Room lighting bigger is not always better

Lighting is in my opinion the biggest decision one will make in growing Cannibis indoors. I see new growers fall into the I need one huge light pit way too often.

Hence I started this thread to help new growers with a few pointers and I welcome all to chime in.

Ok, once I too ran one big 1,000 watt HPS up high with very little thought to side lighting. Through the years that same room has changed from the one 1,000 watt HPS and for the better.

Now it has two 600 watt dimmable HPS up high and 210 watts of full spec led side lighting. My yields have doubled. Light spread and penetration are more important than light power in my opinion and is something all new growers setting up lighting should consider.

Even in a tent, having all your light up top makes fluffy side buds.

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That is because light spread increases light penetration. But top lighting is still more efficient than side lighting. Canopy management can do most of what side lighting can do without any additional costs too, providing par intensity is proper and you have that good even canopy intensity anyway.

In your case, most 600’s are significantly more efficient than 1000’s. And you had increase in power consumed, plus the increase in power from leds. But is likely you would have seen noticeable increase without the leds running as side lights.

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Those nugs on the side and bottom were always fluffy. Now they hard as rocks.

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