@Nicky@Breezy
Sorry to bug everyone again but I figured I’d ask this question before attempting to start my next grow. I’ve read a lot of people’s posts on how high people should be hanging their lights. Whats the distance they should be from the plant. Dont let them stretch too much. How frequently should I raise them.
Well I kept (tried to keep) my lights approximately 12-18 inches from the plant. Plant would grow and the light would get raised as they grew. When should I have stopped raising my lights as my plants are about 5 ft tall. There is still only now a matter of inches from main cola to the light. Like my son it just kept getting taller.
I dont know if autos are supposed to get so tall but all plants I’ve seen on this forum stay on average knee to waist high.
I have also been reading that even tho the seed manufacturers recommend certain flower time, that these are not always accurate and some can finish early or later. I’ve entered week 6 of flowering and I feel one plant is getting real close. Would having your plant get stressed out a few times cause them to finish early?
Need more info. But, I start mine with light 24 inches above my babies. I use a mars TSL2000 and start at 25% power. As they start to enter veg stage, I increase to 50%, slowly a little each day. When the first signs of flower are observed, start increasing power. And start lowering light. As for the stretch, your light might be too small, and not powerful enough.
I have a 2000w led, a 1500w led and a 1000w led, or blurple lights as some call them. I will be re-spacing the lights prior to next grow. I was just raising them as they got closer as I didn’t want to burn them until they are in my papers rolled up.
Here is the skinny on light adjustment.
Height is a TERRIBLE measure, ignore it.
The two best ways (without a par meter $$$$) to adjust your lights is by learning about how to calculate your DLI. I hear there is a DLI app but I haven’t checked, I use a LUX meter in my phone and converte the lux into PPFD with an online calculator then into DLI with another online calculator.
I have notes for myself of how many lux I need for certain markers of DLI so a shortcut basically.
The second way is by reading the plant.
In the first couple weeks you don’t need alot of light, you want to encourage a decent amount of stretch (1 inch between nodes roughly) then pre stretch more flower crank your lights up and run as close as you can to 60 DLI.
This will help control the stretch. 60 DLI is the max anyone needs without co2 so if you can only get 45 something don’t sweat it.
Use the red and blue option for burples.
Remeber though you need to take an average of your canopy don’t just take 2 readings and call it good.
A plant that has a diameter of 5’ will produce a whole lot more than a plant 5’ tall. Learn basic LST training techniques that spreads out a plant and has a even canopy.
I’ve added support sticks and a couple tie hooks to the wall. For this grow I’ve done what I can with my knowledge and its all up to artificial mother nature of the grow room now. Thanks to you and everyone else on this forum my next grow will be much better. Hell they can only get better. Although I think im gonna have to bring my Temps down. Since adding that third light my Temps bumped up to 30 Celsius and 45% humidity. Im a heat pig so I could just bring a mattress and take a nap. Hmmmm damn why didn’t I think of that before. Wife likes to sleep with the window cracked open and its January in Ontario.
So for my ventilation. The previous owners of my home had a central vacuum unit that conveniently had a pipe run right thru the area i built my grow room and out into my garage. Well since they took the unit with them I said bugger and cut into the pipe and drywalled around it.
So on the garage side I attached an old shopvac hose and ran it to a home depot bucket then filled the bucket with charcoal to catch any excess moisture, with a 4 inch exhaust fan to draw the air thru.
Truly the only fresh air intake would be from the gaps from under the door. With fans and a dehumidifier in the room. Now gotta come up with a way to get more fresh air flow in…
Im thinking maybe taking one of those dryer exhaust vents for outside and installing it on the inside my room with a short pipe to the hallway to allow the vent flaps to be pulled open with the air flow
