Quote Originally Posted by Methyl3
As I stated before.....the more lumens the bigger and denser the buds. There is no strain that says "oh, not that much light"! Remember you are trying to replicate the sun and if I recall correctly the avg tropical sun emits like 10,000 lumens per square foot. In a square meter thats approximately 90,000 lumens. The only thing with more light is increased heat output (wattage). If you can 2000 watts on one plant that plant, no matter what the strain, will grow bigger denser buds. I'm sure there is a point where growth rate is maximized and diminished returns is apparent, but this is not a point that most growers reach or are even aware of, if at all. Basically, the more light you can provide the better yield will be had.

For most practical purposes you're right - more lumens mean bigger buds. That's because in most gardens, light output is the bottle neck. However, plants suffer radiation damage from the sun just like humans. Get enough light and they suffer from it, get even more and they die.

But more importantly there is a point of dimishing returns at a certain point, and I want to know what those are for different plants, if anyone knows.

Quote Originally Posted by Methyl3
Remember you are trying to replicate the sun and if I recall correctly the avg tropical sun emits like 10,000 lumens per square foot.
Quote Originally Posted by Methyl3
So obviously getting a plant from temperate regions where the plant has to adapt and funtion best at much lower rates of light would be a bad thing then? Now we're getting somewhere.
Ok, so we disagree on this one point. I think the point of diminising returns ( ie. not buds getting smaller, but getting less effect per watt used ) will start at 50.000-80.000 lumens. That's why I want a plant that can take big amounts of light...

s12fever: Thanks, it's very nice of you, but I like to grow just one kind of plant, and also I want a strain I can read about first.