I am currently setting up a 2.8 x 1.4 x 2 tent which I will grow 2 plants in using 3 x 600w lights consisting of lumatek digital ballasts and gavita digital globes along with a DWC grow system The volume of plants is indicative of our unreasonable laws so am trying to optimize my conditions to ensure I grow huge plants. I want to know whether I would be better off hanging my globes vertical with NO reflector so that I have a light in the centre and then light on either end so that both plants are surrounded by light or should I hang lights horizontal evenly space across top of plants? Sent from my iPhone using GC Forum
2 plants on 1800w, you can't be serious?, best is 100w per sq ft then 50-75w after that, you can only put so many watts on a leaf before you get diminishing returns. Technically hanging the HPS bulbs vertically is correct, but thats Technically, in fact as in real life that don't happen for many reason, including with me...lol. 2 plants under a 400w HPS is ideal, even with a 250w HPS is possible, 2 plants under 1x 600w HPS is just a waste. peace "V"
wow and i was here thinking my 1k light was overkill for my 4plants. With so much overkill you really have no need to try and optimize the lighting with placement I'd assume. Also have you fired the tent and lights up for a "dry" run to get an idea of temps? I have a small feeling that it's going to be quite warm in there unless your measurements are Meters not feet, and how you spelled center leads me to believe it may be the case. Even if so, 2 of your lights should be more then enough to adequately cover the space and beyond adequate for 2 plants.
Well sounds like you guys truly believe I will have way too much light however I'm sure you can appreciate considering I can only grow 2 plants I want to absalutely maximize the yeild potential. Good pickup on the typo it's the autocorrect on the iPhone and yes measurements are in meters. Have you seen the YouTube videos of Heath Robinson who actually uses 5 lights surrounding 2 plants using a DWC system and has yields of 50 and 70ozs. Even if that's wet it's still going to be 2-3lb dry which is what I'm looking at achieving. I tell you what I will start a grow journal once I am setup and we will all see whether it's a waste of light or not. Thanks for your feedback.
gbudd you can't have too much light it's the heat that comes with the additional light if you have the right ventilation it's not a problem...i grow one big ass plnt using a 600w hps i'm expecting 5to 8 oz..i'm using secrets of the west coast masters by dru west..he gets 1lb off 1 plnt using 1k hps lite...its how you scrog it..i dumbed it down for my size rig and if i get 8oz i'll be estatic
Yeah with those numbers being meters, your first post seems very realistic. It's a little bigger or maybe right about the same total volume of my tent and I wish I had the electrical system to feel comfortable running a second 1k light. If you get ventilation dealt with, you should have an excellent set up. I look forward to seeing a journal, even though I only read them. I leave posting in journals for people who can actually assist the grower. Back on topic, I still doubt you need to worry about how you hang the lights. 3 vented hoods running above the canopy will still be loads of light for your girls. I don't spend time seeking out the highest yielding growers to read up/watch videos of, and feel like any rookie grower should avoid it as well. Learning is always great but things like "So and so got 100lbs with 8 cfls" just gets your hopes too high. High hopes aren't exactly bad either but IMO us rookies should always have it in their mind, this whole adventure may end in failure, that way if it does get fucked up we aren't so disappointed. Damn it, rambled again. Cliff notes: If you keep heat in check you should be good to go. First grows should focus on quality, quantity will come with experience.
That is some serious lighting for 2 plants! Awesome! IMO you will be wasting a lot of light and money if you hang all 3 bulbs horizontal up top (unless you SCROG appropriately) I like the vertical idea! Also, are you considering buckets larger than the normal 5 gallon size? Large yields come from long veg times and giant root systems, you may want to consider 10-15 gallons per plant or so... I really want to see this happen....
Appreciate the feedback, to confirm I wouldn't call myself a rookie having been growing for 20 yrs in all styles it's just that I believe you can never stop learning and researching what others had achieved was to reassure myself that the change to the way I grow was going to be viable. I have spent the last 12 months trying to grow in coco without success going from getting 10-12oz a plant every 55-60 days with an old strain I have had for 15 years being Super Skunk grown under a pair of 1000 w light in expanded clay in 10 gal tubs to menial yields of 6-8ozs and a serious change in the way the strain matures and looks at the end to the point of seriously changing everything I do including purchasing a cpl of new strains being The Ultimate from Dutch Passion and Crytical Kush. I should have system up and running within a month just waiting on the seeds to arrive which has been a nightmare in its self having attempted 4 different purchases without success as our customs X-ray every peice of mail sent internationally. Fingers crossed SOS who have just re sent a second package gets through so I can get thing up and running and show everyone the results via a weekly journal update
Well shit shame on me for assuming things. Go get your big yield and get a journal for me to drool over. Best of luck to you on the seeds. Sounds like a major pain.
I though general rule of thumb was the more light the better. The more lumens the better. If every leaf is absorbing as much as it possibly can, you're gonna have a big bad ass plant. For 1800 watts, i would personally put around 3 plants... maybe 4 if i already had one going... Then let them stretch... and branch out, and start budding, and get all frosty... Damn, 1800 watt SOG would be amazing... like 2 dozen 10 inch plants... couple pounds off that.