Lux with Quantum board in veg

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
I was reading that lux in the veg should be around 40,000 to 50000. As a noob, I turned the lux up to about 50,000 after 3 weeks of seedling stage (had co2 on, now getting it refilled...) which perhaps was too fast with too much?

How do you suggest to modulate this? such as 10k, added lux per 10 days?

I noticed that the node length was very small and the leaves were even overlapping each other quite a lot. I started some LST.

In my grow I need to maximize vertical space and use a screen of green because the vertical space is very limited.

As an experiment today, I cut the Lux in half by raising the lights to the top of the room.
 

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Ayokiwi717

Well-Known Member
I was reading that lux in the veg should be around 40,000 to 50000. As a noob, I turned the lux up to about 50,000 after 3 weeks of seedling stage (had co2 on, now getting it refilled...) which perhaps was too fast with too much?

How do you suggest to modulate this? such as 10k, added lux per 10 days?

I noticed that the node length was very small and the leaves were even overlapping each other quite a lot. I started some LST.

In my grow I need to maximize vertical space and use a screen of green because the vertical space is very limited.

As an experiment today, I cut the Lux in half by raising the lights to the top of the room.
My guys were small too, but they end up growing up. Its better to haven them growing in diameter compared to height in my opinion. I was worried too, but now I'm not. Having tall stretchy plants aren't ideal plants. Got to look at genetics as well, indica are going to grow in diameter more compared to sativas that grow in height. Its all good most likely
 

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
Super soil. Ph is dialed in. No extra nutes except occasional fish hydrosolate. Used rain water before but now city water which is about 300 ppm.

Run yer light at 100%
Adjust height based on heat at plant tops

Forget about lux


Move on
So too much lux is not a threat at all really? I heard that 3 biggest factors causing newb issues are: too much light, too much water, too much nutrients. Not true?

Seems a bit much to push them with like 60,000 Lux so early? But it can't backfire you say?

what is suggested for the heat at the plant tops? Such as 1 or 2 degrees below ambient or not more than 85 or?
 

Huflungpoo

Active Member
Super soil. Ph is dialed in. No extra nutes except occasional fish hydrosolate. Used rain water before but now city water which is about 300 ppm.



So too much lux is not a threat at all really? I heard that 3 biggest factors causing newb issues are: too much light, too much water, too much nutrients. Not true?

Seems a bit much to push them with like 60,000 Lux so early? But it can't backfire you say?

what is suggested for the heat at the plant tops? Such as 1 or 2 degrees below ambient or not more than 85 or?

If you have a lux meter, plants can veg out pretty great at 25000 lux. I save 60,000 and higher for flower. Just because of electricity costs.
 

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
I'm not concerned about the electric cost, I just want to have an efficient and healthy growth.

I've heard many different answers about this question. Thus, I'm still looking for a detailed answer.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Run yer light at 100%
Adjust height based on heat at plant tops

Forget about lux


Move on
Have you ever used QB's?

They don't give off the Infra-Red (IR) radiation like HID do. That's why we run warmer temps if using QB's.

Lux is a decent way to get an idea of what the plants can take at each stage, and helps me to figure out new lights.

I run all mine dimmed a bit, and they're still powerful as hell.
 

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
Hi @PadawanWarrior thanks for your reply. Yes first time using QB's.

What do you recommend for my lux? After turning it down yesterday from 50k to 25k, they seemed to respond positively.

In contrast to @BobThe420Builder advice, I was reading: "There is no need to go with higher intensities, the more light they get the more difficult is it to keep them happy/healthy" thus for an indoor newb as myself, it seems prudent to be careful not not go overkill for this run.

Makes sense to me... I do think pushing plants hard can backfire. No? Yes?
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Hi @PadawanWarrior thanks for your reply. Yes first time using QB's.

What do you recommend for my lux? After turning it down yesterday from 50k to 25k, they seemed to respond positively.

In contrast to @BobThe420Builder advice, I was reading: "There is no need to go with higher intensities, the more light they get the more difficult is it to keep them happy/healthy" thus for an indoor newb as myself, it seems prudent to be careful not not go overkill for this run.

Makes sense to me... I do think pushing plants hard can backfire. No? Yes?
Exactly. These boards are powerful. I've overdone it too. They stop growing, develop skinny leaves, and are not happy. I'm actually shocked at how little QB light they need.

They can adjust to a certain intensity up to a point, and then it's downhill from there.
 

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
Today I turned my 820 Watts (3 x 240 Quantum Boards) of LED lights up to full power in my 4x4x4.3 ft area and measured LUX it was:

  • 200,000 LUX 1 foot below
  • 150,000 LUX 2 feet below
  • 35,000 - 50,000 LUX 3.4 feet below, at canopy level
I think I am kinda okay with this LUX level at the moment in early veg.

Until adding CO2 or the plants are looking really healthy. Then I can bump up gradually to about 65,000 or so?

Today I realized, I seem to have way too much lux in my space,
The experts have said that cannabis plants can't really use not more than arbout 80,000 LUX to 100,000 LUX if all conditions are good. Right?


So now the question becomes: if I cannot use that much light my my little space, why waste the light 2nd or third light unit there?

Instead I could use one of the three lights elsewhere, for a separate veg or flower chamber.

Be removing one quantum board, the max in the current 4x4x4.3 space will be 100,000 to 133,000 LUX at 1 to 2 feet away. Which is STILL even VERY high?

Even if I were to remove two lights, then I would have still have 50,000 to 73,000 at 1-2 feet away which seems to be pretty good for flower and good for veg?
 

