1. Is there a fundemental difference between a CFL and a flourecent tube light other than size? Are they interchangable? Or does the CFL offer an advantage over the tubes?

2. Is there a way to control the amount of space between nodes or is that genetic? Can you manipulate conditions to make the plant stretch upwards or have more budding sites in a plant the same height? I hope that is clear.

Thanks

1. price wise, i believe you will be able to get more lumens in a CFL than the same price of a fluorescent.
2. kind of. its partly genetic, but adjusting how high the lights are will affect how much a plant stretches. look up "topping" or "femming" and "LST" (low stress training). these techniques allow for more branching and a more stout plant

More light less space......strain permitting..

I know those methods. What would you suggest if someone wants a single cola with nodes close together using cfl or tube lighting?

Two 40+ watt CFLs positioned 6-10" directly above the plant. Force the plants energy into reaching for the light and it will stretch straight up.

O sorry also if you LST the plant from a young age and then ti it straight back up you will have plenty of nodes close together. Don't FIM the plant tho if you just want a single cola. Check out my CFL grow I am working on

New CFL Grow - PICS UP!

Cant the branches just be cut off of the main cola?

yes but the taller the plant stress the weaker the stem my get LST the plant make it stretch out instead or up and femming it will increase the cols on the top

i grow with 2 85 watt dual spectrum II and they each put out 5000 lummens witch does not add to make it 10000 bu i have a tube as well so it spreads out over the entire site

Can you reword that please? I am not understanding what you are saying.

In the case that someone has no height restrictions or just wants one huge lolipop. Wont the stem be naturally thick and strong as it grows assuming there is some stress like a fan making it stronger when it is shorter. I have seen plants that are all stretched out and I just want to know if there is a way to keep the nodes closer together so that there would be more nodes on a plant of the same height.

sorry real y high and late for the house on that one.

what i said was if u stretch your plants to much the tem will be weaker not allowing heavier denser buds. and thts wht you want if u LST them and make them grow wide allowing the canopy to form allowing all the pants to get the same amount of light then thats will yeild more than taller plants.... now wide and taller of coarse much more .... but thats not the point...

and the light i have to buld that ue 85 each and thy put out 5000 lumen each. and i also 2 floro tubs... both are daul spectrium meaning they have a warm and a cool... tus way they get a beter spectrum during the veg... then go with all warm durning bud fase