first time grow cfl

So I started this purple afghan kush seed a month ago im vegging under a 4 bulb 160w cfl ballast. Been giving nutes every other watering but it just don't seem to be growing fast compared to similar pics and journals I've read. I keep my temp between 70 and 80 degrees. Humidity around 35%. It looks healthy and is pushing good branches but only starting its 5th set. Is this normal if so when should I start flowering?

What time schedule are you using

Im running 24/0 right now 4 40w cool white bulbs

It may be because the cool white are usually between 3500k to 4100k, and that is kinda useless to the plant.
For vegging, you can use 5000k or 6500k, and even mix with some 2700k if you want.
Also, with the plant down inside your pot like that, you are kind of shielding it from some light also.
I vegged for a month, but my plant didn't really take off until after I repotted, and started feeding.
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21 days from sproutView attachment 2484980
First feeding at 25 days, and pic is at 28 days from sproutView attachment 248498138 days old

Thanks alot this information is really helpful I've tried to look up the color temp for my bulbs with no luck so I think its off to the store tomorrow for new bulbs then to transplant :b

One more thing I've been thinking of switching to full spectrum grow bulbs good or bad idea?

daylight spectrum is ideal for veg. i vegged mine until they were 20 in. tall,, that strain may be shorter so i would switch to flowering by estimate how big you want the plant to be, as they can double in height during flowering

Ususally the Kelvin rating is on the back of the box, in small print, but here is a link with general info.
http://www.takecontrolandsave.coop/documents/CFLColorTemperature.pdf

michiganmeds87 said:

One more thing I've been thinking of switching to full spectrum grow bulbs good or bad idea?

Click to expand...

Yes, very bad idea. When you look at the back of the box, as baka said, you'll see that it's only producing color in one spectrum.

There's no such thing as a true full spectrum bulb in the CFL world. CFLs work differently than incandescent light bulbs, they get their temperature (color) from a phosphorus coating inside the bulbs that reacts to the UV/IR radiation that the inert/noble gas and mercury create when charged by the built-in ballast.

playermic said:

daylight spectrum is ideal for veg. i vegged mine until they were 20 in. tall,, that strain may be shorter so i would switch to flowering by estimate how big you want the plant to be, as they can double in height during flowering

Click to expand...

Those names are very misleading... You should always try to go buy the spectrum graph first, and then the kelvin temperature. If the bulb is too cheap to list those on the packaging, do you really want them (and their mercury) over those little ladies that will be consumed? A bulb break over your grow area (because of the mercury contamination) SHOULD result in a from-scratch grow. I dunno how many farmers are willing to pull their crop, because of a CFL breaking over a plant. This is true about ANY bulb that uses mercury (HPS, M/H, CFL, Florescent, even some LED lights.)