Ligh intensity and internodal spacing

MexicanSon

Member
I need my bro science fix.
I just checked with my phone app light meter and it says that the first 7 - 8am rays if direct sun that hit my Mexican balcony in late May are clocking in at 16k lux (which appears to be lumens per square metre).
So I wanted to compare this with grow rooms, because despite there being many disadvantages to growing outdoors in a tropical country during rainy season, I think in terms of light my secluded balcony is going to be pretty advantageous pretty much all year round which is comforting.
So I stumbled upon this dubious image which seems to suggest that the plants on my balcony at 7am are getting more intense light than plants 1ft away from a 100w bulb in a closet
light-intesity-by-bulb-wattage-1024x438


This has led me to ask three questions to the experts on this prestigious forum:
  1. Is what I’ve just said complete bullshit?
  2. If plants stretch in grow rooms in an attempt to get more light intensity, on my balcony where my seedlings get an insane amount of light are they likely to do the opposite of stretch, ie have very little internodal spacing and be kind of compact? I mean they each have over ten healthy ganja shaped leaves but the entire foliage could fit inside the space of a maybe tennis ball, after 3 weeks (they are white widow and northern lights autos, so some might say squat shrubs are the norm, but they were sold as XXL, supposedly because they have the genetics to give big crops, it’s not looking that way rn.
  3. If plants store light energy through photosynthesis, does it figure that 12 hours at 16 thousand lux is a similar energy supply to 24 hours at 8 thousand lux.
TThanks and greetings from Mexico
 

Moflow

Well-Known Member
Here's a link to autos.
Àsk your questions on autos here for quick answers.

Forget about that lux business, you are over thinking it.
By my reckoning your balcony is East facing so you probably get direct sunlight for around 5 hrs?
Should be ok.
They sound Very small for 3 weeks.
What soil are they in, what size of pots, have you transplanted them?
How are you watering them, are you feeding them?
Good luck
 

B|uDreamer

Well-Known Member
I need my bro science fix.
I just checked with my phone app light meter and it says that the first 7 - 8am rays if direct sun that hit my Mexican balcony in late May are clocking in at 16k lux (which appears to be lumens per square metre).
So I wanted to compare this with grow rooms, because despite there being many disadvantages to growing outdoors in a tropical country during rainy season, I think in terms of light my secluded balcony is going to be pretty advantageous pretty much all year round which is comforting.
So I stumbled upon this dubious image which seems to suggest that the plants on my balcony at 7am are getting more intense light than plants 1ft away from a 100w bulb in a closet
light-intesity-by-bulb-wattage-1024x438


This has led me to ask three questions to the experts on this prestigious forum:
  1. Is what I’ve just said complete bullshit?
  2. If plants stretch in grow rooms in an attempt to get more light intensity, on my balcony where my seedlings get an insane amount of light are they likely to do the opposite of stretch, ie have very little internodal spacing and be kind of compact? I mean they each have over ten healthy ganja shaped leaves but the entire foliage could fit inside the space of a maybe tennis ball, after 3 weeks (they are white widow and northern lights autos, so some might say squat shrubs are the norm, but they were sold as XXL, supposedly because they have the genetics to give big crops, it’s not looking that way rn.
  3. If plants store light energy through photosynthesis, does it figure that 12 hours at 16 thousand lux is a similar energy supply to 24 hours at 8 thousand lux.
TThanks and greetings from Mexico
This chart is either listing the PAR readings of those bulbs or it is grossly incorrect. 16000 lux is nowhere near what you have 12" below a 1000w HPS, like by a factor of 5-10 easy.
 

Moabfighter

Well-Known Member
This chart is either listing the PAR readings of those bulbs or it is grossly incorrect. 16000 lux is nowhere near what you have 12" below a 1000w HPS, like by a factor of 5-10 easy.
Ya I have (and personally really like having) a lux meter and there no way you’re only getting 16,000 lux out of HPS 12” from canopy unless you’re measuring about 8foot away from light on the side of the room or something.
 

B|uDreamer

Well-Known Member
Ya I have (and personally really like having) a lux meter and there no way you’re only getting 16,000 lux out of HPS 12” from canopy unless you’re measuring about 8foot away from light on the side of the room or something.
Yeah I have a PAR sensor from my aquarium days and those numbers seem much more in line with that. Though lux to PAR conversions are estimates and depend on light source, 2000 PAR is roughly equivalent to 100,000 lux.
 
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