Lighting

[Dave1972]

Hi there
i am just starting my 1st grow and planted my seeds 2 weeks ago.
1 plant has 3x sets of leaves and the other only 2 sets.
i started them off in a cardboard box lined with tin foil with 2x 30w glowlights.
They are now transported into a grow tent with same lighting... I've been researching but getting different answers about strength of lighting required. 600w i think would be too hot as my tent is 60cm x 60cm x 140cm
also do i need a fan and what type?
Please help as I'm very new to this.
thanks for reading
Dave
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[JDU]

High Dave! So at 4 sq ft you'll want about 200w from the wall What type light are you gonna use? Is it a true 600w fixture?. (I have a Mars Hydro sp 600 that only pulls 100w.) You will definitely want a couple fans.

[Dave1972]

Thanks for reply... I was looking at a full spectrum led ... Are they ok?

[Dave1972]

[crunchyfrog]

I am guessing you looked at the home page for growweedeasy.com. There is a lot of well written and well illustrated information there including grow tutorials and setups for 2x2 tents and the writer, Nebula Haze recommends a 450 watt led (200 w actual). I am new to this myself and after searching for too much time on the internet, I found this site the most straightforward and most helpful. Good luck.

[Dave1972]

I did yes... I'm going to follow those guidelines and hopefully in 12 weeks I'll need rizzla 😂✌

[crunchyfrog]

By the way, I agree with your choice of the 300W cob light, at least for a first grow. You probably have seen on the internet a lot of folks making their own (DYI) cob light set ups. In my opinion, probably the way to go at this point in time (after a little experience under our belts) if you grade yourself on cost/gram. By the way, a question for you, what training methods are you considering?

[Dave1972]

Training methods??

[crunchyfrog]

You know, SCROG, manifolding, quadlining, how you "train" your plant(s) to yield more buds.

[Dave1972]

After germination I've done 18hrs on and 6hrs off .. Gonna do that for 3 weeks then 12 on 12 off for remainder til harvest .. According to seed supplier my plants will be ready in 8 to 10 weeks but like i said before its my 1st grow so here's hoping!
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[crunchyfrog]

good plan... thanks for chatting...

[Dave1972]

Thankyou .. Will take a few pics in a couple of weeks for some more advice if ok
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[gbauto]

Welcome, Dave
Lighting is just as important as your choice of genetics when planning a grow.
JDU gave you some good info on using a wattage metric of 50 watts/ sq ft to ensure you have enough light to flower.
That metric is standard for HPS and 'blurple' led fixtures.
That means 200 watts of HPS or economy leds will do the job.
The other thing to consider is that current tech led fixtures like QB's or strip lights are almost 60% more efficient at producing the same amount of light, so 30 watts/ sq ft will give the same ppfd.
The benefit of the added efficiency is that you reduce the thermal load in the tent(120 watts vs 200 watts) so it's easier to manage temps in the tent.

[Farmall]

gbauto I would love one day to sit and chat and compare notes. I just love your clarity and conviction. When I started with strips, it was like swimming against the current, so to speak. There was so little belief that they could produce the way they do. In such a short time, the band wagon is now loaded. Kinda nice ain’t it?

[gbauto]

Yeah, I have to agree on being amazed at what these simple strips can do.
I just finished drying and jarring one of my girls(strawberry-banana from Seedman) from my annual indoor winter grow.
I was freaking amazed that she yielded right at 20oz of nice flower. I've got a bit over a pound in the freezer waiting to be washed. I don't think that's too shabby for a 2.5x1.5 area

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gibMPQdLkp1UFzid9

[Farmall]

Oooh! Very nice crop.... !! Great yield.

[Dave1972]

Thanks a lot everyone i really appreciate the feedback...
I cannot believe the thousands I've spent on smoke and never thought about growing my own little stash!
i think with all the help and advice I'm getting on here 2020 may just turn out well... Even in these dark times....
Stay safe... Stay home... Stay smashed!!
✌✌

[Farmall]

Dave1972. Hey Dave, don’t get nutty with all kinds of additives and supplements ..depending on your grow medium, you’ll need some but these are standard .. plants need warmth, light and food. Beyond that a little LST training and your first run will be a big hit.. Pick a grow medium and learn all you can simply from the GWE growing basics and you have a smile on you face like this. 🙃. The folks here can help thru almost any situation that might come along. Follow a good flight plan and it should be smooth as silk.

post your progress, your thoughts, your next steps and your photos....piece o’ cake 👍