How many CFLs do I need to grow a good crop?

I have a rubber maid stacked grow box with 8 42 w bulbs. How many plants can I grow in it?

i have 9 plants under 7 26watt 5600k cfls and they are fine

Thats a lot of cfls for a rubbermaid, how big is it, its going to get hot, seeds or clones

i use my closet but its about 4ft by 1ft and they are from seeds. also the cfl's dont get very hot. u can take it out turned on with ur bare hands

smppro said:

Thats a lot of cfls for a rubbermaid, how big is it, its going to get hot, seeds or clones

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8x42=336 watts that will be a 336 watt rubber maid tote.
minus the cubic feet of space a "decent grow" uses this is going to be a fire hazard. You may have access to a giant tote
but that is not going to work.

are they actualy 42 watts or 42 watt replacement bulbs?

You need to look real close at those bulbs because this is a fire hazard.

you need about 43 23watt cfls to add to 1000 watts you would acheive about 100000 lumens but a 1000w hps givs 150000 lumens!

i have 9 26watt lights on one timer and powerstrip and they are fine

rezo said:

you need about 43 23watt cfls to add to 1000 watts you would acheive about 100000 lumens but a 1000w hps givs 150000 lumens!

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true but add up the costs of the bulb and ballast and everything else

8 42w cfls will get very hot, trust me 4 -42w cfls will get very hot, just because they are cfls doesnt mean they wont make your box hot, what kind of exhaust do you have

My Rubbermaid tubs are the real big ones I think they are about 4 ft x 2 ft x 2ft high