help with cfl grow!

kyran

Active Member
I tried posting this in the CFL Growing sub forum buuut i didnt really get much of a response so ill try it again!

Hey everyone, im gonna be doing my first grow very soon! I was wondering what utilities i need?! Im growing in a homemade 2 feet by 2 feet dresser box. Im looking to grow by CFLs. Im only looking to grow say maybe 1 or 2 plants for my own personal use. So what im wanting to know issss....

-How many CFLs should i need and what wattage?

-What kind of socket do i need? (the thing the bulb screws into).

-Any other information i may need to know about CFL growing?
 

robert 14617

Well-Known Member
i would like to be able to ref a thread for you still learning 4x4 clean slate grow search it its great read on CFL growing
 

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
I tried posting this in the CFL Growing sub forum buuut i didnt really get much of a response so ill try it again!

Hey everyone, im gonna be doing my first grow very soon! I was wondering what utilities i need?! Im growing in a homemade 2 feet by 2 feet dresser box. Im looking to grow by CFLs. Im only looking to grow say maybe 1 or 2 plants for my own personal use. So what im wanting to know issss....

-How many CFLs should i need and what wattage?

-What kind of socket do i need? (the thing the bulb screws into).

-Any other information i may need to know about CFL growing?
my friend grow in the same size and he buy four 4 light bars that hold 4 or 5 lights. then buy a y so you can run two bulb off one socket. give me a few mins. and i will post a pic of his turn out
 

kyran

Active Member
here you go this was a entertanment center i turned into a grow bow. the pictures in flower are5 weeks in bud. and i think he had 24 cfl
Amazing turnout!

Yeah the most trouble i think im gonna have is lighting. I dont know how to set up my lighting or where to find or even what they are called but the sockets for the bulbs and how to wire them up. Im looking to only grow like 1 plant for my own personal use. How many CFLs do you think i would need? Im guessing only 1?
 

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
Amazing turnout!

Yeah the most trouble i think im gonna have is lighting. I dont know how to set up my lighting or where to find or even what they are called but the sockets for the bulbs and how to wire them up. Im looking to only grow like 1 plant for my own personal use. How many CFLs do you think i would need? Im guessing only 1?
get 4 light bars that hold 4 lights put one on each wall in the box vertical. don't worry about the y's. the more light the better yeild you will get
 

ChuckNorris

Well-Known Member
Amazing turnout!

Yeah the most trouble i think im gonna have is lighting. I dont know how to set up my lighting or where to find or even what they are called but the sockets for the bulbs and how to wire them up. Im looking to only grow like 1 plant for my own personal use. How many CFLs do you think i would need? Im guessing only 1?
im growing just 1 plant and using a similar entertainment centre as the one posted above (mine is a bit smaller, imagine without the drawerers on the bottom). i use four 42w CFLs that cost about $10/ea. One is definately NOT enough. i think the rule of thumb is 5,000 lumens/sq foot. For a CFL bulb i think its like 60 x Wattage = Lumens. so 60x42w= 2500 lumens. you can never have enough lights for this type of plant. the more light, the better the bud outcome

as for equipment go to your local hardware store and go to the lighting section (ie. Home Depot, Lowes) and just take a walk around until you find something like this

costs about like $3.50 to $4.00
 

kyran

Active Member
im growing just 1 plant and using a similar entertainment centre as the one posted above (mine is a bit smaller, imagine without the drawerers on the bottom). i use four 42w CFLs that cost about $10/ea. One is definately NOT enough. i think the rule of thumb is 5,000 lumens/sq foot. For a CFL bulb i think its like 60 x Wattage = Lumens. so 60x42w= 2500 lumens. you can never have enough lights for this type of plant. the more light, the better the bud outcome

as for equipment go to your local hardware store and go to the lighting section (ie. Home Depot, Lowes) and just take a walk around until you find something like this

costs about like $3.50 to $4.00

Awesome thanks for the help guys. So when i get these do they come with the cords im gonna need to set everything up? Also it would be really helpful if someone could post up a picture of their lighting setup so i could get a better idea of how im gonna work this. Another big thing is foil. Is it mandatory that i foil my little grow area? Or is that just preference?
 

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
Awesome thanks for the help guys. So when i get these do they come with the cords im gonna need to set everything up? Also it would be really helpful if someone could post up a picture of their lighting setup so i could get a better idea of how im gonna work this. Another big thing is foil. Is it mandatory that i foil my little grow area? Or is that just preference?
im not a cfl grower so i don't no the wtt's on them thanks for that one.
 

darkdestruction420

Well-Known Member
i use 5 40w cfls right now for 1 plant and i plan on adding 5 more soon my grow area is like 4 sq ft (bottom 3 drawers of my dresser bout 2 ft wide and 18 long, painted white) i have my plant about 2 ft tall about halfway through flowering (it's as wide as the dresser though)
 

herbie1020

Active Member
since you have a small grow space, it might be better to use a couple power surge bars along the ceiling and just plug some of these type sockets into them. then instead of raising the lights as the plants get bigger, you just start them off on blocks and lower them as they get bigger. just some more options..
 

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ChuckNorris

Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks for the help guys. So when i get these do they come with the cords im gonna need to set everything up? Also it would be really helpful if someone could post up a picture of their lighting setup so i could get a better idea of how im gonna work this. Another big thing is foil. Is it mandatory that i foil my little grow area? Or is that just preference?

hmm no the "Y" adapter does not come with a cord, it comes exactly as it looks in the picture. the type of setup you'll be using with those "Y's" depends entirely up to your design and space.

for myself, i use those "Y's" and plug it into a cord. i drill a hole into the side (top) of my cabinet and stick the socket end sitting in the hole.



others use a power bar and mount it on the side of whatever youre using (ie. cabinet) and they attach outlet-to-socket adapters and attach a row of CFLs onto it
 

kyran

Active Member
Awesome, yeah i like the idea of the power surge and just attaching the lights to that.

I think that could work like a charm.

Also i have a very important question,

The area im going to be growing in, is wood. Should i be concerned about a fire and safety? If so how would i be able to fix the safety concerns?
 

DRGreyMind

Well-Known Member
i wouldnt worry about fire etc, just check in the first couple of days for burns/melting around where the CFL's are placed, from what i read CFL'S dont get much hotter than incandesent lights so it should be cool
 

kyran

Active Member
I have one more quick question that hasnt been answered yet.
The space ill be growing in is colored black. Ive seen a few grow set ups where the grower would line the walls with foil.

What is the point of this and is it necessary?
 

ChuckNorris

Well-Known Member
I have one more quick question that hasnt been answered yet.
The space ill be growing in is colored black. Ive seen a few grow set ups where the grower would line the walls with foil.

What is the point of this and is it necessary?
paint it white or line up some mylar all around the plant. foil could work if it was perfectly straight but that will never happen. all of this is to reflect lumens that never got a chance to arrive at the plant and thus reusing the lumens for maximum efficiency
 
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