# HPS Light Growing



## eggshells (Aug 13, 2011)

Hoping to get some answers for HPS lights growers out there. What is the optimal distance from the plants to the lights? 

Current setup is I have a 400w HPS lights I have a fan underneath and a humidifier. Growing area is 2x3 ft. Is 2 feet distance enough or is it gonna be too hot? I only grow mature multi-florals on HPS. The seedlings are on a T5 flourescents.

Perhaps a picture of the growing are will be helpful?







Thanks,


----------



## ehanes7612 (Aug 13, 2011)

2 feet is too close for HPS...four feet better...even 400 HPS is pretty intense for plants...better to give longer days and less intensity


----------



## eggshells (Aug 13, 2011)

Actually my mistake its 3 feet or more. The temperature in the canopy is around 26-28c when the fans are running. I was feeling they're leaves and its not really hot to touch. Basically its like a mild morning sun in an east window. I think its about 1500 fcs but Im not sure until i get a light meter.

I will raise it up a bit more. Thank you.


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 14, 2011)

Wow -- what we do for our 'chids!


----------



## Justin (Aug 14, 2011)

That is probably too much wattage for that small a footprint. For that space a 250 or 175 watt would be more appropriate and have lower electric cost to run. 

You will be able to tell by the color of the leaves after a few weeks whether the light is too strong. 

But for the cost of running that lamp, I would have more plants in a larger area, like 4x4'.


----------



## Wendy (Aug 14, 2011)

Justin said:


> That is probably too much wattage for that small a footprint. For that space a 250 or 175 watt would be more appropriate and have lower electric cost to run.
> 
> You will be able to tell by the color of the leaves after a few weeks whether the light is too strong.
> 
> But for the cost of running that lamp, I would have more plants in a larger area, like 4x4'.



Agreed. I only have two 400 watt HID's in my room...it's 8' x 8'. I did have three but the light was too much over time. Since I have removed one,, the plants have responded big time. A 400 watt light should cover 4' x 4'.


----------



## Howzat (Aug 15, 2011)

My curiosity, as I have never use artificial light. What is an HPS light ??


----------



## quietaustralian (Aug 15, 2011)

High pressure sodium.


----------



## eggshells (Aug 15, 2011)

I did the necessary adjustments. I raised it up to 5 feet. I do have more plants under the T5 flourescent. Im just waiting for them to grow and planning to get more so for sure so it will increase. 

Howzat, Its a High Pressure Sodium Lights. It uses a Ballast. Sometimes you can switch the ballast to MH or Metal Hallide Lights in which have light or blue spectrum. The plants uses for vegetative growth. The HPS provide orange or red spectrum which plants uses to initiate flowering.

What is the light levels for Multiflorals?. I keep on reading 1500 - 3000 fcs like cattleyas.


----------



## Ernie (Aug 15, 2011)

Eggshells, you need more plants.  

The color generalities for HPS and MH are archaic. You can now get HPS with blue and MH with red (ie. both bulb types with good overall PAR- photosynthetically active radiation). In fact, with a single bulb system, I'd recommend exploring these options to you. Your new height sounds good, and yes, shoot for Catt light, but the best thing to do is let your plants "talk" to you. watch for signs of low/high light and adjust accordingly.


----------



## eggshells (Aug 15, 2011)

Ernie said:


> Eggshells, you need more plants.
> 
> The color generalities for HPS and MH are archaic. You can now get HPS with blue and MH with red (ie. both bulb types with good overall PAR- photosynthetically active radiation). In fact, with a single bulb system, I'd recommend exploring these options to you. Your new height sounds good, and yes, shoot for Catt light, but the best thing to do is let your plants "talk" to you. watch for signs of low/high light and adjust accordingly.



I agree with you Ernie. I need more. For the past 2 days. I have been observing them every hour literally feeling their leaves. So far so good. the temperature never exceeds 26c as I have fans running. I put 2 now. I was reading about a son agro lamp that has blue spectrum so I might check that out after this bulb dies.

I do have other plants I have Cattleyas and Oncidiums but I don't baby them as much as the slippesr. It seems like they grow faster when I disregard them.

Here are the Cattleyas on a I guess can be considered as a windows sill:






Here are the slippers. I was moving them and took a photo of all of them:






Its really hard to be obsessed with these plants when you don't have the space for them as I am living in a condo right now. I plan on not staying too long and hopefully if everything falls in to place. I can move to a house and explore of getting a greenhouse or a sunroom. 

Anyhow. Thanks everyone for your input. I really appreciate it.


----------



## Justin (Aug 15, 2011)

nice healthy looking plants!

Growing indoors can be challenging and a lot of work, but it looks like you are doing everything right. Nice collection.


----------

