If I'm wanting to start a grow room in my 3x3 ft. closet using compact fluorescents 1 w/red spectrum and 1 w/ blue spectrum (2 CFL's all together) to grow 2-3 plants!!! With fertilizer,starting soil, planting pots, fan, and any thing else i needed. About how much will that run me?($)

I am no expert at all, and I know even less about fluorescents, however that sounds like you need more lighting.

It really depends, an what quality stuff u get. I grew 4 small plants for a week or so on 1 2700 (warm bulb, by accident). Lumen florescent bulb. You will definately need more once they get bigger. You could probly do 1 or 2 bulbs per plant at least. Basic ferts are pretty cheap $3 - $10 for stuff you mix in water (it will last you at least a few grows). If you get joe blo premixed soil it will run you around $3-5 for an 8 quart bag. If you plan to grow in the same pot the whole time pots are maybe $10 for all of em, fans you can get away with a cheap one for $5 or if you have a few 80mm pc fans, or a couple 120mm's. All of that is basic stuff and should get you buy until flowering.

Once you get to flowering you will also need something to help with the smell. You could make a carbon scrubber, or use some automatic fresheners or something. Before you start using ferts you may want to read up a bit about the different needs of the plants at different stages. (Basically more potassium during veg and more phosphorus during flowering)

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Do you plan on getting your pots used from a nursery or salvation army and washing out with bleach? That would save money. Right now you can get a 5 pac of florors at home depot for under $10. Don't know the specs on them. Didn't stop and check them out. Buy a huge plastic tub with lid (like the kind you store things in) these are great for holding your potting mix. They are generally cheap at Walmart. Less then $5. For reflectivity paint your grow area flat white. Walmart brand under $8 for an entire gallon. Home Depot carries Miracle Grows only decent line of potting mix. The all natural one.

I know these things add up but when you save a few dollars here and a few there that adds up too. So the start up costs depends on how much work you are willing to do to save and how creative you are.

Not enough CFL's man and you do realise that they will only produce small buds compared to HPS right? CFL's use hardly any power you wont even notice the difference with two.

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so I should get another blue spectrum or red? or both?

Probly both. You want more blue when u veg and more warm when you flower.

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yep both would be best

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so I should have 2 for each stage? 2 blue spectrum lights for vegetative stage, and 2 red spectrum lights for flowering?

how many lumens are the bulbs? Usually it will say on the package. For your 3 plants you will want 5000 lumens or more.

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