If... and I mean if you get 1g per watt of light, you'll get the same exact yield with 1 plant as you will with 6. Unless you're just going for 6 different strains, you're wasting seeds, time, and effort. I think it was my 2nd or 3rd grow that I tried to do 30 plants. Of the ones that made it, most were male. I think I ended up with a handful of females and didn't make one bit of difference in yield amount because of the lighting I had. That's why now I'm only growing 1 plant in a 14 gallon bin. I have 3 more seeds that are 3 different strains. If you do the math, 1g per watt is 250g with the bulb I have. That's 8.8 ounces of one strain. Being patient will yield 2.2lbs... if I cram all 4 in their now, I'll have 8.8 ounces. That's why everyone is suggesting you do fewer plants, but let them get bigger. The yield will be the same whether you do 1 plant or 100 plants under the same light.
You make a very good point. Is one gram per watt generally accurate? And I guess why I want to fill it is because there autos so the strain says strictly 30-45 grams or so, so I figure I can't get more then that even with more light. Regular plants I understand can yield as much as you give them light, space and time. But will I get a much better yield out of an auto if I give it more space?
I don't work with autos because of the limited yield and no control over flowering. They are good for people just trying to learn though, and even some experienced growers love them. Just not my cup of tea personally. In your situation, 30 - 45 grams isn't that much, so you actually might do a little better by putting more plants in. I didn't realize you were doing autos. I'm following your grow though. There are a few strains I want to try in the future, and so far, I've only seen auto seeds for them. May have to break my rule about autos. As for 1g per watt, that's pretty much the goal to shoot for. Most grows seem to come in around .5 - .75 grams per watt. I've heard of some amazing grows that have done up to 2g per watt, or so they claim. It's rare though. 1g per watt is the standard to strive for though.
This is my first grow in a few years, and my first indoor grow ever, so I'm kind of inpatient to harvest, they should be ready to harvest 55 days from seed if all goes well, and I'm paranoid about interrupting there light cycle by accident. But I think I'll stick with autos because although you sacrifice yield, if I get myself a separate veg space, I can harvest every 35 days or so because there so quick