Trying to figure out how many plants I can grow in my space, and what lights to buy.
I will start with 2 varieties of autoflowering plants said by the seedbank to get 80-110 cm and 90-130cm tall (32-43 inches and 35-51 inches). But what I don’t know is what kind of a footprint these plans will require (square footage of floor space). Given a floor area of 5 ft. x 8 ft. should I start 2, 3, or 4 seeds? (alternate grow area would be 4 ft. x 10 ft.)
Grow room is a greenhouse attached to the basement - plastic top facing south, concrete sides. The plastic covering of the greenhouse (Kalwall Sun-Lite HP) is supposed to transmit plant-friendly wavelengths, but it is not completely transparent (75-80% transmission). And the greenhouse is shaded in the afternoon, so I think I need supplemental lights.
I am attracted to the idea of fluorescent lights maybe something like one of <these>? But HID or LED are probably better options, if not too expensive. As for cost, if ONE light will give enough coverage for my 2, 3, or 4 plants in my 5x8 ft. area, I can afford something in the $200-300(US) range, but if I need two fixtures, then cost is starting to be a problem.
So, bottom line, how many autoflowering plants will my 5x8 ft accomodate, and what light(s) would I need to suppliment the ambient light in my greenhouse? I am a complete newbie to this so please try to avoid abbreviations and jargon that most people would understand, but not me.
You’re going to get a very wide range of answers on this one, lol. I’m notorious for overcrowding. At times I’ve paid the price for it, other times I’ve been rewarded with bigger than average yields. I have a 4’x6’ closet with a light that gives a 5’x5’ footprint for flower. I’ve fit 6 large photo period plants in there comfortably, and I currently have 12 autos in there now. It’s a little crowded with 12, but still manageable. It will also depend on whether you’re going to train them or not, and luck of the draw on genetics. My advice, take the advice of someone smarter than me, lol. But either way, welcome, and have fun!
A safe bet would be to plan about 4 square feet per plant, or about 2’x2’ area. Autos are kinda finicky sometimes, if something happens to stunt any of them they probably won’t get that big. But good healthy plants grown naturally will. Also keep in mind you’ll need some room to access all plants in a room that size. So maybe 4 plants along each 8’ wall?
Fluorescent not a great choice for you because of the size of the fixtures, they will block some of your natural light. You would probably be better off to go with a handful of smaller fixtures. What I’m not as sure of, is how to calculate how much light to supplement natural lighting.
Depends how much weight you need for your smoking needs. Secondly do you want to grow small plants or massive size plants like I do. One photo plant in my tent could take 25 sq feet to herself. My Autos don’t take much space.
If all my plants is the same size for all my Autos, I could squeeze in 8 Autos for my 4x4 since they are small.
