What type of lighting is best for auto flowering plants?

[Jamaican Bud]

I have 2 1000 Watt high-pressure sodium lights that I'm currently using to flower my cloned plants and I want to use these same lights to try the auto flower variety. I have never tried the auto flowering type before and would appreciate any thoughts on the lighting. I also was thinking a light cycle of 14 on / 10 off, does that sound about right?

 

[Papageno]

HPS will be great. Mine started blooming at 7 inches and never stretched and I had it on HPS the whole time.

I don't know what your set up is but a common misunderstanding is "stretch is bad". Most big time growers use only HPS and prefer stretch because it allows for better light penetration to the lower flowers. Stretch is only something to be concerned with in a small micro garden. Even then if you are in a SCROG it really doesn't matter and is totally manageable.

And stretch is really the only reason to NOT use HPS for the whole grow. Any grow store will tell you most people just use HPS the whole time. I'm not saying don't use MH...go for it...but it really in the overall summation doesn't make a difference on final potency and yield.


Better to spend money on one top of the line HPS than 2 mediocre lights I say.

 

[Jamaican Bud]

Your comments are very helpful. do you run your lights 14 hours a day?

 

[Papageno]

In veg I do 18 or 24 depending on time of year and if I need the cooling. In summer I will drop it back to 18 so as to not run it hot all day long.

In bloom I do 12.

With autos I think it doesn't matter. I am running my first now. I ran them next to regulars. They are nearing completion running on full 24 hours of light and about a week ago I flipped the lights to 12 for the regulars and they are chugging along just fine.

 

[rillos]

I have never grown auto's but I believe 14/10 should be fine.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Doing my first auto grow myself.

As far as i'm aware autos will flower on age of the plant under any photo period well lets just say 12/12 plus as an example.


Currently researching the origins of ruderalis which appears it is often cross breed with indica strains to form auto's & looking at regions where ruderalis grow naturally along with day light hours of such areas to get a better picture !


14/10 sounds good to me tho.

 

[aperson]

I would go with at least 18 of light. There are strains that grow OK even at 12h but most will give you a decrease yield.

 

[Baxterwolfe]

I would run 18-6 with hps for the whole life cycle with autos the extra light will help with yeild if you were running LED or cfl id say 20-4 because there isnt such a power draw from those lights most of the time. And plant directly into the pot you are going to finish in.

 

[bl8ant]

I would run 18-6 with hps for the whole life cycle with autos the extra light will help with yeild if you were running LED or cfl id say 20-4 because there isnt such a power draw from those lights most of the time. And plant directly into the pot you are going to finish in.

Hi Baxterwolfe

so i read this a little late and i have my little seedlings in pots that were not supposed to be the finish ones.

they barely have 4 leaves and i was gonna wait till the roots developed just a little more and then put them in 50 liter pots till the end....what I'm reading now is that I could stunt them if not kill them....argh!!

they are soo young...if I am super gentle can't i get away with it?? have you ever?

thanks

 

[lymp]

you'll be fine if you transplant without damaging the roots, but you already have it in a small pot, so let her gather some momentum and fill it out before potting up.