General Discussion
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Subject: Best growing lights
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From
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Location
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Message
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Date Posted
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Hi, I am looking into buying a growing light. I already have one but I need another one that's a little better, does anyone know of some good growing lights
Thanks
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11/13/2016 5:41:59 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Here is a light that I thought was good, I would like a light that produces good blooms on a plant check this light out and tell me how it looks, I'm not very good with lights but check it out
https://www.amazon.com/Hydroplanet-Fluorescent-Included-Horticulture-Gardening/product-reviews/B019J3UPSU/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent
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11/13/2016 6:05:32 PM
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| Spence*** |
Home of happy lil plants
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if the budget is up near 119 or 129 dolla 600watt hps and metal halide combo from amazon-129 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005DOS0R8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479078438&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ipower+grow+light&dpPl=1&dpID=51s458iGkqL&ref=plSrch they also have the 400watt version for 119 which is still maybe overkill but i will say you arent going to get a much better seed starting light setup unless you go with the 1000watt then you get into some serious heat as a byproduct
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11/13/2016 6:11:28 PM
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| Spence*** |
Home of happy lil plants
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maybe even look into the 1000w version and use the hps bulb included if wanting a plant to make it all the way thru the grow cycle
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11/13/2016 6:14:41 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok thanks, which one would you recommend that's powerful and can help a plant live through its life cycle?
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11/13/2016 6:20:09 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Also is the 1000 watt version good at producing many blooms on a plant?
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11/13/2016 6:25:19 PM
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| Spence*** |
Home of happy lil plants
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you can grow an entire tomato plant and have decent size tomatos on it even with the 400watt or even 600w...as far as number of blooms i cant answer that as i think it plays more into number of daylight hours as well as phosphorus potassium percentages in the soil not to mention temperature
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11/13/2016 6:40:53 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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Tell us more about your planned grow area.. how big of a light footprint do you need, do you have problems with eliminating heat generated. You have already said full life cycle, am guessing this means flowering (i prefer my carrots not to flower). I have two types of LED lights (individual 3w bulbs and COB), Metal Halide, HPS, T5 fluorescents, Ceramic Metal Halide(LEC). Any of these can get a plant thru full life cycle including flowering with changes of bulb during the grow for color spectrum. Each of these types of lights has advantages and disadvantages.
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11/13/2016 6:43:33 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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I know when we chatted that you said that you had a 125 watt 6200k cfl fixture. My suggestion is...use it for the first indoor grow with the purchase of a 2700k bulb that you should be able to purchase for about $20. Change the bulb to the 2700 at about 3 weeks into the grow for flowering. Should be able to grow full cycle for one plant. During that time, you can research more into what to do to get your indoor grow up to the next level. If you take it slow, you can get the most for your expenditures.
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11/13/2016 6:48:22 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Hi, I worked all day today cleaning out a corner in my basement. I need a longer light because the current light I have is a little small and the light does not cover all the space that I'm using . I would like to buy a light that is bigger and can produce nice blooms on a plant. I planted some tomatoes today, (small kind) I would like a lot to bloom during the winter. So what I'm looking for is a long light that produces some nice heat and can bring some nice blooms to a plant
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11/13/2016 7:00:30 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I don't have heat issues I just need a bigger light for another area in the corner that I have, again I would like the light to be top quality that produces nice blooms on vegetable plants and get the plants big
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11/13/2016 7:02:45 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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ok that helps. Heat is the enemy for many indoor growers that are in an enclosed space. But if you need heat for a basement grow i would suggest and HID such as the one that Spence recommended. I actually have this light here-
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GYRZV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
if you consider the cost of the hangers, the timer and the fact that you have both red and blue spectrum your net cost would be about the same as the fluorescent that you posted. I prefer the air cooled hood. You can leave the glass off if you dont have a fan to cool the bulbs but have the option in the future of directing your heat with fan and ducting. One 600 watt HID light raises the temp in the corner of my basement by about 8 degrees. Since I have 4000 watts of light in my basement, heat is an issue for me. Rating my lights by heat output...highest to lowest is metal halide/hps, ceramic metal halide(lec), t5 fluorescent, led
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11/13/2016 7:13:39 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok thank you that light looks like a good light. Does that light have red and blue colors to it, like all the colors to it?
