How Many Autos Under 600W?

What's going on everybody? Just wanted to get a little bit of input on how many auto's you guys think I will be able to grow using a 600W MH/HPS? The strains that I have on the way, and should be here tomorrow or Friday latest, are Sensi Seeds Skunk #1 Auto and Sensi Seeds Northern Lights Auto. The specs for my lights are as follows...
Metal Halide = 600W, 55,000 Lumens, with a color temperature of 6,500K
High Pressure Sodium = 600W, 85,000 Lumens, with a color temperature of 2,100K.

I really do not have a set grow area size, I can adjust it to pretty much whatever I need to, to get the most out of my lights, and all of my surfaces will be covered with reflective Mylar. If I have to I can probably supplement with a FEW CFL's if I really need to. Hopefully my beans will arrive safe and sound tomorrow and I will be able to get started this weekend!

Thanks very much for the input guys, I really appreciate it!

No recommendations anyone?
All help and advice is greatly appreciated!!

However many you can fit under the hood which I think should be around a 4"x4" area (give or take) with 600w and most hoods. No one can really answer this question though without knowing saucer and pot size, etc...

I ordered some autos too that I'm going to try out. Nirvana's Northern Lights Fem Auto (5) and Short Rider Fem Auto (5). I'm still waiting too. They took 5 days from the time I ordered to ship the damn seeds.. Isn't waiting the worse part lol? It reminds me of when I was a kid on Xmas Eve lol...

I think you could get 6 autos in 3 gallon pots (maybe 2 gallon smartpots) in that 4 x 4 area that would do well with your light.

That's not even 1 bhp! cn

Curious what made you choose autos?

rwbrock said:

Curious what made you choose autos?

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Probably the obvious lol, and it seems like it's his first grow.

You shoud get a nice harvest growing auto Northern lights cause they are good beginner plants! And they are great bug resisnt babys to show thats less to worry about in your grow room.

It would be safe an go with 4 plants at a time simply because many noobs first grows tend to run into one issue or another.... Now if you run into issues, and your packing 6 babys them you could have upto 6 times MORE work to do on top of watering them all and nursing them IF they fall ill at anytime.

The main tip i can offer as someone whos taken on the great NL auto grow challenge is DEFOLICATING!!! because when NL get settled in BOY do they bush out fast if your not paying much attention. and all that fine bushyness can infact block out lighing going to the lower bud sites. UNless your planning to rid her of any popcorn(small/baby bud sites) buds to allow all the energy an nutrients to be directed to her main bud sites.

If you need past grow diarys for reference to luse for a slight back to back guide my old NL twin grow diary is always linked in my signiture for all to browse!

I think thats enough rough guide info for noob growers

This is my first grow indoors, i have been a greenhouse grower for the past 5 years and I want to do something quick and easy just ti get my set up dialed in before I go all out and get another light.

thats fine, its idea to be prepaired before you venture into the unknown.

also more on defolicating incase you wish to research a little.
http://www.thctalk.com/cannabis-for...versial-Defoliation-Increases-Cannabis-Yields im sure this is why ive been pulling atleast 1 zip per auto ive grown to date and its looking like my BM auto is packing an easy zip, even after ive stripped that beauty of all popcorn bud an sites which are not able to get much lighting.

I would do 12/12 from seed to be honest if your looking for something quick and easy. weight wise you will do about the same but quality will be superior than autos. as for how many you can fit under the 600w, that all depends on the grower. you want smaller pots or big pots? i know im probably going to get bashed on for saying this but i dont believe in "bigger pots bigger plants" to a certain degree. i used to veg then flower but the turnover rate is so slow. so instead of using 3 gallon pots im using one gallon bags and fitting as many as i can in my tent and doing 12/12 from seed. again its totally up to the grower.

autos dont get very big to begin with so why waste all that space on big pots when you can use smaller pots but more plants. the more you utilize your light the bigger the yeild. so what i would do is use smaller pots and fit as many as you can in the space you have. again its my .02 and its just my advice.

Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated! You have a biodiesel mass going? How you liking it, I'm really interested in that strain? Let us know how it goes. I have 20 bag seeds from some great buds, might give them a try if my autos never show up.

guy

i have a 4x4 tent i am doing autos with t5 and cfl mixed............3 gallon smart air pots with a 10inch tray on the bottom account for the lower ducting i/u could fit 10 plants....with shifting branching and all that accounted for .................very very very important i just learned this from exp ....the smart pots in side help contoll the humity in the tent .........mine has been 50 soild it has rained 3 times out here and mini heat wave going 50 ....when the water in the pots gets low it starts to drop ........acount for this get 1 gallon bigger in air pots then the normal size about a half inch in all the way around drys there for no nurtients passing to plant .........for every gallon size pot u give it one cup of water .....2 gallon 2 cups a day /36 hours ...............this is after u plant soak and let it spourt with out drowning it .............go to the center of the pot with a jiffy plug no tray seed in plug.... plug in ground water 4 days later u see the spourt 4 more days and u have the 2nd set of leaves out and 3rd coming in so can call it veggie stage .......i know u got exp with them but trail and error for me the trays suck when u do indoor air pot that method is the best and u will like the results...........perlite mix does not need to be 50/50 with air bag .......i am seeing no effect on the soil exp i am doing ....root temp will be what ever the intake to the tent is u want a 68 temp then u need to feed that to the tent

the best way to do it is order the pots then grab a carborad pizza box top (less mess and grease ............figure out if u are using a dish if u are then u make for that size...if u are double lined floorand going with thatthen make the size of the pot ..................then lay it out and figure out the configuration u want .......simple rule of thumb (with you for maxium space use) stager them like of 4 line of 3 line of 4 line of 3 .......strait lines when they grow and bush will leave u with alot of overlaping shade once the fans are puffed and soaking it up .................the stagered method leave u some play room and also allows u take one out and the whole system can be shifted and turned fairly simple then put it back

Thanks very much for the advice man! I will definitely look into all of those suggestions and come back with any questions.

curiousuk said:

thats fine, its idea to be prepaired before you venture into the unknown.

also more on defolicating incase you wish to research a little.
http://www.thctalk.com/cannabis-for...versial-Defoliation-Increases-Cannabis-Yields im sure this is why ive been pulling atleast 1 zip per auto ive grown to date and its looking like my BM auto is packing an easy zip, even after ive stripped that beauty of all popcorn bud an sites which are not able to get much lighting.

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Curious, I just checked out your Auto NL grow, and i am seriously amazed at the size of them. Definitely two of the biggest Auto's I've seen, straight beasts. I really hope my Sensi NL's do as well as your Royal Queens. Great job, and for a first grow, I'm just amazed. What size pot did you finish them in?

A 600w HID should illuminate a 4'x4' area without a problem. In a 4'x4' tent (48"x48") using 12" trays, you can fit 16 plants into a tent. The tent is 48 inches back and 48 inches across which 48 inches of floor space divided by the 12 inch trays that are covering the floor would be 4 rows back and 4 rows across. That's an area of 16, so you can fit 16 plants with 10 inch or 12 inch trays in a 4x4 tent.

I have 5 gallon smart pots in 14" trays on the far right, so the 3 gallon pots are pushed over to the left some, but you can get n idea. I'm germinating 2 Northern Light Autos and 2 Short Rider Autos in the 3 gallon pots with 12 inch trays, but I could have used 10 inch trays too which would be better. When I move the other plants to flower, I'm going to start 4 more autos for a total of 8 (2 rows of 4) in 3 gal pots on one side of the room.


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Thanks for the pics I really appreciate it! I finally got my area set up yesterday, and it came out to be 58" x 46". is this too big? I will have all surfaces covered in mylar, and i might add a 125w cfl for support, maybe even two. One on each end of the room.

Also, I have a ton of brand new 5 gallon buckets, if I drill drain holes in them, is there anything wrong with using those to grow the autos in? Thanks for the feedback guys, I really appreciate it.