Criss Cross Lighting

I'm having this idea that I can not get out of my head.

Suppose you had 12 plants and power consumption wasn't an issue. You are going to grow them large because you can only have 12.

I'm thinking the plants would be arranged in 3 rows of 4.

Rather than putting a single light over head, I'm wondering if it would be better to use 2 lights and rotate the reflector so that one side reflects light down on rows 1 & 3, and the rest of the light from both lights points inward onto row 2. Think of an X with two lights on top, crossing in the middle.

Where this would have an advantage over putting a single light in the center, is that rows 1 & 3 would not be lacking for light on the side of the plants facing the perimeter.

Now, of course row 2 would be a bit further, from each light but this would be compensated for by it receiving twice the light from both sides. Besides, with a single light over head, rows 1 & 3 would be just as far and illuminated only from one side.

In my mind's eye, this would give better penetration and more even illumination.

Nobody has any input on this?

I can't visualize the setup but your premise brings a question to my mind. Do all the leaves on a plant contribute to the wellbeing of the entire plant or just the area to which it is attached? In other words, do the fan leaves at the bottom node contribute to growth of the top growing tip and or buds 10 or more nodes above?

nice i would like to see this but what abot a 6ft pole in the middle of the roof with a light on each end that spins at 1 rotation per 2 min all plants get light all the time

keepinabeat said:

nice i would like to see this but what abot a 6ft pole in the middle of the roof with a light on each end that spins at 1 rotation per 2 min all plants get light all the time

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You mean a sun circle? Movers are great if power consumption is an issue. If not, it is a different story.

Simply put, the leaves supply nutrients to buds forming close to them so all areas need light.

Now that I think about it, why not arrange the lights in a square with all pointing inward?

See, with one light over head, the center gets blown out and the perimeter gets shit for light. This way the perimeter would get great light too.

Imagine 36 plats in a 6X6 square, you hang lights above the outer most row or two rows, but rotate the reflector so instead of pointing down, it points inward. Now the outer plants are well lit, and the ones in the middle are recieving light from all sides. So, instead of 1 directly over head, you have 4 from each side and one in the middle.