slamsomethc
New Member
Hey there, everyone on RIU looking to create space/power efficient gardens!
I've been arguing with myself a lot lately over whether certain changes to a previously horizontal grow box that will now be used vertically will be sufficient. Feel free to skip my specs and go to the TL;DR
For context, I've been growing vert, 2-4 tier on a wood frame, 4'(height)x~3'(diameter), using one 600W HPS inside a V-SCROG tent (tent is 4x4 horizontally, forget if it is 7 or 8' tall) for the past year or so, and I've loved it. 2 tiers creating 2' dual canopy heights was not as efficient in relation to time and space compared to 3 or 4 tiers with smaller plants. Required more training, more defoliating, etc. It would be nice to have a wider tent with the same height dimensions to maximize the use of the light (as per Heath's optimal distance from bare bulb suggestions).
Now my new plan is to change a wooden box I've been using for dual 600W flat grows into my vert box. The dimensions for this box are 5'(width)x6'(length)x6.25'(height). I plan to do 4 tiers in square pots organic just shy of being a gallon in volume, pots are 6"x6"x8", so averaging 8" over 4 tiers and subtracting that gives me an overall potential canopy height of about 5.5' (accounting for the fact that canopy won't be DIRECTLY on the base of the first tier's pot), with each tier being able to grow a canopy of ~16.5". I may plan to change it to a 5 tier set up which would give each tier the potential for 13.5" canopies.
That being said, I planned to stick with the original wattage of 2 600W lights hung vertically, each being used to cover 1.125' from the top and bottom of each light (each light covers 2.25' of canopy). I've recently been hearing some anxious advice that I would be better off with either 2 1000W lights or 3 600W lights (possibly 2 HPS, 1 rotating MH) for light intensity in my dimensions. I'm pushing the circuit breaker to its limit before popping right now (3 600W lights, 2 6" centrifugal fans, a heat mat, and several 17W fluorescent lights will NOT pop it, but should I hook up a space heater or similar to the circuit, POP), and I really wouldn't like to have extension cords running from a locked room to draw from another circuit; very conspicuous.
So, some have suggested that I have 1.8-2kW in ONLY the wood larger box, and use my tent for my clones and future mothers only running fluoros, which I am not too fond of as I will need 150-250 clones from a few 5-6' tall mothers that would simply NOT fare well using lights with weak penetrative power (Prefer using 600w HPS for my moms). A T5 light uses ~50w, so the amount that I would need would be close to HID light wattage anyway, but I lose canopy penetration.
TL;DR What wattage are you using, or have seen others use successfully in what dimensions? I am worried about a 5.5' heightx6'Lx5'W vertical setup being at the weird in-between point for using 1200W (2x600W), vs 1800W(3x600)/2000W(2x1000). I feel as though 2 600W should be sufficient, but am I losing anything not running that extra 600-800W in that space?
It'd be great to get this information complied here for any future growers that wish to seek this knowledge as well so that these uncertainties can be somewhat eliminated.
I've been arguing with myself a lot lately over whether certain changes to a previously horizontal grow box that will now be used vertically will be sufficient. Feel free to skip my specs and go to the TL;DR
For context, I've been growing vert, 2-4 tier on a wood frame, 4'(height)x~3'(diameter), using one 600W HPS inside a V-SCROG tent (tent is 4x4 horizontally, forget if it is 7 or 8' tall) for the past year or so, and I've loved it. 2 tiers creating 2' dual canopy heights was not as efficient in relation to time and space compared to 3 or 4 tiers with smaller plants. Required more training, more defoliating, etc. It would be nice to have a wider tent with the same height dimensions to maximize the use of the light (as per Heath's optimal distance from bare bulb suggestions).
Now my new plan is to change a wooden box I've been using for dual 600W flat grows into my vert box. The dimensions for this box are 5'(width)x6'(length)x6.25'(height). I plan to do 4 tiers in square pots organic just shy of being a gallon in volume, pots are 6"x6"x8", so averaging 8" over 4 tiers and subtracting that gives me an overall potential canopy height of about 5.5' (accounting for the fact that canopy won't be DIRECTLY on the base of the first tier's pot), with each tier being able to grow a canopy of ~16.5". I may plan to change it to a 5 tier set up which would give each tier the potential for 13.5" canopies.
That being said, I planned to stick with the original wattage of 2 600W lights hung vertically, each being used to cover 1.125' from the top and bottom of each light (each light covers 2.25' of canopy). I've recently been hearing some anxious advice that I would be better off with either 2 1000W lights or 3 600W lights (possibly 2 HPS, 1 rotating MH) for light intensity in my dimensions. I'm pushing the circuit breaker to its limit before popping right now (3 600W lights, 2 6" centrifugal fans, a heat mat, and several 17W fluorescent lights will NOT pop it, but should I hook up a space heater or similar to the circuit, POP), and I really wouldn't like to have extension cords running from a locked room to draw from another circuit; very conspicuous.
So, some have suggested that I have 1.8-2kW in ONLY the wood larger box, and use my tent for my clones and future mothers only running fluoros, which I am not too fond of as I will need 150-250 clones from a few 5-6' tall mothers that would simply NOT fare well using lights with weak penetrative power (Prefer using 600w HPS for my moms). A T5 light uses ~50w, so the amount that I would need would be close to HID light wattage anyway, but I lose canopy penetration.
TL;DR What wattage are you using, or have seen others use successfully in what dimensions? I am worried about a 5.5' heightx6'Lx5'W vertical setup being at the weird in-between point for using 1200W (2x600W), vs 1800W(3x600)/2000W(2x1000). I feel as though 2 600W should be sufficient, but am I losing anything not running that extra 600-800W in that space?
It'd be great to get this information complied here for any future growers that wish to seek this knowledge as well so that these uncertainties can be somewhat eliminated.