Looking to build a system from scratch.. just had a few questions from some of the more experienced.. how many watts of lighting will i need to grow 24 plants and also when building the system how far apart should each plant be spaced... i placed a link below of what i basically trying to with PVC piping and i am very crafty so getting it to work wont be the problem.. i am about efficiency instead of trial and error so if anyone could help me with how many lights id need and what type of lights and also how far for them to spaced the help would be great..

also how many gallons will my resovoir have to be to accomodate each plant and also what type of pump would i need to effectively run this sytem.. i think it will definately work very effectively if all the componets around the system are correct i.e. lighting, resovoir, spacing between plants, pump e.t.c... any help please feel free

thanks in advance!


System:
http://www.jdwcomputer.com/cgi-bin/emAlbum...img=17&tn=1

how many watts depends on your grow area I think you wanting like 60W psf for good growth....600Whps are the most efficent lights aswel

how far apart each plant and how many lights is dependant on there final size...small plants may need half a foot or so spacing and maybe 2 lights biugger ones could go to a foot and you could use double the lights if you get the idea...

so would a 600W HPS be enough to accomodate 24 plants.. space isnt an issue, i will probably space them 8-12 inches apart done through PVC piping.. anyone have any picture examples of someone who used PVC piping in their system??

A 600 would suit a room 4ftx3ft or 4x4 at a push

As to how many plants thats entirely up to you but yes if you flowered early(clones) then yes 24 plants wont be a prob

Owd

do a search for the cage...its a diy vertical eco system type thing constructed as you say with piping....

usually i would start with the light(s).....assuming that i'm going to get approaching 1gram a watt each crop(10 weeks) i'll want to ensure i have enough light to supply my needs.

having decided the amount of watts i'm using,50w/sq ft would give me the size of room that i need around the light(s)

...personally i'd put one plant in the room for every 100w ,some folks like more ,some less but its not a bad place to start from...

..and i use 1litre of solution in my reservoir for every 10 watts of light (600w...60 litres)...again you can use less or more but you wont go far wrong with this ratio.

all personal preferences of course but it gives you a ball aprk figure for your 1st grow

cf


(edit...btw that pvc pipe hydro thing in the link is not much good for cannabis ,the root system will clog up the pipes and its a pain to build and impossible to maintain...there are far simpler and more efficient systems..nft or bubblers would be good first time around)

would 3 inch PVC piping be enough space for the roots to go without clogging?

i guess it would help but the whole contraption is overcomplicated and not really ideal for a developing root system.

if your heart is set on flood and drain you could build a much more efficient system quite simply,it wouldnt be prone to leaks,a nightmare to clean and impossible to upgrade like the one in the link.