How many would fit?

[Sampson]

I'm going be building a grow box with my friend to start growing. Our demensions for the box would be 22" x 34" x 50". We were wondering on how many plants would we be able to grow in that size space?

Also what kind of lighting would you suggest for that?

 

[MindzEye]

Figure 1 plant per square foot, a 400w hps will do fine in that space...

 

[frankcos]

i think you could get 4 in there.Depends on the size of your pots.If you don't have the money for a hps light, floros are real cheap at homedepot.I picked up some 42 watt for $10 a piece and some 68 watt for $15 apiece.The 68 watters are 6500k and 4400 lumen I believe.Check out my grow journal,You can see a picture of a real easy 4 bulb setup using only one socket,and a few t's cost about $65 and puts off about 18,000 lumens.the picture is not real good quality but you can see it.Plus it isn't as hot as a hps bulb.

 

[MindzEye]

A 400w hps will more than double the yield you get, also it saves on electricity. It would take 18 42w cfls to equal a 400w hps and it would suck down 756 watts...

With CFL's you pay more for less light...

 

[frankcos]

Definitely not saying a cfl is better, Like I said If he doesn't have the money for Hps cfl's are a lot cheaper to get a light setup going.Hps lighting gets expensive.Cfl's are not as hot either. I can hold my cfl's when they are on.My 150 watt hps would burst if I ever tried that.

 

[MindzEye]

Definitely not saying a cfl is better, Like I said If he doesn't have the money for Hps cfl's are a lot cheaper to get a light setup going.Hps lighting gets expensive.Cfl's are not as hot either. I can hold my cfl's when they are on.My 150 watt hps would burst if I ever tried that.

but looking at the wattage cfl's use wouldnt the HID light pay for itself?

CFL's put out just as much heat only it is distributed evenly over a larger surface, plus those cfls are 1/4 of the wattage of a 150 watt hps... Also every one of those cfl's have an attached ballast on them so your ballast is inside the grow room... Try putting 18 42watt cfls in your grow room and see how hot it gets in there..

I bought a 400w Lumatek switchable ballast with a Sun leaves Arctic Sun air cooled hood for $239 here
hxxp://cheaphydroponics.com/store/complete-grow-lights/lumatek-400w-hps/mh-complete-grow-light/prod_631.html

If push came to shove you can buy 400w magnetic hps lights for $100

 

[frankcos]

sure it would pay for itself over time, but I didn't have 240 bucks to spend at the time I got my lights.Believe me I wish I had a couple 400 watters.

 

[MindzEye]

But for $50 more than you spent on cfl's you could of had a 400w hps?? I spend $50 just on a bag of weed...

 

[MindzEye]

Also with my first harvest under my new HPS Im harvesting 8 ounces dry... Where Im from thats $2,800... I think I got my money's worth

 

[dr pyro]

samp go 400 dont waste money on flour you will be disappointed

 

[Sampson]

Ok 400 it will be, thanks!

 

[crozar]

400watts hps/metalhallide convertor , you start with MH first weeks of vegatative growth and later the HPS bulb in the same holder , ask if its supports before buying

btw lowryders in good soil with that size can go up to 5 plants not in very big pots... but if u will grow on big pots i figure 3 plants with great harvest ,

with that size box u need a cooltube for sure or u will run in many heat problems!
i have no heat problems i have soil problems .
think about your temps

 

[Sampson]

What size pots do you think we should use to grow in?

For the heat issue we were thinking about putting several fans inside the box to blow the air out and in, think that would be all good?

Also anyone know were to get a HPS and I guess MH convertor for a fairly good price? (I.E cheap lol)

 

[MindzEye]

Depends on how you want to grow them, do you want bigger plants or a larger number of smaller plants? You can buy a switchable ballast, it will run either MH or HPS

 

[Budders Keeper]

I'm going be building a grow box with my friend to start growing. Our demensions for the box would be 22" x 34" x 50". We were wondering on how many plants would we be able to grow in that size space?

Also what kind of lighting would you suggest for that?

Depends on the style of growing. For example, I do between 18-24 plants in 8 square feet...400mh + 400hps during veg and flower. The bigger the plants the bigger your light will need to be. IME a 400 is only good for about 30in. max, thats why my plants are 18-24in. when finished. Good luck and happy trails!
A 400 in that small of space will need some good ventilation, too. I would use a 2ft- 8 bulb t-5 before CFL's. Puts out 16,000 lumens and will fit right in that space..192 watts..but if you go with that make sure you get bulbs mixed in spectrum so you can veg and flower with it.

 

[Sampson]

So Budders Keepers you think I should go with 2 t-5 bulbs instead of the hps?

 

[MindzEye]

Sampson, I had a 400 watt in a 2x2 space with a 180 cfm inline fan and it kept it cool... You will pay more for flouro in the long run, T5's are great for vegging but to get the real weight to your buds you need a HID..

Dont get me wrong you can get a decent harvest but nothing like a HID...

I have a 400 in a 2ft x 4 ft space and I dont have any problems, a 400 is good for 36 in not 30 in... A t5 setup would give you even less light in there...

 

[MindzEye]

look at my grow journal... thats what you can do with a HID...

 

[dr pyro]

samp i use the 1 gal per foot remember they triple in size in flower so if you go 1 ft tall by the end of flower your lookin at 3ft. i use 3 and 5 gal pots.mindz has great advice with many great grows

 

[MindzEye]

samp i use the 1 gal per foot remember they triple in size in flower so if you go 1 ft tall by the end of flower your lookin at 3ft. i use 3 and 5 gal pots.mindz has great advice with many great grows

Thx bro...

Hids are the best light next to the sun, but I dont have any sun in my house..