distance from light to plant

[gaw]

I have 1000 watt hallide and am not sure of the distance. And is the distance the same if the plant is 2 weeks or any age. I have a 6x4 room with mylar and exhaust system. Which brings me to another question; Whatever the height is to the top of the plants, are there any variables that would change
that. I seen the chart that said 4 - 6 feet, and also read if you put your hand under and it's ok then that is the distance. I did that and a lot of the younger ones died and the healthier larger ones started to curl a bit with a touch of brown. thanks gaw

[blackxs]

Do the "hand" test then move it another foot up at least IMO

Halides are some of the lights that can be the absolute farthest from the plants compared to others

[gaw]

thanks I lifted the light higher and they are doing better

[Weedguru Higher]

Have a look at this

http://www.weedguru.com/forum/viewtopic ... 88&t=28010

The light should be further away for young seedlings

4-6 feet away from the plant is waaaaaay to far away...a 1000 watter should be around 2 ft away or so

[gaw]

Really good info for a beginner, like me, and really appreciated, especially since my mortality rate is horribly high. I am constantly adjusting with such advice. I have 8 survivors, vegging for a couple weeks and looking good, very healthy and pretty..... for now. So I have new seeds going in a cup to replace some the dead and will try my soil mix when they pop open, instead of the little blocks. I think one of my problems is the watering.
It seems more difficult to judge the watering. I have a starter light and a plastic covered tray. I am in the same room with survivors but not under the same light. I think I have the watering down but not so sure of the seedlings. thank you, gaw

[gaw]

I have 1000 watt halide in the 22 inch hood for about a 4x5 area. I know that is sufficient, but if I put up my second 1000 watt halide will that be over kill or will I benefit from the extra light.
thank you, gaw

[Weedguru Higher]

That would be overkill. It would certainly cause some major heat issues for one thing. Secondly it would probably make you go blind lol..1000 watts is perfect for your grow space

In the above post where you mention "little blocks", do you mean rockwool cubes that you grow in? If so, those need to be ph buffered before using them so if you didn't do that it might have something to do with your growth problems.Also the rockwool cubes are best suited for a hydroponic grow, not a soil grow

You don't need a plastic dome for seedlings, those are used for cloning. It's called a humidity dome and it's purpose is to contain humidity inside the dome to keep the clones alive until they have roots. Since seedlings from seed already have roots, you don't need that. The high humidity and soggy wet soil will make them rot and kill them.

Marijuana plants do not like to be sitting in soggy soil all the time. If the soil is too soggy and not well enough aerated then the plants will lack oxygen to their roots. Don't water everyday unless maybe you are in a small container and the soil truly is dry (which could be possible in small cups under an HPS or MH light)

What soil mix are you planning on using? Using the correct soil mix is very important

[blackxs]

Also the rockwool cubes are best suited for a hydroponic grow, not a soil grow

+1 I have seen videos where they used rockwool in soil (Jorge Cervante's grow video shows this IIRC) but IMO its better to use root riot as starters for seeds that will be in soil. Root riot is more similar to soil's composition and will work better.


Higher, a humidity dome over seedlings can help. Although its more "meant" for clones, keeping the seedlings moist helps because although they do have roots, they are still absorbing a lot of water, initially, through their leaves. Ive heard to use a humidity dome with all the vents OPEN for seedlings, vents CLOSED for clones until the 2-3 day when you open a couple vents to let air in for them.

[Weedguru Higher]

Hate to break it to you, but that is rather misleading and incomplete information that could create problems for people

Humidity is not much of a factor with seedlings, but is with root growth

The only way a humidity dome could help would be if you have a real low humidity issue in the growing area (even then this is only a temporary fix) or are using a heatmat which could cause the soil to dry to quickly... under normal conditions you don't need it, and shouldn't use it because it will hinder and hurt things more than anything considering that you don't normally want to keep seedlings moist all the time. Marijauna plants do not thrive in constantly moist conditions......With a humidity dome on, the medium can become too wet which will actually slow root growth from lack of oxygen or create fungal problems. Also searching for humidity throughout the medium is what helps encourages the roots to grow...if it already has it then they won't feel the need to stretch their legs. They will also benefit from the fresh air circualtion they get from not being covered

It can however be used for germination as moisture is necessary for that but should be removed once the sprouts break soil

[gaw]

Thanks for the info. Can I use 2 of the 1000 halides in a 4x5 area and do the same with the 1000 hps,
keeping them at 2 feet. Is that over kill or beneficial. thanks, gaw

[Weedguru Higher]

That would be overkill. It would certainly cause some major heat issues for one thing. Secondly it would probably make you go blind lol..1000 watts is perfect for your grow space

[gaw]

again, thanks a lot. gaw

[Weedguru Higher]

It would be cool to see a grow journal from you Gaw...with pics and whatnot. Is that a possibility?

[gaw]

I started with "single seeds", seeds. Mostly feminised. Out of the first 12, 8 lived. Then another 4 started in woolrock all died. I think it was the heat from the 1000 halide. Anyway I am doing 3 more from seed,just popped open and is in my soil mixture and under a starter light. I think I have the watering down, by weight. But not on the seeds. I intend on keeping the soil a little damp. The other 8 are looking healthy. 1000 halide is 2 feet away and stays on for 18 hours. the walls are mylar, the temp is about 85 and the humidity is about 27% but finally got a humidifier and got it up to 32%. However I got a hot one and have to change it to a cool one and get a more powerful one, I think. My ducts on my 22" hood has a small fan on the empty side and inline exhaust out a window on the other side. The only thing I record is the seed, the date and the soil mixture. Other than that I water when needed and mist some mother plant mixture every 2 or 3 times. I tried uploading some pics but I'm doing something wrong. I think its the message end of it. thanks, gaw

[Weedguru Higher]

You gotta upload pics to a host site like Imageshack and then use the link over here in between this [img]putlinkhere[/img]