Crazytrain420
Active Member
Hello, this'll be my first time growing with lights, im gonna go the cfl route how many would I need for one plant? And what watt should they all be? Thanks
How many CFLs for one plant?
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NugHeuser
Well-Known Member
It depends on the size of the plant, I would try aiming for 50 watts per sq/ft.
Mid size to larger cfl's is the route I'd go. Higher Kelvin rating for veg, lower kelvin for flower, it don't hurt to mix and match them either. The "kelvin" is the "color" of the light. You'll see on the boxes it'll say "6,400k" or "2300k" ect. That's the kelvin.
Typically with cfl's buds are smaller so don't be afraid to load it up with light. I probably wouldn't go over 60 watts per sq/ft though.
Good luck and have fun
dtl420
Well-Known Member
changed your mind about leds? Cfl's work, but like @blake9999 said, you'll need a lot of them. Probably 2 of the 20 something watt bulbs per sq ft, maybe 3. Also, you'll have to keep them right on your plants, so be ready for a very hands on grow. You'll be in there every day moving the lights up. And if you scrog or supercrop you'll have leafs trying to poke up into the bulbs and getting burnt.
check this out
http://www.growweedeasy.com/cfls
I've only flowered with cfls once, and it was a hermi that I isolated and hung a single cfl over. It did make it to harvest, but there was only like an 8th of an oz on it.
check this out
http://www.growweedeasy.com/cfls
I've only flowered with cfls once, and it was a hermi that I isolated and hung a single cfl over. It did make it to harvest, but there was only like an 8th of an oz on it.
Crazytrain420
Active Member
Haha yeah man just occured to me there's a shop 5 mins down the road so i can look at em better rather than ordering and less wait time
Thanks for the info yeah im not expecting alot of weed its odd but its more of a hobby for me kept em as house plants on windowsill just something to have to hand if i get stuck one day getting some the usual way
Crazytrain420
Active Member
Not really aiming for a monster just something that gets to maybe knee height and a indica so it'll stay short n bushy,thanks for the heads up on the spectrum i thought it was just change em to whatever so higher for veg lower for flower it is, well atm im doing a VERY half assed grow coz I found a bag seed n thought fuck it and a cfl that was just laying around just another question what does warm white mean? It says 2700k warm white n its 15 wattsIt depends on the size of the plant, I would try aiming for 50 watts per sq/ft.
Mid size to larger cfl's is the route I'd go. Higher Kelvin rating for veg, lower kelvin for flower, it don't hurt to mix and match them either. The "kelvin" is the "color" of the light. You'll see on the boxes it'll say "6,400k" or "2300k" ect. That's the kelvin.
Typically with cfl's buds are smaller so don't be afraid to load it up with light. I probably wouldn't go over 60 watts per sq/ft though.
Good luck and have fun
Crazytrain420
Active Member
plan on gettijg mote seeds when i have a better growing condition (lights etc)
dtl420
Well-Known Member
I'd suggest filling an area up and keeping as many small plants in that area as possible. Check out the sea of green method. There's some details to it, but essentially you just have say 5 or 6 plants, depending entirely on how much space/how many lights you have, and keep them all short and spaced out evenly. Then once the plants get to a certain size/distance from one another, you'll flip the lights to flower. It's similar to a scrog, but with more/smaller plants. The idea is to maximize on your lighting. If the light is shining there, you want a leaf there.Haha yeah man just occured to me there's a shop 5 mins down the road so i can look at em better rather than ordering and less wait time
dtl420
Well-Known Member
http://www.growweedeasy.com/entire-microgrow-pictures-week-by-week
This link will probably get you excited.
I love seeing micro grows like these, these people are fucking artists. @Serva could probably give you some ideas for stealth micro grows. There was a guy I was helping on here a few weeks ago that had a pretty cool false wall stealth grow. You'll get all kinds of ideas if you just google stealth grows.
This link will probably get you excited.