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11/13/2016 7:19:48 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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The light that spence recommended looks like a great light. So did yours. The price is a little different does that make a difference? Take a look at the one he recommended
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11/13/2016 7:21:20 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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they are very similar...only difference is the enclosed hood vs the open wing. I would imagine that it is the same ballast and bulbs. With the timer..the difference in cost is $35. I am not making recommendations. I just happen to have the light that i posted. As time goes on, I will be replacing my metal halides with either LEC (at $450 per light) or special spectrum LED's at $500 per light. Over a period of 10 years of grow...the LED's that i am considering would probably be net cheapest. 15 hours per day at 600 watts, costs in electricty nearly a dollar a day..more if you consider the extra air conditioning needed. An HID bulb is good for about a year before needing replacement which is about $70 of a really good bulb. The Led's have a lifespan of 10 years. Much cheaper net to operate, if you can handle the purple light.
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11/13/2016 7:30:24 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, I love how the light that spence recommended is enclosed I may get that one it looks like a great light, it has a 1-HPS + 1-MH Bulb & Timer. Can u explain to me what the bulbs do? It is at a cheap price on amazon 165 dollars Thanks
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11/13/2016 7:34:58 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Which light is the one that's enclosed? Is it the one u recdomeneted they both look enclosed
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11/13/2016 7:36:25 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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the link I posted has the enclosed bulb..it has a glass covering on it so you can pump air thru the enclosure for cooling. With fan and ducting, can move the light closer to the plant without burning. Without fan, have to leave the glass off so the bulb doesn't overheat. The metal halide bulb has more blue spectrum. When a plant is in early stages of growth, it can use blue spectrum more efficiently to gain vegetation. The HPS bulb has more red light. Red light is what plants use for flowering. So with a dual bulb such as this, you start the plant with the metal halide, and then switch to the HPS for when it is time to flower and fruit. Both of these bulbs also include green and yellow spectrum which causes the white light that humans see. A metal halide will look to a human like a slightly blueish white light. An HPS will look to a human like a slightly yellow white light.
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11/13/2016 7:49:22 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, I've made a decision I like the light that u reccomented bnot. That is the one enclosed, how big is that one and is it bright? Also is that a good light that produces a lot of blooms?
Thanks
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11/13/2016 7:50:19 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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What glass are you talking about I see the glass bulb but I do NOT want the light to overheat I want it to be very simple
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11/13/2016 7:51:43 PM
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| Joe V |
Ohio
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I use 400watt M/H Sky Blue, rated at 7200K. Then I switch to 400watt HPS, rated at 2000K. I get my stuff from 1000bulbs.com. Works good for what I do during winter.
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11/13/2016 7:53:02 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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This message post is seeming like chat. I will email you a picture of my setup. We need to let some others chime in on what their favorite grow light is. I bet there are some T5 fluorescent fans out there.
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11/13/2016 7:54:24 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I see it bnot thanks for the help I appreciate it
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11/13/2016 7:54:46 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Can I use a regular small fan to stick through the hole ? I promise last question lol
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11/13/2016 7:55:30 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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I use a 6 inch duct fan. They are available on amazon for about $20. I have ducting to route the heat to a different part of the house during the winter. During the summer I route it outside.
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11/13/2016 8:02:18 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, thanks I appreciate your help. I really do,
Thanks
Have a good night
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11/13/2016 8:08:51 PM
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| Big City Grower (Team coming out of retirement ) |
JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )
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Bad boy lights... t 5 VHO... u will get a sun tan on an 8 bulb hood... can veg and bloom and even do a slow transition to bloom just change out one bulb a week until you have the full bloom going on.... hi intensity lights work good... I have 3 8 bulb hoods.. the 4 ft version.. I'll never use anything but..t5 vho
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11/13/2016 9:34:44 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, thanks, I heard that LED lights are good too. Is a 400 watt range high enough? I saw some t5 on amazon too are those good ?
