Question - Light proximity vs space utilization

GrowinDad

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
Curious if nayone has any thguohs, opinions, etc...

I run with 14 23W CFLs under a pretty normal U shaped hood. My grow space is about 4x4 so I have lots of room (only do 4 plants at a time).

I try to keep my CFLs extremely close to the tops. My tent is in my office so I can check often to see if lights need to be raised.

My challenge is that if I LST as much as I'd like, the plants take up more horizontal space. As they do, it becomes harder and harder to keep them so close to the lights without the bottom of sides of the hood getting in the way.

So what is better to do. Raise the lights so they are 5-6" from the tops, giving me more space under the hood, or limit the horizontal space of the plants so they can fit under the hood and I can keep them 1-2" from the tops?

I just swuicthed out my bulbs and moved to 12-12 for flower. So like penetration down the canopy is a priority.

Am I making sense?
 
ukclonebank

ukclonebank

Member
Keep the bulbs as close as possible , they have limited power as it is , that in mind you have answered your own question.....
 
GrowinDad

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
Can/t get a good one in the tent. But this describes it. The yellow circle are lights. The cylanders are the pots. The arrows coming out of the pots would be the tops. The more I bend them to the sides, the more apt they are to hit the hood.

I think I did answer my own question. Was hoping somehow that someone would say "aaaah 6' vs 2" off the lights in flower makes no diff". But I didn't expect that hope to come true :-)
Picture1.jpg
 
B

blackbellychimp

Member
I keep my light about 4-5 inches from the tops of the plants. I have 10x26W and 2x55W CFLs on a 6.61 square foot space and my plants are growing close to one inch per day. I see no reason to lower my lights and limit the horizon. I would say that you need to adjust the wattage according to the space that is available so that you can get maximum results.

If you don't want to do any of that, i would respond by saying that unless you up the wattage to extend light to a larger area, then the amount of bud you will yield will be close to the same in either configuration that you mentioned.

Hope that kinda helps. -BBC
 
Dannysayo

Dannysayo

Active Member
Add in some extra 26watt 1750lumen cfls. Buy a couple desk top lights and a couple 2to1 socket adapters. Take the Hood off the desktop light, add in adapter and add two bulbs per desktop light. Should help lots. My lights come on in 20min, ill post a pic of mine
 
Bakatare666

Bakatare666

Well-Known Member
Mr.Vega said:
My bulbs stay 4-6 inches away....View attachment 2643444View attachment 2643446...I thinks its better for the plant this way...gives it room to "breathe"...but I have an excessive amt of bulbs
Click to expand...
Ya man, I got tired of looking at fugly leaves that had grown up into the bulb and I didn't check for a day, she would go in cycles, sometimes growing an inch in a day, then next week, not growing for 2 days, and I would get lazy and not check every 6 hours.:wall:
 
Mr.Vega

Mr.Vega

Well-Known Member
Bakatare666 said:
Ya man, I got tired of looking at fugly leaves that had grown up into the bulb and I didn't check for a day, she would go in cycles, sometimes growing an inch in a day, then next week, not growing for 2 days, and I would get lazy and not check every 6 hours.:wall:
Click to expand...
roger that....if u just add some bulbs u can back em off some....that first two weeks of flower can b a pain in the ass if shes a stretcher....I just had one stretch over a foot in the first two weeks of flower....I didnt think she was ever gonna stop20130503_093230.jpg20130503_093624.jpg....querkle bubbleicious cross I accidentally bred myself....hybrid vigor is an understatement. ..ha....trying to keep em close enuf for max growth potential and adjusting daily was def a balancing act
 
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