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800W stacked vertical tent

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
UPGRAYYYYYED!



I've elevated the plants on a table and hooked in this cooltube to the ground with the HPS. Atop is the MH controlled by a series of pulleys.

I actually bought two cooltubes, but they proved to be too big/unwieldy together. And as a happy accident, I accidentally smashed one of them while removing a metal endcap. I then realized that I could more easily control these with one cooltube, the other light hanging above. It keeps the lower branches away from the light, centralizes the heat, and still allows for the variable pull.

I may end up removing this table altogether and afixing the cooltube lower down on top of the fan, perhaps to a milk crate or something. I like where this is going, though.

BTW, as most of you have already figured out, I'm experimenting here. A lot of you with a great deal of experience have made several suggestions as to how I should approach this going-forward. I appreciate this and will likely integrate these later, but for now I want to test my own assumptions.

Peace and love,
FV
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
DOWNGRAYYYYED!!!

It was way too hot. The table brought the fan too far away from the light, and thermal dynamics kicked my ass.

 

Maj.Cottonmouth

We are Farmers
Veteran
Maybe an adapter if you can find one that will fit your cool tube on one end and the fan on another. Or maybe two adapters stacked like a 4" to 6" and a 6" to 8".

picture.php
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
Maybe an adapter if you can find one that will fit your cool tube on one end and the fan on another. Or maybe two adapters stacked like a 4" to 6" and a 6" to 8".

picture.php

That's a fucking great idea. My ambivalence is that I want *some* of the air to be directed toward the plans, but the majority shot up the tube. But I guess I could always supplement with another fan.

The alternative is to remove the cooltube entirely and instead surround it with wire. This would effectively be returning to an improved version of the old design. Thankfully, the cooltubes cost me under $100 total, so a fun little experiment if it doesn't work out.
 

Arminius

"I'm not a pezzamist, I am an optometrist"
Veteran
That's a fucking great idea. My ambivalence is that I want *some* of the air to be directed toward the plans, but the majority shot up the tube. But I guess I could always supplement with another fan.

The alternative is to remove the cooltube entirely and instead surround it with wire. This would effectively be returning to an improved version of the old design. Thankfully, the cooltubes cost me under $100 total, so a fun little experiment if it doesn't work out.
This thread slipped under the radar since I have been so busy, but I would suggest ditching the cool tubes, and adjust your fans. Even with four 600s running in stacked donuts, my temps don't exceed 74 with lights on. Figure on a screen to tie them back, screening the bulb to keep them from getting burnt seems like a recipe for trouble..
I am running 6 plants around stacked 600s, I can't imagine running your number with stacked 400s...
Sending my best for a bountiful harvey!
 
B

B. Self Reliant

The fan on the ground and its distance to the bulbs is key. Cooltube or not, I'd plan on having that fan as close to the bottom light as possible. As the light moves up, move the fan up with it. My fan starts on the ground but ends up on a milkcrate as the plants go through stretch.

Looks good in there. You'll get it dialed in.
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
This thread slipped under the radar since I have been so busy, but I would suggest ditching the cool tubes, and adjust your fans. Even with four 600s running in stacked donuts, my temps don't exceed 74 with lights on. Figure on a screen to tie them back, screening the bulb to keep them from getting burnt seems like a recipe for trouble..
I am running 6 plants around stacked 600s, I can't imagine running your number with stacked 400s...
Sending my best for a bountiful harvey!

So if I'm hearing you correctly, you think I have too many plants. I wouldn't mind killing off a few more stragglers and concentrate on the winning team.

The reason I don't want to lock my plants into any type of screen is that I rent, so I need to be able to quickly remove/teardown in the case of an inspection/etc. I want them to be as portable as possible.
 

Arminius

"I'm not a pezzamist, I am an optometrist"
Veteran
Yeah, I think 6-8 would be the most I would run. If you want them to get tall enough to use both lights, they will be crowded with more than that. I think Aero ran 5-6, and all the other donuts I see run the same.
The screens can be pretty portable. If you look at mine, or Ichabod Crane's, you could break them down pretty easily. I don't tie my plants into the screen, I use paperclips to hold them up.
If I was in your shoes, I would share your concern about portability, but you should have some way to support/contain your plants.
Anyways, just throwing out some feedback, hope whatever you do works out for you.
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
Yeah, I think 6-8 would be the most I would run. If you want them to get tall enough to use both lights, they will be crowded with more than that. I think Aero ran 5-6, and all the other donuts I see run the same.
The screens can be pretty portable. If you look at mine, or Ichabod Crane's, you could break them down pretty easily. I don't tie my plants into the screen, I use paperclips to hold them up.
If I was in your shoes, I would share your concern about portability, but you should have some way to support/contain your plants.
Anyways, just throwing out some feedback, hope whatever you do works out for you.

Like this?

picture.php
 

Arminius

"I'm not a pezzamist, I am an optometrist"
Veteran
My screens are a bit bigger than you may need, since I am growing Sativas, a smaller screen like Marlo's might be better for you. The picture above was when I first put them in there. They have doubled in size in the last 2 weeks, and I am shooting for 6' plants by end of stretch.
 