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11/13/2016 9:56:33 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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All of these are good. They all have advantages and disadvantages. A majority of my lights are LED. For the cost of operation they seem to be the cheapest to run if you calculate bulb life and electrical efficiency. What I don't like about them is working under purple light is not as enjoyable as a white light. We have an 8 bulb t5 2ft length upstairs in a 3 x 2 1/2 grow tent upstairs. Started with an HPS but heat was a big problem. Cooked the plant faster than it grew it. We then put an LED in there. No more heat issues but the purple light was really unpleasant to be around in a living space. Now we have the T5 in there. It is working great..no heat, no weird color light and it is growing the plants fine. As Garry posted, with bulb changes can go from veg to bloom easily. Also we have the option of putting in a T5 UV spectrum only bulb. Lack of UV-B light is a common problem for indoor grows.
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11/14/2016 5:04:38 AM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, what I am looking for is an light that can get plants to bloom. Since I have another light already I can put plants under the one I have then switch them to a good blooming light. Which light would you recommend that is below 215 dollars. It can we LED or a regular. I just am looking for a light that can help plants get blooms on them
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11/14/2016 8:53:22 AM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I need another light because one light is not enough. I would like to go with a bigger light too
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11/14/2016 9:05:57 AM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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This LED looks like a good one
https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Reflector-Spectrum-Indoor-Plants/dp/B015FLSOCE/ref=zg_bs_14252961_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SVGHGMPRYXH6CNGRA440
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11/14/2016 9:27:22 AM
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| John Van Sand Bagus |
Somerset,Ky
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T-5 Flo or Led 600 to 1,ooo watt full spectrum (Kind, G-8 or Mars II)
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11/14/2016 1:52:59 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, thanks you
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11/14/2016 2:04:46 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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For Led i would like to add Platinum to that group....from my research it tend to have 2x the par value of many of the cheaper LED's per watt of power
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11/14/2016 7:17:18 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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I also made the decision to go for smaller lights...ie 2 300 watts vs 600 watts.. the ability to separate the grow lights and aim them at different angles appears to be worth the the hassle of ordering two lights instead of one.
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11/14/2016 7:20:06 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015FLSOCE/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza
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11/14/2016 8:12:20 PM
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| John Van Sand Bagus |
Somerset,Ky
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Henry I would like to mention that the two best T-5s at HO and best is VHO
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11/15/2016 11:02:14 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok thanks, do those lights help get good blooms on plants?
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11/16/2016 3:04:50 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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henry....quiz time... what color spectrum of light is good for flowering? each of the lights mentioned can obtain that spectrum....what is the method of obtaining that spectrum for each type? please reread this board..the answers are there
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11/16/2016 4:34:58 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I love quizzes. I'm gonna get an A here we go
1- ok red llight is good for flowering and blooming
2- this one is really hard I can't find the answer
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11/16/2016 5:09:04 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I got an A-
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11/16/2016 5:11:51 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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what...what school do you attend...50% right is an A-....in my day....that would be F for sure. Maybe multi-choice is a better option...If you have a metal halide/hps light. To get to red spectrum...you
1) use the metal halide bulb and but paint it red 2) use the hps bulb and watch the plant explode in blooms 3) put an extra heater on the light fixture...red obviously is a hotter color 4) all of the above
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11/16/2016 5:27:03 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Hold on, f I attend a school that you have to have an interview to get into it and you have to have good grades. Also over 1000 people apply for my school and only 350 people ge in. I want you to look up, Essex technical high school. So let's get to the quiz I choose 4 all of the ebove. If I do t get this right give me some more questions. Il ace the rest
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11/16/2016 5:32:00 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I choose 3 not 4
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11/16/2016 5:32:57 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I think it could be 2 my official answer is number 2
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11/16/2016 5:34:01 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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hmmm....i understand why teachers spend so much time correcting tests.... you were at 50%..on this last question your final answer was correct after 2 incorrect one...i could give you 33 % on this one but i think i will weight it for final answer to 60%. So out of 3 questions you have 1 + 0 + .6= 1.6/3 you are up to 53%...sorry..in my day..that is still an F
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11/16/2016 5:47:47 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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My final answer was official gave me some more questions so I can bump my grade up to a 90 or 100
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11/16/2016 5:49:43 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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It's an F these days too lol
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11/16/2016 5:50:41 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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next question..you might be able to go up a little on this one if you think a bit
On a t5 fluorescent bulb...the K number refers to
1) the potassium content in the bulb 2) the color spectrum of the bulb 3) the amount of Kryptonite contained in the bulb 4) a marketing ploy to influence naive shoppers
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11/16/2016 5:51:04 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok let me think this may take a while
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11/16/2016 5:53:11 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I don't know. That's a hard one. I'm not sore where I could find any answers to that I'm gonna have to go with 1
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11/16/2016 5:56:11 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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It could be 3 too though hmmm
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11/16/2016 6:01:47 PM
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| OrangeGhost |
Mn
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2
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11/16/2016 6:02:22 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, I feel positive , my final answer IS CHOICE NUMBER 3 :)))
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11/16/2016 6:02:34 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Hey this is my quiz
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11/16/2016 6:02:56 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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This is too hard I'm done
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11/16/2016 6:04:40 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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oh no...that was the wrong answer....now you are 1.6 out of 4.....down to 40%...you are at G grade level now.
