So can I use fluorescent tubes for flowering?

Please bear with me, I am a beginner. OK. So I am only doing 2 plants to see how well I can do. My buddy gave me 2 clones for my birthday and they are a month old today. I've had them in my closet under one fluorescent tube(about 36") and they are doing great. They are about 8 inches tall and 8 inches around. They have many branches/stems and leaves. Very dark green.

Anyways. I just transplanted them from cups to 6x6 containers. I am moving them to a secluded room. I have a fluorescent fixture that will hold 4 tubes(also around 36"). So this is what I need to know.......

Can I use these lights when I decide to switch to 12/12?

And can I continue with them till I am done flowering and ready to harvest?

I'm sure you will suggest a better lighting alternative, but I have a limited income and would like to work with what I already have. Thanks for the advise everyone.

get 2700k bulbs for it, its perfectly fine, you might wanna try topping and lst to get as much light to the plant as possible, keep them 1 inch or so away from the tops.

Sure they will work, but dont expect great results. A few simple CFL bulbs would be better and cheap. Check out the DIY threads as they have some great cost saving ideas.

Growing weed is growing weed. Never overcomplicate things and be happy with what you get. All great things come with time. Enjoy your first homegrown goodies.

you wont have much for yeild thow ,fluorescents are good for veg , but u need a hps to get a good yeild ,more lumes the better ,,

See this is where my knowledge of lighting fails to help me answer a question like this.

A 2700K lamp is going to be heavy in the red, orange and yellow light wavelengths and short on the blues and greens.

Is that the preferred spectral distribution when you're in the flowering stage or do you want to approximate the full spectrum of natural sunlight which would be closer to this:

Sure you can flower 'em w a fluorescent tube fixture. You could probably flower 'em with a strong enough flashlight if you had to.

Its all a matter of yield. In your case, more light = more bud (presuming you are doing everything else correctly). Those fluorescents are a good start, but I'd really try 'n get an HID in there too.

My suggestions for a low-buck setup is...

1) Scrounge up every CFL / Flouro tube light you can find.

2) Goto Lowe's and pick up a 70W HPS security lights for $35 to add to your flouro's.

3) Goto your local hydro store and pickup the Technaflora "Recipe for Success" starter kit for $30 (this has a decent amount of grow/bloom nutes and a bunch of samples of all the extra crap... clone gel, carbs, root stim, bloom additive, etc.). Its all B.C. grow stuff and about as non-organic as they come, but I've had good luck w it and the kit should be more than enough to get u thru a cycle w only 2 plants.

So quality of light versus quantity of light, I'm sure it's a delicate balance.

If I was a plant attempting to grow indoors under artificial light I'm sure I'd be craving a quantity of light with properties that most closely imitate the natural seasonal sunlight that inherently triggers my instincts to propagate before I die.

These sound like natural female motivations from carefully selected feminized plants best understood by nurturing people.

That's the problem with all this.

At the heart of it I'm a technologically oriented male whose core motivation is to try andcontain my base impulses to rape and pillage this poor plant until such time that it can provide me with maximum enjoyment.

Hmmmmm . . . is it dangerous to mix psychology and horticulture?

The psychosynthesis of photosynthesis?

You are thinking about this carefully and that is good. It is not really a balance between quantity and quality. The more the better. But in flower you do want light at the red end of the spectrum. It doesn't have to be 2700k but should be 4100k and lower. You can have some blue, maybe one of your four tubes. I would use your 4 flouros and maybe try to add some 2700k cfls on the sides. Know that height will double in flower.

im right now at my first indoor, and im growing with fluros..im using 5 tubes, each 58 W(t 12 tubes)..only shitty thing is that i have only one tube 2700k and other ones are 6500ks..thats why I added 5, 26 watt 2700k cfls into my setup..the plants are growing really well, and its 21 day of flowering..growing white widow...

grow space said:

im right now at my first indoor, and im growing with fluros..im using 5 tubes, each 58 W(t 12 tubes)..only shitty thing is that i have only one tube 2700k and other ones are 6500ks..thats why I added 5, 26 watt 2700k cfls into my setup..the plants are growing really well, and its 21 day of flowering..growing white widow...

Click to expand...

What is the difference between 2700k and 5700k? How do I know what I'm using. Do you mind me asking how you have you room set up and how many plants your growing? Thanks a lot.

Giantshredder said:

What is the difference between 2700k and 5700k? How do I know what I'm using. Do you mind me asking how you have you room set up and how many plants your growing? Thanks a lot.

Click to expand...

The difference between those 2700k and 5700k is that the first one, yellow side of the spectrum one, is used for flowering stages, when you but your plants to 12/12.And the other spectrum is brighter and used for vegetative growth....


My room , is one part of a room.My rack is hanging with fluros on top, for side i have 5 cfls hanging to promote good side growth.and my rack is covered with big blankets, but also i use foam-sheets.
I have 2 fans, one that blows straight up, and second fan is blowing from the other side.


Hope your happy...

Stay high shredder........