Lumen & timing transition question

Indoor Growing Lighting
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After reading the grow Bible and all I can find on the ILGM site/forum I would like to clarify some questions I have…

(personal indoor grow from seed 2 - 3 plants, no tent, fan yes, small led lights all on timer… Also limited budget as I am disabled)

So lumens, is it safe (as a general rule of thumb) if you have the suggested lumens (guide used @bottom) then it doesn’t matter the type of light you are using?
I’ve read much about the florescents, mh, hps, t5 etc… And I mainly need to keep my electric bills down, so I may be stuck with the basic florescent or led.

My other question is determining the transition to the 12/12 schedule… (will likely use 18/6 for seed/veg growth) but do you change to the 12/12 when you start to see flowers or is there an indicator to look for?

(this may not apply to marijuana grows but I’m also doing other indoor plants that research has shown that they need a dormancy period (simulate winter) transitioning the light slowly from 15 hours during summer to 8 hours during winter by deducting 15 minutes a week June thru December and then add 15 minutes per week until June again… The point being to mirror nature lighting as much as possible as the seasons change.) Any thoughts on doing this for MJ?

Current light is 24watt from TaoTronics with red/blue 3 band 630, 660 and 460nm (screws into regular light socket) advertised as a grow light on amazon… Initial research showed lighting suggested to be around 6 inches above (during seed) which I think was starting to burn as leaves were turning white and curling down away from light… So i tried a light meter on my phone (assuming it is accurate) was at like 20,000 lux around the 6 inch height… So i have adjusted height about 2.5 feet above which puts me around 600 - 700 lux.

So again using this logic, will I get at least decent growth and flower production as long as suggested lux is followed?
And then I guess maybe putting some lights on sides when plant gets bigger, is this necessary?

Here is the suggested lux per sq ft (i found posted on ILGM forum in response to similar questions).

Seedlings and Clones = 400 - 1000
Veg = 2000 - 3000
Flower = 5000 - 10000 possibly much more

All help and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

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Most people grow to a height knowing that the plant can and most likely will double in height so if you have a tent or room 8 feet tall and your lighting needs 1 foot of headroom so now your at 7 feet and depending on light your using we will say 24 inches from top of plant in veg so 5 feet left now 2 foot plant in veg could be 4 to 5 feet by end of flower or more so take all that into account to help you choose when you want to start flower …if your plant is 2 feet and you want a 4 foot plant at the end switch your lighting to 12/12 give it a few days up to 2 weeks and there you have it hope that helps with one of your questions
Happy growing

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Thanks Brian… Can i get anyone else’s thoughts on using these low 24 watt leds versus like a 300 watt leds (for example)?

Sure you get more lighted surface area… Dedicated veg colors, then some have dedicated colors for easy switching to flower mode.

If you can achieve the suggested lumens with lower wattage led, why else would someone buy a much more expensive led light producing still a (somewhat) higher electric bill?
(pro for sale growers?.. I just don’t get it).

I want to buy some (quality feminized) seeds from y’all but after i have the proper setup.

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That’s a very good question!

I’d love for guys like @Iva and @yoshi who use LEDs to chime in.

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LEDs are alittle different to most other lights as they don’t waste as much power on unused light spectrum but this also makes measuring the light near to impossible using a lux meter to work it out as alot of the light is out side human vision and that is why alot of ppl say they are not good as it looks dull compared to a hps.
I am working with a friend who is an led importer to start a line of LEDs myself because they are ether cheaply made or over priced.
It started as ordering custom lights but now he wants to start his own grow line as he already sell house and street lighting
so I am hoping it comes about. Sorry side tracked.
You can still used a lux meter to work out the best height to set an LED at or foot print though.
The small house leds globes with covers are useless the cover steals too much light.
The open ones are ok but measured by the max each LED can put out added together but most run at 60% so a 24 is really a 12 or so.
They are 1 or less wat LEDs so there will be no penetration past the first leaf making them only really good for side light or for seedlings first few weeks.
you would be better off with T5 fluro lights they are cheap and grow really good buds cheaply.
but you will need to change tubes alot over the life of the light. A 4 tube light with warm tubes + 1 or 2 cool tubes is all you need.
If it was me I would get one or two cheap mars or similar 300W LED lights.
Really do you home work there are lots of underhanded sellers who sell fake numbers on their lights.
once you have the light it can be changed over to a very good cob light that uses less power and puts out more usable light for about $50 if you have basic skills in soldering but even without it can be done with clips making lego skills all you need.
I grow in a fridge using a $60 300W light and it works well. No heat issues other then it get alittle cold. I intend to turn it into a cob LED but I have too many projects going atm.

The dormancy topic or question is for some plants not canna but yes some plant grown in hydro need to be cooled for a period to get a good crop like strawberries cane fruit but I just put them in the fridge for a few months then put them in my hydro or aero setup. If you live an a cold area just put them in a bag in the garage that will do it.

The small LEDs you are talking about will not grow much but they grow some thing but it will not be worth the time, power and nutes you will use.

