Dear Icmag, are my lights too high?

[dynamitejack]

I've been thinking about raising my lights about 3-4 feet above the canopy for flowering. I was running 6 lights in this room but after raising them I feel like 4 lights sufficiently covers the area.
So, I was wondering what your opinion is about having the lights at this height.

Thanks!

 

[dynamitejack]

By the way... I'm running 1kw Hortilux Blues w/Phantom Ballasts

 

[lvtokerr]

i think people usually keep them 2 feet about canopy... or just use the hand test. if your hand gets warm above the plants too close.

 

[amannamedtruth]

18-24 inches is usually best for 1k's. but yea, make sure you're canopy temps are below 84*F first.

 

[rootfingers]

Anybody else notice that some of the big grows going down in warehouses and such tend to have the lights like 5 feet above plant tops?

 

[KONY]

The higher the better.... most growers have their lights too close imho.
Especially if you have a room full of lights.

 

[dynamitejack]

I've ran the lights close to the tops and realized I need more lights to cover the same space. I got the idea after seeing big rooms and greenhouses with lights 10'+ above the canopy and figured I'd try 4 lights instead of 6. Now each light covers approximately a 5'x5' area and everything seems to be working fine.

 

[acridlab]

The more lights you have, the more u can raise them higher... if that makes sense.. say if u only have 2 lights,, and you have them 5 feet above canopy, u will not be giving the plant enough, at all.. but if u have 25 lights, 5 feet high, u might actually see bleaching on some strains.. it's all the built up reflective lighting from all the other lights, making it possible to do.. Get a lumen meter, and c for yourself..

 

[Picarus]

Its all about balance and so many growers fail to see this. You must have uniform light dispersal first. As you raise your lights your need for nutrients will go down and your quality of flower may increase, but the density of said flowers will also decrease, decreasing yield. I started by raising lights and keeping notes on nutrition, co2, rh etc. I then slowly lowered them down crop by crop until balance was achieved.

 

[944s2]

hey jack,,,
24/26 inches to be safe but strain dependant,,,i run x2-3,,600w in veg and my sssdh can take the lamp being much closer then its usual 16-18 inches but my blue meanie will react badly if the lamp is any closer then 18inch or so ,,,best of luck mate,,
peace and regards 944s2

 

[bombadil.360]

r your lights too high? that depends on how much they have medicated...

 

[the gnome]

Its all about balance and so many growers fail to see this. You must have uniform light dispersal first. As you raise your lights your need for nutrients will go down and your quality of flower may increase, but the density of said flowers will also decrease, decreasing yield. I started by raising lights and keeping notes on nutrition, co2, rh etc. I then slowly lowered them down crop by crop until balance was achieved.

very good way to go about it.
so how many lamps/wattage do you use and what height did you settle on?

 

[Picarus]

very good way to go about it.
so how many lamps/wattage do you use and what height did you settle on?

Hi Gnome,
56/1000
Old 8" sun system hoods are about 20-24"
xxxl hoods about 10-14"

 

[Dropped Cat]

Hi Gnome,
56/1000
Old 8" sun system hoods are about 20-24"
xxxl hoods about 10-14"

56, that's a lot of lights. You suck, lol.

 

[the gnome]

yeah cat, lots of lamps for sure.
if your down to 10-14" your running air cooled i imagine.
even 20" seems to need some type of cooling.
seems like a lot of lamps for aircooling

 

[Picarus]

yep air cooled. The shorter the chain the lower you can get them generally. I like the xxxl much better, and the goal is to bleach the very tips of the tops. That makes the the 8-10" below those the $ zone. I utilize L.S.T. to get as many colas in that area as possible.

I am moving on from this space to a smaller and more manageable one and I want to use de fixtures now.

 

[theother]

Raise them for sure, but maybe don't drop the 2 lamps, ehat is the footprint your lighting?

The higher the better.... most growers have their lights too close imho.
Especially if you have a room full of lights.

That's it bro!mome of the most common problems I see, been guilty of it myself also. Certain cuts just do not love the intensity.