how can i tell if my babies are too hot???????

[oliwog]

i need to know if my plants are drooping slightly cos of the heat from this new 600w hps light i jus put in or if its cos they have got so tall and the stems arnt fat enough as they strecthed a lot over the past week but only started drooping today after light was put in
there are two that are significantly taller than the rest both are drooping heres a pic
also i jus noticed the ballast im using is extremly hot and smells funny should this be happening or will it burn my place down iwouldnt have thought the latter but u never know

[stinkyattic]

how can i tell if my babies are too hot???????

They sit around fanning themselves (that's why they grow fan leaves) and beg you for an ice-cold beer :D

Seriously the drooping is a sign of heat stress. More heat means higher transpiration rates, and you have to really keep on the watering or they'll dry right up. Temps above 85 aren't good unless you have a CO2 system hooked up- as the heat rises, all the plant's functions speed up and it uses water and CO2 fster- to a point, then it just gets scorched!

If you look closely at the new growth, severe heat stress will manifest as brown or pale markings at the bases of the leaves, making them appear narrower and shrunken. But you don't want it to get that bad!

So add cool air ventilation, monitor water use, and keep everything in the 70s.

[T®auma]

ask em. (sorry i had to post that)

[oliwog]

thanks stinkyattic i dont have a co2 system in there they have pirked up a bit since watering them i think that they should be ok ive made a large-ish hole in the back of the cupboard to make it easier for excess heat to escape
ive sort of jus made up as i go along its workin well tho
although i think my ballast may burn my girls flat down i dunno yet tho
im jus gonna leave ithe lamp off if i go out safer that way
if u want to know why i think this its because the ballast isnt a normal ballast you would buy from a standard grow shop, yea some grow shops sell them but they will only sell em to qualified electricians (i like to think i am but im not) or to people who really know almost everyhting about growin an lights an stuff( i know a bit, more than some but still jus a bit).
and the ballast is very very very HOT and gives off a funky smell!!
any clues any one

[Weedhound]

Should all those wires and things be touching that ballast if it's hot? I try to keep some free space a few inches around mine. My ballast does get hot, but not too hot to touch.

[stinkyattic]

and the ballast is very very very HOT and gives off a funky smell!!
any clues any one
Ballasts run warm, but the hot hot hot is worrisome, and the funky smell is downright scary. I'd double check that all the wires you used are rated more than the peak amps on your system. Look for wires and extension cords rated 18 amps to be safe. The smell and heat can both be an overloaded circuit, so I'm glad you're truning the system off when you're not home.

[mistyganjatree]

the easiest way to see heat stress from the lamp is the edges of the leafs turnup at 90 degrees very neatly!
the other is the plant looks exhausted limp and weak!
from the poor quality of the photos its hard to say, but it did look both!
the venting should do the trick! and a good extractor on the lamp!