Lighting.

[mmchupp]

Any advice for a newbie with his first system?

We have a small system (2' x 8') in our basement. Right now we have flourescent bulbs for the plants. I know that we should be getting some High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide lights. However, that is proving hard to do.

A trip to Lowe's and Menard's has shown me that I can bulbs fairly cheaply, but neither store offers the fixtures for anything more than 150 watts. (They sell 250 and 400 Watt bulbs....but no fixtures!)

I see some online places that are charging $200 and up, which just isn't feasible for our budget and system size.

Can anyone provide links to sources, forums, or advice on "lighting for dummies"? It is a tad bit frustrating that I can't walk into a store and buy what I need.

[nwestwood]

My research says that you can use Metal Hallide for leaf crops, but you need High Pressure Sodium for fruiting crops. I'm in the process of getting lights as well and will be using a combination. Also, for small areas, flourescent hung within 12" can work.