B

B. Self Reliant

So if I'm hearing you correctly, you think I have too many plants. I wouldn't mind killing off a few more stragglers and concentrate on the winning team.

The reason I don't want to lock my plants into any type of screen is that I rent, so I need to be able to quickly remove/teardown in the case of an inspection/etc. I want them to be as portable as possible.

It depends on the stretch of your strain, how you veg, etc, but from the pics I see online, most growers would benefit from more space around their plants rather than fitting every last plant in. Watch your plants through the stretch and if they need room, don't be afraid to get rid on your weakest link. There's no prized for the # of plants you flower. . .
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
It depends on the stretch of your strain, how you veg, etc, but from the pics I see online, most growers would benefit from more space around their plants rather than fitting every last plant in. Watch your plants through the stretch and if they need room, don't be afraid to get rid on your weakest link. There's no prized for the # of plants you flower. . .

My totally unqualified theory when I started this thing was to maximize the amount of soil and light in the space. This mean focusing almost entirely on the height of the plant rather than the width for obvious reasons. Does this sound at all sound from your experience?
 
B

B. Self Reliant

My totally unqualified theory when I started this thing was to maximize the amount of soil and light in the space. This mean focusing almost entirely on the height of the plant rather than the width for obvious reasons. Does this sound at all sound from your experience?

Absolutely. The thing is, to a certain extent the plants are going to grow the way they want regardless of what you do to control them. Filling up the height would probably be easier with a plant in each corner because as they grow up they'll grow out proportionally. Filling in the whole donut circumference-wise would probably be easier with more plants because it would require less training to have a seamless canopy. You just need to find the magic number for your space, setup & strain.

For me it was more a matter of practicality with the work & frustration involved than it was a matter of maximizing yield. You were very smart to have more plants than you needed. Given the unpredictability of a new setup and whatnot, its easier to cull some gals than not have enough. . .
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran


3 weeks through flower is tomorrow. That plan in the upper-right hand corner with the inner leaf yellowing will likely be culled, the rest repotted into larger pots. I expect them to go ~9 weeks.

I've been watering more (about 2 gallons each time) and this has really improved their health.

Best,
FV
 
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If the stretch is over, they won't be growing many new roots at this point if they are 9 weekers....so they will never use the new rootspace. Why then re-pot? Just asking out of curiosity.

stagehand
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
I don't think the stretch is over, and I'm watering every other day, so that seems like a good reason to repot.

Here are the images (screwed up in the previous post, sorry, drunk)

 
L

LouDog420

Looking green man. I might rethink the repot next round, and do it earlier, so your plants can truly benefit from the extra leg room. I'm not sure how much good it would do at 3 weeks in....


I'm more for the theory of more smaller plants are easier to maintain in a vertical grow... The bigger I go with the plants, the more larf I end up getting and have to trim/maintain.

Right now I'm sitting 14 (qty) - 1 gallons bags around a single 400w and things have never looked so good. A short veg, with some serious lollipopping right before the flip is proving to be most productive for me, with the least amount of work...

I can definitely see where the bigger plant guys are coming from, it just didn't play out that way for me

picture.php
 

funkervogt

donut engineer
Veteran
Looking green man. I might rethink the repot next round, and do it earlier, so your plants can truly benefit from the extra leg room. I'm not sure how much good it would do at 3 weeks in....


I'm more for the theory of more smaller plants are easier to maintain in a vertical grow... The bigger I go with the plants, the more larf I end up getting and have to trim/maintain.

Right now I'm sitting 14 (qty) - 1 gallons bags around a single 400w and things have never looked so good. A short veg, with some serious lollipopping right before the flip is proving to be most productive for me, with the least amount of work...

I can definitely see where the bigger plant guys are coming from, it just didn't play out that way for me

picture.php


Wow, those look incredible! I feel silly with my 2x 400w producing probably as much as you'll be putting out ;)

Do you think I should NOT repot then? Too late as stagehand mentioned?
 
L

LouDog420

They're in 2 gals right?? I'd leave them and just stay up on the watering.

Repotting now, is just going to leave a lot of empty room in your medium. Makes it hard to maintain a proper climate down there when half your medium is filled, and the other half is without roots.

All about dialing it in, you'll be there in no time bro :wave:
 
B

B. Self Reliant

They're in 2 gals right?? I'd leave them and just stay up on the watering.

Repotting now, is just going to leave a lot of empty room in your medium. Makes it hard to maintain a proper climate down there when half your medium is filled, and the other half is without roots.

All about dialing it in, you'll be there in no time bro :wave:

Gospel. Final pot size and the veg routine leading up to it (because they're both linked!!!) is where you make your money and will be one of the main if not the main variable you'll need to dial in over time. Your flowering room is like a hospice. . . it's just where your plants go to die.

If you think less plants in larger pots is a change that's worth making, in order to do it right, you'll need to plan on it from the first day of veg.
 

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