2 lower power lights vs 1 higher power

I have a 300w blurple pulling around 125 actual at the wall currently, my tent is 2x2x48 (4 ft/sq)

I think my bottleneck is that I'm only sending around 30 watts per ft/sq, and after running 7 plants start to finish throughout the year I'm ready to optimize the space. (They were autos, and I wasn't quite getting the veg growth I wanted in the short window before they hit flower. Close but no cigar - flower quality is coming out yummy though.)

My thought is adding a second 300w panel (but not blurple, the newer "true white" ones) that still pulls about 125w at wall. Which would bump me to around 65w per ft/sq, as well as having the broader coverage from 2 panels (plan is to hang them slightly angled on opposite sides to "mix" the light together)

The other option is replacing what I have with a single 600 "true white" panel still pulling around 250 actual (65w per ft sq).

I really don't want to go above 250 actual out of respect for the electricity bill, and keeping my temps under control with a 4in exhaust/filter, and this is still technically a stealth/micro grow. (4 plants max at any one time)

Based on my self-imposed limits, I personally think 2 panels and mixing blurple with "true white" is the more intriguing solution, and will get me to that ~65w / plant golden ratio.

Is there any way you can dimm the blurple one? It should work out as a very good mixed spectrum with the boost in blue and red + the white.

Although 250 watts may be way too much... Maybe if you can handle the temperature raise it'll give you, you just have to adjust your grow to the amount of light the plants will be receiving.

I think, maybe aim for 200 watts rather than 250. Should be more than enough at that point. Anyways, your call!

Thanks dude, that's the solid advice I was after. It's so easy to get your own idea in your head and just start buying shit with tunnel vision. I have been looking at nicer, but lower wattage COBS also as a third option that fits in-line with your suggestion (like something nice but 75w actual)

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/lamps/products/hlg-65

2 of these would be perfect for that tent

Damn, there is the high quality low wattage panel I was looking for.

I'm gonna meet in the middle and start with adding one of these to the blurple and see how she goes.

All my autos are harvested and I'm doing my first run of photoperiods when it arrives. I'm really comfortable with LST at this point so I'm hoping for a nice little scrog canopy this next go-around.

I'll try to report back, but hopefully this will put me over the 1oz/plant barrier

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

Damn, there is the high quality low wattage panel I was looking for.

I'm gonna meet in the middle and start with adding one of these to the blurple and see how she goes.

All my autos are harvested and I'm doing my first run of photoperiods when it arrives. I'm really comfortable with LST at this point so I'm hoping for a nice little scrog canopy this next go-around.

I'll try to report back, but hopefully this will put me over the 1oz/plant barrier

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When you turn the first one on you will buy a 2nd haha it has more output than you could comprehend switching to photo plants will probably increase yield and you will be using alot less power vs the autoflowers

Overall though, as someone who just started growing in 2018 (after buying from a dispensary for a billion years), I've had it pretty easy and haven't had to buy *too much* useless shit, just a little

Autoflowers, super soil (kindsoil), LED's, smart pots, and flouride free water and I'm getting pretty good results.

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

Overall though, as someone who just started growing in 2018 (after buying from a dispensary for a billion years), I've had it pretty easy and haven't had to buy *too much* useless shit, just a little

Autoflowers, super soil (kindsoil), LED's, smart pots, and flouride free water and I'm getting pretty good results.

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Yeah I believe you but the white led have literally 2x the output so 2x the bud per watt getting 5oz or more from 125w of white led is a reasonable expectation

Hell yeah, thank you dude.

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

Hell yeah, thank you dude.

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No problem I started with g8 led went to platinum led then cobs now quantum boards it's a big learning experience!

Thanks for taking one for the team, every dollar I spend on gear/soil/shit puts me further away from getting back my initial investment, when the best case scenario is the other way around, with phat ounces of chronic coming out of my ears.

Phil Kind was super awesome about compensating me in free soil for a very detailed journal I did on growdiaries.

I think this next run is going to be the "a-ha" moment.

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

Thanks for taking one for the team, every dollar I spend on gear/soil/shit puts me further away from getting back my initial investment, when the best case scenario is the other way around, with phat ounces of chronic coming out of my ears.

