so anyway i'm growing a single plant in a 1 gallon pot. right now its a tiny seedling, only about an inch and a half tall with 4 tiny leaves. i'm not going to the extreme and growing 50 at once so i have 1 reading light. i clipped the reading light under my bed and put tin foil around the lining under my bed, and then i put a blanket over the exposed end to ensure no light escapes and no light gets in for the night cycle. (i dont use the bed any more, it dosent have a mattress and is about 2 feet tall with 2 feet of space under it.) the light is 2 inches away from the seedling. what i want to know is:

is my area sufficient enough? will the small reading light and tin foil be enough for one plant?

how long will it take for the seedling to become a decent sized plant?. i'm not using any chemicals or plant food. i just bought some soil from the store and planted the sprouted seed. its been about 2 weeks since the seed planting. so all i am doing is watering it and putting it under the light.

will my method of growing the plant slow it down dramatically?

also i want to know if c02 is a definate requirement for the plant. will it grow without c02? after all it is in a secluded space with no animals or anything. i'm trying to spend little or no money growing this plant, i understand if it dies and i have a couple more seeds to back it up.

what is cloning? do i HAVE to clone my plants?

well I know that U could use a regular light bulb or heat lamp to make seed sprout but is very shitty for rest of vegetative stage. So you will have to invest in some more lights CFl, hps , or Mh lights.

CFL- Compact Fluorescent HPS=high pressure sodium MH-metal halide

do wal-mart or k-mart sell these lights? how much do they usually go for?

yes go out to newbie central and look for forum titled "looking for 6500k and 2700k CFL" click on it and there a picture of a light(CFL) towards the bottom of the page with a website directory click it!

if this concerns CFLs, sure, every damn shop from north to south carries them... if your question is about MH and HPS bulbs and systems, well they carry small version of them but those are no good for growin in the first and in second a 75W HPS bulb from Kmart will go for the same amound as a 400W grow HPS, so i guess this will help you a bit

__________________
keep the thumb green and the gun oiled, !

the pot is mighty big for a seedling, the tin foil is a real plant killer in a grow, GET IT OUT NOW! replace it by a white non glossy surface, maybe paint the area around your grow simply with plain white paint, that easy
put the light to 16h light and 8h dark, use a timer switch for this
if you use a CFL for veg, get it close, within a inch of the top to prevent stretching of the plant! don't let it touch the bulb, it will burn the plant, nor let the light get to far away on it since it will go after it!
the soil will supply the plant with all needed nutes for about 4 to 6 weeks depending of it strain, no nutes until then or they gone kill it!

and last advise for you tonight, get some reading done in the sticky section fast!

__________________
keep the thumb green and the gun oiled, !

maybe not walmart or kmart but lowes and home depot carry 50w-150w hps sercurity lights, these will work the same altho u need to do some wireing to make them acceptable for indoors. if u want more info on this let me know.

What are compact fluorescents and how can I use them for growing?

Contributed by: Burramys Parvus
Thanks to: 11leafedleaf
Submitted: 03-25-2003
Images archived

BASIC INFORMATION
Compact fluorescents are close relatives of the 4ft tube fluorescents, commonly used in shops and schools for their white, soft light that does not cast any defined shadows. These lights are long tubes, usually 4ft long, filled with a gas that releases a photon of light when excited by electricity. The electricity is passed through the tube from the metal sections at either end, thus exciting the gas within and releasing photons of light. These lights must have a 'starter' which gets the light going initially, unlike incandescent which can just be turned on and off without one. Regular fluorescents usually emit 18w of light per tube, and cannot be plugged straight into a wall socket.

Compact fluorescents, on the other hand, are made for use in regular light sockets, and can easily be installed by anyone with basic handyman skills. Compact fluorescents are usually around 8inches long (not including the ballast, which usually adds about 3 inches to the total length) and emit minimal amounts of heat from the globe itself. Most of the heat emitted from a compact fluorescent comes from the ballast. These lights are usually between 8w and 27w, although some variation may occur between brands and uses.

The main reason people choose CF's over regular fluoro's is their compact ability! They are very 'movable' and can be positioned almost everywhere. They put out MUCH more light than their bigger cousins, while using only a fraction of the space.

Some of the many varieties of compact fluorescents.









Image contributed by: Locutus


NON-CULTIVATION USE OF COMPACT FLUORESCENTS

If you're running a large grow setup, and you're concerned about the spike in electricity, replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluoro’s around the house! They give off the same light, using only a fraction of the electricity. If you're running a HID light, and the electricity increase could kill you financially, or you're just worried about LEO, it might be a good idea to replace incandescent with compact fluoro’s. As an example, a 100w incandescent uses most of its energy giving off heat. If you replace all these 100w incandescent bulbs with ~20w energy saving compact fluoro's, you can dramatically reduce your energy bill, and help the environment at the same time. In fact, I recommend changing all your lights to CF's regardless of your growing situation, as they will save you $$ in the long-term, and save the environment.

The advantage with these lights is that the conversion from incandescent isn't complicated! Simply un-screw the old bulb, and screw in a compact fluoro! Done! You're on your way to energy saving paradise!


THE USE OF FLUORO'S FOR GROWING CANNABIS

Every grower has, or still uses these lights. Although they don’t even come close to the results from a HID light, they do however provide a cheap alternative for a newbie 'dabbling' in the fine art of growing. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on an HID light, a newbie can purchase a compact fluorescent for a few bucks, and still have money for a coffee on the way home.

These lights are also excellent for starting seedlings and clones, as their cool light will not dry out the soil as fast as an HID. They have a low intensity, and are gentle on newly germinated seedlings, and are great for clones as they wont dry them out or give them too much of an early blast.

Compact fluoro's are also great for stealth grows, as they can be kept about 1 inch from the plants, and do not require extensive heat ventilation due to their warm operating temperature.


WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THESE LIGHTS?

Most lighting stores will sell them, but watch out, prices are very different depending on what type of shop you get them at! As lighting shops only sell lighting equipment, their prices can either be high or low, it really depends on the type of lighting shop it is. A designer lighting shop may end up being much more expensive, as they tend to be more directed towards the upper-class designer type customer, which extra $$ to spend. Hardware’s sell them, but their variety of lights is usually limited. Electricians, and assorted electrical shops will sell them, and this is most likely where you will get the best range and the best prices. My advice to you is, shop around! You wont regret it when you can save around 30% per light.


WHICH TYPE OF COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT TO CHOOSE

For anyone growing cannabis, it is pointless to buy a weak light. Given the option of 8w, 15w and 27w, you would be stupid not to buy the 27watt, as they are more or less the same price. Compare the lumen output of each of the bulbs, different 27w bulbs may have different lumen outputs (depending on the manufacturer) and as with everything, the more lumens the better. You will also be given 2 options, the screw method of fitting, or the bayonet method (push and turn). My preference is the bayonet fitting. Make sure that you choose the right one for your socket! Also, do not choose a regular compact fluoro. Pick the one with the energy saving feature (will be explained why later on in the document). Now, for vegetative growth you should choose the 'cool white' light. This is also acceptable for flowering, but a 'warm white' light will be better as it is stronger in the red end of the light spectrum which is more suitable for flowering.