Expensive CFL grow Ha Ha.$$$$$

Live and learn!!! I just wanted to use the 4X2X2 foot box for next years outdoors starts...I have however invested enough in this cheap CFL attempt to buy a great 600watt set-up off FleaBay. Startinging with plywood and studs and 20 plus assorted 2700K, 5000K and 6500K bulbs and splitters and timers and chain and so on and so on. I figure I have 400 watts in there now.

Well I germed my 5 Master Kush fems and it looks like all may even make it. I really only wanted four anyway. They have not even gotten under way and I know I need a bigger boat/box. Should have gone 4X4X4 ft to have given myself a little room. Messin around in there is already a PIA.

I'm also using my own carefully made and nurtured compost/soil. I thought my hot compost cooking killed most of the seeds and bugs but when I opened my box a whole bunch of critters flew out. My use a bit of pyrethrin(sp) it's early in the "grow" and it's as natural as Mums.

Well WTH. I can grow outdoors but lets see if I can bang off one small crop of loose fluffy buds just for the ^$&* of it.

Any advise is welcomed and I don't mind harsh comments either. One question though. Does it matter if CFL's touch while fired up? They seem pretty tough. Thanks guys and gals..

looks good my dude. i have a cfl setup of purple kush and the buds are dense as hell, im quite surprised. its got about 2-3 more weeks on mine

I don't think it's a big deal if cfl's touch but it'll definitely weaken it/reduce the life of it. I have a bulb or two where the coil part wiggles a bit in the ballast... my bulbs have tapped eachother more than a few times, just be careful - they do contain mercury.

Necessity is the mother of invention.......Looking good!

Yeah Ginger can you believe the GREEN bulbs of the future contain mercury. So much for chucking out the old bulbs with the trash. Yuh now need a hazmat suit.
I think my little box will work but it still looks like hell... It's also a pain in the azz to do anything in there at all. Gotta find an easy way to water and deal with adjusting lights. I don't have anything else better to do so here we go.
ANY suggestions are welcome unless they include building another bigger box or returning all the crap in hand and buying a 400watt set-up with 2 bulbs. It'll be fun but like they say. I got a bad feeling about this one....

That is one great freakin suggestion solo!! I believe I have spent that much on a tangled mess of wires and bulbs. I do have five Kush doing nicely under the CFL's but my little set-up is a gad dammed PIA. For $230.00 I could have picked up a 600 watt unit with 2 bulbs and a cool hood but instead I've got a mess AND I still have 10 six inch socket extenders and a fan coming from flea bay. Like I could find a fan in New England in November.

It's actually pretty funny. All I wanted was a place to start next years outdoor grow but I figured I had the box so why not use it. I coulda just used a twin tube 4 ft cheap florescent to start chit but WTF I've been in and out of the depot so many times now I feel like an employee. Kiss off world cause I'm going to win the battle if not the war.

I was just looking at my journal from "1983" which is when I last grew. I produced pounds of weed with miracle grow and grow sticks AND had more money than a college student should. I don't think I suffered any long term effects from the Diazinon and Miathalon unless you count the tick in my left eye. I'm still gonna post pictures of my successful harvest when the time comes but I sure am looking forward to planting in the fine holes I have prepared over the last few months.

U can easily see dense yields with Cfls m8 don't hate on ure self.

thinking you will be better off than you think just keep them lights close, a 26W CFL u can leave on for 10 hours and still rest it on your hand without burning yourself. the closer the better. also if you can afford it get yourself a big ass cardboard box open it up so it lays flat and mylar that bitch then set it around your plant for reflection. box will be good cuz you can move it easily when u need to work in there and it is adjustable. also keeps you from putting the mylar on your walls. your walls are already white so its not that important but will help a bit....

gl looking nice subbed up. would like to see how this goes as i just started a mini CFL grow myself and am a bit curious as to how its going to turn out. + rep for your efforts bud keep up the good work

It's all good Frodey. I was just venting. I actually think things are gonna be just fine. I pulled the bag seed plants and the weakest Kush and have four nice healthy little starts that are looking great. The box is a little warm at this point but it's not cooking. They are drinking from the Koi pond out back which should have a few nutes in it in the form of fish crap.

Gonna pull everything out of the box tomorrow so maybe access will be a bit better once rearranged. Also going to pull all the bulbs except for one for each plant for a week or so. They are so small one bulb should suffice for now. I sure don't need 20 bulbs working yet Yuk Yuk. The little reflectors should work just fine for now as well. I'm off to the races and feeling fine.

Matt... Where do I get mylar on the sorta cheap? Rock on guys and I'll send you a QP when I'm done.

you can grab a emergency fire blanket out of a decent FA kit or go to home depot http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202985200/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 30 bucks so its not really cheap stuff but from what i gather its worth the money.

