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indoor Is a tent an absolute when using lights?

nmlarson

nmlarson

Does a tent do anything other than maintain the environment? If I have an area where I can control the temperature and humidity without a tent, and an adequate LED light source, do I still need the tent? I'd love to hear the arguments pro and con.....
 
Unless the room very cool/cold, e.g. temperature is constantly below 50°F, then a tent is not necessary.

I use open shelving for germination, and growing for the three months prior to plant-out.
 
Thanks!  The stealth factor was the one reason I was certain of, but I wasn't sure it helped maintain light levels, especially in the areas around the perimeter.  Meaning any light bouncing back in off the inside of the tent would increase the amount of light there.  I suspect it might, but would the amount really make a difference?
 
U)<now said:
The main reason I use my homemade tent is for reflecting the outside perimeter light back onto those plants, second reason is to keep some of the heat in.
Click to expand...
Mine is great at keeping the neighbors from thinking I'm growing something quite suspicious. Purple lights make people think UFO or illicit operations in my area.

Sent from my Galaxy S8 using Tapatalk
 
Since I live in the Land of no winter,a tent is actually a hazard.
Gets too hot and is too humid.
I grow on wire racks (starts),under 1 watt LEDS-homemade...for a long time.
The opinion back then was 1 Watt LEDS sucked-had to use at least 3 watts...
 
I guess they forgot to send my plantss the Memo...
They loved them,still do.
 
If white gazilian watt LEDS/COB were around back then I'd use them, in the right K - 5000-6500 K.
 
Tech with LEDs is growing as fast as Computer Tech these days.
 
I just put the silver Mylar stuff hanging from my ceiling to floor and my walls are white (reflects light and heat).
Mylar is in 4 ft. x 8 ft (ceiling height).
I think the openings between pieces allow excess heat and moisture to excapespamus I don't get blinded by my LEDs when I enter the room. LOL.
I can turn off the lights before I go in to water.
 
I live at work in an appartment and when I was building my lights-12 hr. on,12 hrs.off.
People/Customers often asked if a UFO was in my home...
 
I also light 4 of 6 sides of my shelves,1 horizontal and 3 vertical.
I go by LUX in specific NM. for red and blue/any LEDs.
 
I go by this chart-
 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pRZO1nNwAQFBbcbpYRDaS6R29V1JXaAsA0SsRI0hGM8/edit
 
Peppers don't need more red or blue to bud.
Though red and Blue do make them grow different -all Blue (I think makes a plant like to grow more,as in bigger plants) but red makes a 4 in. plant stay compact and it has as many branches etc.Red gave me mini hedges,Blue taller plants faster...
 
I don't have to harden my plants off-4 1/2 in pots.
 
By the way Willard is knows his stuff about lighting,in the years gone by we used to debate about LEDs and Halides...
He helped me understand a lot of stuff that I checked out about lighting my plants over the years.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AvidLiving said:
Mine is great at keeping the neighbors from thinking I'm growing something quite suspicious. Purple lights make people think UFO or illicit operations in my area.

Sent from my Galaxy S8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
Fortunately, that's not a problem here, as all my neighbors get lots of fresh veggies from my gardens.  If they complain about the lights, they get crossed off the list!   :lol:
 
Smokemaster, thanks for all this great information!  This year, I'm living in the land of the never-ending wacky winter.  Yesterday it snowed (really???) and we had a low of 28.  Tomorrow it will be 80, with a low of 55, and by next Tuesday, we'll be back into highs in the 40s.  Unfortunately, I suspect these wild swings in our weather patterns are the "new normal." 
 
Considering the conditions in the room I grow in, and since I switched to LEDs, I don't believe I'll ever have an issue with getting too warm.  Sixty-five at night and 75, tops, during the day, about an hour of direct sunlight.  I've been using heat mats to germinate.
 
The greenhouse unit I'm using is wrapped with mylar "Space Blankets" on 3 sides.  The top, bottom and front are open, but could easily be closed off if I ever needed a bit more light or heat.  A second, similar, unit is outside the back door, has a vinyl cover, holds the cool weather starts, and since we've been having cold weather, is heated with a 100W incandescent bulb and has a small fan to keep air moving.  When it really gets cold, a moving blanket gets tossed over the whole thing.  With these tactics, I've been able to keep it above 57 inside overnight.
 
