Is that important what kind of light you use?

windopz

Member
Hello.
Is that important to have a blu light for veg and a red light for bloom with an Autoflower?does it make sense?or it’s just about watts?
I’m growing with a 5500k CFL, do you think I should switch to a red one in a few days?
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
Ok so you are going to get some different answers here but this is what it boils down to. The spectrum of light you use is not as important as the intensity. Different spectrums of light may give you slightly different results when it comes to terp profiles and resin production... Different "expressions" you might say, but when it comes to end yield, intensity Trump's spectrum.

On a different note. Stop trying to grow weed under a damn cfl. Lol, save up a few bucks and go buy a Mars Hydro ts600 or 800 or whatever their smallest light is. My opinion is if you are going to try growing your own bud, at least get yourself a respectable setup.
A Mars Hydro ts600 is about $80... You don't have to have a tent... But a small 2x2 or similar would run about $50 and after that at least a small desk fan from Walmart to pull in fresh air and circulate air inside the tent or box... $10... So for about $150 you can at least say you gave it a solid attempt to grow your own. Growing under a cfl is pretty sad now days... If you can't afford $150 on a lights, fan, and tent, then maybe you can't really afford to be smoking weed... Just saying.
 
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windopz

Member
I don’t have enough space for that. I’m in a sort of micro growing environment, just one plant per time. In addition to the cfl o have 3 25w full spectrum leds. The question was because of the nature of Autoflowers, I’m interested in knowing if the spectrum is significant with this king of plants or not.
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Autos will flower under pretty much any light however as stated above , try to give it as much usable as it can get.
Otherwise your effort will show in a micro plant and shit harvest. It’s just a plant ..... just give it all it can so the plant can reward you at end.
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
I don’t have enough space for that. I’m in a sort of micro growing environment, just one plant per time. In addition to the cfl o have 3 25w full spectrum leds. The question was because of the nature of Autoflowers, I’m interested in knowing if the spectrum is significant with this king of plants or not.
A Mars Hydro is only a 100 watt LED suitable for growing about 1 plant at a time. And you don't have to use a tent...
 

DCcan

Well-Known Member
Is that important to have a blu light for veg and a red light for bloom with an Autoflower?does it make sense?or it’s just about watts?
I’m growing with a 5500k CFL, do you think I should switch to a red one in a few days?
I don’t have enough space for that. I’m in a sort of micro growing environment, just one plant per time. In addition to the cfl o have 3 25w full spectrum leds. The question was because of the nature of Autoflowers, I’m interested in knowing if the spectrum is significant with this king of plants or not.
Nice examples of growth patterns for you to judge.


Photo 3, R_B_LEDtomato, Heidi Wollaeger, Mich. St. Univ..jpg
34-Figure3-1.pngArticleImage.jpg3-Figure3-1.png2017-2-Figure-1-Blue-light-800x585.jpg
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
Which model exactly?i only see a 600w panel that’s too big for my grow angle
The ts600 is not a 600 watt fixture. Look up the specs. It is drawing 100 watts from the wall. A lot of led lights especially the budget lights have numbers in their model name that are misleading. Always check the specifications for actual wattage draw.
 

windopz

Member
The ts600 is not a 600 watt fixture. Look up the specs. It is drawing 100 watts from the wall. A lot of led lights especially the budget lights have numbers in their model name that are misleading. Always check the specifications for actual wattage draw.
It looks really interesting. Unfortunately my space is only 28cm so can’t stay in place...at the moment I’m growing with two 47watts 5500k cfl, I will switch with two 45w 2700k at the end of the 2nd week. Is it decent?
 

Gentlemencorpse

Well-Known Member
It looks really interesting. Unfortunately my space is only 28cm so can’t stay in place...at the moment I’m growing with two 47watts 5500k cfl, I will switch with two 45w 2700k at the end of the 2nd week. Is it decent?
It's just not enough light my friend. You will end up with a scrawny plant and next to no bud. What Auto strain is it? You may have been better off with a photo strain just because you could control the size better. Autos just kinda do what they want.

