can I please get some grow tips and strategy utilizing my situation

I have a 4x4 grow area, with 1-4200 lumen 68watt CFL 2700k, 4-1600 lumen 26watt CFL 6500k, 2-1750 lumen 27watt CFL 5100k, 1-2800 lumen 42watt CFL 6500k, 1-3850 lumen 55watt CFL 2700k. My total lumens 20,260 and I can always add more lights to my setup. I use tinfoil as a reflector. I have all the lights evenly distributed, overhead as well as the sides of the plants. The temperature ranges from 82-90 degrees(rarley gets that hot). I have great air circulation. I am looking for tips on how to utilize my situation and make the most out of it. I have done a grow there with 5 plants, I made a mistake and used a woody organic soil and watered too much/often, needless to say my roots didn't spread much and suffered severely stunted growth. I am planning on using a new medium blend of 2 parts peat moss or shagnum moss, 2 parts perlite, and a bit more that 1 part sand. For fertilizer I have two different time released fertz, both being nitrogen heavy with varying levels of P, K. I also have a 30-10-10 fertilizer, a 10-15-10 fertilizer with other general nutrients, ground eggshells for calcium, Epsom salt for magnesium and sulfer. I am asking for tips using what I have to maximize a yield in my 4x4 area. I am considering 4 plants in 5 gal buckets using my medium(peatmoss, perlite, sand). I will mix in some of my calcium(eggshells), epsom salts, a bit of time released fert 12-5-7 for backup, while using the 30-10-10 weekly once my plants hit veg. I think I will switch to the 10-15-10 fert sometime and from there I don't really know? I really would appreciate some help, thank you.

I could be mistaken, but 82 is a bit hot. Optimal temps are like 75-80. As far as ferts, you're wanting something like a 20-5-5 for vegging and something like 5-15-15 for flowering. I can't comment on the eggshells or salt for composting, cause I have no idea.

Salt is bad for soil though, isn't it?

Dont use foil, get mylar or paint the walls white - even white paper is better than foil!

the epsom salt is for magnesium, like if you have browning tips and yellow leaves but thanks for your input. I live in a hot state so its tough to keep it my room under 85.

really? why is foil so bad, it reflects good?

No, it doesn't reflect good, that's the point. It's true white paint is better, in fact white paint is almost as good as mylar itself.

okay so tin foil might be a huge problem, maybe even explain the heat? like I said it ranges from 82 to 90 in my room, is the tin foil turning the light into heat? can I make a reflective hood out of mylar or cardboard and white paint?

CatatonicChronic said:

really? why is foil so bad, it reflects good?

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Tin foil is fine. It doesn't absorb heat. What I don't like, but don't want to preach, is your soil mix. Peat moss, that comes dehydrated, is sterile. You used too much perlite by volume. 2/1 would have been better. And you rely on synthetic fertilizers when organic ones work better. Look forward to seeing some pix. DB

Aluminum foil does attract heat and will keep the room hot. Paint is better or use nothing. It's not that important anyway.

CatatonicChronic said:

okay so tin foil might be a huge problem, maybe even explain the heat? like I said it ranges from 82 to 90 in my room, is the tin foil turning the light into heat? can I make a reflective hood out of mylar or cardboard and white paint?

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My room is larger but I only can utilize 4x4 space for the plants and lights above. I haven't started anything yet not even seeding. The lights I have set up are just ones I've gathered over my first grow and am in agreeance that I need to go metal halide ciramic bulb, probably a 400watt kit with a switchable MH/HPS ballast to switch to HPS for budding. I can't paint the walls because its a rental and no matt. I am confused about ferts, what I mean is that I understand organic fert to be slower absorbing and there for its N,P,K ratio is different than chem fert which is easily absorbable, so with something like 20,5,5 chem fert, what would be the organic comparison be? Or do organic fert and chem fert N,P,K, ratios universal? I don't think they are so I just want to go organic on this grow, so should I get 20,5,5 organic fert for veg, and 5,15,15 organic fert for budding?