Biggest yeilds per wattage?

[Growmaster J]

So down here in Canada they have equipped all our houses with 'smartmeters' that send a wifi connection to the electric company and monitor our consumption and peak usage. This is makng it very hard to have 4+ lights and not cause any concern, especially at 18hr and 12 hr steady usage. There are many different systems, set-up's and vertical gardens and stuff like that coming out to make it easier to grow with less lights but still produce a huge yeild. I mean when I started a over decade ago it was considered advanced to produce 2+ LBS per 1000w or even close to that, every 8 weeks or so, now there's so many different methods available it would take thousands of dollars and a lot of time to try them all.... and I'm running out of both, lol.

So here's the million dollar question..... " What is the best set up, the best strain, and the best method to produce the max yeild per wattage? I'm about to invest in a vertical garden, 360 degree light, 2 1000w HPS in an air cooled tube, rockwool slabs with a gravity drip, called the Ecosystem 2.... Ecogrow. This is a $3000 investiment just for the system itself.... You can check it out on Biofloral's website.

Looking for input/advice on this matter, thank you

[Guest superbluehaze]

As far as you electricity bill is concerned, when in the veg stage the plants can have anywhere from 16 hours of light to 24 hours, and if you have two gardens(one for veg and one for flowering) then it is easy to hide any sort of usage pattern;

In growing there are no fool proof, one hid wonder systems;

it is more like different strokes, different folks;

and no one fool proof system can take the place of experience and skill.

I do not grow for yield per watt, but for quality.

I have no system, other than this listen to your plants.

happy growing,

john

[Growmaster J]

I have built and successfully done countless different rooms. Everything from soil to drip, to flood. I'm in it for the quality and quanity. I'm goin ahead with the vertical growing system. Using the Super Silver Haze, veg only 1 day and I'll keep you guys informed.

[Guest superbluehaze]

We are all in it for the quality and quantity. I believe the vertical systems work very well, and they are very innovative.

My motivation is slightly different to yours, though I too want quantity and quality.

I like to mix and match; hybrid systems;

I love to grow big plants and see them express their phenotype.

That is where the joy is in growing for me, as well as the end product.

My growing technique, as I grow large plants, is not the most efficient way to grow, if you are aiming for 1 gram of product for each watt of light.

So it is good to see another grower approach things in a different way, and learn something new from their different approach to growing.

Good luck with your grow,and please keep us informed,

happy heavy harvest,

john

[Jay Ryan]

I would suggest you take a serious look at LEDs and CFLs.

I am currently using 4 120w LEDs, and 5 125w warm CFLs in my 4x9 garden. I have 8 plants all in bud, super lemon haze h-gold and super skunk. They are in their 6th week, and are phat, and hairy.

My electric bill has gone up a total of $50 a month. Not much more than having a teen ager who leaves lights on.

BTW, my LEDs cost $145 a piece, I bought the last two here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300371125821&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123

The seller is in China, but ships quickly and reliably!

[Growmaster J]

Sounds cool for some personal.....I was considering LED's for my mothers, would be cheaper while running 18 and 6. But for budding...... 2 x 1000's in the Ecogrow there talking 5-8 LBS.

[Jay Ryan]

Do not use these LEDs for veg. These LEDs will essentially stop, or dramatically hold back vertical growth in veg. I use T5s for veg and once I get the height I want, about 2 ft I switch to the LEDs, and get another foot of growth, then all bud.

I think for my next grow I will use an HPS for a week or two post veg, as the plants will stretch a lot more under HPS than LED. I'm looking for about 5' plants from my next growth, with less plants, but my veg area has a lower height, my bud area has from 6-9' to grow in (say hello to my future Thai plants lol).

As for the ECOSYSTEM 2, is this the one with the rotating plants? If so, I looked at it, and frankly, from my experience, the more moving parts, the more problems. As you already know, you have keep the system up for 8 weeks minimum, with no break downs.

I was thinking that it would be better to grow more vibrant plants to try to increase yield per watt. For example, I am growing Super Lemon Haze and Super Skunk. The skunks grow really fast and finish early, like 6-8 weeks, with excellent yeild. The Haze takes a few weeks longer, and the thinner buds have a small yield. Sure, the weed is most excellent, and I plan on continuing to grow it, but for bulk and speed I will continue to grow the skunk too.

Just my 2 cents

[Growmaster J]

No, the Ecogrow doesn't move. That's the omega or something like that? The Ecogrow is vertical 360 degree growing. Rockwool slabs on a drip, air cooled tube down the middle. Check out Biofloral's web site. Switch laguage from French to English. 2x1000, or now a 2x600. Getting good reveiws, gonna blaze the trail down here and make the investiment.

[liljohnbigslick]

Jay I've seen your LED setup and I was wondering if you ever ran LED's without supplemental sunlight and if you have to add CFL's to supplement. I'm thinking of going LED and your input would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest dfwi]

white rhino 12 plants, 2 rooms 2mtrs x 3mtrs x 3mtrs, 3 x 600watts, last crop 10.5lbs dry bud. In drip system 500mm buckets and clay balls Ran 1000watters for yrs and change over to 600's better light spread, bigger yield, less power $$$. Don't see the sence in spending $3000 if you get done god forbid you lose the lot

[Dust]

Hi, nice info around here.

Vertical grow looks interesting, i did wanted to try to put my cooltube vertically but never done it ^^

I'm trying on the MOby Dick now 3 plants in 30L pots with my 400W hps... i'm trying to improve my yeild so we will see what it gives us ^^

Have a happy grow all

Tchouss