How does growing in an open area differ from in tents?

Ok so I’ve got a stealth vented room of 7’x14’, the height slopes from 6’ to 8’. Inside the room I have two 3x3 tents which are 6’6” high. I also have a counter where I keep my Moms and clone on. My question is if I put my Moms and clones in one Tent and left the rest of area open what options would that open up for me.. everything else being equal - ie lighting etc. I’ve only ever grown in tents so extra headroom would be completely new to me. Are taller plants necessarily better? Could I increase my yields slightly with the same lights? These are questions I’m not really sure about. Access to plants I know would improve hugely and something that does count for a lot. Anyway any feedback would be great..

your light penetration point is the same regardless of the height of the ceiling.
taller plants will need more light to penetrate deeper into the canopy if expecting higher yields.
I'd put clones and moms in tents because each is generally kept as small plants

while height can be an issue, plants are "aware" of how crowded they are, and if they're too close together, they won't bush out like they could.
i'd use the tents for my moms and clones, because you can close them up and leave the lights on, and run your main area on its own lighting schedule.

Yeah both those comments make more sense.. So under what circumstances would one choose to grow taller plants? With way more lighting? Longer veg periods too I would guess?

Do you prefer indica or sativa?

Indica is low and bushy

Most sativas are tall and lanky

Hope this helps good luck

the strength of your light is a big factor in how tall you want to grow plants, the stronger the light, the farther it will penetrate your canopy.
if your light only penetrates one foot of canopy, there's not much point in growing plants taller than a foot and a half....if your light can penetrate 3 feet of canopy, you can grow 4 foot plants easy. the alternative is lst'ing and super cropping, bending and tying the plants into a more open configuration, so the light can penetrate to the bottom of your canopy.
or scrogging, which requires lst'ing as preparation, but uses a net to hold things where you want them.

agree with proper lighting choice you could harvest more from the taller plant, however I think your biggest advantage of added head room (and just a bigger area) is removing/allowing more heat generation. aka bigger lights

caution: check that your tent doesn't let light out, I know most don't allow light in but zippers and such glow when the light in the tent is on and that could mean hermies for you.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the zippers.. I’m using a screen on my current grow and I’m at the manufacturer’s minimum height (18”) inside the Tent, this provides a 2.5x2.5’ area of light. The maximum is 60” or 5’x5’. I wouldn’t go right to the max but I could maybe go a little higher and buy some more area? I’m using Cob leds. If I was to lift the light higher than the minimum height would I then be looking at diminishing returns? See I just don’t have the option to experiment within the constraints of a tent. My next grow I’m making the change, it makes sense and I can reach everywhere that I need to easily which I really want to be able to do now.. Appreciate the comments guys

You have room for the tent for the mother and room to do two vertical grows using screens or grow vertical trees using multi lights.
Are you growing legal? If you have a plant limit vertical can help keep you at your plant limit.
Check out the vertical forum here at RIU.

GR