i have 3 26w daylight cfls and 3 42w softwhite cfls should i leave them on for 24hr cycle for vegging or 18 on and 6 off? and should i get 3 more 42w cfls for flowering and take the 26w daylight one out? your suggestions are greatly appreciated and helpful thanx the box is 2'x2'x4' its small i knw but just for some personal

there are many opinions on the 24/0 vs. 18/6 subject, but i think they end up working out just about the same in the end. realistically, you are not going to veg your plant for very long -- maybe two or three weeks. if you run on a 18/6 cycle, your plant will have more time to develop a healthy root system. it's also more 'natural' in terms of mimicking nature. additionally, your lights and grow area will have 6 hours to cool down, which can be greatly beneficial if you have heat issues.

about your lights... i can't say for sure, but it's really pretty simple. you need blue spectrum (6500k - daylight) for veg, and red spectrum (2700k - soft light) for flowering. ideally, at all stages in your plant's growth, you want CFLs within 1-4 inches of all foliage. this means you need very little light at the start, and a lot later on. so, you may end up buying more bulbs as you go. CFL growing is more attention-centric than other ways of growing, so be prepared.

since you have a small area, look into LST and supercropping.

good luck!