Lighting underneath the plant?

Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
I'm 12 days into flowering 7 plants in a 4x4 tent. I have not trimmed much of anything except the clones I took and any dead leaves. All looks healthy and green, I am running a Incandescent inda-gro 1000w and am supplementing it with an Apollo 300w led.

I picked up some 4' T8 2 bulb frames with 3000 kelvin bulbs and am going to set them underneath to get more light to the shaded areas. It was just an idea to experiment with, anyone heard of people doing this or have any thoughts on the subject?
 
420Hazza

420Hazza

Active Member
Pangioti said:
I'm 12 days into flowering 7 plants in a 4x4 tent. I have not trimmed much of anything except the clones I took and any dead leaves. All looks healthy and green, I am running a Incandescent inda-gro 1000w and am supplementing it with an Apollo 300w led.

I picked up some 4' T8 2 bulb frames with 3000 kelvin bulbs and am going to set them underneath to get more light to the shaded areas. It was just an idea to experiment with, anyone heard of people doing this or have any thoughts on the subject?
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Yes it's common sense because you distribute the light evenly ( under the leafs) better photosynthesis thefore increase growth/ as well as bud site that are covered with fan leafs
 
Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
Yeah, it does sound like common sense but there is a lot of people saying lighting under the leaves is a waste of energy and side lighting is the way to go.
 
dukethompson

dukethompson

Member
If you are going to keep the lower branches side lighting is the way to go. However consider the fact that the brightest lights penetrate deeper into the bud causing denser more massive growth. For this reason allowing buds to flourish outside of the range of the brightest lights is arguably a waste of the plants energy. This is why SCROG and SOG grows are so popular in tight spaces where plants aren't given the room to spread its wings under a dedicated 1000W or outdoors.
 
Rob Roy

Rob Roy

Well-Known Member
I think leaves have a top and bottom that serve two distinct functions, but would welcome any feedback others can provide....

Bottom of leaf (stomata) = leaf breathing.

Top of leaf = solar collector for photosynthesis
 
Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the replies, it makes more sense to supplement the sides, I found these huge 300w CFLs I found at Home Depot that I can just drop in the dark spots on the sides only. I have a batch of clones getting ready, I'm thinking of an SOG or SCROG for the next round. Anyone have a reliable link on this, I would like to start training early for the next run.
 
Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
Rentaldog said:
More light seems to be better so long as temps dont get too high. Have you tried to LST to open your plant up more?
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I bent the top of one of the ones that took off stretching, but it just kept taking off upwards - I need to read up on LST. I should have trimmed the bushes but don't want to touch them now they are flowering.
 
R

Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
Heh ;) yea, even with LST they will turn back up and keep on going! You just let them grow up a node or three and tie her down again.

Also, in the future, if you're looking for bushy plants check out the FIM method - its a lot like topping, but it produces more available locations for new 'tops' to grow from. I fimmed my plant and I have five new tops from what I can tell. I did it pretty late in the plants life though, so the new tips only grew out three or four inches and now im flowering.

Also, you can still LST a flowering plant too :) Im bending and tying mine to keep as many flowers in direct like as possible. Still iffy on pruning, but ive been taking leaves out that directly block my flowers too. Doesnt seem to be hurting my girl!
 
fssalaska

fssalaska

Well-Known Member
I use to have light under also till I found out it's a waste of light and energy , top or side lighting is the way to go.
 
Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
Rentaldog said:
Heh ;) yea, even with LST they will turn back up and keep on going! You just let them grow up a node or three and tie her down again.

Also, in the future, if you're looking for bushy plants check out the FIM method - its a lot like topping, but it produces more available locations for new 'tops' to grow from. I fimmed my plant and I have five new tops from what I can tell. I did it pretty late in the plants life though, so the new tips only grew out three or four inches and now im flowering.

Also, you can still LST a flowering plant too :) Im bending and tying mine to keep as many flowers in direct like as possible. Still iffy on pruning, but ive been taking leaves out that directly block my flowers too. Doesnt seem to be hurting my girl!
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This thing is like a freakin snake, it's just this one plant - it's got a top that is taking off, so I tied it again.
 
R

Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
Pangioti said:
This thing is like a freakin snake, it's just this one plant - it's got a top that is taking off, so I tied it again.
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Excellent :) So far I bent my plant to one side, then started training her to go around the pot shes planted in. The strings are making it a bit hard to water now lol, but its working out well! I have a nice round bushy plant with a nearly level canopy of flowers. Shes starting to work on flower production now, and its really nice to see even development. I run LED, so that was a crucial part of my plant seeing how the light penetration isnt that great.

Funny thing is, im only using a 100w from Advanced LED and it looks like the girls doing great! Hoping to break the 1g/w barrier on my first harvest!
 
DST

DST

Well-Known Member
lst = low stress training
lighting underneath leaves is pointless. I grow a vertical grow with the light in the middle hanging vertically, the fan leaves on my plants always end up hanging down (i.e with their tops facing the lights). Additional lighting needs to be side lighting. If the sun starts shining out of the ground we are in trouble.:)
 
F

FreeCannabizmAUS

Member
DST said:
lst = low stress training
lighting underneath leaves is pointless. I grow a vertical grow with the light in the middle hanging vertically, the fan leaves on my plants always end up hanging down (i.e with their tops facing the lights). Additional lighting needs to be side lighting. If the sun starts shining out of the ground we are in trouble.:)
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Thanks
 
Pangioti

Pangioti

Well-Known Member
Rentaldog said:
Excellent :) So far I bent my plant to one side, then started training her to go around the pot shes planted in. The strings are making it a bit hard to water now lol, but its working out well! I have a nice round bushy plant with a nearly level canopy of flowers. Shes starting to work on flower production now, and its really nice to see even development. I run LED, so that was a crucial part of my plant seeing how the light penetration isnt that great.

Funny thing is, im only using a 100w from Advanced LED and it looks like the girls doing great! Hoping to break the 1g/w barrier on my first harvest!
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That is awesome! How big of an area are you working with?
 
R

Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
small for now, id say about 3ft by 3ft or so ;)

Hoping to get a 300w+ panel in addition to my current though and see what happens then. Will be a while though!
 
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