Indoor grow.jpg

 
I've requested permission to look at the chart you referred to.  I'm still searching for a reference, written in plain English, that explains the science behind LEDs, choosing AND using the correct fixtures.  I'll have to look for posts on the subject from Willard.
 
And, yes, those are ripening tomatoes.   :woohoo:
 
Let's see those 1 watt LEDs, I just got some fixtures with 1 Watt LEDs in them but they don't work. Was gonna test the LEDs and mybe build a light out of them
 
Are they star LED's?
Mine mostly are from 30-90 or so Lumin each.
 
I used LED's in 440-475NM. and 625-660NM LED's.
660NM were very Expensive!
 
I also use some 5mm and 10mm Leds for wavelengths the stars didn't come in...
Mostly vertically for giving the plant light on as many sides as possible and in as many wavelengths as possible-see link...
 
Sorry no pics since Photobucket started charging$$$.
 
I built my panels on 1/8 in. thick + aluminum sheets and hook them to my wire racks (my hillbilly heat sink).
 
Out of well over 5000 Chinese LEDs,I only have the 10mm ones fry (they are 1/2-3/4 watt.)
 
Ends up,Don't use Chinese resistors,Most aren't anywhere in the ballpark of what they are supposed to be.
The Vendor said I got the resistors FREE with the LED's ,so I used them without individually checking their value out.
Once I figured it out,Chinese LED's worked GREAT.
Resistors SUCK!
 
I fried LED's by over driving them,
After I tested my resistors before I used them,things have been cool.
It still took about 3 yrs. before the LED's fried,after using the wrong resistors.
 
As I posted before,IF Cobs were cheap enough and in the LM. and K I want,I'd never have messed with Blue and red LED's.
I'm talking about probably 8-10 yrs. ago at least.
 
I got most of my stars for cheap,but I never got less than 800 per order.
 
At the time,3 watt Leds were what the "PROS" said was what WE HAD to use as a minimum.
5 watts were new back then and like T8 bulbs these days they didn't come in the K I wanted or LM.
 
Ends up most places selling 3 watt leds were just overdriving 1 watt LED's to get the extra LM.
They fried REALLY fast!
 
That is why the Chinese had a REALLY bad reputation on Flea bay etc. for selling Junk.
Just like Japan did about electronics when I was a Kid.
 
My LED's are probably at least 8+ yrs. old +.
 
I run them 12 hrs. on and 12 off,24/7 year round.
 
As I've posted,As my LED's fry,I'll be replacing them with White Light in the 5000-6500 K wave lengths.
I love my LED's BUT I got hold of some T10 fluero bulbs (for getting chickens to lay eggs year round).They were 6500K and something like 5000lm.
Expensive and ran/worked on T12 ballasts.
 
I don't like T8 bulbs-less Lm and a crap selection of K.
 
As far as I can tell,T5 are the same as LED's as far as cost to run and K range,LM per watt.But the T5 have a short life...
 
Halides I think are in the same ballpark as T5 's.
Shorter life,heat is an issue too.
I can see Halides being OK if you live in a place that has a winter-keeps your grow warm etc.
 
I've done all my stuff trial and error.
What works for me might suck for you...
 
By "they don't work" mean they don't light?
If so Check the +/- connection.
LED's won't work if + is connected to -.
Use a multi meter.
Diodes only work if + is + etc.
 
Some overworked kid in China might have just hooked - to +.
 
I ONLY grow Peppers.I do know MY grow-Pots/soil I mix etc.
 
I'm willing to talk to you via e mail if you want to.
I'd rather talk to you Via E mail than in a post on ANY site.
If I can give you ideas that work for you,feel free to post them here.
 
My health sucks these days.
It took me well over 2 hours to type this.
\I'm a trial and error type guy.
What works for me might not grow your grow.
But if you take my ideas or whatever as something you can use/modify for your grow GREAT!
 
Smoke
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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