a big old fan and see what happens , this time i'll make a diary and hopefully people may help me as im going .

i'm definately going to use nutrients this time too.

thanks again .
and sorry for being quite so ignorant

and the smell was a bi tof an issue but due to where its located no-one really is ever exposed to it , except me (and i like that stink)

I agree, it is a lovely stink! Have a good read through these boards though man, there is so much knowledge here, your sure to be inspired