10 x 10 room, 4 x 600, some advice please...

[J. Greenstein]

How would you place 4 x 600 watt air cooled lights in a 10 x 10 room? I'm thinkin to put the lights in the middle of the room and make a 6 x 6 soil box in the middle with a 2' walkway along the entire outside of the box...perhaps stretch out the box a few inches so each light covers exactly one sq m and narrow the walkway a few inches. Seems a bit of a small grow area for 100 sg ft room I realize but I don't want it cramped in there.

 

[FirstTracks]

2X 3x6 tables or soil beds on wheels so you can have them pushed together normally and then pull apart for space when you need to do work on them.
Reaching to the middle of a 6x6 box to work on plants would get ugly.

 

[J. Greenstein]

Thanks...do you think it would really be that hard to reach in to a 6 x 6 box? I'd have good access from all sides so that means I'd only have to reach 3' in to get to the furthest plants...not that puttin them boxes on wheels would be a problem, just didn't think it's needed. I speak from no actual experience just thinkin out loud.

 

[moses224]

I personally like FirstTracks idea but the 6x6 would work. Just allot more work for you. Thats ultimately a call your going to have to make.

 

[Whatever]

I built a 4800 watt setup in an 8 x 18' space with two sets of 6 x 6' hydro trays. It was a bit of a stretch but no problem really with canopy/plant maintenance. I had 18 - 22" aisles, except against one wall, and a bit tight but worked just fine. I trained the plants into the center aisles and left a walkway the length of the room. I think a 4 x 600 setup will absolutely rock in that space and a recommendation would be to offset the hoods/lights to the corners a bit, not much and maybe just a few inches, cause there will be fantastic overlap between the hoods and especially in the center.

 

[J. Greenstein]

a recommendation would be to offset the hoods/lights to the corners a bit, not much and maybe just a few inches

Not really sure what you mean by this? Are you saying to angle the hoods towards the corners slightly? Thanks to all for input.

 

[ureapwhatusow]

i do 6x8

i use cool tubes and used 2x4s on spackle buckets to get best use of PAR

I was happy with the results

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=95688

i use 5 gallon containers, i like the greater grow space of a grow bed but moving it is tough

first tracks is right about getting into a 6' dense space but i like square configurations really makes good use of side light that woudl normally be lost

containers can be moved so dense spaces can be created and managed


good luck

 

[Whatever]

No angling just do not drop the hoods/bulbs dead center in each 3' x 3' square and move a few inches toward the outside corners. You'll get plenty of overlap in the center portion. Don't make the beds wider/large but if anything train plants into the aisle space a bit. Moving the hoods out a bit will help cause with approx 2' aisles you won't get great reflection off the walls. If going soil making 2 3 x 6' movable beds is a solid recommendation.

 

[Shcrews]

I have a 10x10 room and it is chock full of greenery, 5KW lights, AC, etc...

i will probably have to take some pots out to walk around when they are late into flowering, but its a small price to pay

you should max your shit out... something worth doing is worth doing right

oh yah and if you're gonna go soil beds, you should check out those XL 54gallon Rubbermaid tubs, i am using them for my SOG and they are very easy to work with and move around...... each tub is about 2x3ft, so you could get 6 of them and be perfect...

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

If you`ve only got 4-600`s then I`d partition off an area for clones and pre-veg and tryta maximize wattage as close to 50 watts per sq. ft. as possible with a 6x8 area....

With a 6x6 bed that gives you no access to your plants so containers as has been said above would most likely be your best bet unless you can DIY a bed on wheels to be able to acces your plants on all 4 sides of the bed.......

Schrews is rockin 10x10 the right way and ureap is 50 watts per as well........24 watts per sq. ft. even directly over the bed will waste a lotta light that`ll get swallowed up by the rest of the room causing light dissipation instead of concentration..........

Good luck and take care.......DHF.......... ........

 

[J. Greenstein]

I have a 10x10 room and it is chock full of greenery, 5KW lights, AC, etc...

i will probably have to take some pots out to walk around when they are late into flowering, but its a small price to pay

you should max your shit out... something worth doing is worth doing right

oh yah and if you're gonna go soil beds, you should check out those XL 54gallon Rubbermaid tubs, i am using them for my SOG and they are very easy to work with and move around...... each tub is about 2x3ft, so you could get 6 of them and be perfect...