I am have a bad pain day today so my head is alittle cloudy I hope this makes sense and I read the questions correctly

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I believe you can get a successful grow with low wattage LED lights honestly , but if you really want to get a big yield the better LED light panels is worth the investment . But it’s all up to the cultivator or grower and what you can afford . Just remember the more intense light you give your plants , the better they produce . In my opinion it’s better to yield a big harvest off one plant verses smaller yields in multiple plants I believe , and it’s way more less labor I think .

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Thank you @yoshi this info helps.
Budget is right… For now i will be using a 24 watt and florescent shop
lights.
Hope to eventually upgrade my lights, my biggest issue is to keep electric
bill down.

BTW where’s Mario and Luigi?

Thank you

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Great info @Iva! And no apologies for getting side tracked… I would trust and appreciate buying custom lights from known sources like ILGM.

Please message me if you get these sales set up… I will buy if i can fit it into my budget!

I am confused about the cool / warm bulbs and when to change them. Can you expand on this or post a link explaining?

Many thanks!

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@BrockSamson I think it’s best to get all your accessories first to make a successful grow instead of starting one with limited items , it can cause many issues and lots and lots of headaches and you don’t want to start good seeds to loose them …just my opinion .

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@yoshi oh yes i completely agree. Thats why I’m doing my research and asking as many questions as possible… This is like my 3rd or 4th posted.

I believe in buying the best of the best for quality.
But i am disabled and on a limited budget and trying to grow my own medicine … Im sure i could buy one of the suggested lights but my bigger concern would be the electric bill with a higher wattage light.

So yes once i get the best possible setup i can afford, i plan on buying some seeds from ILGM until then im learning from left over (or given to me) seeds.

I’ve already had 2 of 4 of these seeds die i think mostly because of light issues.

Once i have a better idea of what I’m doing… ITS TIME TO GROW THE FIRE!

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Your doing the right thing researching
The hard bit is sifting out the myths and half truths
I will not be selling tje leds my close fri ds is that person he just wants me to handle the specs and led selection.
And warranty problems.
I work in the paint ball industry with him for years and he was my main sponsor. So i have shoqn him the opening for these low power leds. I will have to go to china and i am not a fan of the place

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Just curious, about how much would one of these custom LEDs cost me, if they were available right now? @Iva

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@BrockSamson you can get a cheap China brand for a fair price on EBay but don’t worry about your light bill the LED panels are pretty reliable and you won’t even notice the charges on your light bill . Now a T-5 grow light I believe is about a $100 bucks or so and you can get a really decent fair scrog grow with that baby , many are doing it but if you used LED it will not cost you anymore than what your paying , just set your light timer on after peak surcharge hours which I run my lights from 10 o clock at night on 18/6 light schedule and it normally cost me about .32 in charges . But have you consider trying some auto flower strains , that would be a good learning experience and you can get a harvest in about 60-65 days from seed to harvest and now the autos strains are really much stronger than ever and getting better each week , try the Girl Scout Cookies autos , that would be some really strong , purgent , great tasting dank for you right there and can help generate some of that over head you need to upgrade your grow space …happy growing .

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I’ll be growing that auto soon @yoshi! I can’t wait either, heard great things about the Girl Scout Cookie strain.

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I shop here Alibaba

You need to be careful and do your home work but you will save alot.
If you see something link it to me via privet message and I will see if i can look it up
dont go over board I not the expert here but my friend is.

You will see many brands that claim they made their light in the USA lol

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I am not at the point I have only just sold the idea to my importer mate but I did say to him to have three price lines if posible.
He has been working with the chinease for 20 years and he can get some good deals.
He said quality and price are key. I have worked with him before and he is good at what he does.
In the 90s he lowered the price of a paintball from 8c to 1.5c in 2 years.

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@vicbesos420 you could be right that i will get better production but i think you need to reread those reviews… One of them had more 1 star reviews than 5 several complaints about broken and the other one only had 2 reviews… Not enough for me to buy any new product.
Plus imo starting to think leds are too new a product to really be trusted, I’ve seen many compliments that speak of them going out (or at least partially) after a few months.
And while i am capable of soldering and such, I’m unsure if finding parts and repair is worth it.

@Iva and @yoshi… I thank you for your advice / recommendations i think getting into the autoflower strains is a good idea… Ive been hearing about GSC and watermelon etc fruity strains… Do these really have a taste or smell as the name suggests?

Lastly i think the t5 are my best option… Bulbs easily changed prolly more easily serviceable but did i miss it or what, why, when are you to change between the cool / warm bulbs?

Videos of amateur to moderate growers on youtube have suggested these reflective t5’s can i get your opinion on the following?

Sunblaster 904298 NanoTech T5 High Output Fixture Reflector Combo, 4-Feet

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKKUEV0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pwzRxbNJVA9Q8

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I wouldn’t recommend using T5s. Yes, you can grow plants with them, but you’d be better off with a HID fixture or LEDs.

If you do decide to go with T5s, you’ll change the bulbs out when you decide to put your girls into flower. That’s when they will need the more red light spectrum.