hello there hope some of you crazy growers can help me im still a noob as ive only done bout 3 grows but had crap results due to plants getting stressed the fuck out with bad environments,kids turning the switches off! as it was in a loft and the extension cables round down the hatch to top of the stairs . still got enough to have a free smoke what out weighed the electric bill so was happy. but now have found a prefect place to do it in with no hassle and can vent properly and control temps etc. just looking how to get the best use of what i have, i have an idea but would like some feedback

the stuff ive got is as follows:


1x600w hps digital ballast

sylvana growlux bulb x2

1x600w hps its not a digital ballast but says on this ballast - maxibright 600w sodium/halide ip20
does this mean i can put mh bulbs in it or should i ignore the halide part.

grow tent 4x4x6'

8 inch fan- with ducting

4inch fan with ducting

6 inch fan without ducting

1x 150w blue 6400k

heated propogator

plus all the extras, temp guages, soil, pots, clip fans bla bla


ive even got one of those 12 site areoponic props what i got towards the end of my fucked up grows and learnt how to take cuttings yay!


ive got 20 seeds my plan is to germ 10, not sure what they are, think they are top44 i forgot to write on the packet but if they are i will be happy. i will use the 150w blue to bring them up then stick em under the 600w digital, veg til i can take cuttings of each stick them in the prop under the 150w blue til the roots are showing then put into small pots and into a seperate box what i plan on building or might just get another tent, and switch to flower once the roots have took to the soil, so i know which plants are female. im thinking between 6-9 females in the that size would be enough under the 600w? im looking to veg til the end of oct/first couple weeks of nov, then switch to flower, im starting in the next few days so hopefully be done for january.


using a 150w blue for seedlings should be how far away from the prop? 2-3 feet? i suppose the same for the cuttings?

how long roughly from when the seeds sprouted should i keep them under the 150w before vegging em with the hps?

the 150w blue will only be enough to bring em up i would think, dont think it will be enough to use on the cuttings either once i put them on 12/12 to show flower, ill prob have to get 2 or 3 more or to make em grow properly.

switching the rooted cuttings straight to 12/12 should take about how long to show sex?

ive also read using using the hps for vegging will stretch them and make em grow quicker so might speed up the process to take cuttings actually, not sure, just need someone to go through it and advise please.

if i remember correctly the temps for sprouting seeds should be around 22, temps for veg around 24 and temps for flowering between 25-28 if my memory serves me correct.

well ill give u a few days to get back to me, im a smoker so no whats it like replying sometimes , but think ive got most of it figured out.

peace and keep the world a greener place

ping pang

Welcome aboard matey - sounds like you've got a plan there.



This is a CFL / enviro I guess? If so wants to be around 3-4 inches from seedlings - I wouldn't bother with the prop lid. Will need to be further from the cuttings until they have rooted, but then can be dropped right down again




I'm only just upgrading to HPS from all CFL myself, but I would imagine the 150w would not provide enough coverage once you've potted up from the first pots so probably a couple of weeks. Not sure yet of the pros and cons of vegging with HPS but many seem to use HPS exclusively with no problems.




I'd have thought the 150w Blue would be fine to get the cuttings to show sex. Not sure how long this will take- probably at least a week after putting them on 12/12. You might find that you can sex the seedplants via pre-flowers by the time the cuts are rooted and showing sex.




For veg and flower I would say lights off 22, lights on 27 - sprouting seeds low to mid 20's sounds good.....

Good luck with your grow.

cheers for the reply mate. yes thats right the cfl should be few inches from seeds now i remember, and couple feet away from cuttings. i was thinking a better idea could be to let the seed plants veg for a few week under the hps, switch em to flower for few days til they show sex, get rid of the males put the plants back in veg then take cuttings from the females.. or will this cause too much stress?

or i could take cuttings first and let them root, before switching the seed plants to flower but if i do that i might aswell flower the seed plants out totally, firgure out whos a bitch and whos not and get a little smoke for christmas, get a few more cfls and keep vegging the cuttings til ive harvested the seed plants and then the cutts should be at a good height to flower and hope fully can have a big valentines day poke n smoke but i think v day is pushing for the 2nd lot, prob more the end of feb first couple weeks of march

oh yeah ive realised (been told) my older ballast supports mh bulbs so i could veg the cuttings once they can take it with that with a sunmaster or something at the same time my hps is flowering the seed plants, only thing is cost tho running 2 600's at once, im hoping for 4 females from the seed plants flowered from round 3-4 weeks veg would save me enough money buying it off the street and give me enough bud to smoke to out weigh the electric bill using 2 - 600's plus fans etc. it would be shame it sat there doing nothing

mmm.. buying 3/4 more 150 cfls or buying a mh bulb and running the 600, saying that i have a spare grolux 600 hps bulb somewhere

keep smoking

ping pang

ignore this post i fucked up editing somehow

Hi mate, nice to hear someone else growing Top 44! ive been on it all sumer, got some in the woods, some in my garden and recently some in a recirculating bubbleponic system, under a 600w hps, where they all seem to grow like mad! im sure if you veg for 2-3 weeks you will have plenty of cuttings, also look out for a bit of a strech when you change the light, my outdoor ones did and kinda grew into it, whereas my indoor ones had to be trimed and bent, becase i dont have to much hight to spare!

alright mate, ye ive grown it before for my first grow got to say the first crop i got from it was a very good smoke compared to some of the info ive read bout it not being very good, had a spliff of it and it hit me and my mate str8 away, i called to other mates and was sat with him for like 3 hours talking bout everything haha i just couldnt be bothered to move, read it was a quick hitter but forgot all about that when i dried and tested it but maybe i got lucky with a mad plant

ye i read using an hps for veg will cause stretch and quicker growth compared to cfls so prob help me in my mission, long as i got some for christmas i will be happy

m8 you dont have to repeat the whole op.... if you go to the bottom of the page hit the add reply reply button there next to the new topic button, instead of on the posts....helps peeps keep their diaries tidy...and easy to read