New Grower Is some competition for light healthy for plant growth?

[lilm00re14]

Just figured for a fun topic I'd like to ask for input on how many plants are you all running in a 4x4 tent. Light to plant ratio? There's a part of me that feels less plants in the space with more light per individual plant would be better in the long run. The other part of me wonders if a little bit of competition for light would prompt growth. I've had 9 plants in my bloom tent and it seems over crowded at times. I've been considering having 3 to 6 plants instead but having more direct light on each plant. For example. In my 2nd tent what used to be my veg tent.. I have 2 blue automazar coming in fierce. I'm thinking of doing 1 or 2 plants per light in my grow space. Less nutrients overall. Less plant management. And having 2 4x4 tents with DP autoflowers. I currently own 4 California lightworks solar storm 440s and one 880. So 1 plant per 440 would be 6 plants to 12 plants between the two tents..

 

[wg]

In a 4x4 tent I'd run no more than 8 plants for maximum efficiency. Ideally you'd run 6 under 1000W(or the LED equivalent of 1200W) and not make them fight for light. Nine is too many. If you run nine you need to reduce container size in order to get them to take up less space.

I don't believe competition for light is a good thing. Think of it as a competition for food - if you have 10 people all competing to eat from the same plate then some one is definitely taking in more calories than some one else. Does that mean the person who took in less calories isn't as good, strong, or fast as the fatty who ate the majority of the plate? I'd say it means that person was just underfed and therefor couldn't perform as good as his peers.


6-12 plants between two tents = 6 plants per 4x4 tent? If so, all good in the hood(tent) man.

 

[Corgy]

I also think competing for light is detrimental and will hurt yield.

How many plants to grow optimally in a given space, that depends on many factors......strain, pot size, pot type, amount of light, soil, etc. etc.,...... Each grower will find his/her sweet spot sooner or later....

Personally...... I will never ever again try to grow 6 x Auto Ultimate in 25 L pots in a 145 x 145 cm area.....

 

[Surfer Joe]

Is some competition for light healthy for plant growth?

I'd say no. All they do is stretch and waste time. I can get more from fewer plants with some lst than with cramming the tent.

 

[Grey Bear]

My experience growing in closed environments has led me to prefer growing less plants to incur a much greater yield per plant and per square foot of room and per watt.

 

[lilm00re14]

In a 4x4 tent I'd run no more than 8 plants for maximum efficiency. Ideally you'd run 6 under 1000W(or the LED equivalent of 1200W) and not make them fight for light. Nine is too many. If you run nine you need to reduce container size in order to get them to take up less space.

I don't believe competition for light is a good thing. Think of it as a competition for food - if you have 10 people all competing to eat from the same plate then some one is definitely taking in more calories than some one else. Does that mean the person who took in less calories isn't as good, strong, or fast as the fatty who ate the majority of the plate? I'd say it means that person was just underfed and therefor couldn't perform as good as his peers.


6-12 plants between two tents = 6 plants per 4x4 tent? If so, all good in the hood(tent) man.

I've had 9 in my flower tent with one solar storm 880 and 2 solar storm 440s. Which would be similar to having a 1000 watt and two 600 watt hps lights. There wasn't any room to move for sure. But each plant was getting 3-5 ounces. Now that I'm going to do some autoflowers I'm planning on no more then 6 plants in each tent . Maybe as small as having 1 dedicated light per DP auto. So having 4 plants under 4 solar storm 440s and two under the 880 which would be like 3 plants per tent. . Decisions.. decisions..
Thanks for your input (and to the other guys as well )