After a successful outdoor grow last year, my grow is being force indoors due to my new house having a northern exposure and being against the tree line…
My question is what’s the nuance behind the blue and red spectrum of lights? for instance why is one that gives off more red than blue better or worst?
Right now I’m looking at:
I’m sure there are other great lights but I don’t really want to buy something only to upgrade later…
What size area are you planning to cover?
I run the Scorpion Rspec, not the Far Red version though. The Far Red version is really intended for flowering only . . . if you plan to use a single grow area and lamp I’d suggest the HLG Scorpion Diablo X instead . . . depending on tent/room size.
Plants in veg benefit from the blue side of the spectrum while flowering plants prefer the red. Nature at work . . . warm humid spring and summer days with the closer sun allow more blue rays to hit plants, as Fall approaches the sun moves lower and the rays travel through more of the atmosphere and loses more of the blue rays leaving more of the red side.
HLG also has Bspec lamps that are intended for veg only while their Diablo series are seed to harvest lamps.
4x4 tent.
single area. I would probably start indoor through veg and flower outdoors.
As you plan to flower outdoors I have to modify my suggestion from the Scorpion Diablo X to the 750 Diablo or the Blackbird. The Blackbird is made for a 4x4 but the Diablo has bit more punch overall (especially in the blue spectrum) but both will rock a 4x4 in flower and are overkill for a veg only tent.
For a veg only lamp in a 4x4 I’d choose the HLG 300L Bspec or 2 of their Saber 150’s.
There are other brands out there but I tend to suggest HLG as I have more knowledge and experience with their lamps. And they have great customer service
I mean I’m not only going to flower outside. I live in Massachusetts after all so I would like to
use my tent year round
I understand . . . either of the HLG lamps, 750 Diablo or Blackbird would do well seed to harvest.
Also I recommend taking a look at Grow Light Science’s PROGROW 640. I have heard good words on their lamps recently.
here’s what I am leaning towards for the entire build out.
please Let me know what else I will need!
or
also need humidifier and dehumidifier. I’m open to recommendations though
thanks all in advance
What grow method and media are you planning to use? 5 gallon buckets are way too big in my opinion . . .
Look at the AC Infinity tents instead of the Gorilla . . . unless you plan to add the extensions.
No need for an 8" fan in a 4x4 . . . buy the S4 or S6 and add the Controller 69. Unless you plan to buy a serious grow room controller . . .
Honestly I’d skip the ThinkGrow light . . . nothing wrong with it, and they are known for quality . . . but to take full advantage of what you’re buying; you’d need to add Co2 and a TrolMaster HCS series controller or similar. ThinkGrow lamps are made by TrolMaster.
So I’d go with the Scorpion Diablo or Diablo 750, not the Scorpion Diablo X as the X is a flowering lamp and has less blue for veg than the others.
make sense!
I’ll go with the 750 unless you thing the scorpion diablo is leaps and bounds better…
I would like to be as automated as possible.
I might try to dabble in hydroponics 70/30 but probably would start in soil + perlite…
The 750 should rock a 4x4 tent . . . always better to need the dimmer rather than more light.
I recommend the 70/30 coco, perlite blend. It’s soilless rather than true hydroponics, but much more forgiving than say DWC; with very near, if not equal to hydro growth rates in most cases.
Easier to learn to water too . . . don’t have to think about whether it’s dry enough or needs feeding, water to runoff everyday with nutrients in all water.
Choose a nutrient line and good coco feed chart, use an EC meter and calibrated pH pen . . . feed to runoff 1+ times per day and you can worry about things such as temp, humidity and lighting . . . not whether you need to feed, water or wait
thank you! you’re responses have been very informative! I guess my only worry is how close attention I have to pay with the 70/30 mix. Will I be okay checking 1-2 times per day?
Any specific nutrients line you recommend? preferably organic…
I have to check mine every 3-4 days to mix nutrients, but I visit the girls daily most of the time. I use 18 gallon plastic totes as reservoirs . . . timers, pumps and drip lines to feed multiple times daily; platform drainage trays for runoff plumbed to the basement sump.
Personally, I use a lot of FloraFlex stuff . . .drainage, pots, caps, tubing, etc.
Nutrients are a whole new can of worms . . . first I don’t recommend organic nutrients. Fine for a soil grow but not hydro friendly in most cases . . . reservoir pH management can be a nightmare, clogged drip lines are common. Not so much an issue with the coco as with the nutrient storage and delivery systems.
Unless you want to use organics because they are sustainable and better for the environment . . . they are NOT better or healthier for your plants in any way. Plants uptake nutrients . . . they don’t care if they came from a chemical or natural organic process. In fact the stage specific NER that you can achieve with chemicals generally allows for faster growth and better yield.
I have used the same nutrient line since 1993-94 when I got interested in hydro . . . General Hydroponics Floraseries, CaliMagic, Armor Si, Rapid Start, Diamond Nectar, liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, Defguard and powdered Yucca from RAW at the moment. Started with just the base trio and Botainicare CalMag, the rest I’ve added over the last 15-20 years or so.
Plenty of nutrients to sort through out there . . . General Hydroponics has just been doing the 3-part base longer than anyone else. Jack’s has been around a long time also . . . they were well known for Peter’s Pro and a few other products before Jack’s 321 caught on.
Seems like I have a lot to consider. Do you have much experience with a TrolMaster controller? Guess I wouldn’t need the temp
controller from ACinfinity if I ran one.
I haven’t worked with a TrolMaster in about 4 years . . . except for the HCS-1 (which doesn’t fully control lighting), too expensive for the average home grower, myself included. If I had $5-6K to spend on setup I would have an HCS-2 setup with all the bells and whistles . . . including ThinkGrow lamps.
AC Infinity has a decent unit with the Controller 69 . . . just the 4 device limit sucks for a controller running lighting, circulation fans, humidity, temperature and ventilation.
That being said, I bought some AC Infinity gear when I relocated to Illinois and started over with 2 tents before building out a room. I have a couple of AC Inifinity controllers, and combined with a couple of AutoPilot single task controllers they do fine for a home setup . . . just have to set everything individually instead of from one point.
how important do you think spectrum control in a light is ??
I’ve never ran variable spectrum lighting, but it’s generally believed that plants need different spectrums during different grow stages . . . running seed to harvest under a single lamp, having the ability to modify would be a benefit. I won’t even offer a guess as to how much better, if any, your results might be with variable spectrum vs full spectrum lamp though.
dammit!
I keep going down the light rabbit hole of different applications and am now torn between 3 different lights…
think grow h plus
scynce Raging Kush
Scorpion Diablo
leaning towards the diablo but the thinkgrow spectrum control has me on the fence.
The ThinkGrow spectrum can be controlled by onboard knobs . . . but pretty much has to be connected to the TrolMaster Hydro X Pro to take advantage of it’s more advanced features like ramping up/down, cloud simulations and auto DLI adjustment. Any Hydro X controller will work, but less features than the Pro.
If your pockets are deep enough to stand a $2000 controller, $100 light adapter and $400 quantum sensor to go with it the lamp I’d say ThinkGrow all day . . . if not HLG for the win.
I’ve heard good things about scynce but no personal experience
While I do not own a Diablo, I have heard multiple times that it is a great model. I have been told that if/when I get a new light to purchase Diablo.
thoughts?