SOIL Can you just turn your lights up and down instead of dropping and raising them?

[static]

Hi all! Basic fundamental question here..

I have a very powerful 480 Watt LED light with the latest Samsung chips, and has a dial for dimming brightness down to 0 all the way up to 100.

Most guides always show you to drop the light close to the plants, during veg etc., which I have done because all examples always show it, but in doing so I have to turn this insane light way down on the brightness spectrum so it doesn't scorch the flowers.

My question is basically, is there a reason the light has to be physically close the flowers, as per the guides? Because it's covering a way smaller footprint as it gets closer, and I was wondering why I just can't raise the light, which will actually cover a larger space, and just turn the intensity up instead, still nowhere near the 100% mark?

Thanks for your time all!

[static]

I guess in theory things would work in reverse.. In a normal scenario, I'm told to drop the lights above the plants, then as the plants start growing into them you keep raising them. I guess in my scenario the lights would start high in order to give the plants as much light as they need when they're short and then you'd be turning it down as they get taller?

[Tersky]

I think you can do it in your scenario that way, but you have to be careful for stretching. My LEC doesnt have a dimmer so i left them higher up as seedlings but left them too high and the girls stretched. I pinned them down and it was all good but i think thats why they say to do it the other way if you have a dimmer. You will have better control of the spacing of the nodes and height of the plant is my guess.

[SoOrbudgal]

You could try it your way, or place risers/blocks under pots raise them instead of adjusting lights distance. Test it and see.

[Farmall]

You should also find what happens to the color spectrum of the lamps when the power output to them is reduced. That may be a bigger issue

[static]

Hmm, I'm not sure how to check that. But I can tell you they are the latest and greatest chips that supposedly produce some amazing results, the Samsung 301 chipset

[homegrown]

hey static, you want as much light as you can possibly give them without burning them..have you held your hand ontop of the canopy to see how hot it really is? im running 2 650w led's and i have them 4" lower than manufacturers specs for my second grow...testing for yield difference this time around. they are really doing well so far! Try to get them all at the same height(SoOrbudgal suggestion, with blocks or risers) then lower your light till it feels to warm on the back of your hand..raise it up a couple of inches.

[homegrown]

hello budgal, its just under 6 feet tall

[static]

Hi bro! Thank you for the reply - I have really been struggling with light intensities, and not knowing how much/how high to turn these lights up. They are extremely powerful is my understanding..

Would they need to be raised up if the lights were bright enough and giving off sufficient brightness? Or is there some some kind of fundamental reason they need to physically be "close" to the light?

Thanks again, and great looking plants mate.

[static]

Oh, and, the canopy is cold as anything. This light gives off like zero heat, I have a problem with low temp growing in my tent, total opposite of most people. I max out at 70-72F canopy level

[Farmall]

One note however, when I was using a new lighting set, I measured the heat in the canopy and leaves using an infrared non-contact laser thermometer. Sound complex but it’s a $17.00 item. Something to consider that it’s not necessarily heat that will burn the leaves but light intensity. Photosynthesis is all about being able to utilize the light to make food for growth when it’s too intense on the useable color spectrum, light burn can ruin your plant.

https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-problems/light-burn

[SoOrbudgal]

Very good point Farmall all plants can only take so much intensity including us humans.

[Farmall]

static my leds are Samsung 301’s with Cree reds