lighting Lighting intensity for HID setups

C

CurtisEss

Hey guys,
 
I'm in the midst of beginning a hydroponic setup, and I've started to doubt my initial guesses on how much light I would need.  My initial target was based on duplicating the intensity of sunlight (the maximum intensity is 128,000 lux or lumens m^(-2)), so I shot for 100,000 lux because not all sunshine is at this maximum intensity, but peppers do like long bright days.  This ends up working out to a 1000 W HPS bulb in a 4 x 4 ft tent.  I'm beginning to think that I might be able to get a bit more growing area out of 1000 W, but maybe not.
 
I realize that lux is not the best measure when growing plants because of spectrum differences and whatnot, but what kind of lighting intensity do you guys use in indoor setups?
 
If not specifically measured in lux, what size HPS or MH bulbs do you use for grow areas of a given size?
 
1000 in a 4x4 area is a bit much.
 
Most estimates I see are 4x4 for 400 watts, 5x5 for 600 watts and 6x6 or more for 1000watts .
 
My room is 4.5x6 and I use a 600 watt bulb. It is plenty for the room.
 
Yeah, 1000w for a 4x4 area in a standard room is way too much. But let me add that 4x4 is a deceiving description of a foot print as you have not disclosed the height and or application of the lamp. my setup is in the basement and the ceiling is lower than the ground level room. and thus, the foot print that my system can be effectively used in each location is different. Also, an air cooled lighting system will change the whole equation. I have seen a 600 w MH at approx 6" from the canopy of a 5' tall bhut jolokia with no burning occuring.
 
I use 1 600w in a 1.5m tent BUT I grow vertically for me the sweet spot is about 24" from 600w with bare lamp, if I was growing horizontally I would aim for 1.2m tent per 600w in a parabolic shade.
 
I found at least for me Chillies respond to HPS better than MH I use powerplant MH's.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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LIke the others had said, for a 4x4 area, you can get a way with 600-100 watts, for a 5x5 area, i would go 1000. for a 3x3 i ould do 400 watts. What we use to recommend to coustmers.
 
Enjoy
 
Thanks for the answers.  The room has a 9' ceiling, so I think I am going to build a little 6' x 6' x 8' structure inside of it to reflect the light.  I was checking out message boards devoted to cannabis, which recommend small growing areas with high intensity light, but having a few varieties on hand is more important to me than maximizing yield, and plus, it is a different plant.  So 6' x 6' it is.  If I finish it today, I'll start a grow log.
 
Light intesity is very important. Don't skimp on the most important of what you are replicating from nature.
 
Two lights are better than one. I cover a 4'x6' table with two 1000w lamps. Only one lamp operates at a time...
 
Reproducing sunlight requires 12,000 lumens per square foot, a little hot for chiles. You can bring chiles to fruit with 3000 lumens/square foot of plant canopy.
 
That makes sense
 
I use a 600w HPS and have 36sqft of growing space per 600w.
 
90000 lumens / 36 plants == 2500 lumen per sqft
 
BUT I grow vertically in a 360 degree shape bare lamp so I don't lose a large chunk of my light in diffusion and conversion from light to heat on the surface of the reflector.
 
I would say with a reflector double the lumens you need.
 
600 watt HPS/MH are much better than 1000W lights taking heat into consideration alone. You will be able to get a 600W light much closer to the canopy. Remember that light dies in power with the square of the distance.
 
1000W light would have to have an air cooled reflector with glass in a 4x4 indoor setup.
 
Closer light = better growth. 
 
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