Here's how I started. I was given 2 teen plants in trash buckets. I had about 4 weeks advanced notice, so I had to move quickly, picking and purchasing lights and a tent. This is 3 days after getting the plants.
After 1 week, I decided I really liked the MH lights and ordered a 3rd 48x3. Here's a week later.
Another week. I ran the lights for 3 weeks with the bloom switch off.
After three weeks, the plants were too big for the tent! I ended up doing lots of defoliating and built a scrog. I ended up with buds spread over 3 feet of vertical space.
I just like this picture. It came out of the camera like this. I got many, many small frosty buds. It took a long time to trim with surgical scissors.
Since I took clones right before I turned to 12/12, I wouldn't have room for them for about 8 weeks.
It takes me about 2 weeks to root and transplant into small pots, leaving 6 weeks of time for veg.
If I do this under the LED's the plants would be huge. I also wanted more variety, so keeping the plants shorter was the obvious solution. I got 2 new strains and put all the clones and teens under 4xT8 florescents.
I prune and train everything while it's under the T8's doing a Gaslight cycle 13on 5off 1 on 5 off.
If I need faster growth during veg, I add hours to the light cycle, otherwise, I let the plants take the 8 weeks to get about 12 inches tall, with 4-8 main tops, all at the same height. (At least that's the goal).
It looks like this. Top to bottom of the buds cover about 12-18 inches of space. This works out much better.
I've run my MH reflectors as close as 4" and as far as 48". It all worked for me. In the end, I've put them about 12-18" above the tops which leaves room for me to dry buds in the tent above the lights. (It was too stinky to dry outside the carbon filter.)
