SmokingForLife

I have three girls under 10 4 foot t5ho in about 12 sqft of space. They are about 3 weeks into flowering and filling out nicely. I am keeping my lights about 2" or less from the tops, but the temps in the cola area (9" of about 3' of plant) are between 80 and 90 during lights on. I can move the lights up some to get the temps down to the mid 70s, but according to the inverse square law it would sacrifice a lot of lumens. I guess my question is really are the 80s to 90 temps in the cola area going to hurt my colas more than the gain from the lights being 7" inches closer (without burning anything)?

What will the effects of the high temps be on the colas?

Thanks!

GreenDragon2k

both...

Too much heat, will cause fluffy buds. Mid 70's produces the best bud density.

Not enough light intensity will also cause fluffy buds.

Really the strain has more to do with bud density than both those factors.

Upgrade your ventilation, add more air circulation and keep those lamps as close as possible.

__________________
"Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. " ~ Bob Marley

Sso

actually if the plant has been in such heat from the beginning, buds will not be as fluffy as if f.e the temps rose by putting it into a much hotter flowering room.

also some strains can easily handle more heat.

you say your buds are filling out nicely, so i wouldnt worry too much.

but if you can add another fan there, its all to the good.

im currently running at 80-95F temps, i seem to be doing ok. but of course i prefer 75F, but my conditions at the moment wont allow it, so hey. and the plants arent growing that much different.

Sso

actually , when you think about it, you never really know exactly what temps your plants like unless you try it and run a few grows with diff temps.

really when you think about the diversity of locations, mj comes from and how different conditions are there.

im sure optimal conditions are different for each plant and incidentally, 75f is the preferred temp of most humans...

Sso

ok here is another point on the strain being the biggest factor.

i had papaya, earlygirl a bagseeder and bigbud/northernlights under t5.

all were similar in size, except the bbnl. 3 times the size buds...

and the second most potent plant (sharing that place with the bagseeder)

SmokingForLife

Thanks GreenDragon and Sso!

I'm keeping the lights as close as possible, and doing everything I can to keep the temps as low as possible.

When in veg they were typically 80 to 90 as well, so hopefully they are used to it. 10 4' T5HOs put off a lot of heat! You may be able to briefly touch the bulbs, but over all they raise the temps 10 to 15 degrees in the u shape formed by 6 lights across the top and 2 down each side. That 6" area stays well above the temps in the canopy. I have 4 pc fans, 1 which is 90 CFM, which circulate the air and ventilate just this u shaped area. Without bring the temps in the room (and canopy) down to 60 there is no way I can get the temps down in the cola area. Once it cools off outside, and I can bring in cold air, will it hurt to have the main body of the plants at 60 so that the colas can be in the 70's?

I hope this is a bagseed strain which likes the heat! Thanks again for all your help!

Sso

well, i like to have the roots cooler. one thing ive noticed about higher temps, is that the leaves are smaller and thinner.

if i put my thermometer under abit of soil, the temps are about 75 and i do think the plants grow slower, than when the top was at 75 and the roots (pots) were in about 60-65 or so.

Bonesnoff

any chance of introducing a fan to keep the temps down without moving the light?

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LivingLightNRG

Why not introduce some CO2 supplementation? Then your plants cant tolerate a lot higher temps.
Otherwise, maybe a young AC?

GreenDragon2k

still would produce fluffy buds, i keep my co2'd grow in the high 70's, low 80's.

best thing would be to get HPS lamps on there. Co2 wont do much good without em anyway.

__________________
"Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. " ~ Bob Marley