Phil Kind was super awesome about compensating me in free soil for a very detailed journal I did on growdiaries.

I think this next run is going to be the "a-ha" moment.

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I'm a coco user myself I've done super soil I loved it but now that I'm in a different space and don't have room to cook the soil coco works much better in my situation and honestly I get just as much flavor in coco most people that smoke my bud think it's organic. It took me years to make back my initial investment now I could put a grow together an have it pay for itself in a few months

I actually just washed my hands after adding a compost booster/amendment mix to 6ga of "used" KindSoil/Roots Organic - after mixing/aerating it felt quite rich in my hands. I'm going to do a side-by-side test next run: 2 in amended / 2 in new pre-bagged - both layered as per instructions - bottom half hot, top half Roots OG. ***with my fancy new Quantum board/blurple combo spectrum (till i can buy a 2nd HLG)***

I'm going to build an outdoor, raised, heirloom vegetable bed for my (new) wife for X-mas. (even though we live at in-laws, and who knows if we'll have the space at future domicile) I think I'm going to come up with some kind of "worm bin" attached to the side so i can get some killer compost going at the same time.

With all this shit, the biggest regret is not starting sooner in life (early 30's)

I'm glad I took a step back to evaluate my shit instead of just popping more beans and hoping for the best.

The higher CBD:THC ratio from the rudy in the autos really blows people away when I give a sample, and it's an interesting final product that is sliiiiiiiightly different than photo bud.

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

I actually just washed my hands after adding a compost booster/amendment mix to 6ga of "used" KindSoil/Roots Organic - after mixing/aerating it felt quite rich in my hands. I'm going to do a side-by-side test next run: 2 in amended / 2 in new pre-bagged - both layered as per instructions - bottom half hot, top half Roots OG. ***with my fancy new Quantum board/blurple combo spectrum (till i can buy a 2nd HLG)***

I'm going to build an outdoor, raised, heirloom vegetable bed for my (new) wife for X-mas. (even though we live at in-laws, and who knows if we'll have the space at future domicile) I think I'm going to come up with some kind of "worm bin" attached to the side so i can get some killer compost going at the same time.

With all this shit, the biggest regret is not starting sooner in life (early 30's)

I'm glad I took a step back to evaluate my shit instead of just popping more beans and hoping for the best.

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If you have the time/space try running a coco grow with Jack's nutrients sometime. the savings on nutrients should pay for that 2nd light in a couple grows. I spend like $100 on nutes per 6-8lb of bud

AUTOmicroORGANICled said:

The higher CBD:THC ratio from the rudy in the autos really blows people away when I give a sample, and it's an interesting final product that is sliiiiiiiightly different than photo bud.

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I've ran some autos it's nice daytime smoke just never found a good sleepy/couchlock auto and the extra hours of light to get somewhat comparable yield just wasn't worth it to me if I ever get a backyard with enough space I'll be running a bunch of outdoor autos

Ryante55 said:

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/lamps/products/hlg-65

2 of these would be perfect for that tent

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That is some great advice man! I went to grow store not sure what to get the guy who worked there talked me into going with the Hlg 65. And I'm so happy I did those little lights are bright as shit and now I have 3 of them. Hopefully after the 1st of the year I'll get a Hlg 135.

Nutzach91 said:

That is some great advice man! I went to grow store not sure what to get the guy who worked there talked me into going with the Hlg 65. And I'm so happy I did those little lights are bright as shit and now I have 3 of them. Hopefully after the 1st of the year I'll get a Hlg 135.

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Im glad you like it! Have you finished a grow with them?

Ryante55 said:

Im glad you like it! Have you finished a grow with them?

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Ya my first and only indoor grow (on second now) I started out with 1 then bought 2, then got the 3rd right before flower. With 2 plants flowering I got 6 ounces dried. 4 on one plant and 2 on the other. I attached pics of first grow buds were solid as hell, was pretty stoked. that was bagseeds I'm on real genetics now.

Ryante55 said:

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/lamps/products/hlg-65

2 of these would be perfect for that tent

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Or one of these

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/all/products/135w-led-board-kit