Questions on upgrading my grow

[Gemini]

I've been successful with CFLs in a rubbermaid container and now I'm looking to build a bigger box and upgrade to HPS/MH. I've read up that those lights put out light in a more squared area, but I wanna build a box at this dimensions: L 5ft x W 2ft x H 6ft
My questions are how may pants (Alien OG strain soil grown with 5 gallon buckets at most) could I fit in there I'm hoping for 3-5 and what watt bulbs would some of you recommend with that spacing.
I'm planning to obviously run good ventilation and fans.
Just send me some ideas and advice please!

 

[Stealthboat]

So with 5 gallon buckets as your final container I would expect each plant to take up roughly 3-4 square feet, and you have 10 to work with (5' x 2'), so I'd say 2 plants will be fine, 3 might be overcrowded but ultimately up to you. With that tent set up you will want to have good ventilation so get an appropriate exhaust fan. You shouldn't have any height constraint problems with 6 feet to work with. Took a glance at Alien OG info, it's an indica dominant hybrid so it shouldn't get too tall anyway.

 

[PeytonManning]

I would stick a 600 watt in there, and probably 2 five gallon buckets or 3 three gallon buckets. The usual rule is 1 gallon for every month the plant will be alive.

 

[Gemini]

Yeah my Alien OG that's flowering now didn't get too tall and I vegged it for like 6 week, so 600 watt and 3 plants (I'll keep them pruned/tied down) sounds good and any guess an a ball park yeild on theses three in 5 gallon pots and about 6 week veg?

 

[PeytonManning]

Couple ounces for each plant I would imagine.

 

[Gemini]

Ok we shall see thanks!!

 

[TattooedJT]

make sure that it is very well ventilated...hps run very hot,and it is kinda tricky to keep your temps down.

 

[Gemini]

Yeah I'm gonna do some good ventilation work that's one reason I want it 6ft tall so I can run some air duct and everything be up and out the way

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Light foot print could well be related to reflector shape as some are square, rectangle or other shapes...

Hanging height also effects light foot print to said sized bulb wattage !


Whilst you are fine in width but length could be questionable for light foot print if using a single bulb ?


A better option could be to use 2 X 250w linked together in air cooled hoods to cover total length of grow area giving a more suitable foot print & a slightly higher wattage per square foot than that of average, coupled with bonus effect of air cooled hoods keeping temps lower.

 

[TattooedJT]

Light foot print could well be related to reflector shape as some are square, rectangle or other shapes...

Hanging height also effects light foot print to said sized bulb wattage !


Whilst you are fine in width but length could be questionable for light foot print if using a single bulb ?


A better option could be to use 2 X 250w linked together in air cooled hoods to cover total length of grow area giving a more suitable foot print & a slightly higher wattage per square foot than that of average, coupled with bonus effect of air cooled hoods keeping temps lower.

well said!

 

[PlanetJ]

If you still need to buy the equipment, I'd strongly urge you to consider LED's. It saves you heaps on your electric bill if you just compare running the lights, but you can also scrap most added ventilation plans, compared to your CFL grow. I know they are a little expensive .. but you will reach your return on investment pretty fast, not having to run dedicated cooling for your lights and eating half the watts.

In no way trying to promote one over the other, but you are talking about a pretty small box, and I already had issues with 7 CFL's and heat in a 4x2x4 area, which is not that much smaller then what you are considering now.

Good luck with the upgrade!

 

[Gemini]

Any recommendations on a LED light that doesn't cost too too much lol

 

[PlanetJ]

Depends how you define cost ... you can have an el-cheapo for the same price as what you where planning on spending on your HPS .. but that would be wasting money if you ask me.

I would seriously look into finding funds to get me this one: P300 :: Platinum Grow Lights
Or two of the smaller one for better overall coverage: P150 :: Platinum Grow Lights

Maybe get lucky, find a guy who just bought everything new, but cant grow if his life depended on it .. took me 4 months, but I'm still laughing my ass off when I think of what I spend on my complete setup and what it costed him a few months before that

I would even rather try another grow with CFL's and save a little, then jump into HID lights in a small area.

 

[Alienpus]

FWIW, I have a 2 x 5' grow box, almost 20years now, you can see it in my journal if interested. At first I built 24"x60" like you but had to modify it to 28". I run two 430hps lights in air cooled reflectors. I tried a 1000hps, one and two 600hps, t5's, but not LED, and ended with 430's. They gave me the best balance between light, heat control and yield ( pound or so). The two 600hps worked very well also, but because of the space they are not efficient. One 600hps iin the center did not cover the area well, the plants at the ends didn't do as well. Highest yields were with SCROG, 4 plants yielded consistently more than two and filled the screen much faster for less veg time.