your answer #1 would be correct if we were talking soil tests...but for light the K number refers to color spectrum. The lower the number, the more red light...higher number the more blue light. Before another quiz question I think I should give you some study material.
Your study project is for today...go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light
and look for the word photomorphogenesis
i will give you extra credit of .3 percent..if you can tell me what section it is in
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11/16/2016 6:09:39 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, I am gonna do that right now. What do u mean if you tell me what section what's in?
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11/16/2016 6:17:25 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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The word?
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11/16/2016 6:18:04 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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there is that word in there...and it is in a section that is identified with bold type...so you tell me what is written in bold type in the paragraph that contains the word photomorphgenesis
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11/16/2016 6:21:53 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok on my way to find it :)
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11/16/2016 6:24:09 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I can't find the word can u give me a hint?
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11/16/2016 6:40:51 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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i am sorry..the second time i typed this word...i made a typing error it wasn't intentional...but made it harder to do a word search program...the correct spelling is..... photomorphogenesis
this word also has link to another page that explains it better
keep looking henry...i give 63.86% chance of you finding it
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11/16/2016 6:52:27 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok
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11/16/2016 6:53:09 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I can't find it anywhere I'm looking at all the blue words and the only one that sounds like it is Phosphorescence but that's not the word
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11/16/2016 6:59:59 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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i am disappointed...look at the last sentence in the "Electromagnetic spectrum and visible light section" It is the sentence just above the really pretty picture...ok for today you stay at 40%...G level...good thing i think G is for grow. Don't be upset...you still have all winter to get your percentage up to 90%.
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11/16/2016 7:05:40 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, i found it what grade do I have now ?
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11/16/2016 7:33:12 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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39.98...i dropped you .002 for not finding that simple word. I guess you are in the H level now....H for Henry
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11/16/2016 7:38:09 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Uhh, now I'm mad at myself I really looked and I could not find it. Guess it's over for me :( uhhhhhh
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11/16/2016 7:45:30 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I want to be in the H level
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11/16/2016 7:48:54 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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henry..you didn't catch my math mistake...40 - .002 should be 39.998...sorry..you just lost another .12....39.878
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11/16/2016 7:59:20 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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are you kidding me,,,
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11/16/2016 8:03:32 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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So I have like a 28
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11/16/2016 8:04:02 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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no kidding..on the bnot quiz...your current score is 39.878....you are safely in the H level by .122 ....90% bnot...might take some time
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11/16/2016 8:07:59 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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you didnt lose 12 you lost .12 watch out for that little decimal point..sometimes the little things makes a big difference
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11/16/2016 8:12:39 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok:) I have all winter to get it up right? And do u have the tracking number of those tomatoe seeds?
Thanks :):)
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11/16/2016 8:29:25 PM
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| bnot |
Oak Grove, Mn
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i didn't send the seeds with tracking....i just dropped them in the mailbox...my only cost was one stamp..i expect they will arrive tomorrow or friday. If they arent there by the weekend..i will express some seeds to you.
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11/16/2016 8:31:47 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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Ok, thanks
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11/16/2016 8:32:34 PM
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| Henry-the giant pumpkin grower |
Topsfield, MA
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I have all winter to get my grade up. How about every day you give me some questions. Or every 2 days
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11/17/2016 7:07:19 AM
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| Peace, Wayne |
Owensboro, Ky.
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Henry, I would suggest that you lower your requests for questions to once a week? LOL Peace, Wayne PS...funniest read in quite a while!!! Serious!
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12/1/2016 2:59:22 AM
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| Total Posts: 81 |
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