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
Today I turned my 820 Watts (3 x 240 Quantum Boards) of LED lights up to full power in my 4x4x4.3 ft area and measured LUX it was:

  • 200,000 LUX 1 foot below
  • 150,000 LUX 2 feet below
  • 35,000 - 50,000 LUX 3.4 feet below, at canopy level
I think I am kinda okay with this LUX level at the moment in early veg.

Until adding CO2 or the plants are looking really healthy. Then I can bump up gradually to about 65,000 or so?

Today I realized, I seem to have way too much lux in my space,
The experts have said that cannabis plants can't really use not more than arbout 80,000 LUX to 100,000 LUX if all conditions are good. Right?


So now the question becomes: if I cannot use that much light my my little space, why waste the light 2nd or third light unit there?

Instead I could use one of the three lights elsewhere, for a separate veg or flower chamber.

Be removing one quantum board, the max in the current 4x4x4.3 space will be 100,000 to 133,000 LUX at 1 to 2 feet away. Which is STILL even VERY high?

Even if I were to remove two lights, then I would have still have 50,000 to 73,000 at 1-2 feet away which seems to be pretty good for flower and good for veg?
I definitely think its overkill.

For veg 15-20w/sf is fine. 30w for flower.

You would be fine with 1 for veg (16sf x 15w = 240) and 2 of those fixtures for flower (16sfx30w = 480)

im running a similar setup in a 4x5 closet. 3 fixtures. 2 on outside are at 240w, middle is 200w but dimmed to about 120w. so I can run 680w but find that around 600 is more than enough. I also raised my fixtures a bit from where I had them and the plants respond better.
 

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
Instead I could use one of the three lights elsewhere, for a separate veg or flower chamber.
I would 100% do this. if you can get another 4x4 that is a little taller,, and move 2 of them into that for flower. Keep your current tent with 1 light for veg. Plenty of room to keep moms and veg some monsters so you have something ready as soon as your flower cycle is done. You could even do a perpetual rotation so that you could harvest something every month or so.
 

Overgrowtho

Well-Known Member
If I have approx 6 plant max, so maybe I should have: 2-3 clone/mother/veg, 2-3 flowering. For the perpetual, that could be nice. (I guess I have no choice since I have way too many watts of light).

By the way, based on the above photos, my plants are too lime-greenish. I am thinking for the next watering, to add:
  • Fish Hydrosolate approx 4-1-1
  • Calmag
  • Silica
  • Mycrorhyze
  • Trichoderma
  • B+
  • Neem (for systemic IPM)
  • Seaweed
  • Humic acid
    (Just a tiny bit of each of the above or as directed on label)
    (I would plan to pH adjust using citric acid or baking soda to around 6.5)

    Seeing as the plants are in 5 gallon pots, I would plan to use 1 gallon per plant. How does this sound?
 

johnsmith1010

Active Member
lux is just 10x footcandles. they are the actual volume of photons
the PAR is the spectrum or color of the photons
in lux 40000 to 50000 is 4000 to 5000 fc which is way to much
the upper limits of light plants need is about 5000 fc or 50000 lux.
and that is a plant in bloom .
veg for growing plants should be about 2000 to 3000
seedling and rooted cuttings 1500 fc or the 15000 lux
those are suffering from too much light that aggravates other factors like any nutrient issue .
get a free light meter app on the app store.
for some reason since PAR spectrum has been passed around as knowledge Footcandles has been forgot. they are both together.
metaphorically par is the ec and ph of the water .
fc is the volume if that water.
fill a pool with good PAR water all you want but WITHOUT FC u swimming in a puddle.
same thing in reverse. need a drink of water but only pay attention to par and you get drowned.
now the thing is that just because we talk about par when describing lights does not mean every other light does not have it. that's light. it is a volume of photons with different colored photons that are used differently.
but ....once you get MINIMUM PAR or spectral requirements the rest is all about photons. the volume . law of CONSERVATION of mass and energy..you can't make something from nothing. we used to grow 25 years ago with low pressure sodium ( single orange spectrum but the most efficient of most light sources) . close to equal with led..we added a blue mh and they worked excellent but was cumbersome, awkward and expensive..
sorry long message but thought a more complete explanation was needed.
 

johnsmith1010

Active Member
the only thing you need is a simple 2 part 12 minerals nutrient formula. the more inexpensive the better .
add evey supplement out there and 6ou will not add more than +/-5% 5o yield or quality and besides the added expense you could do harm if you don4 know what 5hey do .
call mag a good example.its calcium and magnesium carbonate which is 70% of your water as hardness. . it is not any thing special to needed
if a supplement contains anything in a normal feed 12 mineral solution then it is not necessary and bordering on fraudulent.
norman commercial agriculture thinks 90% of hydroponic weed products are snake oil.
you want the truth ( can you handle the truth ? lol )
Here you go .I was told is easily available cheaply on scribd
hydroponic food production by dr Howard m resh .easy to read. extremely informative , basic , and correct. let's you know weed is just a standard plant ( but does not talk about weed)
enjoy
 

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johnsmith1010

Active Member
it's never a good idea to plant in large containers first .
generally medium wetness is not an issue as healthy growing plants . best 4o start in small 3 or 4 " pots . let's be seedling get a good growth going. they will be fine until they grow to the edge of the pot which is called the drip line .
plant only grows as wide as its roots unless systematically watered as in hydroponics. It brings water to th4 roots folding them to think they are bigger and thus plants grow bigger than the pot .you can grow a palm tree in a bucket with 5hr right amount of watering
 
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