Transitioning from Flower Focused to Cloning . . .

Hello there everyone,

For a number of reasons, I'll be shifting from flowering/harvesting for the end-user to a cloning and flowering mix. I'd still like to flower/harvest, but maybe a half/half would be good.

For space, I have a 5x10 grow tent with 2 air-cooled low profile 1000 watt HPS (vented and installed), a 4x4 grow tent with a 630 watt CMH, and a 4x2 grow tent with a cheap LED which is new and unused (https://tinyurl.com/qqpyct7), as well as bunch of 4 ft. T12 shop lights given to me that I haven't really used.

I kinda just jumped in to all this without a lot of experience so I've had to learn big lessons really fast as I've moved along.

I'd like some suggestions on the best way to set all this up. I can't afford new lights/equipment (otherwise I'd drop the air-cooled hoods and just go LED) so I have to use what I have. I also need to keep electrical costs as low as possible so while I could dial my ballasts down to 600 watts and root a bunch of clones under that, it may not be most ideal.

My ideas in order of least work/overhaul to most are:

1) Use the 5x10 w/ HPS for mothers, veg, clones, & autoflowers. Use the 4x4 for flowering photoperiods. Use the 4x2 with shop lights (or maybe that LED???) for rooting.
Obviously vegging with HPS and flowering with CMH is a bit backwards, but this is zero extra expense/work. I could also buy 2 MH bulbs. I'd then be flowering autos with MH and photoperiods with CMH which isn't amazing, but not terrible.

2) Put my 4x4 tent inside the 5x10 utilizing the current vent system for the 2 air cooled hoods. One hood would be inside the 4x4. This one would keep the HPS bulb and be the "flower room" (inside the veg room), the remaining hood would be fitted with an MH bulb and used for mothers, veg, clones & autoflowers. Use the 4x2 with whatever light for rooting.
This reduces my space and is a strange set-up, but accomplishes my goals (I think) and only requires one MH bulb purchase.

3) Take one air cooled hood out of the 5x10, replace it with the CMH. Put the air cooled hood in the 4x4. Buy a MH bulb for the remaining air cooled hood in the 5x10. The 5x10 would then have one MH and one CMH. I'd need to buy another 8" fan and ducting (or use passive air for the 5x10 instead of active air) for the HPS in the 4x4. The 4x2 would have either the LED or the shop lights for rooting.

I know this is a lot to process... Any opinions or any other ideas?

Thanks in advance! I know it's touch without seeing everything but below is a diagram.

2x4, clone with which ever light you find best of the two options you have.

4x4 flower photos with the 630

5x10 either mh in one hood for mothers and veg and hps in the other for autos, drop a half curtain down so it cuts some light cross over.

You can either get a 1000w MH or 600 MH bulb depending on how quick you want them plants to grow, like if your supplying someone else with clones or just yourself. Make sure your ballasts dim to 600 if your going to use a 600mh bulb.

coreywebster said:

2x4, clone with which ever light you find best of the two options you have.

4x4 flower photos with the 630

5x10 either mh in one hood for mothers and veg and hps in the other for autos, drop a half curtain down so it cuts some light cross over.

You can either get a 1000w MH or 600 MH bulb depending on how quick you want them plants to grow, like if your supplying someone else with clones or just yourself. Make sure your ballasts dim to 600 if your going to use a 600mh bulb.

Click to expand...

Nice. I didn't even think of a simple curtain to prevent too much light crossover. That should work and doesn't require a lot.

Heat from the CMH is a lot more than expected, but if the exhaust fan is constantly running then it should be enough to keep it cool.

Now I just need to figure out drying!

Thanks for the advice.