Plans so far: Perpetual Harvest. Soil Grown. (LxWxH) Mother/Cloning Chamber: 3''' 6 Plants Fluorescent (18/6) Vegging Chamber: 3''X4' 3 Plants Fluorescent (18/6) Flowering Chamber: 4'X4'X7' 3 Plants HPS (12/12) Questions: How large an HPS bulb would work for this flowering chamber space ? I'd like to stick with fluoros for the veg chamber, to keep the electricity use and heat down. Would I benefit at all from a MH lamp, given the size of the chamber and number of plants I'm dealing with? I'm hoping to yield at least a half a week between harvests, think that's reasonable?
your flowering chamber is way too big for that amount of plants. You could easily have 8 plants in a 4x4 chamber. 50 watts per sqaure foot is a good rule to go by. You have a good idea to use only fluoros for veg.. I think a mh is a waste for veg... just use your hps the last 2 weeks of veg and your plants will love it. Also with that number of plants you're looking at more like a month between harvest.
Well I'd like more but am only allowed 12 plants. I think I'll plan on fluoros for the veg chamber instead of MH light. I figured most strains needed about 2 months flowering, so was figuring a harvest every couple months or so. If I could get 4 oz every two months I'd be happy. Here's a ballpark idea what it may look like when finished:
It's not really necessary to seperate the veg and mother /cloning chamber. It's more effecient on lighting and cooling to combine them. For your flower chamber to be the most effecient don't make it over 2 sq ft per plant, of else the extra space will waste light.
I think the setup is fine. Flouros work great for cloning and vegging. I use them for both. I use cfls for flowering. But for your space a 400 watt hps would do good. A 600 watt would be great but if you go that route you would need to invest in a cool tube or some good exhaust for heat.
So 3 clones, 3 mothers, and 3 vegging, in a 3'' area. 9 Plants in 9 sq ft area sound good? How many watts of fluoro lighting would be ideal for 9 plants in 9 sq ft in vegging state (18/6)? As far as exhaust ventilation, could I vent it directly up into my sealed cieling (no access), or would that not be advised? Thanks for the answers folks, it's really helpin me put this together.
i think you should swap the rooms and make the 4x4 the veg room. then go get 5 4ft t12 shop lights. screw them together with some 1x2 board. wire them into one plug and some 40watt 6500k tubes youll have plenty of light for 6 plants 3 moms 3 veg. Then for your cloner a 2x 24" fluoro tube fixtures screwed together in the same fashion work very well for my cloner. If you want Ill post pictures of both in action. They do great for me.