Light distances for various wattage lights

I'm considering a vertical set up my next grow. I have found plenty of charts showing suggested distances for different wattage lights, but they're all for horizontal lights with reflectors. Since a vertical only receives direct light with no added reflected light, I think the optimum distance would be shorter, but since I didn't plan on using cool tubes, I may be wrong. Anyone know of a good reference/guide? Has anyone have a good suggestion for a low pressure aeroponic bucket system where the buckets can be moved?

Good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Red1966 said:

Good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Click to expand...

I honestly don't know and wish I could answer this for you, I am on my first vertical grow right now (hell first grow in years) but I am going to see what works for me as I go... my light rotates though so it's never in one place for more than a millisecond anyway and I don't think that is comparable to anything else. I feel like they should be able to get closer as well and based on other grows I think it's true. Some have argued the heat goes straight up and is not 'trapped' under a reflector/hood either so it's easier to get rid of... I am having difficulties keeping my temps lower than about 81 degrees on average with my area and lights though, should add Co2 to make that a little more acceptable.

Clear answers are never there when you need one

I'm thinking what you seek is at best debateable. I've seen a lot of charts also.

The distances are given for horizontal because there is less light emitted from the tip of the bulb.

check this for light from the bulb. The distance is the same vert or horiz as long as you are not directly in a straight line path with the base and bulb tip.
http://www.420magazine.com/forums/how-grow-marijuana/71125-what-distance-should-my-light-my-plants-2.html

Stated differently;
When hung vert the floor directly under the bulb tip will receive less light.
When hung horiz the floor recieves the most light.

You can prove this to yourself with a simple light meter. Measure the light at the side of the bulb then check the tip.

Hope this helps. It's for vertical distances, not horizontal.

ive (in my past) done plenty of vertical grows....the bulb needs to be oriented so the arc tube is parallel to the main colas. the plants need to be in a circle around that and basicly maintaining the cola to bulb parallel....in this type of grow u want your bulb completly surrounded and train yer plants to orient to the light....if your bulb is oriented above the plant u may as well get a reflector and not waste all that light.....you can get more plants in a space with less light ..1000 watts is perfect for this....but there is a trade off...you dont get reflection thus it does equal less measured lumens.....hope that helps...

Been doing vertical since I started growing.. Vertical growing has one con and that's heat. It took a lot of trial and error to get my heat down to optimum levels especially with 4 600's and a couple led's in a 10x10 room. It's not as easy as one would think, reason being you can't use the fan the same way to cut the heat between the light and the plant(less you have a blower beneath each light on top of having a cooltube). However having a good a.c. and cool tubes definitely drops your temps way into the norm. I happened to be lucky with a square room that I just situated another inner square of lights(instead of hung they are sitting on 5 gallon buckets which places the lights at the perfect height inside cool tubes facing bulb top down to get all the plants from top to bottom). With a vertical light your getting a circle with a diameter of 3-6 feet of full light. I would suggest only doing vertical if you have the space. I usually fit 5-6 plants around one light(hydro and ten days of vegging). I absolutely love vertical and here's why....if you have everything under control and you do vertical the right way...EVERY nug becomes a top nug. EVERY nug is crystal coated from top to bottom like it was dipped in sugar. Almost all nug's grow symmetrically. You don't need to move or train the plants at all during veg. They will actually grow towards the light, just make sure you have an anchor for each plant and your good. I use the led's from above so no one is mistaken. I do a mix of vertical and horizontal growing

Red1966 said:

Good thing I'm not in a hurry.

Click to expand...

dont come in here with yer little attiude...

DrGribble said:

I honestly don't know and wish I could answer this for you, I am on my first vertical grow right now (hell first grow in years) but I am going to see what works for me as I go... my light rotates though so it's never in one place for more than a millisecond anyway and I don't think that is comparable to anything else. I feel like they should be able to get closer as well and based on other grows I think it's true. Some have argued the heat goes straight up and is not 'trapped' under a reflector/hood either so it's easier to get rid of... I am having difficulties keeping my temps lower than about 81 degrees on average with my area and lights though, should add Co2 to make that a little more acceptable.

Click to expand...

Co2 requires careful planning. You will need cooltubes. When you say your light rotates, do you mean a fan is moving it while it hangs from the cord?

I have two Lumatec dimable ballasts, 350w, 400w, 600w. And one non-dimable Galaxy 400w. I thought I could stack two or possibly three 400w's with 6-8 plants around them. I have a tent that is 54" x 96", so I am limited fit inside a 54" circle. What I am trying to find is what radius I should put the plants at. Perhaps I could come up with a bucket system that I can move closer or farther from the lights?

this thread on icmag gives a preatty good explanation
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=127881

cheers!