GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

28-10-2004, 01:05 AM

In article says...
"This winter I bought a 400W HID high pressure sodium lamp which allows for
a 16 square foot simulated "summer" garden inside. After the cuttings root
I'm hoping to simulate Spring in late Fall."

That's insane. Are you hoping to burn your house down from the intense heat
that will generate?

The 400W setup isn't that bad with respect to heat and electrical use. I
chose not to get a 1000W setup because the bulbs and kit cost more and
the electricity to run it would be 2.5 times as much. Since the 400W can
cover a 4' x 4' area that was good enough for my needs.

In any case, the sodium bulbs produce most of their light in the yellow
range of the spectrum which is no benefit at all to plants. At the very
least, you are wasting your money.

They use these bulbs to grow marijuana inside as well as vegetables and
flowers for indoors. Technically the high pressure sodium provides
optimal red spectrum for flowering. The Metal Halide bulbs provide
optimal blue for vegetative growth. I chose HPS over MH due to the
length of the bulb life and when MH bulbs age its spectrum changes and I
didn't want that. I can always supplement the HPS light with
fluorescents to get more blue spectrum in.