This will be my first grow, I don't want to make it overly large and complex...but I definately want to do it right, I won't be skimping on anything just don't have the need (or balls) for bigger.

 

[J. Greenstein]

If you`ve only got 4-600`s then I`d partition off an area for clones and pre-veg and tryta maximize wattage as close to 50 watts per sq. ft. as possible with a 6x8 area....

With a 6x6 bed that gives you no access to your plants so containers as has been said above would most likely be your best bet unless you can DIY a bed on wheels to be able to acces your plants on all 4 sides of the bed.......

Schrews is rockin 10x10 the right way and ureap is 50 watts per as well........24 watts per sq. ft. even directly over the bed will waste a lotta light that`ll get swallowed up by the rest of the room causing light dissipation instead of concentration..........

Good luck and take care.......DHF.......... ........

So I always thought what mattered was the wattage over the grow area, not over the entire room? 2400 watts over 36 sq ft = 66.66 watts per sq ft over grow area.

 

[J. Greenstein]

No angling just do not drop the hoods/bulbs dead center in each 3' x 3' square and move a few inches toward the outside corners. You'll get plenty of overlap in the center portion. Don't make the beds wider/large but if anything train plants into the aisle space a bit. Moving the hoods out a bit will help cause with approx 2' aisles you won't get great reflection off the walls. If going soil making 2 3 x 6' movable beds is a solid recommendation.

OK I understand now, thanks.

 

[Whatever]

So I always thought what mattered was the wattage over the grow area, not over the entire room? 2400 watts over 36 sq ft = 66.66 watts per sq ft over grow area.

Yes...you will basically get 67 watts/sq ft. Do not figure in the total room area...just the area the plants will be under. Take advantage of the overlap from the lights and those edges will get all the intensity they need. I actually trained into some of the aisle spaces exactly like you'll have and with the reflection off the walls got enough intensity to pick up some extra bud. Once you get past 2 weeks into flower with most strains the stretch is done and they only need watering/fertigating. I go organic in soil now and mainly rely on nute layers and spikes so basically just adding water not. Even with hydro I'd train everything into the trellis netting and then just open the door and watch as they finished. I figured using the aisle space this way netted me an additional 36 or so sq feet. Not great but the stuff was close enough to count especially considering the extra was from branches of plants directly under the lights so got the extra kick needed.

Just some ideas and options for ya.

 

[Lagertester]

I like being able to walk around in my rooms. Gotta be able to see shit happening!

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

I assure you Whatever and J Greenstein that you DO count the sq. ftg. outside the bed or the lights above the plants no matter where the lights are placed in said room...........

I also assure you that you`re NOT getting 66.66 watts per sq. ft. in a 100 sq. ft. room but as I said no matter if the 2400 watts are directly above the 6x6 bed cuz there`s massive lumen loss from the rest of the room.........

Get a digital light meter and see how much of the overhead light drops off around the perimeter of the plants as well as what gets swallowed up by the rest of the room....Better yet.......Point it at the middle of the bed directly under the 4-600`s.....My laser meter would hurt your feelings..........

Not to mention the wattage per sq. ft. that`s reduced by using air-cooled hoods with glass lenses........Light concentration not dissipation is what gives the GPW`s......That`s why all these open room mega watt big grows rarely get close to 1 gpw much less over.........Too much light loss swallowed up by the rest of the room............

Smaller areas with environmental control and 50 watts per sq. ft. are proven producers.........

Take care and good luck.......DHF........

 

[J. Greenstein]

Thanks for the bad news DHF...seriously, I appreciate it and am re-thinkin my layout and/or room-size (I can make it any size I want, but I'm limited to about 3kw). I really can't get by with 12" walkways, I need some space to get around no matter what. Right now I'm thinkin doin 5 x 600's in a 9 x 9 say a row of 3 x 600's covering a 3 x 9 grow area, a 3x 9 walkway down the middle, a row of 2 x 600's covering a 3 x 6 grow area on the other side, then a partition stub wall coming out 3 feet to close in that 3 x 6 space and on the other side of that can be room for a water resevoir.

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

Sounds good J.......Now you can start plants a month apart in age and go perpetual so you can harvest every month or so........With 2 areas the sky`s the limit...especially with a separate clone and pre-veg area.....Holler in pm if I can help.........

Take care and good luck......Peace........DHF........ ........