Hey all, bout to plan my 2nd closet grow. The first time around I did it with just some bagseed and 2x 3'x2 floro fixtures. Also only had an exhast fan/hole without creating an intake hole. Needless to say the yield wasn't impressive but I did take it from start to finish and it was good to smoke some clean homegrown. This time around I would like to do it RIGHT! I am thinking about stepping up to a HID lighting system. Here are my questions: The closet size is apprx 2'x3'x10'. I will be growing in soil. Previously, with the mentioned lights and ventilation it got too hot in there (90+F) when the door was completely shut. I am hoping the addition of the intake hole will help cool it much more effectively. The closet door is otherwise sealed pretty well to prevent light in/out. I am thinking a 400W HPS light would be the right size for this closet. I definitely feel like anything higher would be too hot but do you think 400W is even too hot for this space? Maybe step down to 250W? I am thinking of growing 6 plants in there, but would like to cycle them faster so they won't be getting too tall since I plan on flowering at like 12" or so... I am also strongly considering a cooltube system because I am very paranoid about the heat issue after the last grow and that was only with floros (altho they did have the ballasts housed in the enclosure as well and I plan on having a remote ballast with the HPS and keeping it out of the closet). -Will the cooltube, plus intake hole, plus remote ballast be cool enough to grow 6 plants in this space you think? I don't really have the option of cutting more holes than those two because of concerns about the space. -Also, is it advisable to use a MH for veg and HPS for flowering VS just using a enahnced HPS bulb the whole time? Is the yield that discernable? -What kind of yield can I expect with 6 plants under the HID vs the meager floro lighting I was using before? thanks al!
You should never let the temperature dictate your lumens. If you get too much heat work it out with proper air conditioning or ultimately get one of those low heat HPS lamps. They might cost you some but you'll get it all back in the first harvest.
Hi Sorry about that. English isn't my first language and I gave you a sloppy answer. To be more specific, not low heat lamps but air or water cooled reflectors is what I meant. They amount to the same thing though; giving less heat to your grow area which is ultimately what you're looking for. http://www.blunt.co.uk/hydroponics-shop-uk/hps-grow-lights/600w-water-cool-reflect/index.html http://cgi.ebay.com/Sun-System-Sun-...ed-HPS-MH_W0QQitemZ120263931943QQcmdZViewItem
i completely agree. heat is fixable. buy whatever light you will need for the number of plants you want.
Your plants need always proper air flow, hot or not. So if you're planning to do it right you just can't leave them in a closet without ventilation and expect to get the optimum results. How do expect any heat or moisture to get out from the closet if it doesn't breathe? Also, If you do not circulate the air, the plants will pretty fast eat all the Co2 in your grow room/closet thus decreasing the amount of Co2 in the air which will amount to a slowed down growth (photosynthesis). If you wanna really get the most out of it you should add co2 artificially (Co2 tank). Co2 is often overlooked as one of the most easiest and effective ways to get the most from your plants. 400W is barely enough but 600W would (again) be the optimum (it'll give you something like extra 50 000 lumens), especially if you're planning to grow six of them. This would mean that you should use those air ventilated tubes/reflectors and also ventilate the closet as mentioned before. Depending on all the other factors (nutrients, ph, temperature, humidity, co2, root size etc..) the 200W will make a huge difference (several ounces). MH for Veg and HPS for flowering is recommendable but not as nearly as important or significant as the other factors mentioned. Personally I wouldnt bother as it doesnt really affect the overall results (yield and quality of sinsemilla) significantly. Still if you have the extra cash and feel no problem switching the sensible tubes on and off, you should go for it. First of all it depends on the strain you have but more importantly: With that 600W, and if you let them veg for a good while (I would suggest three plants only, exploiting all the height you have instead of overcrowding the closet), use big pots (10gal) for better root development, do not mess up with the ph, ec and the nutrient levels and do all the appropriate measures to max your yield you'll get atleast 14 ounces, easily more than a pound. But if you go for the 400W, cycle fast and most of all compromise between the tube and the air ventilation you could be left with something between 6 to 8 ounces and that is if youre not being sloppy with the rest of the stuff.