Mixing different lights

Grow Equipment Lighting
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In my 4x4 tent I grow under a 600w mh/HPS bulb. However, a couple years ago I bought some new el cheapo full spectrum LEDs at a yard sale. They’re each like 12"x7", which I use when I start my tomatoes.

The last couple years I’ve also been incorporating these small LEDs to work in conjunction with my mh/HPS. What I do is, rather than hang them horizontally, I hang them vertically or on end, to light up the sides of the plants, and get light into the dark areas.

Of course someone told me this isn’t a good practice. Mixing different lights confuses the growth cycles of the plants, esp autos. Ive never noticed it.

Does anyone have any working knowledge on this?

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@Oldguy and @dbrn32 may be able to offer some advice, old school and been growing awhile :love_you_gesture:

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I’ve got a couple 600 mh/hps and an sf2000. Never ran both at the same time thru a flower run.
Usually have the sf in the tent doing veg duties when I’ve got a round in flower under the hps.
Sorry I can’t be more help.
:v:

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Hey @Beard-O from all the bits of info I’ve read a photon is a photon whether it come from a star or from an LED, MH or HPS fixtures.
I’d use the LED for under canopy lighting just as you are contemplating.
If you have a MH bulb I’d use it during the veg stage. MH has more blue photons.
If you have an HPS bulb I’d use it during flower. HPS has more red photons.

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My bro mixes HPS/MH and LEDS. Like @LateNightGardner said. A photon is a photon is a photon. Doesnt matter where it comes from. He has excellent grows and harvests…

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Light spectrum or specific wavelengths don’t really impact the life cycle of cannabis. No in terms of keeping a plant in veg or flower anyways, this is from maturity of plant and/or length of light exposure. Specific wavelengths of light will trigger different plant behaviors though and these will change how a plant grows.

Generally speaking, having a broader spectrum of light is a good thing. There are just some situations where you don’t want to throw off ratios of some specific wavelengths.

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this is good info… im looking at a new light that uses the bridgelux diodes and my current light is the samsung diodes. I was worried about mixing them and messing up light spectum somehow.
edit: are the bridgelux diodes good quality? i see them on bramds that carry weight so figured they must be? thanks

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My understanding is that the Samsung 301 diodes are the absolute best.

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Samsung are more efficient but bridgelux is no slouch. Reputable, just newer to grow lights. :call_me_hand:t3:

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Good info. I’ll look more into them. Thanks.