If you are putting this in a basement why wouldn’t you just get a 5x5? The cost difference is like 25-75 bucks. You don’t need to get a bigger light nor grow more weed. Take heed of others who implored you to give them space - airflow - less heat. You can keep the same footprint inside and have a foot around the perimeter for working.
5x5 wouldn’t fit in the area I wanted to place it. The extra space would be nice I‘m sure.
Thanks for the tips! I just picked up an oil radiator for either inside the area with the tent or might stick it inside the tent (depending on which ends up working better, and if there’s space). I went with LED so I could adjust temps a bit easier and more precise, especially in summer. I’m thinking I’ll need a humidifier too, at least for winter grows.
Hey I see that you have a similar heater to the one I just bought...I’m trying to figure out if I should put it inside the tent or outside near the intake filter. The area the tent is in is around 8’x18’x8’ but there’s no door to the rest of the basement. It’d be a squeeze in a 3x3 probably, with 3 plants. But it would regulate temps inside better I’d imagine, it does have a thermostat built in. Any tips or advice? Thanks!The 4000 would give you around 45w/sq which I think is somewhere around max potential for many strains in bloom. I’d always prefer more powerful equipment and dial it back as needed. Either way, you can’t go wrong @SpiderFarmerLED makes a great product. Just assembled my new se3000 yesterday
UVA & UVB the former can increase THC production & UVB has it's negative aspects in regards to some plants but for Cannabis it has been shown to help produce oil compounds in the plants. Here is a link to an article that will explain everything https://www.atophort.com/news/the-reasons-for-including-uva-and-uvb-in-led-grow-light.html For your soil organic grow I have found Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil to be near perfect for growing plants. The composition is totally organic although it has not been innoculated with beneficial bacteria that help plants with uptake of nutes, so you have to purchase separately and add as directed. I think your choice of the SF4000 would be perfect for your grow. I use SF1000 dimmable Maxsisun for my grow currently one for each plant, having switched over from Maxsisun 1000 model lamps (which are non-dimmable and don't have a heat sink) that I used for the past two grows due to the fact that controlling heat came close to being an issue near the end of my grow when the weather started heating up outside and my garage warmed too much (into the 80's) I use an upper exhaust fan and a lower intake fan both by Vivosun to keep the air flowing inside and expel the heat and humidity to an extent that I have never gotten any mold on my plants even though they were very dense. Whatever light you end up purchasing is probably irrelevant but what is important is that it does have a couple U/V LEDs and a couple 630nm deep red & 730nm infra red LEDs. (These Maxsisun LEDs have all those features and more) One of the most important factors you will have to figure out for yourself with whatever light you go with is adjusting it's brightness and distance from the seedling stage through the end of flowering and get yourself a meter to take the readings and then use the formulas to convert to micromoles and then to the ultimate light factor that ensures proper growth which is DLI the daily light integral which for cannabis seedlings 13-19 moles; vegetative 25-35 moles; flowering 38-65 moles DLI. https://www.420greenthumb.com/how-much-daily-light-integral-dli-does-cannabis-require/
The spectrum of the light I settled on is listed as (380-410nm, 660-665nm, 730-740nm, 2800-3000K,4800-5000K) and has a dimmer knob. It’s Spider-Farmer “upgraded” SE3000. Right now I’m just trying to figure out how far from the plants to put it at each phase. Problem is, after the humidifier I’ve maxed out my limit for this initial setup so a PAR meter is out of the question for now. Any suggestions where to start without one? It’s going in a 3x3, same as spider farmers test size, if their chart is to be believed.
There's a good handful of people here who use a smart phone app. I don't know the name of it, but I know it's free ... How accurate is it? I don't know .... but even a fairly accurate reading could be helpful.
Yes, @growsince79 also pointed me towards the app...I can try it but my phone is an older model so not sure if it’ll work but I’ll give it a try and post the results to see if it sounds close. Now, only have to find the right one.
I’m a little perplexed. Where in the world are you will this poor tent be located. Why do you need a heater and humidifier in a little 3x3 tent that will or should be have that light on 24/7 during veg and 12/12 in flower and filled out the space.
Northeast...we get negative temps here. Right now the temp in the tent is a steady 66f, with a small 300w LED I doubt it will raise the temp much at all. The humidity drops to around 35% in winter.
Plants in a 3 x 3 can transpire 2 gallons a day. Low humidity shouldn't be a problem. HID lights make just as good of buds as any led. For about 1/3 the cost, hps in the winter is a no brainer.
Michigan here ... the land of schizophrenic weather. Weather here would be similar to upstate New York except we don't have the mountains.
oh wow...I had no idea the humidity would raise that much. Hey maybe it’ll raise the humidity in the basement for my guitars if I vent into the workshop haha...that’d be great!
Luckily I didn’t buy the humidifier yet...I’m wondering if I have 3 or 4 solo cups with coco , in a plastic dome, if I add 1/4” water to the tray under the elevated cups would that give them enough humidity in the dome during germination and seedling phase?
It's still not the same as larger plants transpiring inside a tent.
But is it an acceptable solution for humidity during seedlings? Or does the water breed gnats or mold in the dome?
I have found that in my garage the hvac/waterheater area has a stable temperature throughout the year. The temps are always between 72-85 degrees within 4 feet of my unit. Look for a warm place a freezer can give off heat too on top outside of course. If you want good seedlings in a cold room use a heat mat with a temperature rheostat. Inexpensive solution to get the perfect environment for your seeds. If you dont get the rheostat control the mats can get very hot and can be problematic.
I'll vouch for the seedling mats getting too hot without using the temperature controller. I forgot to put the probe under the mat once and cooked my seeds.
Simply putting a clear plastic anything will hold the humidity. Saran wrap and popsicle sticks can create a simple dome.
Solo cup and sandwich baggy
