Question on flowering chamber height.

[PreacherManZero]

High all!

I'm setting up indoors (first time) and I am trying to figure how I want to use the space. I have a closet space that is 3.5' X 2' X 7' plus some smaller spaces to use. The question I have is height in the flowering chamber. I was thinking of converting the closet into both flower and clone/seedling chambers reduceing the flowering chamber to 5' high as opposed to the current 7'. I don't have to do this. I can put the clone chamber in another space though I could use the other space for a seperate SOG grow. I guess what I'm asking is how valuable that 2' of space will be to the flowering chamber.

PMZ

 

[Dr. D]

Hi the extra 2 foot cud prove to be very useful...say u get a strain wot stretches more than expected..it also plays aa key part in how hot it gets in there, the more space above the light the better imo...wot wattage/type light willl u be using??

 

[Guest]

What type of lighting are you planning on using? You can get away with a shorter space with fluoros, but HID generally needs more height to keep it from burning the plants and to allow adequate air flow. Air cooled HID lights don't need quite as much space, but still require more than fluoros do.

My personal choice, even with fluoros, would be to put the clone/seedling area elsewhere.

 

[PreacherManZero]

Thanks for the input.

I meant to mention what I was doing for lights in the first post. I must have got stoned and forgot

I am going to be useing CFL's. I am starting with a single 65 watt bulb putting out 4550 lumens at 6500k and four lower watt bulbs with a combined output of 6800 lumens at 2700 k installed in a rack with the 65 watt mounted horizontally and recessed the other four in 2 dual spotlight fixtures (can be vertical or horizontal as well as rotated), this puts these bulbs about 4" lower at the base than the larger, hotter bulb. I will be adding in additionally around 5000 to 6000 lumens side/bottom light as the plants increase in size. I should end up with about 17000 lumens total in mixed color temps. I am not anticipating any heat problems as the room containing the grow runs cool and and I will be venting into another area.

PMZ

(edited to correct figure and add missing info)

 

[chuckyoufarley]

sup PMZ dont forget that if you put your veg or clone chamber over the flower spot you might get heat issues i the root zone of whatever is on top of the flower part
i hope i put that rite if i didnt when we see each other again just say WTF chuck

 

[Guest]

CFL lights put out more heat per watt than HPS lamps. You'd be better off , and cooler with 1 HPS light that's equivilant to your Floro's.... those 65 watt ones that come in a pre made reflecter are good for veg, but that's bout it. and they are HOT.

go for a 250 watt or so HPS lamp if you really want decent results imo.

you read off all these lumen numbers and stuff, but if you really want those numbers you'd have to have the lights practically ON the plant, and those CFL's burn too hot to allow that. also, when the light is that close to your plant , the plant stops light from getting to other places where it's needed.... The closer your lamp to the ground the smaller the footprint.

Also, some strains might work out ok under floros but others will NEVER finish. You'll never do a haze under floros.


if you do indeed choose to use floro's anyway, you may as well keep the seedling / clone area in the same closet. You wont be able to grow the plants more than like 2 or 3 feet tall with that kind of lighting and still get any kind of result. Reason is that these floros loose power so quickly over distance, your main canopy will be healthy , but all the underfoilage will begin to wilt and die off without proper side lighting once the plant gets tall enough, the light simply can't reach the whole plant.


I grew in a cabinet a couple inches wider than yours , with a few inches less depth. I used an air cooled 400 watt HPS and had no heat issues, long as the room that you keep it in or vent in from maintains a decent temp.

You could do 250 easily , and I gaurantee you'd get better results. but if you go this route I'd keep clones / seeds / moms elsewhere.

sorry about the rant, but IMO floro's are a waste of time. Consider that in 2 months you could end up with a floro harvest of questionable buds, or if you just spend the extra few bucks you have the potential to pull 8+ oz of dense frosty, and FINISHED AAA grade nuggies in that same space.

THC

 

[PreacherManZero]

Hey Chucky!

Thanks, I was thinking about that, and I always am thinking "what the fuck" when I see you or shortly thereafter, but thats a good thing!

THCEASER:

Thanks for the input. I mean that, everyone else as well. The willingness of people to take the time to share what they know and think sometimes for the hundredth are the lifeblood of community sites.

sorry about the rant

Never a problem, I enjoy a good rant.

There are excellent reasons to go with HID over CFL, but I would disagree with much of what you offered. By all means take my opinion with a grain or more of salt as I am just starting my first grow, but I have done my homework and observed grows both online and in the real world.

CFL lights put out more heat per watt than HPS lamps.

This means nothing. What are you comparing? Watts? There is no usefull or functional watt for watt comparision between HID and CFL. If you compare functionally similer lights it seems to me that a self ballasted CFL and a remote ballasted HPS put out comparable heat but thats hardly fair. Remote ballasted CFL's are available and in a large range of wattages and colors. CFL's produce a significantly larger percentage of heat from their ballasts than do HPS.

you read off all these lumen numbers and stuff, but if you really want those numbers you'd have to have the lights practically ON the plant, and those CFL's burn too hot to allow that. also, when the light is that close to your plant , the plant stops light from getting to other places where it's needed.... The closer your lamp to the ground the smaller the footprint.

Your main point here is that HPS have much better penetration than CFL's and you are absolutely correct about that but thats all.

Lower wattage CFL's can infact be placed close to plants. Higher wattage bulbs do not need to be and can still be placed much closer than HPS. In addition the problem with footprint is a weakness of HID's in general. It's the flip side of penetration. CFL's light is more diffuse which gives you better coverage with less penetration.

Also, some strains might work out ok under floros but others will NEVER finish.

Really.

You really should look at the results people get with CFL's done intellegently. And if you want to come down on CFL's do it for the actual negatives like penetration or the reliability of the output over time.
As for me I think a mix of HID and CFL is best for the plants. I'm going with CFL's and other flouro's for strickly watts per hour reasons not heat or price. In fact come winter this place can use all the heat it can get and I don't really think CFL's are cheaper when done right and there is more assembly required to do it right.

PMZ

 

[Guest]

Well show us what you are made of PreacherMan. Well show us what the CFL's are made of.

 

[Guest]

If using floros I think you can split the room while keeping the plants short.

I have a couple of tek5 lights that I use for mothers and the plants love them. 2, 24" 4-bulb lights. They take hardly any headroom.

http://www.specialty-lights.com/960203.html

I have only vegged with them so I can't say how they will flower but the point you made about the light distribution and foot print is right on. The ceiling of the room being almost covered in light is big benefit; lots of nice even growth. I think in that small of a space using an HID you would have an uneven footprint with the hot spot right in the middle, okay I guess if you can rotate the plants often.

Personally, I would use floros too for that small of a space but I would keep my plants no taller than 2' to 3' tall when finished which leaves plenty of room to split the room's height.

BTW, I have used Hydro Farm CFL bulbs and they do make some heat but these tek5's make hardly any, not an issue in your case I guess. Just my .02

GroNut

 

[PreacherManZero]

Bex - I've got nothing to prove. I just want to grow some plants in a box. I just prefer rants based on accurate information as opposed to hyperbole and misinformation.

Thanks for the suggestions GroNut!

PMZ

 

[PFCruz]

hey there preachermanzero, I have 2 of those 65 watt floros. I built a reflector/glass covered hood for them. That is used for vegging.For flowering 400 watt air cooled reflector on pulleys to adjust hieght. my flower room is 2 foot by 3 foot . MANY FANS , my canopy is 3-4 inches away from the light. If you want to max your use of space , this works for me.

 

[PreacherManZero]

Thanks PF!