1st attempt CFL grow box (any tips)

more lights would probably help

well i have been reading up on the whole light thing and i got alot of mixed results. how many watts per plant would you say i need. cause right now i have 75 watts(sunlight) per plant and i have each light positioned over each plant. oh and another question from the look of my plants do you think i would need to trim them anytime soon?

yo rasta do you have any more of the reflective material, if so I would put some on the floor an just make it all the same color. Here is a good thread for CFL lighting:CFL Proximity To Foliage. The info is there ya may have to go through a few pages to get the just of it. The first few posts from the OP explain the basic concept.

Do your plants sit where they are at in pic3 most of the time, if you gather them all in the middle as close as possible then you can get a bit more light concentration. Is there any kind of reflection for the top, like resting something across the power-strip. I am temporarily using a sheet of heavy-weight poster board. I cut it in half an it fits pretty damn good in my ghetto box... . More lumens will never hurt... well as long as you can keep temps adequate. On my power-strip light I used 1 more pair of bulbs in the middle. I found some 3-way grounded plug adapters at Lowes on clearance($1.97), i just picked up one to see if it would work out.



I plan to get as many as they have left next week. Adding 1 more of the 4-way to the power-strip, so 1 at each end. Also will have 2 pairs of 6500k(maybe) facing down at angle. This is kind of a temp. grow(box) now, roommate today mentioned they would not care if I used the spare bedroom closet...

Thanks for all your advice here is the update on my box. I added two more CFL's in the box and from the look of them they seem to appreciate it.

[video]http://s583.photobucket.com/albums/ss277/chamorusouljah/?action=view&current=Video003.mp4[/video]

Y do u wanna trim it? wait a lil longer, then top them, then clone wut u cut.

Forzaitaly1 said:

Y do u wanna trim it? wait a lil longer, then top them, then clone wut u cut.

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Was just wondering cause i have alot of bottom growth on the stem and was worried bout light getting to it and air circulation down there.

One thing ya might want to consider is to raise the shorter plants so they are closer to the canopy height of the tallest. I like to use sterilized old small pots plants come in from nurseries.

Cransi said:

One thing ya might want to consider is to raise the shorter plants so they are closer to the canopy height of the tallest. I like to use sterilized old small pots plants come in from nurseries.

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well my lights can be moved up and down right now i have 1 side lower than the other to get the smaller plants up front. And another question will topping them keep them short and bushier? I know the it will cause 2 more shoots to grow in its place but as u can seen i dont have the biggest grow area (W19"x L16"x H28") so i want to keep them small. From the pics the one in the back left is 6.5", back right 5.5" middle left and right are 4" even. how much longer do you think i should wait till i put them to 12/12 i have them on 18/6 right now. (assuming that i would top them today.) RPM)

Here's a update. a bit of yellowing on the bottom leaves and i looked it up and i think it might be early signs of nute burn so i flushed them today will only be giving them water for the next couple of days maybe a week to see if things improve. another thing is im having a gnat problem. i seem to be killing at least 2 or 3 every couple of days and i read that the can multiply fairly quickly if i don't get this under control. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of them it would be much appreciated. I also added a bunch more lights, temp always stays at a constant 75-77 degrees and still on a 18/6 cycle. oh yeah and i topped them not to sure if i did it to early that was yesterday but it doesnt seem like the plants are hurting from it but i guess only time will tell.

well heres a update my other box was to small made another one here are the pics. i get my hps light on the 15th so thats when ill put these girls on 12/12.


My new grow box.



This first one is really bushy. and these are all the ones i topped last week and they are goin good.


And here are my new babies. they are goin under a LED grow. as soon as i get it in.

OK sorry havent been updating but here they are. I recently put the bigger ones in my closet cause they got to big for my box. Was gonna put them under HPS for flowering but
since this was a CFL grow i decided to keep it that way. the ones i have under the led will be goin under the HPS. I also put them on 12/12 since the 7th so almost a week now.
So tell me what you think.

<-The Closet set-up <-LED set-up

<-the girls. <-LED Children.

<-Very bushy! <-The Oldest LED child.

<-I think they are female can anyone tell me?

Well there you go. If anyone still has advice im all ears.

yo rasta how's it goin, sorry ia have not be keepin up. I also switched to a closet an been swamped since. Is that LED panel from the company that makes the UFO light? Them led pics reminds me of some weird-ass tripz! It is a bit difficult to see, but I think in the 2nd/4th pics is the female pre-flower. Can you see like 2 little hairs coming from the tip of the possible pre-flower?

Cransi said:

yo rasta how's it goin, sorry ia have not be keepin up. I also switched to a closet an been swamped since. Is that LED panel from the company that makes the UFO light? Them led pics reminds me of some weird-ass tripz! It is a bit difficult to see, but I think in the 2nd/4th pics is the female pre-flower. Can you see like 2 little hairs coming from the tip of the possible pre-flower?

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yeah cransi the LED is from the same company. The plants grow under that look alot fuller sice i put them under that. as for the pre-flowers i would have to get back to you after i check them today after the lights come on.

have you grown with leds before?

looks good man, im sub'd check my grow out! 1 plant with 3 BRAND NEW Clones

you should think about taking clones if you want a big yeild, you can shape a plant into like 30 clones if you wanted to

total said:

have you grown with leds before?

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no but i find it very interesting. i have done alot of reading on this to i just wanted to see the difference in the grows.

SnowWhite420 said:

looks good man, im sub'd check my grow out! 1 plant with 3 BRAND NEW Clones

you should think about taking clones if you want a big yeild, you can shape a plant into like 30 clones if you wanted to

Click to expand...

Awesome grow man your mother and clones look healthy.
I have thought about it and i have done alot of reading on that to but i am just seeing how this grow goes but im planning on doing that with
the led grow i have goin.

oh yeah stupid question but what is LST?

Oh yeah another thing i just cleaned out my closet so that they would have more room. Heres a vid on that.

Looks good for Veg....I would still reccomend more CFL's for the amount of plants when close to flowering. 4-6 per plant is more sufficent from what I seen and have read, If you are getting some yellowing of the botom leafs this early this another issue.... I am a newer grower but have learned alot from my 3 plants,,With the lighting you have I would guess overwatering for the light spec they have to work with? Have learned watering is a big part to growth of light supported if this makes semce..More or less one palnt will probley not dry out as fast with 2 CFL's VS 6 from growth and time.. idk but have been really been paying attention to what my plants need no matter the setup, they show..=) Good Luck