To Vert or not to Vert, that is the question!

Plut

Member
Hello there guys!

I'm Christina, I'm from California and I'm aiming to begin with my first growing project, I'm totally new to this... As I've understood, vertical growing is just for indoors? And in any case, could you tell me what are the benefits and/or risks of growing this way?
 

OSBuds

Well-Known Member

 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
It's easier on the knees when you grow vertically. I hated getting down on the floor to check the underside of the canopy. With vertical growing its all flattened out on the walls (sort of) so you get easier access to the buds for inspection. And hand watering is easier too.
Another reason I like it more is the amount of light penetration. The buds get to grow long and strong with increased density.
I won't ever go back to horizontal growing. It's a big difference in my experience. Not that you can't get great results horizontally. I always have. I just like the results more going vertical. It's this-20200420_081819.jpg
VS, this -
20200915_073320.jpg
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
One thing is you need to have a distance of 60cm to the plants 360' around the bulb for a 600 watt bulb. if plants get too much closer they will burn.
If it's bare then yes you would want some distance. I think sixty centimeters is further than necessary though, at least if you are running good fans and such. I use a bare 600w mh for vegging plants and the are much closer than 60cm with no negative effects.
If you have 600w hps and mh bulbs in cool tubes, (like in the picture I posted) the buds can grow almost touching the glass without problems.
 
If you keep the clones going sideways guided by string,yoyos or other method the clones will get closer than 60 cm but i was using northern light blue which doesnt stretch much, each bud over 1/2 and ounce dried some a lot more but they never burnt total record yeild of 48 ounces for one 600 watt hps. i had 72 clones and thought about growing a scrog on the bottom below the end of the bulb...not much light down there but enough for a few more ounces. But that was a pain in the ass.
If your not doing a vertical sea of green and doing a wired scrog with 6 or so large plants the results will be different.
Im into leds now so dont do vert grows even though they are amazing. its too risky growing 90 clones to choose the best 72 and vegging for one week the flowering for 8-10 weeks. cops used to visit my carpark behind my flat daily (some rowdy aborigines living next door partying on speed every few days and pissing on peoples property ) so it wasnt a great situation.
 

Plut

Member
Hey guys sorry, I had COVID i literally would love to have died xD if you didn't have it, i hope you don't!

Now, i'll get up to the date with your answers, you're so kind!
 

Plut

Member

thanks buddy!
 

Plut

Member
It's easier on the knees when you grow vertically. I hated getting down on the floor to check the underside of the canopy. With vertical growing its all flattened out on the walls (sort of) so you get easier access to the buds for inspection. And hand watering is easier too.
Another reason I like it more is the amount of light penetration. The buds get to grow long and strong with increased density.
I won't ever go back to horizontal growing. It's a big difference in my experience. Not that you can't get great results horizontally. I always have. I just like the results more going vertical. It's this-View attachment 4920339
VS, this -
View attachment 4920343
OMG this is awesome i love it, and that systemn you made to protect the bulbs, so clever, is it DIY or you can buy something like that?... About what twisted drifter says, do you think you've gottn your top yield that way? It looks pretty cool tho, good performance can't be denied xD
 

Plut

Member
If you keep the clones going sideways guided by string,yoyos or other method the clones will get closer than 60 cm but i was using northern light blue which doesnt stretch much, each bud over 1/2 and ounce dried some a lot more but they never burnt total record yeild of 48 ounces for one 600 watt hps. i had 72 clones and thought about growing a scrog on the bottom below the end of the bulb...not much light down there but enough for a few more ounces. But that was a pain in the ass.
If your not doing a vertical sea of green and doing a wired scrog with 6 or so large plants the results will be different.
Im into leds now so dont do vert grows even though they are amazing. its too risky growing 90 clones to choose the best 72 and vegging for one week the flowering for 8-10 weeks. cops used to visit my carpark behind my flat daily (some rowdy aborigines living next door partying on speed every few days and pissing on peoples property ) so it wasnt a great situation.
So for what i understand you say verts are more risky when it comes to the cops? But because they can be seen from there or any other specific reason? Thans for the detailed info about the lighting i'm curiours if @JimmiP could get top yield out of them
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
OMG this is awesome i love it, and that systemn you made to protect the bulbs, so clever, is it DIY or you can buy something like that?... About what twisted drifter says, do you think you've gottn your top yield that way? It looks pretty cool tho, good performance can't be denied xD
Those are commercially available cool tubes. You can buy them on Amazon and they are there more to pull heat than to protect the bulbs.

Indoors this is how I have gotten my best yield. There are five plants in there. In Illinois we are only allowed five plants taller than five inches. So that's what I grew. I do indoor grows in the winter and use the heat generated by the bulbs to supplement the house's heat. In the summer, I now grow in my hoop house. In the hoop house lis where I have gotten my largest yields ever. You just can't beat the sun when it comes to growing bud.
Back to the indoor stuff-
That picture is from my flower room it's 4x8 and I grow on organic soil. I have used synthetic nutrients in the past, I have also done different types of hydro too. I just find I get better results with less pains in the butt with full organic growing. And like I said before I have grown horizontal using scrogs and got tired of getting sore knees so I just grow up the wall on a trellisthats attached to the plants container. It's just easier to see everything and work with the plants that way.
Glad you made through covid.
Good luck friend!
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
So for what i understand you say verts are more risky when it comes to the cops? But because they can be seen from there or any other specific reason? Thans for the detailed info about the lighting i'm curiours if @JimmiP could get top yield out of them
I don't think they meant that vertical growing is more risky. I do believe they were talking about plant count in relation to getting caught. The penalty in nonlegal places increases with the number of plants grown.
That's why I grow big plants. With only five allowed by law, I like to get as much as I can.
 
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