The U-L-T-I-M-A-T-E Lighting Setup

[Strawberry Cough]

Sunshine is the perfect light because its light pervades everywhere to completely envelope the plant.

Indoor growrooms often have light from one direction (top) which makes me think this is one reason why bud production below the top is so much less.

Here is my dream set up in a decent sized room:

- Plants in the middle of the room.
- 2 MH lights opposite each other, 2 HPS lights opposite each other forming an X or a + shape.
- 1 MH light at top above the plants.

Total: 5 lights coming from front, back, left, right, & top.

I think this would best replicate the "pervasiveness" of natural sunlight since so many people cannot grow legally (i.e. safetly without arrest) outdoors.

...but I can! I am legal for Medical Marijuana.


VOTE YES TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN CALIFORIA!!

THIS IS THE START OF A WORLD REVOLUTION!

 

[Alistair]

That seems like a lot of power consumption, but your plants would be happy. You can also top and do LST. That way, you can maximize bud production, by keeping the plants short, with an even canopy. Short plants get better light penetration down to the lower branches than taller ones.

 

[LEFTHAND]

That seems like a lot of power consumption, but your plants would be happy. You can also top and do LST. That way, you can maximize bud production, by keeping the plants short, with an even canopy. Short plants get better light penetration down to the lower branches than taller ones.

IMO waste of money.. if one wants to add blue throw 2 single T5's on there hood. or in there room.. blue light less power..
thats alot of heat as well..
i veg with HPS anyways .. lol
LH

 

[nouvellechef]

I am working on a 10 bucket DWC, 4k overhead and 4k on the sides using UFO's from attitude. Grow journal to follow.

 

[Strawberry Cough]

That seems like a lot of power consumption, but your plants would be happy. You can also top and do LST. That way, you can maximize bud production, by keeping the plants short, with an even canopy. Short plants get better light penetration down to the lower branches than taller ones.

Yeah, nothing like the sun...so strong, and costs nothing.

I like topping, but still not 100% light penetration.

WW = short plants. My plants are 2-3 feet maximum.

 

[Tater]

I think this would best replicate the "pervasiveness" of natural sunlight since so many people cannot grow legally (i.e. safetly without arrest) outdoors.

Errr not to be a jerk but the sun doesn't shine from all sides at once, it travels across the sky, you could achieve the same results with fewer lights and a mover.

 

[surreptitious]

Errr not to be a jerk but the sun doesn't shine from all sides at once, it travels across the sky, you could achieve the same results with fewer lights and a mover.

tater, ur such a jerk :hitchair: :headbang2: :joint:

you could achieve similiar results. our lights are only replications of the sun.

i believe that the best way to do it is have a greenhouse. then you would have the sun and the benefits of a controlled environment. maybe one day when i hit the lottery i'll build one.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Load it up bro...

I'll be sure to watch! :aok: I'm running 21,875 Lumens per square foot in my bloom closet with a 1K hps and a 6 tube 4' T5 fixture mounted on the back wall of my 2 x 4 x 8 closet... It might be overkill but it sure is fun! :hubba:

Happy Growing!

 

[gangalama]

if i were legal id want to experiment too!!!! do ur thang mang.

 

[legalize_freedom]

The buds at the bottom of the plant are always smaller then the buds at the top...even when grown outdoors under direct sunlight...you are never going to get the bottom buds to be bigger than, or as big as the tops. (unless you make the bottom buds the tops by pruning, lst, etc)

It is a chemical reaction, the plants energy is focused at the tops...you are never going to be able to get top buds on bottom branches.

Light it up all you want...the bottom buds will still be of lesser volume

 

[DonJones]

Well, I don't do side lighting -- at least not yet -- so I'm just trying to correlate what I know about different light sources with what I read here on the forum.

First, you are NOT over lighted depending upon what wattage you are using. My flower room is 6' X12' X7.5', but right now I only have plants in approximately a 6' X 6' area. I currently have 4 each 400 watt MHs and 1 each 400 watt HPS. I had a professor of botany, who is the head grower in the R&D for a large MJ grow equipment manufacturer, in my rooms recently and he said that be felt that I needed to add at least 1 more 400 watter, if not 2 or 3 more.

His personal choice is all HPS for flowering, but said a mixture was actually okay too. One of my local mentors advised me that running nothing but MH start to finish would not make more than 5% difference in weight and no real discernible difference in effectiveness.

Assuming that you have everything else dialed in precisely, then using MH, a blend of MH & HPS or HPS might be a significant difference.

Just throwing some cool white T-5s into the room isn't going to cut it. They have much less penetration per lumen than HID and HAVE to be very close to the plants to be effective.

Everyone that I know of who has used side lighting say that it increases the yield, speed of growth/flowering and some of them says it makes a difference in quality too. That is the net effect of using reflective walls and /or portable screens, much like office cubical panels, right close to the plants -- it reflects the light into the lower part of the plants. One big disadvantage of using portable reflective screens is that it tends to reduce air flow through the plants.

I'm sure I have stepped on some one's toes or even offended some one and that is not my intent. How ever that is your choice.

Also, by all means try it, but try to keep everything else as close to the same as possible - same variety, same nute, same growing techniques and so on so you know that any changes are due to the lighting change. Keep us posted and good luck.

Good smoking