Small grow room lighting.

[wannabee]

Please any help would be appreciated. I have some Lowryder 2 autoflowering in a small closet thats about 2.5' x 2.5 x 2.5' in an Aerogrow, and I'd like to add an HPS light but the one I bought has a reflector and is too big for the space. Are there smaller HPS lights? Is there another alternative other than CFLs?

 

[ika667]

You can get a socket for your light without a reflector. It would be in your best interest to get that HPS in there.

 

[ika667]

Try to rip the reflector off without damaging anything.

 

[GlassFreak]

dude any HID is going to fry that area, do you have ventalation? i would stick with cfls, why not? just get a 125w or so. that should do fine and throw off much less heat.

 

[ika667]

250 HPS should do the trick, I run 400w HPS in my small closet NP.

 

[KushCanuck]

HPS is probably best suited for the grow, but given your height ceiling is 2.5' I would use CFLs, maybe 3/4 42w or 2 42w and 2 26w with a full spectrum, half 6500k, half 2700k. I'n that space, if you can maintain an even canopy, that light should be enough to go start to finish with some supercropping or good LST. I'm in the last week of flowering on my Haze with each plant being devoted 4 26w 2700k CFLs and I'll be pulling an ounce per plant in a 2x2x4 space. The lower heat of the CFLs will be beneficial for your tight space. If you can find a way to mount the HPS minus a reflector, that would be something to look into though. I would recommend at least starting with the CFLs and see how they work for you, you could always switch to the HPS if you feel it necessary. Good luck mate

KC

 

[ika667]

I apologize, I did not pay attention to the height of the room. You want to get CFL's, your plants are going to have a tight fit and they absolutely cannot touch the HPS. CFL's will be much more forgiving in this case.

 

[ika667]

KushCanuck, what kind of haze did you grow in such a small space? I have always wanted to try growing sativa but never had the balls because of space issue, even with LST in mind. My room is 2.5 x 5 x 6, how did you do it?

 

[wannabee]

HPS is probably best suited for the grow, but given your height ceiling is 2.5' I would use CFLs, maybe 3/4 42w or 2 42w and 2 26w with a full spectrum, half 6500k, half 2700k. I'n that space, if you can maintain an even canopy, that light should be enough to go start to finish with some supercropping or good LST. I'm in the last week of flowering on my Haze with each plant being devoted 4 26w 2700k CFLs and I'll be pulling an ounce per plant in a 2x2x4 space. The lower heat of the CFLs will be beneficial for your tight space. If you can find a way to mount the HPS minus a reflector, that would be something to look into though. I would recommend at least starting with the CFLs and see how they work for you, you could always switch to the HPS if you feel it necessary. Good luck mate

KC

Thanks for all the suggestions and responses. I do have a small fan in the space. I can't really vent the air to the outside. I was wondering about the different spectrum CFLs, and how you can tell this. I have the Aerogarden light velcroed to the side wall and three 23 watt Sylvania micro-mini soft whie CFLs with those clamp on work lights over the top of the plants. This seems to be working okay for now, I just wanted to maximize the budding. If CFLs will work, I may go with them. I don't know if I could figure out how to remove the reflector, I'm kind of bummed that I bought that, but thats a newbie for you.

 

[Kingb420]

well i have proven that 6 23w cfls are hotter than a 150w hps by 5 degrees , in my 2x3x3h box, i can get the tops close to the 150

 

[ika667]

True that CFL's produce a lot of heat, but it is over a wide area and it's not too hot to the touch like the concentrated heat of an HPS. Don't be bummed about the HPS, keep it close and when you have the room, use the CFL's for your veg room and the HPS for your flowering room. You'll be happier and produce much more and harvest sooner with some moma's for clones.

 

[KushCanuck]

I grew Super Silver Haze in a 3'x3'x4.5' space and honestly just trained and super cropped the plants. I preflower for two weeks on 24/0 and switch to 18/6 for 2 weeks before the final switch to 12/12 for the remainder of the grow. I trained the plants in a circular fashion and super cropped at 18". The Haze I'm growing now is a "Mystery" Haze, good recommendation from a friend. It is pretty scary to snap the plant when super cropping, but the side branches develop huge sturdy stems that can support serious Sativa weight.

Wannabe, you can find the spectrum on the box the lights come in. Look near the bottom right corner and most bulb manufacturers will include the spectrum. 2700k Bulbs are also refered to as "Daylight" and the higher 6500k are sometimes called "Cool White" ... maybe reversed ... I'm stoned again. Someone please verify, haha. Feel free to ask me anything else if I was too vague

KC

 

[ika667]

I converted the cupboard under my sink in the kitchen as my veg room once, just a thought.

 

[KushCanuck]

Agreed Ika, the CFLs are going to be the only bulbs to use here. If the canopy and bulb spacing is good, this set-up could yield great result, the CFLs give off good light but don't penetrate thick foliage as well as HID. So a 3' ceiling like wannabee has would be the perfect platform for him. Happy Growing all

KC

 

[ika667]

THX, I will have to try and get on the horn with some indoor sativa!

 

[KushCanuck]

Oh please do! Sativas are my favourite, anything Haze really. Such a great high but not debilitating like some heavy Indicas out there. They are really beautiful plants too, and if you like hash, I can usually get a couple grams worth of finger hash after manicuring and harvesting my plants. SWEEET!

 

[ika667]

Yeah I love sativas, they are very hard to come by here. Everybody grows indoor and its all indica. I love the trippy high and miss it!

 

[Brick Top]

True that CFL's produce a lot of heat, but it is over a wide area and it's not too hot to the touch like the concentrated heat of an HPS. Don't be bummed about the HPS, keep it close and when you have the room, use the CFL's for your veg room and the HPS for your flowering room. You'll be happier and produce much more and harvest sooner with some moma's for clones.

He could buy or build a Cool Tube and have the best of both worlds.

 

[KushCanuck]

There is a time and place for Indicas in my mind, before bed or after a physically demanding day, but Sativas are the daytime high to have, makes me more energized and qualitative. However, you give me a Diesel genetic of any sort and I have my smoke selection set

 

[GlassFreak]

Yeah I love sativas, they are very hard to come by here. Everybody grows indoor and its all indica. I love the trippy high and miss it!

k this ones got me goin. i thought sativas were the uppy, hyper, "yay lets go somewere", head high weed, and indicas were the more trippy, couch lock, space out, body high weed. i speant quite a while figuring it out the first few times its beenbrought up.

i love indicas, i love the phychadelic aspect of weed, thats why i grow white widow. dont get me wrong a good sativa is hard to pass up.