How Many Plants Could I Fit?

New member here looking to have a couple questions answered. So lets say, hypothetically speaking, I have a 600 Watt sodium vapor lamp with a double paradelum (or however its spelled... fail geometry in highschool) hood. I have a 8x8 space but can only afford one lamp set-up as of now. So based off of those specs how many averaged sized flowering plants could I fit? Could I put some CFL's on the sides to expand the area?

12 topped plant would fit nice in that space i guess. i would put 2 x 600 watts though

edit: suggest 1 x 600 watt, 12 plants and before you get too flowering them buy one more 600 watt.

Thanks for the information. I was hoping that I could fit at least 6 topped plants, so 12 is great. When I can get the cash I plan on having (4) 600 watt lamps going in the 8x8 space. But for now one will have to do. So what about putting some CFL lights on the sides of the plants? Is it okay to mix a sodium vapor lamp with cheaper CFL's for vegging and flowering stages? Or would it be better to just use the one sodium lamp?

well the more light the better, side lighting will create more side branching and offcourse help the lower buds develop. you could grow 4-5 massive monster plants or 12 smaller and get pretty much same result yield wise so its up too you what style of growing suits you better. SoG\SCog is great ways of growing but here sidelighting is pretty much impossible to obtain as the canopy is so dense.

if you grow less bigger plants you can easily throw cfl's down between the plants and on the outside and get really good results.

for vegetative growth i "used" metal halides but swapped to hps just for a test and they exploded in growth. so from now on i veg and flower with hps all the way. some people say hps makes them stretch abit between branch internodes but ive yet too see this as my plants are super bushy.

cfl's are great as additional lighting from sides and between but should be put really close. and yes you can use them together hehe

Thanks man! I appreciate all of the info. I'm probably going to grow smaller plants for the first cycle just so I can have more forgiveness from my first grow. Then I could afford to have a couple plants sacraficed in experimentation.

try working with fewer plants , it,s less work and you have more space between to have more air flow and side lights. if it's EZ on you then its better for your girls, more TLC !