Where to invest for yeilds. Does adding LED wattage always increase yeild?

PLantAsEED · Mar 12, 2020

Currently use 4-qb132 with 240w driver. Managed 8oz, 10g (almost 1g/w). Out of three plants in a 3'x3' tent. Considering getting a HLG Qb96 with a 150w driver to add in the middle of the setup.

Would this additional light increase yeild avg. by 150g. Or should I invest elsewhere such as different nute, soil, autopot, sog, scrog, bigger tent, ect.?

Homesteader · Mar 12, 2020

Lots of variables. Genetics play a big roll. Do you know how much light is hitting the canopy? Can you take a pic of your setup with lights cranked so we can see? Are you in soil, Coco?
How long have you been growing?

BigCube · Mar 12, 2020

PLantAsEED said:
Currently use 4-qb132 with 240w driver. Managed 8oz, 10g (almost 1g/w). Out of three plants in a 3'x3' tent. Considering getting a HLG Qb96 with a 150w driver to add in the middle of the setup.

Would this additional light increase yeild avg. by 150g. Or should I invest elsewhere such as different nute, soil, autopot, sog, scrog, bigger tent, ect.?

1g per watt isnt horrible. But I think you have a lot of room for improvement.
I managed 1.5g per watt from normal dollar store led bulbs. Quantum boards should be MUCH better.

If you add too much light, you actually inhibit the growth. It may be a matter of utilizing what you have more efficiently.

How many total watts of qb do you have in the 3x3?

Homesteader · Mar 12, 2020

Saw your profile pic and I think you are doing fairly good with light. Could you use more? Maybe but technique and creating more bud sites using scrog or similar should help a great deal.

CBDfutute4 · Mar 12, 2020

How tall is your tent?

more light can surly help, but you need the space for it

Anthem · Mar 12, 2020

You can increase yield with more light to a point. LED's really requires CO2 to see all of the benefits. Also you cannot put a young plant under a gavita 1700 or something on par without issues. People under estimate the amount of light top bin LED's put out.
But if you want more yield than yes you can increase the watts. I myself I see great results with around 30 watts per foot. I also have a set up with 42 watts per foot and the yield is not much greater but a different light manufacturer as well.

HLG are good , but also take a look at the light footprint. Because the light is a rectangle and the light must travel further to reach the edges of the grow area there is drop off in the performance at these outer areas. The LED light bar designs tend to out perform HLG because of the basic design.

PLantAsEED · Mar 13, 2020

Homesteader said:
Lots of variables. Genetics play a big roll. Do you know how much light is hitting the canopy? Can you take a pic of your setup with lights cranked so we can see? Are you in soil, Coco?
How long have you been growing?

I am in soil, finished in 3g pots, and that was my first grow ever. Working on #2.

PLantAsEED · Mar 13, 2020

CBDfutute4 said:
How tall is your tent?

more light can surly help, but you need the space for it

BigCube said:
1g per watt isnt horrible. But I think you have a lot of room for improvement.
I managed 1.5g per watt from normal dollar store led bulbs. Quantum boards should be MUCH better.

If you add too much light, you actually inhibit the growth. It may be a matter of utilizing what you have more efficiently.

How many total watts of qb do you have in the 3x3?

I know theres much room.for Improvement. This was my 1st grow. Just trying to find out where to improve 1st.

The goal is to get 1lb or close to it in the tent.

I have 240w (from the wall) of QB at the moment. It would move to 360-390w total with a qb96 thrown in.

PLantAsEED · Mar 13, 2020

CBDfutute4 said:
How tall is your tent?

more light can surly help, but you need the space for it

Only a 6' tent. I was going to get a bigger one or another tent to expand but I dont have the available space.

MIGrampaUSA · Mar 13, 2020

PLantAsEED said:
I know theres much room.for Improvement. This was my 1st grow. Just trying to find out where to improve 1st.

The goal is to get 1lb or close to it in the tent.

I have 240w (from the wall) of QB at the moment. It would move to 360-390w total with a qb96 thrown in.

At 240w, you're at 26.6 watts per foot square. At 390w, you would be at 43.33 watts per foot square. 390w should be plenty of light unless you plan on adding CO2. As another poster stated, you may want to look into plant training techniques LST/Scrog/Topping etc to help increase bud sites .

BigCube · Mar 13, 2020

I use 2x240w in my 3x3. Dimmed down about 20%.

I would say 360 to 390 is right where you want to be. Or go with 480and dim like I do.

