Optimal Distance From LED Array to Canopy?? (Noob to LED's)

What's going on everybody? I have a question regarding what the best distance from the canopy to your LED array is. I just bought a 90W (135W theoretical) Taotronics LED fixture (it has 45 3-watt LEDs) with a 7:1:1 (Red,Orange,Blue) ratio. I am growing one plant in my closet, Lemon Kush from Female Seeds. I started out under CFL's (my big room uses 2x 600w HPS), and had some extra money so I decided to pick up on of these cheaper LED arrays. Anyways, I started out with the fixture about 3" above the top of my single plant, it puts off very little heat and is cooled very well. I have done a little research and it seems that may be a little too close, I have had the array on for 4 days now and it seems like the newest growth, the top few nodes are a lot lighter green than the rest of the plant, and are slightly droopy. Not standing at attention like they were doing, the LEDs have definitely helped out with flower production though.

So what would you guys recommend to be the optimal distance from the top of my girl to the LED fixture? I have some additional CFL's illuminating the sides, but I just don't know how far to keep the LEDs away, don't want to mess anything up by having them too close. +Rep for any answers! Thanks very much guys, I really appreciate all of the help!

i keep my panels about 12" from the canopy. it gives the color enough space to blend. too close, and parts of your plants will not get the entire spectrum.
it also eliminates the whole heat issue.

can you post some pics?

I keep my LED lights a foot above the canopy.

CFL's 2 inches from light to plant, Led's 6-12 inches . (use the hand test to see if your setting is correct)

harris hawk said:

CFL's 2 inches from light to plant, Led's 6-12 inches . (use the hand test to see if your setting is correct)

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I have mine 10-12cm from the the tops....however...depends on the degree of lens you are using....i arent using any so i can theoretically get closer..

Whats a hand test?

1-2 feet is good for led lights, in my experience if you put it too close it can become light bleached. Hope your Lemon Kush grows beautifully. I am vaping some right now from my outdoor crop and it is fantastic, nice herbal lemon smell. Watch out for male flowers though, female seeds stated recently that their Lemon Kush seeds have a 1 in 20 chance of turning out male. Good luck

MasterOfTheJuice said:

i keep my panels about 12" from the canopy. it gives the color enough space to blend. too close, and parts of your plants will not get the entire spectrum.
it also eliminates the whole heat issue.

can you post some pics?

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Sure thing... Here are a few pics from today....

harris hawk said:

Led's 6-12 inches . (use the hand test to see if your setting is correct)

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How does that part work?!

Put your hand under the light and if it gets too hot after a minute or so, move it further away until your hand isn't burning and that's about how far away they should be with HID and Cfl.

Does anyone have any feedback regarding the pictures I posted above?

It completely depends on the lamp. Some LEDs you can put right on the plants, others are much better closer to 18"

TheHazeyMan said:

Put your hand under the light and if it gets too hot after a minute or so, move it further away until your hand isn't burning and that's about how far away they should be with HID and Cfl.

Does anyone have any feedback regarding the pictures I posted above?

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Too close and they will bleach, I clip the LED to the top of the tent and let the plants grow towards it.

I have to stay at least 2 foot or more above my canopy or leaves start getting rusty brown spots. I use a BlackStar Chrome 270. It grows perfect bud for a personal stash grower but you need head room.

TheHazeyMan said:

Does anyone have any feedback regarding the pictures I posted above?

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You are getting a nitrogen deficiency add a little nitrogen soon

BigEasy1 said:

I have to stay at least 2 foot or more above my canopy or leaves start getting rusty brown spots.

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You need calcium.

You think that new growth is nitrogen deficient? Do you think I should hit it with sensi grow once or maybe go a little higher on sensi bloom part A which is the nitrogen heavy bottle

TheHazeyMan said:

Put your hand under the light and if it gets too hot after a minute or so, move it further away until your hand isn't burning and that's about how far away they should be with HID and Cfl.

Click to expand...

Yeah...this doesnt really apply with LED's...

BigEasy1 said:

I have to stay at least 2 foot or more above my canopy or leaves start getting rusty brown spots. I use a BlackStar Chrome 270. It grows perfect bud for a personal stash grower but you need head room.

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Like bud said , add some calmag , i have seen a couple growers now switch over to led, and need to up calmag...

TheHazeyMan said:

You think that new growth is nitrogen deficient? Do you think I should hit it with sensi grow once or maybe go a little higher on sensi bloom part A which is the nitrogen heavy bottle

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Just the A bottle, that will have the Macro elements which Nitrogen is, its is certainly a good way to eliminate it from the suspect list but it does look like it, what is the N-P-K of your base?

FuckJeffGoldbloom said:

Like bud said , add some calmag , i have seen a couple growers now switch over to led, and need to up calmag...

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I made the mistake of not giving them calcium supplement with LED and combined with my 18ppm tapwater severe calcium deficiency kicked in and they looked like some alien plant weird and disfigured and never recovered lesson learned but would not change LED for ANYTHING lol

Sensi Bloom part A is 3-0-0 and part B is 2-4-8. I'm also using some of their additives as well. Big Bud, Bud Candy, B-52, nirvana, ad will switch to overdrive to finish up flowering