# grow your plants 10x faster! or set them on fire..?



## purple headband (Jun 5, 2010)

i guess this isnt all that advanced. or maybe it is  i dont know haha thats why im asking

so for cannabis, the more light the better right?
is there a limit on how much light cannabis plants will use(I'm assuming so)?

so what would happen if i used some sort of a lense to focus sunlight hitting maybe a square foot into an area maybe 1/4th that size.. how would that work out? has anybody ever thought of something like this before?

i dont mean like "super focus" the light like one would do with a magnifying glass, i just mean to sort of make better use of all that light thats getting wasted on the ground around my plants 

what im trying to get at here is similar to the indoor operation of converting from 400w lights to 1000w lights


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## YungMoolaBaby (Jun 5, 2010)

You'll probably concentrate the heat that comes with the magnified light, burning the plant. I wouldn't try it.


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## ganjaluvr (Jun 5, 2010)

purple headband said:


> i guess this isnt all that advanced. or maybe it is  i dont know haha thats why im asking
> 
> so for cannabis, the more light the better right?
> is there a limit on how much light cannabis plants will use(I'm assuming so)?
> ...


I actually think its a pretty genius idea. and you are correct, the more light (lumens) the better. But I've always wondered the same thing your asking.. let's say like you somehow are able to conduct 500,000 lumens of light.. well how much would a single plant actually take in.. and use?

I've always been under the assumption that like I've read many times.. and was told many times when I first started growing.. that the more light you get to the plants the better. Of course.. but again! How much of that light will it actually use for the completion of Photosynthesis?? 

I personally would like to conduct an experiment like this.. and then post the results. And whenever I say the word 'experiment' that's just what I mean. No skipping any steps.. do the experiment by the book and do it correctly so that you receive proper results in the end.

I've also thought about the lens idea. But I never really got into making any plans for a build or anything. But I have thought about it.. enough to wonder if it would work or not. And now that I think about it.. why wouldn't it? I mean, as long as you don't focus the light to where its too intense and starts to burn the plant.. it should work in theory.

I mean, it would have the same effect as if you were to add more bulbs. Or.. then again would it?? Because really, all your doing is focusing the light.. or making it more "intense" in a way. It wouldn't be like if someone were to actually add more bulbs (wattage) to the grow. It would just be focusing the light, thus making the light seem more intense.. 

But again, I'm leaning towards the idea of being plausible. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work as long as everything is done properly IMO.

Anyone else care to share their opinions?

Nice thread btw, Head Band. I like intelligent threads like this.. good job brother.

peace..


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## ganjaluvr (Jun 5, 2010)

YungMoolaBaby said:


> You'll probably concentrate the heat that comes with the magnified light, burning the plant. I wouldn't try it.


well, I like your motivation..

but.. it can be done as long as you keep the intensity down. In other words.. make this simple, in other words as long as you keep the focus from the magnifier to a minimum, (test it by putting your hand under it, just like you learned from basic growing literature.) If it starts to burn the top of your hand.. then its too sharply focused. Raise it to a location where it doesn't burn your hand.. and you'll know that it won't burn the tops of the plants either. It's not rocket science. 

but anyhow, hey Headband.. you going to try and figure out how to construct an area for this experiment.

If not, I may try it. Let me know either way.. I'd be really interested in watching that grow for sure if your going to try it.

peace!


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## purple headband (Jun 5, 2010)

Hey, thanks so much for all the replys ganjaluvr!

I don't really have any plans today so I'm thinkning about going to home depot and seeing if I can find anything to start testing out

heres my plan:
1. find some sort of giant convex lens (focuses light, as opposed to spreading it)
2. if i can find one, then ill have to make one
3. i have plenty of plants right now that i really dont mind testing it on at all - i grow plants more for the fun of growing them than the bud itself (topping plants, LST methods, ect.. WOOT!)
4. i have an air thermometer that ill put under it just to make sure that its not totally overheating (ill only do this if it feels really hot on my hand like you had said)
5. if all goes well ill upload a bunch of pictures to show you what i ended up doing!

if you end up trying this yourselve please let me know how it goes. and even if you dont actually attempt the experiment please give me all the helpful ideas you can! thanks again!


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## dam612 (Jun 5, 2010)

Dont think this work, concentrating the beams will deff always increase the ke of the light energy to the point where u will burn plants (or if its far away will disperse relative to the concentrated light leaving the lens so the lens would be pointless). your best bet to get all the lumens on one point it to completely enclose the light with just one passage way out, kinda like a funnel like approach. I think the lumens per one bulb is constant too so there wouldnt really be a way to increase the lumens if ur just using the same light just now with more photons of light energy. Maybe im wrong but someone with a good physics background would deff be able to answer this question, c- in college physics.


