Oh My God, He Turned It INSIDE OUT!!!

[ttystikk]

Also how do you maintainence it ie access the inside ? This is something I have been giving a lot of thought to lately as I am gonna set up a new room and wanna get the most bang for my buck. I can post pics of my sketch if you like.

It's easy peasy- the wire mesh is two pieces of field fencing, hooked together at their ends by the wire itself bent around the next one. Thus you just bend the tabs back, open it up like an upright suitcase and step inside. With the bulb OFF!

 

[ttystikk]

@donmekka Another aspect of cleaning and maintenance is keeping the bulb clean. This is much easier to achieve since its bare, but care must be taken to avoid damaging it in person. Thus, I strongly recommend not only shutting the bulb down during any spraying event, but to also go one step further and cover the bulb so no overspray inadvertently hits and contaminates it. Much easier to KEEP the bulb clean than to have to clean up the mess each time.

 

[donmekka]

I still think you can take advantage the lost lighting though by putting a reflective surface behind the trellis. Kinda like this

 

[ttystikk]

Very nice drawing, and it nicely illustrates the orientation of the unit. First, a six foot tall trellis needs to start above the tubs and above the reflector underneath, so about 18" above floor level. So now it stands a full 7'6" tall, high enough for most people to need a stepladder. Also, there will be additional veg time involved to grow plants tall enough to use the extra room to best advantage.

On to the reflective material backing; I don't want light from the back. Plants don't get light from the ground except under rare circumstances, nor do they expect it. I want behind the cylinder wall to be dark because of a dense covering of foliage of our chosen crop. Whatever leaks through is incidental and reflecting it back is counterproductive. Set up a side by side and prove me wrong, I'm still learning too!

 

[donmekka]

Plans were to run 1 400 mh with 2 600hps. three ladies per half also considered two tier it and running two rows of three per half.

 

[donmekka]

On to the reflective material backing; I don't want light from the back. Plants don't get light from the ground except under rare circumstances, nor do they expect it. I want behind the cylinder wall to be dark because of a dense covering of foliage of our chosen crop. Whatever leaks through is incidental and reflecting it back is counterproductive.

Sorry my friend but I totally disagree with you here . In nature light is being reflected from the ground it may not be intense but its being reflected.

 

[ttystikk]

Going vertical means a veg dedicated to the cause, and that means that eventually you'll want to factor in a two month veg; so start it at the same time as Cap's modified sea of green approach above- or even run fabric pots with coco and top drip dtw, to be brutally simple.

Meanwhile, grow tall pants in veg to plug into a trellis; when it's time, you move them into place- one main stalk so it's not as hard as it sounds- and flip them on the spot. Assuming the desire to really blow it up and tolerate the extra work that goes with extra yield, a grow cylinder with three tall plants could be four feet in diameter and just fit under an eight foot ceiling. Such a cylinder would have 75ft² of trellis space at the ready. Lighting this would be easily achieved with a vertical thouie or twin sixes, preferably on a light mover.

Now here's the fun part; four such cylinders would fit in a 12 x 12' room, putting the total square footage in trellis at an eye popping 300ft², every inch of which is the ideal distance from its lighting.

People working on the plants walk around upright between the cylinders, no stooping except for low branches- high ones might be reserved for the tall guy, or a stepladder.

I've personally seen a crop that came in over 4 elbows from a 25ft² trellis under two thouies- in magnum hoods, if anyone's interested. Half of that, just two 'bows, per 25ft² panel, times 3 panels per cylinder, times 4 cylinders = 24 elbows using 4-4800W total for lighting. Stretch estimates for dialed in production might easily be double.

But that's just me thinking out loud, don't mind me... what do I know?

 

[Capulator]

reflecting material on teh back of the screen like that will be a headache. You need to be able to access the plant from the back to clean.

 

[ttystikk]

reflecting material on teh back of the screen like that will be a headache. You need to be able to access the plant from the back to clean.

I'm accessing my plants from the back for everything, since the plants are grown up the back of the trellis. Only the growing tips of the plant stick through, and I believe this may be a point of difference between your wall o' dank setup and this?

As the tips get longer than about 6", I pull them back through the fence, lay them out along the wire for a few inches and stick the growing tip back through the mesh again. This spreads the plant out and covers more surface area in the trellis to gather light. My hope and aim is that during the stacking phase, only buds will stick through the mesh, taking full advantage of all that light and space. Could make for an interesting snapshot or two...