HeLLfiReZ · Mar 13, 2020

That perfect yielding strain is key. My last grow was a lazy vert grow 4 plants tied around a 1000w hps. 2 plants gave me a 1/2lb each the other 2 were a 1/2lb combined.

PLantAsEED · Mar 14, 2020

MIGrampaUSA said:
At 240w, you're at 26.6 watts per foot square. At 390w, you would be at 43.33 watts per foot square. 390w should be plenty of light unless you plan on adding CO2. As another poster stated, you may want to look into plant training techniques LST/Scrog/Topping etc to help increase bud sites .

So. I LST'd the 3 females I ended up having and topped or FIM'd each one, once. obviously still room for much more improvement and I am planning on not LSTing much this time and topping 2-3 times. Would a SCROG be benificial or only if I cant fill the canopy?

Also, No plans on any Co2, ever. just seems too risky.

PLantAsEED · Mar 14, 2020

BigCube said:
I use 2x240w in my 3x3. Dimmed down about 20%.

I would say 360 to 390 is right where you want to be. Or go with 480and dim like I do.

I will probobly make the upgrade and have both sets of lights on a dimmer to find the sweet spot. Do you have any issues with heat management running both lights in the 3x3?

PLantAsEED · Mar 14, 2020

HeLLfiReZ said:
That perfect yielding strain is key. My last grow was a lazy vert grow 4 plants tied around a 1000w hps. 2 plants gave me a 1/2lb each the other 2 were a 1/2lb combined.

What genetics are you using? This run for me is using Solfire Garden seeds (Grim Bastard OG). I do not know what seed breeders are producing great genetics for a reasonable cost. Any tips?

CBDfutute4 · Mar 21, 2020

I run a 185 driver w 1, qb96 pushed all the way. has full hgl heat sink tho

I have a old school Mars 300 n 150 hps in my 2x4x6ft tent.

so sq ft wise we are pretty close.

JWM2 · Mar 21, 2020

After one grow you want to tinker with your lighting to get better yields? That money is better spent elsewhere. Get a few grows under your belt before you make any drastic changes.

BigCube · Mar 22, 2020

PLantAsEED said:
I will probobly make the upgrade and have both sets of lights on a dimmer to find the sweet spot. Do you have any issues with heat management running both lights in the 3x3?

Nope. I vent the tent I to the room the tent is in. I dont even get rid of the heat anywhere. The tent goes up to about 26c
The room goes up to about 23c. In the summer time, I will need to vent the tent outside or run my AC unit. But that is standard stuff.

Jimster · Mar 22, 2020

Light is probably one of the most important factors in yield. Genetics and the strain play a huge role as well, with Sativa strains being big producers... there is a lot of variation between different strains as well. I use a lot of side lighting to increase the yield from the sides of the plant, not just the canopy. The training and leaf pruning methods can also increase your yield... but some can decrease it despite some using it, such as radical defoliation. I think light is probably the most important, but genetics play a huge role. My Train Wreck are bushy and have a nice canopy, but little other than the canopy and they don't grow too tall. My GG4 yielded almost twice that the Train Wreck did, dispute being the same age and nearly the same size.

visajoe1 · Mar 22, 2020

Jimster said:
Light is probably one of the most important factors in yield. Genetics and the strain play a huge role as well, with Sativa strains being big producers... there is a lot of variation between different strains as well. I use a lot of side lighting to increase the yield from the sides of the plant, not just the canopy. The training and leaf pruning methods can also increase your yield... but some can decrease it despite some using it, such as radical defoliation. I think light is probably the most important, but genetics play a huge role. My Train Wreck are bushy and have a nice canopy, but little other than the canopy and they don't grow too tall. My GG4 yielded almost twice that the Train Wreck did, dispute being the same age and nearly the same size.

Do you know where I can find good Trainwreck genetics in the US? Favorite strain since 98. Never had luck with foreign seed bank orders

Where to invest for yeilds. Does adding LED wattage always increase yeild?

Where to invest for yeilds. Does adding LED wattage always increase yeild?

PLantAsEED

Homesteader

BigCube

Homesteader

CBDfutute4

Anthem

PLantAsEED

PLantAsEED

PLantAsEED

MIGrampaUSA

BigCube

HeLLfiReZ

PLantAsEED

PLantAsEED

PLantAsEED

CBDfutute4

JWM2

Premium Member

BigCube

Jimster

visajoe1

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