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## Guamaniac (Jun 5, 2010)

I like these Ideas, I don't have any physics background but if it won't increase the lumens. Would a magnifying type lens increase the size of the area that would receive a given amount of lumens. In other words instead of a 6 x 6 area for a 1000 w light ,could a lens of some sort make the 1000 w light work the same for a 10x10 area.


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## purple headband (Jun 5, 2010)

bad news guys, i smoked 3g of my sour trainwreck  and that totally swayed my plans for today with this experiment...

hopefully I'll be up for it tomorrow and for now I'm just going to brush up on my physics and stuff with my good pal GOOGLE 

happy smoking guys, peace.


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## Crazygrowguy99 (Jun 5, 2010)

S-S-s-s-super weed! Lol yeah I kind of had the question in the back of my head of "How much lumens is to much?"

To hell with it, give it a try it could be a breakthrough

Maybe in a few years someone will do this and have a huge sucess and you will say "man i thought of that 10 years ago, too bad I didnt do shit about it"


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## stupidclown (Jun 5, 2010)

the distance between the light and the lens and the plant would cancel out the benifits imo. but they do make sheet magnifiers like in the back windows of RVs they are cheap try it on some bag seed.

and yes there is a limit on what the plant can use, to much over and you start to bleach out chlorophyll


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## stupidclown (Jun 5, 2010)

Guamaniac said:


> I like these Ideas, I don't have any physics background but if it won't increase the lumens. Would a magnifying type lens increase the size of the area that would receive a given amount of lumens. In other words instead of a 6 x 6 area for a 1000 w light ,could a lens of some sort make the 1000 w light work the same for a 10x10 area.


not any better than raising the light to cover more area. the more you spread the light the less intense it is.


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## Krash14 (Jun 5, 2010)

Hey man interesting experiment. Im definatly gunna see what you come up with, i too have wondered how much is to much. im not to sure though how your going to create or find a lens that large. i can think of mirrored surfaces but no transparent. Good luck though.


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## Guamaniac (Jun 5, 2010)

A plastic lens like they use on opaque projectors might work

Google Plastic Magnifying Lenses and/or film also try fresnel lens

If I remember correctly about 10 yrs ago somebody was advertising a sheet of plastic that would make your TV into a big screen somehow. But Thats all I remember good luck


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## purple headband (Jun 6, 2010)

> A plastic lens like they use on opaque projectors might work
> 
> Google Plastic Magnifying Lenses and/or film also try fresnel lens
> 
> If I remember correctly about 10 yrs ago somebody was advertising a sheet of plastic that would make your TV into a big screen somehow. But Thats all I remember good luck


I did some research on google and I found the TV enlarger  thing you were talking about (you were right, fresnel lenses), thats crazy! I might try to buy the cheapest one of those I can find or else I'll get a smaller sheet magnifyer like stupidclown had suggested.

what I think I'm going to do is ill set this up in a way so I can raise and lower it pretty easily, I have a couple plants both just a couple weeks into vegging so I'll try it on one and hope for success


edit: so I found a place to buy them online! I'm new here and I don't really know rules about links and whatnot but anyways here it is 
http://www.3dlens.com/shop/largefresnellens.php

so I'm going to buy one and hope for the best


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## deflator (Jun 6, 2010)

It will not work, what do you think reflectors and mylar are for? SPREADING the light, not concentrating it...

You will bleach all chlorophyll from parts of the plant that you use a beam on if it is too powerful. And you'll be wasting the rest of the leaf surface area it is not shining on.


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## Stoned Jack Bauer (Jun 6, 2010)

dont forget the old magnifying lens and ant thing if yo magnify sunlight it has the intensity to scorch things


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## Osiris8605 (Jun 6, 2010)

That sir, is a pretty clever idea, I like it... maybe mirrors or something of the sort could be used.... Aluminum or something would probably be better as mirrors absorb some light


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## Immature587 (Jun 6, 2010)

deflator said:


> It will not work, what do you think reflectors and mylar are for? SPREADING the light, not concentrating it...
> 
> You will bleach all chlorophyll from parts of the plant that you use a beam on if it is too powerful. And you'll be wasting the rest of the leaf surface area it is not shining on.


100% correct. the point of reflectors is to spread light without any "hot spots". you on the other hand a trying to create a big one on purpose.

plants are the same as computers. they can only go as fast as their slowest component. if you increase light then you need to increase available co2 and nutrients as well accordingly. marijuana does have a limit of how much co2 it can take before it becomes toxic to the plant and i believe it about three times what's in our normal air supply. so co2 becomes a limiting factor making any more light or nutrients to try and increase growth further pointless.

mirrors are terrible reflectors.