Emergency blankets real cheap on ebay m8ey
http://www.ebay.com/itm/51-x-83-EMERGENCY-RESCUE-BLANKET-FOIL-Thermal-Space-/140619965647?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20bd9a64cf

Two weeks tomorrow the Master Kush Eggs were placed in a damp paper towel bed and all five hatched. Still in awe of how complicated I am making it but what the hell. A little slower than I would have liked but getting the temps right has been a problem. A little leave crinkling as well but they seem to be getting over it. The box WAS on a cold concrete slab and I think the roots got chilled.

Messed around and now have the pots on seed starting mats that I had. Hopefully that will keep my night time temps up a bit and then I just have to worry about hot days when I add more bulbs. I got more splitters than I need and I'm going to use them. Also have some 5 inch flex socket extensions coming. I guarantee it's will look like a "Lite Brite" when I'm done. arg. For now one bulb per and 4 hanging for warmth.

My own compost had a few flying bugs and weed seeds in it as well. I thought I made better compost than that but what will you do. Also picked up Mylar in 4x8 sheets at wally world in space blanket boxes. They were $2.88 which is a bargain in my world. Really don't know if it will make any difference at all but for $2.88 WTF. Put one in my truck in case I get stranded in a blizzard.

Maybe some nutes down the road but for now just fish pond water. Humidity could be higher but not even going to try fixing that. If I get the temp thing worked out they might even do OK.

I'm not sure the temp issues I have are ever going to be solved. It's to hot with the lights on and temp drops to much with lights out and it's all going to be subject to how cold it is outside and in the basement on any given day. I "think" I would be happy with stable temps of between 60 and 80. It is a PIA and I've added and removed fans but stable it just ain't going to be.

I believed the crinkling leaves were the result of cold roots but I now remember adding part of a bag of Gypsum to my soil. I always use either it or "sharp" sand to loosen tight soil OUTDOORS and increase drainage. Could Gypsum be a problem indoors cause it's also considered a nute? Would have thought it was very slow acting.

Also.. When to add nutes? I was going to hold off for awhile cause I figure most soil already has enough nutes in them to tide them over a bit. Is it just that added nutes are more redily available than nutes in the soil? How do I know when to add nutes to a plant if the leaf color appears good anyway?

Any advise would be appreciated!! Screw-ups or what have you can be tough to recover from. Better off to avoid. Feeling good Willis. Thanks...

lol that bucket of cfl's is about what I am beginning to have..I finally got smart and started writing on the what the K rating was..

Rot, I had a similar problem, too cool at nights. I initially got a small heat lamp, but that gives off light. It finally dawned on me I had one of those small square electric heaters that has a low setting and a thermostat. Bingo, problem solved...
No light
Thermostat control
heat

Reefer that is funny as hell and oh so true!! Just as you say I have no idea what k most of those bulbs are. I WAS gonna write on them as well. They tell me the wattage but not much else that ain't greek. There are some 2700k, 5000k and 6500k so I'm gonna back track to the three places I bought bulbs and CSI that chit.

I just might see if I can find one of those little cube ceramic heaters with a thermostat! Thats actually a good idea if I can find one small enough. In hindsight I should have built a bigger box. I think I may weed out a couple of plants and just go with the three best. I'm pushing it with a 2x2 ft floor space. I was gonna go 4x4 and should have. Room is not an issue and money sure isn't anymore. Live and learn.

Is it my imagination or not but it seems like everytime I'm in the Depot looking at bulbs there is another stoner doing the same thing. I know that guy with the tattoo on his neck holding a "Spot & Grow" bulb and a gooseneck lamp isn't growing tulips. Ha Ha....

There's some on ebay, make sure you don;t buy a 12 volt one. I think the Lowes people are getting suspicious of me, I have been in there so many times looking/buying light stuff!

Rottedroots said:

Reefer that is funny as hell and oh so true!! Just as you say I have no idea what k most of those bulbs are. I WAS gonna write on them as well. They tell me the wattage but not much else that ain't greek. There are some 2700k, 5000k and 6500k so I'm gonna back track to the three places I bought bulbs and CSI that chit.

I just might see if I can find one of those little cube ceramic heaters with a thermostat! Thats actually a good idea if I can find one small enough. In hindsight I should have built a bigger box. I think I may weed out a couple of plants and just go with the three best. I'm pushing it with a 2x2 ft floor space. I was gonna go 4x4 and should have. Room is not an issue and money sure isn't anymore. Live and learn.

Is it my imagination or not but it seems like everytime I'm in the Depot looking at bulbs there is another stoner doing the same thing. I know that guy with the tattoo on his neck holding a "Spot & Grow" bulb and a gooseneck lamp isn't growing tulips. Ha Ha....

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just plug the lights in you can tell by the actual color of the light they emit what Kelvin rating they are. the 5000k and 6500k may be similar but the 6500k should emit a more white light than the 5000k and the 2700k's will emit a almost orange light. hope this helps.