Hello everybody,
i am here because i am new to a possible indoor growing. When i say indoor growing i don't necessarily mean to use all the equipment that is usually used and associated with indoor growing (i.e. fans, carbon filters, tents etc).Anyway i would not be using it.
I have a room that is pitch black, it means that no external (coming from outside = sunlight) lights come in because i keep the shutters closed all the time. This room has already an E27 attachment for the bulb(s). (I could even put more attachments/slots for more bulbs to be used). The room can be easily fanned and kept ventilated once i ipen the windows/shutters because the place where i live has plenty of wind. I am thiking of using normal soil. No coco no artificial stuff. Just simple good soil pre-amended (peat compost humus worm castings wtc)
I have already read many websites about the differences in lights (HID - HPS - CFL - LED) so i am quite familiar with them and their differences... including the light penetration of each one (seems that the HPS are the ones with the highest light penetration followed by the LED. right?)
I have come to the point where i think LED is the best solution FOR ME (am not saying they are the absolute best among all the lights out there on the market).
The room has a square size. It measures approximately 3m by 3m (no more than 4m x 4m anyway). To cut down (even more) the costs on the monthly bill i am thinking of using big light bulbs (LED) each of 40W (real output is 228 W per bulb. the light is "cold white" and it gives out 4000 Lumens). The same lighbulb (i.e. 40W) but with warm white light has a real output of 220W and gives out 3800 Lumen).
Now, i know (after reading many specialized websites and companies' websites producing these kind of lights) that the best output is 10.000 Lumens (the typical sun emission on a summer day) but the local shop i went to yesterday had only the above mentioned LED lights (very big bulbs with an angle of 220 degrees coverage both cold white light and warm white light).
If i decide to give it a try, i was thinking to buy both white cold light and warm white light. Like 2 bulbs of cold white light and 2 bulbs of warm white light (going towards the yellow of the spectrum). I am not gonna buy (nor paint) blue and/or red lights. I just want to experiment, with a minimum investment (4 bulbs of 40W giving out 228W each) would cost me 120 Euros so no big deal to give it a try and if i plug them all in at the same time, using them all, 4 bulbs, it would give me a total of 896W (228 x 2 + 220 x 2 = 869W).
I am more thinking of using 2 white cold lights for growing (total of 456W) and 2 warm white lights for the blooming/flowering (because the warm white light gets closer to the red light, on the spectrum, than the cold white light). Now some questions (below)
1) Do you think that 2 bulbs of 228W each = 456W will be enough for growing (say just 2 plants)
2) if each bulb gives out 4000 Lumens, does it mean that using 2 bulbs at the same time i will have 8000 Lumens? or will they still giving out 4000 Lumen? (sorry for my ignorance)
3) I am thinking of using simple wires/cables hanging from the ceiling (with the possibility of adjusting the length of the cables for when the plants will grow taller). Using LED lights, what is the preferred distance between the LED bulb and the top of the plant?
4) Is it a good idea to switch/use warm white light when the blooming/flowering phase will start?
5) I read somewhere that during flowering the Watts and Lumens should be higher. Is this true? If it's true, can i just use the 4 LED bulbs (2 cold white and 2 warm white light) for the flowering? (using the 4 bulbs i will have a total of 896W)
6) If i use two of these lights do i cover more surface than if i used the VIPARSPECTRA 300W grow led? (i read many good reviews about this product but seems a bit small to me and more bulky than just bulbs)
7) On a surface of 1m x 1m x2m (or max 2m x 2m x 2m) how many plants do you reckon i can grow at the same time? ( i would be building a wooden shower type of box or something of that sort ) using the above equipment?
8) what’s the best size for the pots in terms of litres (capacity) and/or centimetres in terms of pot diametre? I don’t wanna grow dwarf plants nor super tall plants. Say 1.80 m max 2m tall.
Ok i think that’s all for now. If other questions/doubts come to mind i’ll add them down here.
