LED Grow Light Question

[WarTexas]

I bought a MAXSISUN 1200W grow light for my first ever grow ($80). I read in many articles that you should follow the instructions from the manufacturer for distance and operating modes. It has a VEG switch and a BLOOM switch. The recommendations say to use only the VEG light for seedlings and Young Vegetative stages and use both the VEG and the BLOOM for Vegetative stage as well as the Flowering stage. This doesn't sound right to me. I assumed I would use the VEG light for Vegetative stage and BLOOM light for Flowering stage. The VEG light has a blue tint to it and the BLOOM light has a red tint to it. So... should I follow the manufacturer's recommendation or use the VEG light only for the Vegetative stage and only the BLOOM light for the Flowering stage? And how much of a difference would it make either way? Please help.

[SoOrbudgal]

Hello sir welcome to the GWE grow forum where BS is often mistaken for knowledge LOL just kidding forget I said that. Seriously I have veg and bloom light switches also although not the same brand but fiddle sticks on that.

I and most growers use a CFL or t-5 grow light just for seedlings cause it's kinder on the fragile toothpicks of plant sprout. Now important to know if this is a photo or auto flower plant? Also it's going to take practice to familiarize your self with that light so start a few seeds test it out don't sweat the failures learn from it. If you have to use this light use only the veg. switch at 30-40" away cause it may be to strong beam. What's the true watt from the wall with that?

[WarTexas]

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I have one auto and one photo plant growing. Call it my first test grow, which is strictly for personal use, and I don't plan on becoming anything more than that. Two plants can keep me for a year or more. So, my equipment is nothing more than my garage, a grow light, some Dyna-Gro and a jeweler's lupe. The thing is, I like growing weed. The GWE has caught my attention and I really enjoy reading all the available information and learning the science and techniques behind taking care of the plants and getting the best possible product when it's all over. Which is why I asked for this assistence in the first place. 1200W seems to be a lot compared to what I see others using, and the instructions (from what I have learned) don't appear to make sense. If I were left to my own judgement, I would ignore the instructions and use the different lights for the different stages of growth, and probably double the recommended distance (due to the 1200W strength) to about 32" to 40" from the tops.

Am I wrong in my thinking?

In the future, I think I would like to grow just one plant at a time and just keep the buds coming for my own enjoyment, swapping from sativa to indica, auto to photo and just learn and care for the plants. It's a great hobby.

[gbauto]

Howdy Tex...

I looked at the Amazon ad for that fixture and it says that it's a 268-watt unit. I'd say you're probably seeing 100 watts on each channel of red and blue diodes. For young plants, I'd try 20-24" and see how they like it. Adding red to the light spectrum can promote stretching so I use it to modify the structure.
That fixture should be able to flower about 5 sq ft of canopy-I'd use it to grow a nice plant.

- Specifications -
Model: MU1200
LED Power: 120x10W
Avg. Power Draw: 268W±3% @110V
HPS Replacement: 600W HPS/MH
Max Veg Coverage @ 24” height: 3x3 ft
Core Bloom Coverage @ 18” height: 2.5x2.5 ft
LED Quantities: 120pcs Epiled/BridgeLux LEDs
Total Harmonic: <15%
Input Voltage: AC 100-240V
Frequency: 50-60Hz
Lifespan: 100,000 hours

[Greenthumb420]

I run both switches on through entire grow no big issues yet...