Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
if the HPS where not the best for now, the serious growers wouldn't be spending the money on utilities and the equipment. i don't care if it's roses or cannibus you won't find a flourescent lite in the place. i should clarify this, flourescents are used for cloning and seedlings.
Umm, what about all those huge state-of-the-art hydroponic farms in Japan that only use fluorescent bulbs?

It has to do with how much light and of what spectrum comes out of the light. It's not as simple as saying "X bulb is better because I say so" the plant needs what it needs and the options are out there with their respective pros and cons. I have successfully grown peppers indoors and had a better crop than outdoors that season. It probably had to do with the fact I could give the plant more light indoors and control the temp, but results are restults.

Ultimately, we can debate it back and forth. The science is very simple behind the lights, but the best thing to do is try it for yourself to settle all doubts.

I have this inexpensive device that lets you look at a light source and it breaks down the spectrum against the wavelength on a scale. It's a crude instrument, but works quiet well to compare lights. You can't make out the exact intensity of the areas, but you can get a good idea of what areas are stronger and weaker. This gives you a point of comparison... anyway... hope that helps