Hello to everyone on this forum. Wow, i didn’t know this was such a science, but there seem to be plenty of experts so i’m calling on any and all of you for a first time grower lighting question.
I have a 36 x 36 grow tent that i plan to put 3-4 plants in (germinating now). I have a MarsHydro TS 1000 lighting system that has a dimmer dial on it. My questions are a) how far from the plants should i set this light? seems like everything i read is different and i want the babies to get enough but obviously don’t want to burn them out…and question b) what about that darn dimmer switch? 100% all the time? gradually increase? forget it and buy weed from the old lady next door? i’m confused on this as there seems to be conflicting, or at least inconsistent, info on this depending on what you read.
thanks in advance and i look forward to this thread.
I would go with 100%. The Mars is only a 150 watt light and you will struggle to flower 3 - 4 plants with it. The light is really only enough to flower 1 plant. Three to 4 plants is also too much for a 36" x 36". It’s really only big enough for 1 - 2 plants. It’s going to get pretty crowded with even 2 plants.
As far as how close - place your hand at the plant level. If you can feel heat from the light on the back of your hand it is too close. I would suggest 12 to 18 inches.
Welcome to the forum @jdouglas36542
I have a Mars hydro 1000 and to be honest it won’t flower that many plants with any quality buds. I did one plant and for my first grow it did ok. The folks that are tagged with guide you in the right direction. I have to say I have a 4x4 tent and these two girls are filling it up
pretty good.
Thanks MidwestGuy. that’s specific advice and i appreciate it. i truly hope that my plants fill up the space and i have to buy another tent. Nothing could make me happier, lol. i’m germinating 4 seeds, and i’ll see how they start with the understanding that they may outgrow their space. survival of the fittest if i have to get down to 1-2. Again thanks to all and i’ll keep reading.
You’ll have no problem growing out 4 small plants in a 4x4, but you are going to have to get more lighting. You should expect to pay ~500 to $600 to properly light a 4x4.
I would probably run ts1000 at 100% and start about 2’ above plants. Imo you will probably want a larger light to flower out a 3x3. I think you could pretty easily run 4 plants in a 3x3. You will just want to get them flipped to flower around the time they are mature if things go well. If you veg too long plants could easily take over a space like yours.
You will rarely see that people have the same experiences in a grow from start to finish. Every space and every plant will have its own unique variables to deal with. Everyone may agree that a particular piece of equipment or strain is great, but may not necessarily be the best for you and other things you’re working around.
Black Friday deals all over. Can save a couple hundred on good lights. I made the rookie call when i started. Cheap and upgrade. Nope. Paid out more than if i went good off the bat. Harvests suffered. Big difference when i ponied up. I went overkill a bit each tent. I prefer to dim down than turn driver and dimmer to max. Just me.
