backwood_boss
Well-Known Member
Was wondering if anyone uses the ion beam full spectrum bars from ac infinity and if so opinions on them. Will they burn plants if they get too close?
Side lighting
- Thread starter backwood_boss
- Start date
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
I'm going to find out. I just ordered these today. I was planning on setting them with a par meter with the top light turned off. Probably going to shoot for at least 300 par at the center of the tent. If that's even possible.
It has the Samsung LM301H diodes. So it should be bright.
AC Infinity IONBEAM S16
It has the Samsung LM301H diodes. So it should be bright.
AC Infinity IONBEAM S16
Fallguy111
Well-Known Member
if you use side lights wouldn’t the growth on the sides prevent proper airflow through the center of canopy? I like the old way of completely cleaning up the bottom third and packing the canopy with tops.
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
It shouldn't if you do defoliation. Also they won't be on all the time. Only during flowering.
Fallguy111
Well-Known Member
Why have side lights then if there not promoting flower growth? And if you pack your room I’ve never really even had room on the sides. I get maybe it’ll help if you’re in an open room with extra space, but who the heck has extra space in their flower room besides auto growers?
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
I won't be removing the flowers. Just some of the lower leaves to let in more light.
The whole idea is to mimic growing outdoors in the sunlight. But instead only growing inside. Outside light hits the sides.
Fallguy111
Well-Known Member
The best way to learn is to try. I have many questions, like how do the leaves react to light on top and bottom? Does this prevent/reduce pests since they can’t hide in the shade? Does it “cook” the top of your soil and how does it affect microbiology? Would UV on the sides “sanitize” the top of soil? Keep us posted.
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
I can't answer those questions. It's only been 2 months since I started growing cannabis. But I learn very quickly and retain everything I read. It's a gift and curse.
I've only grown regular flowers like Marigolds.
backwood_boss
Well-Known Member
I was looking at side lighting because royal queen royally fked up and sent me 2 milky way F1 and what i assume is a haze. Fkn thing is tall AF lanky and growing like a sloth. Milky Way are almost done now and were getting shaded . As inconsistent as my seeds from rq been so glad I stopped buying from them when I did.
tstick
Well-Known Member
I bought the 16" set. It's a cool design. It can be configured in several different ways depending on your grow style. I'm not sure it helped the wispy-larf much, but it did make it easier to see the lower parts of the plants. It may have sped up the trichome-ripening of the larf, but it didn't really add any weight/size. I like the lights and I'll use them again, but I don't expect any miraculous additional yield from them.
EDIT: The magnets that are used to attach the lights to the tent poles or walls, are very weak. I added some neodymium magnets to beef up the holding power.
Also my tent sucks in when it's zipped up and that deforms the tent walls. So you have to factor that in if you attach the lights to the tent walls.
And yes the lights will burn the leaves that come into direct contact with them.
EDIT: The magnets that are used to attach the lights to the tent poles or walls, are very weak. I added some neodymium magnets to beef up the holding power.
Also my tent sucks in when it's zipped up and that deforms the tent walls. So you have to factor that in if you attach the lights to the tent walls.
And yes the lights will burn the leaves that come into direct contact with them.
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backwood_boss
Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks for the reply. I hadn't even considered the tent walls sucking in when door was closed
Tolerance Break
Well-Known Member
If you're using LEDs, outside of COB style lighting, the main issue is a lack of penetration. Side lighting can act as suplimental lighting to help get light to parts of the plant that wouldn't otherwise.
The question becomes at what point is it just more efficient to run a COB, Metal Halide, or HPS lamp?
I feel like side lighting would help tall, lanky plants more than squat bushes. More light penetration is always a good thing as long as you're not burning the plant. Idk if modern UV grow lights do anything beyond killing some pathogens. I've read people argue about what level of UV light is actually used by plants and eventually my ADD kicks in, so I can't be of much help there.
The question becomes at what point is it just more efficient to run a COB, Metal Halide, or HPS lamp?
I feel like side lighting would help tall, lanky plants more than squat bushes. More light penetration is always a good thing as long as you're not burning the plant. Idk if modern UV grow lights do anything beyond killing some pathogens. I've read people argue about what level of UV light is actually used by plants and eventually my ADD kicks in, so I can't be of much help there.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
I hope to have some yield answers soon, we made a test and added 240w to the aisle section of our grow giving around 60w extra to each tray. We do 3x3 plants per tray so weve separated the sidelit, the centre row and the the unlit side so should be able to do a comparison of yield. If no word by mid march please tag and remind me.
My suspicion is that it wont move the dial too much though. The last yield of that space was 2.9 kilos from around 1900w so in order for it to be comparable to top light i would have to yield 400g extra over 12 plants; on eyesight that amount wasnt really visible, somewhat fatter buds bud not an extra 30g per plant.
Lack of penetration is not an issue if you have wall to wall lighting. Any single light that "diminishes" as a function of distance just spreads its light out. If next to it is another light that also diminishes then their light overlaps and you have strong light at a disctance.
The idea/hope is that intracanopy lighting exposes lower leafs to light. Those leafs are usually shaded by the canopy. If more light reaches leafs that are not saturated then overall growth should be higher. But is it economical or does it work at all? Time will tell.
tstick
Well-Known Member
I was expecting that, too....but, for whatever reason, the lower bud sites on a lot of different strains of marijuana don't get sent the same genetic message as the upper bud sites no matter what you do. Having said that, I know there are some plants that have genetically-better lower-growth characteristics that could respond positively to more light. Overall, I think it's a better practice to remove the larf so that the plant's energy can be concentrated into the more productive areas of the plant.
Side lighting doesn't hurt growth....but it doesn't really seem to help growth much, either. I do like the Ion Beam lights, though, because they really make it easier to see everything below the canopy to work on keeping the area clean and tidy.
Side lighting doesn't hurt growth....but it doesn't really seem to help growth much, either. I do like the Ion Beam lights, though, because they really make it easier to see everything below the canopy to work on keeping the area clean and tidy.