HPS 'footprint' / plant stretch

[Don Juan]

I've noticed something interesting with my 600 watt HPS. I'm using it to grow in an area that currently covers 2.5' x 3' (slightly less than a square meter), yet I have difficulty getting full coverage of that area witout raising the lamp to 2' or so above the plant tops. Wouldn't this height encourage too much stretch in the plants?

 

[JJScorpio]

What is the size of the reflector on your light. It is hard to say whether the plants will stretch. It would be nice to get them down to 16 in if you could but watch them and see how they are doing.....

 

[Guest]

You want to keep the lamp as close as you can as it keeps the internodes short, is there anyway to modify your reflecter? and get it as close as 8 inches.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

Don are you growen in a cab ??? if so there anyway you can change the direction the light hangs now. { like instead of run this ------
maybe change the light to hang like I } rotate the light 90 deg this should allow full coverage of 3ft. otherwise line the erea with mylar or something equal.

mine


if i could rotate my hood 90 deg and close my door i would then i could cover my cab inside much better. i cant so i try and make up for it by usen mylar to reflect the light inside better.

 

[Don Juan]

I'll rework the growing area this weekend. It's already in the closet, but I'll make it even more of an enclosure with better reflectivity.

Perhaps I should've mentioned that it's a Kool Tube in question, apparently notorious for creating a poor footprint. My reflector is simply the included Kool Tube two-part banded reflector - two strips of reflectivity, about three inches wide, joined by two bands that fit over the top of the tube.