Cheers
Dan
i am here because i am new to a possible indoor growing. When i say indoor growing i don't necessarily mean to use all the equipment that is usually used and associated with indoor growing (i.e. fans, carbon filters, tents etc).Anyway i would not be using it.
I have a room that is pitch black, it means that no external (coming from outside = sunlight) lights come in because i keep the shutters closed all the time. This room has already an E27 attachment for the bulb(s). (I could even put more attachments/slots for more bulbs to be used). The room can be easily fanned and kept ventilated once i ipen the windows/shutters because the place where i live has plenty of wind. I am thiking of using normal soil. No coco no artificial stuff. Just simple good soil pre-amended (peat compost humus worm castings wtc)
I have already read many websites about the differences in lights (HID - HPS - CFL - LED) so i am quite familiar with them and their differences... including the light penetration of each one (seems that the HPS are the ones with the highest light penetration followed by the LED. right?)
I have come to the point where i think LED is the best solution FOR ME (am not saying they are the absolute best among all the lights out there on the market).
The room has a square size. It measures approximately 3m by 3m (no more than 4m x 4m anyway). To cut down (even more) the costs on the monthly bill i am thinking of using big light bulbs (LED) each of 40W (real output is 228 W per bulb. the light is "cold white" and it gives out 4000 Lumens). The same lighbulb (i.e. 40W) but with warm white light has a real output of 220W and gives out 3800 Lumen).
Now, i know (after reading many specialized websites and companies' websites producing these kind of lights) that the best output is 10.000 Lumens (the typical sun emission on a summer day) but the local shop i went to yesterday had only the above mentioned LED lights (very big bulbs with an angle of 220 degrees coverage both cold white light and warm white light).
If i decide to give it a try, i was thinking to buy both white cold light and warm white light. Like 2 bulbs of cold white light and 2 bulbs of warm white light (going towards the yellow of the spectrum). I am not gonna buy (nor paint) blue and/or red lights. I just want to experiment, with a minimum investment (4 bulbs of 40W giving out 228W each) would cost me 120 Euros so no big deal to give it a try and if i plug them all in at the same time, using them all, 4 bulbs, it would give me a total of 896W (228 x 2 + 220 x 2 = 869W).
I am more thinking of using 2 white cold lights for growing (total of 456W) and 2 warm white lights for the blooming/flowering (because the warm white light gets closer to the red light, on the spectrum, than the cold white light). Now some questions (below)
1) Do you think that 2 bulbs of 228W each = 456W will be enough for growing (say just 2 plants)
2) if each bulb gives out 4000 Lumens, does it mean that using 2 bulbs at the same time i will have 8000 Lumens? or will they still giving out 4000 Lumen? (sorry for my ignorance)
3) I am thinking of using simple wires/cables hanging from the ceiling (with the possibility of adjusting the length of the cables for when the plants will grow taller). Using LED lights, what is the preferred distance between the LED bulb and the top of the plant?
4) Is it a good idea to switch/use warm white light when the blooming/flowering phase will start?
5) I read somewhere that during flowering the Watts and Lumens should be higher. Is this true? If it's true, can i just use the 4 LED bulbs (2 cold white and 2 warm white light) for the flowering? (using the 4 bulbs i will have a total of 896W)
6) If i use two of these lights do i cover more surface than if i used the VIPARSPECTRA 300W grow led? (i read many good reviews about this product but seems a bit small to me and more bulky than just bulbs)
7) On a surface of 1m x 1m x2m (or max 2m x 2m x 2m) how many plants do you reckon i can grow at the same time? ( i would be building a wooden shower type of box or something of that sort ) using the above equipment?
8) what’s the best size for the pots in terms of litres (capacity) and/or centimetres in terms of pot diametre? I don’t wanna grow dwarf plants nor super tall plants. Say 1.80 m max 2m tall.
Ok i think that’s all for now. If other questions/doubts come to mind i’ll add them down here.
Cheers
Dan