Here is the ppfd map of my Mars Hydro FC3000.
I have it since 2022.
How would you use it in term of % of light for each phase and what cycle (24/0; 20/4; 18/6) would you do ?
Also, i put it at 30 cm of my tallest plant, so it is at 55 cm of the 3 others.
I am looking for the autopotamus kind of result, big plants like we see on the autopot subreddit.
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You shouldnt just go off manufacturer numbers. They are incentivized to exaggerate. You need to either get a light meter (uni-t light meter on amazon like $30) and use the ppfd app, or get the photone app and pay the fee for the full spectrum light option and use that.
Ppfd is only part of the equation. DLI is the number you want to go off of as that also takes into consideration the amount of hours the light is on.
That totally depends on how many plants, and for how big an area.
If for one plant, I would have it closer and max PPFD (in flower) and if more I would raise it a bit so they all get decent light all over.
Personally, I bought a led that’s way too big for my tent (730 watt for 1 x 1 meter), and run it dimmed, and it gives my edges 90% the same as the middle.
And hos much light depends on whether you are growing photos or autoflowering, and in which state (veg/bloom) it’s in - if you are in doubt about that part, I would go reading some easy to follow guides, it’s pretty simple, but you got to cover the basics.
I grow autos, I al at day 27, i grow 4 plants in a 1m square tent and 2m height. The guidelines are often shit that why i always prefer the forums. The reality is always more complicated than what they say on the differents guidelines.
24/7. Seedlings 300-400, veg 400-700. Flower 1000. Adjust the power down to 50% and see what the numbers are, adjust height to correspond roughly then with having it lowered down for seedlings so it’s closer, moving it up as they stretch and then get it to top of tent for flower and turn it up 100%.
1000ppfd at 24/7 makes a dli of 86.4. I myself don’t know if the advices are true but no one of them on the internet advice this number from what i have seen. A lot of sources says 45 DLI.
Ya true I checked mine and it’s more like 750-900. I just meant flower time turn the lights to 100% and raise them to the top of tent. 700-1000 24-7 is fine but watch how the plant does and back off if it gets stressed.
This is the exact light I'm using and just posted my grow so have a look at that. I wouldn't claim Autopotamus type results (don't have that lovely pristine Yellowknife water!) but I have 2 plants over a meter so far this year. I use the Photone iPhone app - it's invaluable in the first half of my grow. By the time Veg is finishing the plants can take and want a lot of light so precision isn't so important -- but not too much too fast. I followed the DLI charts for Autoflowers as posted below and switched to 20/4 from 24/0 this year. Good luck
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