I love seeing micro grows like these, these people are fucking artists. @Serva could probably give you some ideas for stealth micro grows. There was a guy I was helping on here a few weeks ago that had a pretty cool false wall stealth grow. You'll get all kinds of ideas if you just google stealth grows.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
If your lucky you might find some LED household lightbulbs for cheaper than CFL at a dollar store and get more light for less watts.
With cfl your probably looking at 60w per square foot.
Px12
New Member
Im thinking long term growing, even for 13 CFLS for 27 dollars sounds tempting but its a waste of time and money. even if you're going to start seeding or even veg for a few days. if you have good weather bring them near a window everyday, once you have what you need you can put them under some good light....now if you plan to grow ONE plant, i think you should go for it.
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Cfls are great for seedlings, but after that they produce stretchy, spindly, low yielding plants.
dtl420
Well-Known Member
Don't be discouraged by all this. We're all growers with powerful lights and the thought of trying to use common household lights seems silly. But, as you could see in the links I posted, it can be done. You're not going to yield what you would with a powerful HID or an efficient led setup, but you will still yield. You will have to grow pretty actively to supply yourself entirely if you smoke as much as I do.. lol.
People dog on cfls, but if you get some of those gang fixtures you could pack enough light to grow healthy plants. Like @MickFoster said, they can get stretchy. But if you keep the lights right down on them it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Probably be easier and more efficient to set up a low scrog. Try to keep the plant as low and wide as possible. It won't be any good if the tops are a few inches away from the bulbs while all the rest of the lower leafs are a foot away. I sometimes veg under t5 high output bulbs and keep them about 2inches away from the tops. And, ideally, instead of raising the light up, pull the top and the branches down. This way the bottom of the plant is still receiving usable light, rather than just sitting there wasting it's photosynthetic material being a foot away form the light.
It's probably not going to be easy, especially for someone that doesn't have experience training plants under a grow light.. But what the hell have you got to lose? If you fail you can always just use those bulbs in your house and buy a better light or go back to the window sill.
People dog on cfls, but if you get some of those gang fixtures you could pack enough light to grow healthy plants. Like @MickFoster said, they can get stretchy. But if you keep the lights right down on them it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Probably be easier and more efficient to set up a low scrog. Try to keep the plant as low and wide as possible. It won't be any good if the tops are a few inches away from the bulbs while all the rest of the lower leafs are a foot away. I sometimes veg under t5 high output bulbs and keep them about 2inches away from the tops. And, ideally, instead of raising the light up, pull the top and the branches down. This way the bottom of the plant is still receiving usable light, rather than just sitting there wasting it's photosynthetic material being a foot away form the light.
It's probably not going to be easy, especially for someone that doesn't have experience training plants under a grow light.. But what the hell have you got to lose? If you fail you can always just use those bulbs in your house and buy a better light or go back to the window sill.
Serva
Well-Known Member
I don‘t know what to say... probably... take eb strips!? You can build a light easily for 0,9 $/w , that will produce 120-150g in 4 months (1,5 x 2 ft area, 9 plants, 1/3g pots)
I would suggest thinking about your aims before going on. „Just as hobby“ doesn‘t sound realistic
You can build a light easily for 0,9 $/w , that will produce 120-150g in 4 months (1,5 x 2 ft area, 9 plants, 1/3g pots)I would suggest thinking about your aims before going on. „Just as hobby“ doesn‘t sound realistic
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Crazytrain420
Active Member
Thanks for all the info man been very helpful,alot of it really comes down to money,i could save but that would take ages and im just itching to get growing still gonna go with CFLs just to "get my feet wet" growing with lights. The sea of green idea seems pretty good been looking at alot of those grows on YouTube pretty impressive. Like i say im not a massive grower i enjoy the growing process so if i get a little bud that a bonus for me sad i know.... One more question and this might sound dumb but here we go,the way i will be connecting all this through a lamp.holder that was originally used for my lizard tank which is also attatched to a cord n plug the splitter will be put into this but i was just wondering are all fittings the same? Like i dunno wanna buy the splitter and it ends up not fitting the main power source (lamp holder) thanks
Crazytrain420
Active Member
Doing 5As many as you can pack in there.