600w hps and mh coverage

how many plants can i grow under one 600 watt mph lighting system? I have a grow light glass encased 6 inch exhaust cooled reflector and a seven foot ceiling and was wondering how many plants in 4 gallon pots could i grow with optium yield

3 rows of 3, is about the biggest I'd go. They'll end up filling the 4' x 4' coverage area, quite nicely, if flowered at 10-18".

I realize that this will not be of any help to you but your question is really one that is very difficult to answer in a completely accurate way and is open to many varying opinions. A 600-watt HID light will put out a large amount of light but depending on the size and quality of what reflective hood is used the light footprint can vary considerably. Then you can add the quality of reflective material being used to the equation and that will change things too since roughly 40% of a yield will come from the outer edges of a growing area.

I have seen areas covered with adequate light using a 600-watt HID that some people would say a 1000-watt HID would not cover and I have seen areas smaller than a 400-watt HID can cover not receiving adequate light from a 600-watt HID.

It can all come down to what reflective hood and reflective material is being used. There is no set x number of feet by x number of feet or number of plants that can be grown under any wattage light that can always be counted on as being accurate or right or best.

Someone also has to consider how they will be growing. If someone tops their plants, especially if they top more than once and they end up with wide bushes with 4 or 6 or 8 colas they will not be able to fit as many plants under any wattage light as they could if using a different growing method.

Sorry to not be more helpful but those are just a few things that do need to be considered when taking advice from someone in that their 600-watt light might have a very different hood that provides a very different footprint of adequate light and different/better reflective material and possibly a different method of growing.

I guess what I am saying is before you take any advice you need to make the best attempt possible to make sure you are making an apples to apples comparison or else you may find yourself with inadequate lighting or wasting light.

^VERY true. There's sooooo many variables, that it's almost impossible to answer. I mentioned the '3 x 3' arrangement, because that's what works for me, finishing with 24-30" plants, about 18" wide. Also, I don't have the absolute max amount packed in there, mostly, because I'm back to work, and have limited time to take care of a large number of plants.

Hi loki, Brick Top has given you a concise and accurate answer. Each grow-op is different, the strain, the direct and peripheral lighting,
air and soil temps, nutrients, pH balance ALL effect the ultimate production. As Brick says, a 600 watt light is only a part of the
equation. I wish you, Good luck & good grow.......BB