The other reason I don't want reflective material on the back is because I want the plant to form a single layer on the trellis cylinder, facing the light inside that's meant for it.

 

[tweedy]

reflecting material on teh back of the screen like that will be a headache. You need to be able to access the plant from the back to clean.

The 1/2" thick reflective foam insulation you get at home depot can be bent into a semi circle (the 4x8 sheet, trust me, didn't snap and I bent several). They can be tied like an adjust a wing and be moved easily. There is a convenient option for a solid back screen reflector without fucking with a flimsy material. You can attach it to a pvc or 1x2 frame too for ease of moving and placement.

 

[ttystikk]

The 1/2" thick reflective foam insulation you get at home depot can be bent into a semi circle (the 4x8 sheet, trust me, didn't snap and I bent several). They can be tied like an adjust a wing and be moved easily. There is a convenient option for a solid back screen reflector without fucking with a flimsy material. You can attach it to a pvc or 1x2 frame too for ease of moving and placement.

That's an interesting option, if it looks like it would become useful. At the moment, I'm basically asking the plant to treat the outside of the cylinder like the underside of a shrub outdoors; by not providing any light so as not to encourage any growth. The plan is for the plant to fill in the trellis while always 'looking inward', if you will.

One issue with reflected light is that it would always be second rate; and the better the canopy on the inside, the less light will be missed in the first place.

 

[tweedy]

That's an interesting option, if it looks like it would become useful. At the moment, I'm basically asking the plant to treat the outside of the cylinder like the underside of a shrub outdoors; by not providing any light so as not to encourage any growth. The plan is for the plant to fill in the trellis while always 'looking inward', if you will.

One issue with reflected light is that it would always be second rate; and the better the canopy on the inside, the less light will be missed in the first place.

For sure, I just threw out the option because I know you like to tinker and undoubtedly will do an A and B for efficiency's sake at some point. You aren't one to waste a watt :)

 

[Capulator]

I'm accessing my plants from the back for everything, since the plants are grown up the back of the trellis. Only the growing tips of the plant stick through, and I believe this may be a point of difference between your wall o' dank setup and this?

As the tips get longer than about 6", I pull them back through the fence, lay them out along the wire for a few inches and stick the growing tip back through the mesh again. This spreads the plant out and covers more surface area in the trellis to gather light. My hope and aim is that during the stacking phase, only buds will stick through the mesh, taking full advantage of all that light and space. Could make for an interesting snapshot or two...

The other reason I don't want reflective material on the back is because I want the plant to form a single layer on the trellis cylinder, facing the light inside that's meant for it.

same method bro. I just have to duck under and behind in between the trellis and the wall.

 

[ttystikk]

same method bro. I just have to duck under and behind in between the trellis and the wall.

So really all I've done is close the circle o dank around the bulb. I figured as much, good to know we're working the problem in similar ways. My consolation prize is that the trellis is right in front of me, no ducking required.

This first run in my vertical trellis won't be a definitive measure of its potential- more like its ability to nurse a plant meant for another environment entirely through to whatever result I get- so far, it's looking awfully promising!

The better I get at growing my plants in veg to the shape they need to be for the trellis, the closer I'll get to harnessing the potential of this approach. I think this will not be an especially tough problem to solve, given a little patience and timing.

 

[Capulator]

you shoud get at least one potato from that plant tty.

 

[ttystikk]

you shoud get at least one potato from that plant tty.

I'm still hoping for two each, with room to grow into more in crops to come. I think these girls still aren't done stretching yet and they're already four feet across and almost three feet tall.

 

[ttystikk]

The veg girls have a nice beard of roots and are growing tall and gangly- perfect for slapping onto a trellis like this!

 

[ttystikk]

Also how do you maintainence it ie access the inside ? This is something I have been giving a lot of thought to lately as I am gonna set up a new room and wanna get the most bang for my buck. I can post pics of my sketch if you like.

Not sure how I missed this. Yes, please post sketches, I'm always interested in other's designs and ideas!

 

[donmekka]

That was pretty much it in post#283. It incorporates a reflective back with 2 trellises 1 to attach the veg growth and the second that attaches during flowering for bud support all 3'' wire .

 

[Jalisco Kid]

Two walls would be a waste, Also the reflective material would be a waste in time and money but mainly because it would interfere with ventilation. I would stare at some of HR's designs for more inspiration. JK
I think if you unkink your design and roll it out flat you would be better off with your light and ventilation. Encirculating(not sure thats a word) a plant around a bulb is creating a bunch of micro climates in your room. Going straight would be more efficient.