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First time vertical. Is my setup OK?

SmokinErb

Member
Okay can someone, anyone really, explain to me how he's going to keep those plants? 2 days into flower, they're like what 6-7 foot tall he said? After the stretch they're going to be like 10-14 feet....

Typical ceilings are 8 foot.

And Goofy - You're right that there's be a little light waste between two vertically stacked columns. You could either place the far enough apart so that you can fit a plant or two between them, or run two separate bloom sections with 1 column each. Granted as you said, it's too late now, but for future reference.

I wish I knew more about Australian electrical wiring. On a 120v circuit anyway, the only thing you want to use extension cords for is like fans and stuff. Regardless, if you say you're safe, I'll give you the benefit of doubt.

In response to my original question at the beginning of this post - maybe you should look into some late LST-type training. Rather than bending them over all the way, just kinda tie down the branches so they're sort of running diagonally from the bottom up and kinda just train them so they "twist" around your light, if that makes any sense. Should clear up a few more feet for flowering stretch. I dunno what kinda space you got vertically, but you don't wanna be 3 weeks into flowering, and still having them girls stretching and growing into the ceiling.
 
2

2Lazy

I don't think I missed this but, it seems like the cool tubes in the corners are only casting 25% to 50% of their light in the direction of the plants. The rest of the light looks like it is being lost completely. I think by incorporating some adjustable wing reflectors to the outside of those cool tubes you could direct the lost energy from the backside of the lamps into the plants, further increasing lumens and yield.

I love trees.
 

goofy81

Member
Thanks for the reply 2lazy, Yes! that was in my original plan in the very first post. But then someone told me not to use them. I have put them on though.
The plants are huge now. They will definitely not reach the ceiling , the ceiling is about 8-10foot high.
 

goofy81

Member
Just a Quick update! ending of week 2 floweing.
I just found out my PH was bad , gotta PH tester and trying to set my nutrients at around 5.9-6.4. (MY entire grow it was at around 4.8-5.2 argh...)

I've decided to put SHADES on the vertical lamps, and it does make a hell of a difference!!
I also replaced the middle lamp with a 600W HPS. And there is one corner lower lamp not on, because the room can only provide 6kw :(

The plants are a whopping 2.1-2.2 metres high ! (didnt measure the pot!) So in total with the pots they are about 2.6 metres high!

Also just found out my switch tripped last night so i lost a few hours of light while i was sleeping :(

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Natagonnaworrie

If you love life, don't waste time. For time is wh
Veteran
this pic is awesome.. i won't reiterate what others have said in the previous pots abt plant arrangement/ stacking. i will say that 4800 watts + 10 footers = cool.

also the side lighting with reflectors, i've never seen that before. Nice.
 

goofy81

Member
Yours is a lot better!
OH man
this is the second night i forgot to turn off the house light in that room.
I've finally managed to get all lights on.
So its 5400watts in there atm.
 

Doradoguy

Member
No problems here.

No problems here.

Everything is going to turn out fine. I wasn't worried about the stretch or lighting arrangement. You are growing trees. I have friends who puts 4k around each tree. Produce 5 pounds per tree. It's sick. Has the 70k boat with 30k stereo. Okay he is a little pucing nuts. There is a great thread on putting 5 lights in an "x" pattern and setting plants so each plant is getting light from 3 sides.

oxo
xox
oxo

o = lights
x = trees

Cool grow, can't wait to see it finish out.
 

goofy81

Member
Just a quick update with a few photos!
Just added Bloom Silica this week and Bud boost
What should my PPM be? my local hydro store recommends around 1400 but my nutrient sheet recommended 1100.
Started putting Silica in and Bud boost (some brown stuff), also realized my ppm was way too low! so hopefully we see a growth spurt the following weeks.

Welcome to the jungle
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This other unknown strain hasnt got much trichomes :(

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HydroManiac

Active member
Actually, the whole plant pretty much does get lit up. Because they grow towards the light, all the branches tend to fight their way to the middle, so even the "outside" branches are actually on the canopy too. You just use a little bit of training (Much like LST, only sideways) to get the branches where you want them, and they'll all bask in that HID light. With the corner bulbs, all you're really doing is giving those "outside" branches another light source to grow towards. Remove the corners and they'll still get enough light from the middle one. Which is why I keep suggesting you concentrate all of your lights in one central spot and place your plants around them.

Let me try to explain this a different way. Put 4,600w in the middle, and all of your plants are getting 4,600 of light. Spread all of your light out like you are right now, and you got each plant receiving light from the bulbs closest to it. So each of those corner plants have TWO 600w stacks lighting it, and 2 600w stacks NOT lighting it on the other side. If you put all of those in the middle, all of your plants are sharing more powerful light, thus producing more bud.

You could produce the same amount of bud you will right now, by putting all of your lights in one central spot and removing a light or two from the equation. Use them all in the middle to produce more.

Edit: Not trying to sound like a dick if that's how it came off as. I'm just not great at trying to explain things. My bad on the electrical thing, I just kinda assumed you were from the states. But yeah bro, those girls are gonna stretch a lot.

I may be wrong here, and you may want to look elsewhere, but I say revert back to veg now. These are going to pretty much double in size here in the next few weeks. I'd turn my lights back to 24/0 and prune. Cut 'em down probably a good 2 feet, let 'em heal a little bit then flip it back to 12/12....

But then again, you might wanna ask someone else. Never quite had to revert back to veg, but if you're almost to the ceiling and only 2 days into flower....

I wouldn't reveg them myself I would just train them reveging can totally screw up some strains and why chance it!
 

HydroManiac

Active member
Thanks for the reply 2lazy, Yes! that was in my original plan in the very first post. But then someone told me not to use them. I have put them on though.
The plants are huge now. They will definitely not reach the ceiling , the ceiling is about 8-10foot high.

Bushmaster would stop them from getting a whole lot bigger I would give it a go for sure with the setup your running
 

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