This is a good guide to growing with CFLs:

Don't worry about the spectrum at all. Worry about adding more light.

People do grow in your space but it's not easy and you need to be creative. Read as many micro grow journals as you can.
 

windopz

Member
It's just not enough light my friend. You will end up with a scrawny plant and next to no bud. What Auto strain is it? You may have been better off with a photo strain just because you could control the size better. Autos just kinda do what they want.

This is a good guide to growing with CFLs:

Don't worry about the spectrum at all. Worry about adding more light.

People do grow in your space but it's not easy and you need to be creative. Read as many micro grow journals as you can.
It's a Royal Dwarf from royal queen, but I bought also some Royal Jack Auto
 

windopz

Member
At the moment the plant is under the two CFL's (45wx2) plus a 30w effective full spectrum led lights. totally i have 120watt for one plant. Isn't still enought?
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
The Mars Hydro ts 600 is about 14"x12" and flowers an 18"x18" area. Just how small is your grow space? Are you growing in less than 1 square foot?
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
He's growing in almost exactly a square foot.
Well then... Let's think outside the box a little... How about something like this. This is small, cheap, bright... It is even offered in a 100 watt version that might work also. I think 50 watts should be good for a 12x12. I am into planted aquariums and I know lots of people who use lights like these to grow plants in their aquariums. Screenshot_20200414-142712.png
 

MATTYMATT726

Well-Known Member
At the moment the plant is under the two CFL's (45wx2) plus a 30w effective full spectrum led lights. totally i have 120watt for one plant. Isn't still enought?
Why are you trying to grow if you are not willing to do it properly and buy decent(even cheaper end) equipment? No it's not enough. CFLs need to be 2 inches away from the plant at all times. They do not penetrate past 6" total. It is best to use many smaller bulbs around the plant than a few big ones. Ideally 23/26 watt bulbs is what you want. It is also recommended by CFL growers that you want 200 watts per plant because they are not that strong. You will not get much of anything if you refuse to buy a proper light. It doesn't need to be the top brand, but it still needs to be of good wattage and intensity for growing the plants.
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
Why are you trying to grow if you are not willing to do it properly and buy decent(even cheaper end) equipment? No it's not enough. CFLs need to be 2 inches away from the plant at all times. They do not penetrate past 6" total. It is best to use many smaller bulbs around the plant than a few big ones. Ideally 23/26 watt bulbs is what you want. It is also recommended by CFL growers that you want 200 watts per plant because they are not that strong. You will not get much of anything if you refuse to buy a proper light. It doesn't need to be the top brand, but it still needs to be of good wattage and intensity for growing the plants.
The led flood light I posted is not an actual"grow light" but it is in the right spectrum and should be small enough for his grow space, only using 50 watts, and should get descent penetration. It is a good compromise for his grow space. I personally think you could pull off a pretty good grow with enough of these lights.
 

wil2279

Well-Known Member
Me personally I'd go with the 100 watt flood light. It is roughly 8"x6.25" while the 50 watts light is roughly 5" x 7". I'd get the 100 watt light and just hang it a little higher. And at $30 if it works well... It's a steal! Screenshot_20200414-150203.png
 

reoxidase

Member
Hello.
Is that important to have a blu light for veg and a red light for bloom with an Autoflower?does it make sense?or it’s just about watts?
I’m growing with a 5500k CFL, do you think I should switch to a red one in a few days?
I like the 315 watt ceramic metal halide. It has a good spectrum, the intensity is great, and not too much heat. depending on your setup and temperatures you can use a self contained 315watt CMH light for sale for about $80. In warmer weather I like a "cool tube" set up which required a separate ballast etc. , still less then $200 in additional equipment and I used the same bulb. One of the things I like about the CMH setup is that is does not have that obvious "grow room" look as an HPS light, so I don't worry so much about covering every inch of my windows during plant tending, it uses a third of the power of a 1000watt light and yields similar (not exact) results. Of course space is relative to your situation. I use it in a 3 x 3 grow tent which I bought for about $80.
 

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