Light height, setting, induce stretch?

[HigherTheHigh]

Hello everyone, quick question.

Iv got 4 plants in a 1x1m tent, 600w dimmable ballast, in a cool hood, 2 plants not trained and 2 with up to 20 main stems which are all new about 10mm tall stems, my question is how far should i have the light & what setting, 250/450/600 to induce a little more stretch in veg as id like to flip to flower in the next week.

They were under 450w MH bulb and iv just turned it down to 250w and here about 24-30" away from the base of hood.

 

[Stunned]

wish I knew more about HID lighting to offer advice bro

 

[TorturedSoul]

Can you switch to a HPS bulb, lol (preferably a 2,100K one)? I am assuming that, since your ballast has an adjustable power output, it is an electronic one and probably can use either type of bulb.

Failing that, I'd hang the light as high as the ceiling will allow but turn your ballast up to its 450-watt setting, and hope to see the plants showing the classic sign of "light too far away" (trying to grow up to it ) . You could do the same thing at its 250-watt setting, of course - but then you're only giving your garden a little shy of 23¼ watts per square foot of light-energy (which is a bit low, IMHO). I'd think you would be ahead to shoot for a rate of too much vertical growth and then quickly lower the light to find a middle-ground (so to speak) that suits your needs. But I'm really just guessing, here.

Remember that even a 100% indica will stretch during the first 40% of the flowering period. It just won't stretch as much in any particular situation as, for example, an equatorial sativa will under the conditions. So you're going to have some amount of growth regardless of the strain.

We often tie the top of our plants down at a position lower than the rest of the plant, so as to force it to redistribute the auxins ("plant hormones") that determine which one is the top, in order to make the plant start branching. You could tie that top portion down - but tie the lower ones down in such a way that the relative positions remain the same, but you have effectively increased the plant-to-light distance even more. As long as that top cola remains the top cola, you shouldn't be bothered by any unwanted branching. (If, on the other hand, you want the plant to produce more branches/tips, then you can use your own judgment on this thing.)

 

[HigherTheHigh]

Hello buddy!

I have a range of flowering. dual and full spectrum hps bulbs i could try, unfortunately due to my smudgy fingers all the info have gone off them regarding how many K.

I have got them tied down, there around 6" high, with the new growth coming, as long as i can get a good 4" before flip then at least i can have a good 8-14" or stretch to add too them after the first 3 weeks of flower.

I think iv lost the 2 others but otherwise they are stunted, so if in the end i end up with only 2 of these plants 1x1 should be enough space.

I never really took much notice on the last grow due to being ill but i think the smallest plant where these came from doubled if not tripled in height after the flower flip, the mother plant finished off by week 6 believe it or not with 50% trichomes, unfortunately she had become seeded, im very much hoping the mother has passed her short flowering time over to her seeds though as this was the only plant thant that actually smelt the same in 8 weeks of cure as the same day i took her down, amazing!

I think 20 main stems is really enough in this space im thinking, eventually ill make a few tomato style rings out of some 10mm bar iv got, i will follow your steps with raising the light ect then i shall update you as they days go on.

Once again @TorturedSoul thanks for all the info!

 

[HigherTheHigh]

Iv risen the cool hud to around 36" high on 450w, the glass on the cool hood usually takes a little light away apparently anyway.

One thing i would like to ask @TorturedSoul when there later in flower is it true a white light can help increase thc or is this another myth? reason i ask is theres a 5ft LED light im looking at for a shed, but it says bright white, 4400 lumens 4000k.

I just thought i can get some of the smaller ones and add them in on the last 2 weeks of flower, if it works that is.

Thanks buddy!

 

[TorturedSoul]

Iv risen the cool hud to around 36" high on 450w, the glass on the cool hood usually takes a little light away apparently anyway.

On an air-cooled reflector, you mean? Yes, it's a compromise. But for it, you get the ability to have your light closer to your plants, a cooler grow environment, the ability to run more lighting at a given temperature (since they're not "dropping their heat into the grow room," so to speak), the ability to vent the heat from your light(s) as a separate thing from your grow room's odor which can mean a carbon filter that lasts longer because it {isn't being fed HOT air / doesn't need to have the same quantity of air pass through it / may not have to be in continuous operation the entire time that the lighting is running / etc.}, or some combination of these things.

One thing i would like to ask @TorturedSoul when there later in flower is it true a white light can help increase thc or is this another myth? reason i ask is theres a 5ft LED light im looking at for a shed, but it says bright white, 4400 lumens 4000k.

<SHRUGS> IDK. I am aware that metal halide lighting has been said to do this. Well, not even that, really, but to increase trichome production. I've wondered if this was due to the UV content that the light from some of them provide. Seems that is sort of backed up by the results of people who've been using supplemental UV lighting and have observed this thing (with some strains). Unjacketed MH bulbs produce UV - that's why this type of MH bulb is not approved for use in an open reflector where people are expected to be present. I've never liked ~4,000K light for my plants, BtW, but my experience with that is largely from 4,200K metal halide "utility light" bulbs. LED lighting is a different animal.

If you want more THC, lol, grow a stronger strain. If you want more visible trichomes, consider adding supplemental UV lighting. I like the ReptiSun 10.0 line of tube-type fluorescent bulbs, but that's just (mostly) personal preference. If I found a better source (greater producer) of UV at the same price, or the same level cheaper, I'd probably try it.

 

[HigherTheHigh]

I must say i do enjoy your replies, i dont have that much to look forward too in life but your replies with wisdom is one of them!

Yeah i never realised when i bought them before my yield was low due to me keeping the light at the same height and the glass taking a little of the light away, but this time around im hoping for a little better yield .

I will get some photos this week of them, if they had been in coco id of seen much more growth by now but were in it for the taste.

Yeah i thought id ask about them lights as id seen something but i do get very good trichome development in coco, think its more down to the environment sometimes for me, thats right i do need to find a higher THC strain, iv got a taste for some fruity strains but more on the blueberry side maybe, lemon scent for 3 years just gets a little on your nerves sometimes .

 

[TorturedSoul]

I must say i do enjoy your replies, i dont have that much to look forward too in life but your replies with wisdom is one of them!

You wanted wisdom? Sorry. I'll keep you in mind, if/when I stumble upon some.

But thank you for the kind words.