Light Selection and Square Footage?

Hi, I am planning my first grow. I have read the beginner's guide and many threads, but there are a few things I'm not clear about regarding light choice and size of grow room.

The area I have is an unfinished shallow basement about 4-5' high that runs the length of the house. It is always cool and dry in there. In the winter the basement is around 65 degrees.

Since this is my first grow, I want to keep it small, but I dont want to skimp on the quality of lighting.

I was planning to hang used carpet, plastic, or cardboard to section off areas.

The plan is to set up a 2x4' main grow area, with a "tent" around it to keep in light. From what I have read, I will need about 50-75K lumens.

What is the most cost effective light for an area of this size? It seems that everyone is down on CFL, but if I get enough lumens, will the plants do really well? Or should I just get HPS?

Can I do everything with one kind of light? I dont want to double buy different kinds of lights unless someone can show me its a good idea.

How many plants can I get in a 2x4' area? Can I get enough light on them to get at least 8oz per plant?

Just trying to figure out total yield.

Thx.

welcome to rollitup

on behalf of everyone here I'd like to thank you for reading the beginners threads first Lol, so many nubs ask questions that have been answered 500 times and expect people to help them.

yes, you can use the same lighting from seed to weed, I've seen great results with HPS all the way. with that said it sounds like your best bet is a 400w HPS. You can get one from HTGSupply for about $120. They also carry conversion ballasts that allow you to use a MH bulb for veg and HPS for flowering.

I don't think 8oz per plant can be done in a area that small unless you plan on growing them super tall or using a method like Scrog

Do not use carpet! you have to keep your grow clean as possible and you dont want random stuff for your edge. buy some reflective plastic. its cleaner and it reflects more light.

you might get 2-8oz plants in there. The thing im worried about is you havent said anything about ventilation. your plants will die in 48 hours if there is no circulation

BeefSupreme said:

Do not use carpet! you have to keep your grow clean as possible and you dont want random stuff for your edge. buy some reflective plastic. its cleaner and it reflects more light.

you might get 2-8oz plants in there. The thing im worried about is you havent said anything about ventilation. your plants will die in 48 hours if there is no circulation

Click to expand...

Ventilation.. .. The whole area is the size of a house, probaby about 800sf down there.

I was going to run a fan through the "tent" to blow off the plants. I doubt a 400 watt bulb will raise the temp more than 5 degrees down there. I could be wrong. If so, I can vent to the outside... may need to rig something up depending on the weather. Or I could duct the AC to there. Its naturally cool in there.
thx

majek said:

welcome to rollitup

on behalf of everyone here I'd like to thank you for reading the beginners threads first Lol, so many nubs ask questions that have been answered 500 times and expect people to help them.

yes, you can use the same lighting from seed to weed, I've seen great results with HPS all the way. with that said it sounds like your best bet is a 400w HPS. You can get one from HTGSupply for about $120. They also carry conversion ballasts that allow you to use a MH bulb for veg and HPS for flowering.

I don't think 8oz per plant can be done in a area that small unless you plan on growing them super tall or using a method like Scrog

Click to expand...

The dilemma I have in using really hot lamps is that the area is only 4-5 feet tall.

Doesnt the HPS need to be several feet from the plant?

I think I will have to use a huge array of flouros.

SO lumen per lumen, can the floros give as good a result as hps?

he plan is to set up a 2x4' main grow area, with a "tent" around it to keep in light.

Click to expand...

so if you are tenting it in, you need ventilation

Cman said:

The dilemma I have in using really hot lamps is that the area is only 4-5 feet tall.

Doesnt the HPS need to be several feet from the plant?

I think I will have to use a huge array of flouros.

SO lumen per lumen, can the floros give as good a result as hps?

Click to expand...

a 400w HPS can safely stay about 14-16 inches above the plants. if heat is your concern you can always cooltube it, then you'll be able to keep your tops couple inches from the bulb. you might also consider buying 2 250w HPS, they work great and don't get very hot at all. floros are crap unless you plan on using them for veg only/clones. HPS produces the most lumens per watt

if height is your concern, you can always use methods like LST/scrog to keep the plants short and bushy. don't be cheap when it comes to lighting though, more light = more buds

majek said:

a 400w HPS can safely stay about 14-16 inches above the plants. if heat is your concern you can always cooltube it, then you'll be able to keep your tops couple inches from the bulb. you might also consider buying 2 250w HPS, they work great and don't get very hot at all. floros are crap unless you plan on using them for veg only/clones. HPS produces the most lumens per watt

if height is your concern, you can always use methods like LST/scrog to keep the plants short and bushy. don't be cheap when it comes to lighting though, more light = more buds

Click to expand...

Thanks man. Two small 250s... How close can I put these to the rafters? Dont want to burn the house down!

Cman said:

Thanks man. Two small 250s... How close can I put these to the rafters? Dont want to burn the house down!

Click to expand...

won't argue that cfl's will compete with hps in efficiency, at least at larger wattages
but if you're concerned with fire risk, and we all should be concerned with fire risk, cfl's are less hot, at least for peak temp, hps ballasts/bulbs do have a higher 'point' operating temp