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## stormshadow462 (Jun 6, 2010)

Honestly, I think a reflector built around your light would be better to focus light than trying to adjust a big, heavy piece of glass over my plants. Just maybe extending the exising walls of the light fixture, and make sure the inside is nice and reflective. It wouldn't really increase your lumens per se, but would be more efficient use of your current lumens. Don't take my word for it, Im still learning


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## Big P (Jun 7, 2010)

*purple headband* its definatly worth doing some R&D


there may be a perfect medium strength lense that could be a breakthrough, who knows?


*here's the first step gentlmen:*


*1) Find out the most lumans a plant can use before it needs co2 suplimentation*

*2) purchase a good light meter*

*3) test all your experimental lenses using the light meter and find out which ones give you the perfect luman output and the widest area possible*


and find out once and *for all* if this shit really works or not


then we will know if you are gonna be famous or just a hero for lettin us know what not to try


win win 


actually if it works come back and tell everyone it did not work then patent it 


then you can tell us the truth


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## dreadyjstn (Jun 8, 2010)

i have my marijuana growing outside the biggest one is like 15 feet i just put it in 5 gallon bucket no joke and its very healthey. i stated all my plants in early april in pots. i put all them shits in pots so i could put them in my greenhouse when weather turned shity. i bearly even put them in my greenhouse. all i do is water them every three days unless there already damp. i also put some 10-15-10 sheltz in my plant when it started to mature i alsp sprayed the leaves with it tp so the leaves could ubsorb the nutreant plant food cha cha smoke weed


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## dirrtyd (Jun 8, 2010)

dreadyjstn said:


> i have my marijuana growing outside the biggest one is like 15 feet i just put it in 5 gallon bucket no joke and its very healthey. i stated all my plants in early april in pots. i put all them shits in pots so i could put them in my greenhouse when weather turned shity. i bearly even put them in my greenhouse. all i do is water them every three days unless there already damp. i also put some 10-15-10 sheltz in my plant when it started to mature i alsp sprayed the leaves with it tp so the leaves could ubsorb the nutreant plant food cha cha smoke weed


Show me a pic or it is BS. 15 feet cmon man


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## MediMary (Jun 8, 2010)

first post ever too = )


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## MySativaArmy (Jan 29, 2017)

That's how a flashlight is. 
LED lights have little magnifying coating on them. 

Try it with a small 100w HPS 
Take a lense from a giant telescope and put in inside your hood with mirrors around it. This should increase gram per watt ratio and efficiency in small spaces. 

Like growing inside a giant flashlight!!!

Bump bump bump
That's the sounds to my speakers while the hitting in my trunk


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## MySativaArmy (Jan 29, 2017)

I bet in a 2x2 space you could keep up with 1000w if done correctly with 100w


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## MySativaArmy (Jan 29, 2017)

If you could burn a plant with 100w then this idea is possible. Just need a good design to control light refraction


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## tstick (Jan 29, 2017)

http://www.theganjier.com/2016/10/26/dss-sungrown-indoor-full-sun-cultivation-full-indoor/


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## MySativaArmy (Jan 29, 2017)

Yes I was thinking this as well. Very very good idea. Egyptian temple style. I would love to do that or just a greenhouse. That's better because you can console hours of light per day. I've seen that bug and its shell many times too


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## MySativaArmy (Jan 29, 2017)

I always wanted to put a plant in a skylight too.


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## growingforfun (Jan 29, 2017)

You bumped a 6.5 year old thread....? Dude...


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## mauricem00 (Jan 30, 2017)

guess no one here has heard of photo inhibition. too much light will slow down growth and can even stop it as the plant shuts down to protect itself


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## mjinc (Jan 31, 2017)

Anybody have any data on where you hit diminishing returns on your lighting?


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## mauricem00 (Jan 31, 2017)

mjinc said:


> Anybody have any data on where you hit diminishing returns on your lighting?


unfortunately there is a lot of conflicting data on that. but it is dependent on the SPD of your light because specific color stimulate specific pigments and the plant shuts down to protect those pigment. a long time ago I noticed that buds closer than 8 inches from my fluorescent lights grew slower than buds farther away and raising my lights caused those buds to start growing faster. environment is also a factor. growing at high altitude the air is thinner and plants get less CO2 so need less light and grow slower. the easiest way to determine this is to experiment with the light you are using and see how close you can get it to the plant without slowing growth at the top of the plant.


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## growingforfun (Feb 1, 2017)

This conversation would do better in noobie central i think. Go read up a little and let this old thread die... use as much light as you can keep cool..


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## Cantwait2smoke (Mar 1, 2017)

They sell different colometers online which is lenses in different sizes and they tell you the degree refraction angle. Not sure if this helps I was really interested in building my own LED light bar for a while and those where what I found


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