My First CFL, =0

AcidBurn901 · #1 03-07-2009, 03:31 AM

I'm not very well funded at the moment, being without work and what not so this is trying to be a low budget kind of deal. trying to test my limits and see where i can go after this, please post away and critique. All help is welcomed =D

1 plant, bag seed =o. . .i have two other plants but this is just one they are all indentical. The strongest female is the one i will continue focus on.

Lighting so far(and until finished veg state):
= two 26 watt 6500k CFL's.

Flowering stage :
= 2 42 watt 2700k, 1 26 watt 6500k CFL's.

Temp is a steady 79 degrees F

This is my first CFL grow. This is day two, waiting on a sprout . . .

EDIT:
I have added a new grow box. Constructed out of a box and foil(for now).
The lights can now have more reflectivity.
New pics also

Roseman · #2 03-07-2009, 07:07 AM

well, you got the Spectrum-Kelvins right. As you can afford, add more watts.

AcidBurn901 · #3 03-07-2009, 12:19 PM

So i've read, more lights = more food, which = better yeild correct?

Roseman · #4 03-07-2009, 12:52 PM

There is a minimum amount of lumens per square foot, that will allow a plant to grow and live, and there is a reccomended amount, that will really make them thrive and grow faster.

How much light is needed for growing?
Depends on the size of plant you are trying to grow. I'll try to answer this "in general" instead of being specific to one size plant. Light seen and perceived with the human eye is measured in Lumens. There is an ideal amount of lumens for growing and a minimum amount of required lumens. The very minimum amount of light required for smaller sized plants grown is around 3000 lumens per square foot. Let me put emphasis on "minimum amount" of light. However, that's not 100% exactly accurate, since although you may have a 10,000 lumen light, the amount of light that reaches the plant varies with the distance between the light and plants, and the reflectivity of the grow area. The ideal amount is somewhere around 7000-10,000 lumens per square foot for average sized plants. As long as the plants do not show burn, as much light can be used as you want to use. (Note, the sun produces about 10,000 lumens per square foot, on a sunny mid summer day).

Determining lumens for your grow area:
First determine the square footage of your area (example in a 4 foot by 4 foot area, there is 16 square feet, 2 by 2 feet is 4 Sq ft. ) If you have a 1000 Watt High Pressure Sodium Light Bulb, that produces approximately 107,000 lumens. Divide this by 16 (your square footage) 107,000 divided by 16 = 6687 lumens per square foot. So just divide the total amount of Lumens, by the total amount of square feet, and that's your lumens per square foot.

A CFL puts out about 50 to 70 lumens per watt.

AcidBurn901 · #5 03-07-2009, 01:26 PM

Ahh i see thats great help!
since its gonna be a single one and im in a very small room maybe 3'x3' with a height of about 8/9 foot.

AcidBurn901 · #6 03-08-2009, 02:56 PM

just a minor update, its day three, almost day four still no sprout, i've done my reading and all, but still should i be worried?

Roseman · #7 03-09-2009, 07:49 AM

often takes 4 to 5 days. less, if you pre-soak .

AcidBurn901 · #8 03-10-2009, 01:26 AM

so, i realized the soil i was using was, HORRIBLE,
so i switched and finally got some organic MG soil and some perlite
=]
Put in four more seeds to germ, back to the drawing board
=o

also +rep for roseman, hes been a great help

playa869 · #9 03-11-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AcidBurn901

I'm not very well funded at the moment, being without work and what not so this is trying to be a low budget kind of deal. trying to test my limits and see where i can go after this, please post away and critique. All help is welcomed =D

1 plant, bag seed =o. . .i have two other plants but this is just one they are all indentical. The strongest female is the one i will continue focus on.

Lighting so far(and until finished veg state):
= two 26 watt 6500k CFL's.

Flowering stage :
= 2 42 watt 2700k, 1 26 watt 6500k CFL's.

Temp is a steady 79 degrees F

This is my first CFL grow. This is day two, waiting on a sprout . . .

EDIT:
I have added a new grow box. Constructed out of a box and foil(for now).
The lights can now have maximum reflectivity.
New pics also

Not too bad lookin man looks alot like mine lol