Lighting...trying to go cheap. Still bagseed experimenting

Like I said in my other thread...I'm experimenting with bagseeds. So far I have my plants at like 2-3 inches only. The lighting is regular house lights...I just put the plants real close to em..like few inches away..lol. Nothing to special, just going cheap on equipment till I get the hang of it. I know people have recommended CFLs.

They are suppose to use less electricity?..but they shine brighter? how does that work out...I don't really get it that it saves $ and is better for plants. How is it brighter/better if it uses less electricity?


So far I'm thinking of making a grow box... Cutting a square hole on top of a good size box and placing my light unit there. I have a 5 gallon fish tank light which uses those small tube bulbs...are there any good tube light or CFL for those?...I can't find any. (if anyone can, please recommend exactly what to look for. I was walking around the light bulb section of Walmart the other day for literally 20 minutes being clueless)


Or should I get one of these... and put a CFL bulb in?

http://images1.comstock.com/Imagewarehouse/TS/SITECS/NLWMCompingVersions/C0033/C0033208/C0033208.jpg
Well be mounted, using a certain cheap technique

Again they are bagseeds..so I know cheap equipment wont give me potent ass bud. But atleast get a 'good' high off of. I just want a light to help bloom those beauties. Any suggestions?..trying to go cheap....reeeaaal cheap. (still experimenting and learning)

Thanks

You need to do some research on lighting. I'll leave it at that.

Wow..can't even help? I'm in need for quick helpful answers. I'm new and just want to do experimenting. If I wanted to grow the most potent stuff around..I would do a whole lot researching, but like I said..still learning. So I do minimal researching, and I don't really know where to search. I search around on here and on Google for answers. Most information out there is crap and hard to understand anyways. They give so much slang terminology that isn't even on the slang list..so I'm like ??? Just help me out people. (most grow guides out there are crap anyways..i want real people help, not a so called guide)

Thanks..

There is a whole lighting sticky:

https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/723-things-know-about-lighting.html

(though a link in the newbie room would be a good thing)


Then there is the FAQ:
GROWFAQ

And the whole CFL forum:
CFL Growing


More light the better (but needs the right spectrum for the stage of growing) Some lights are useless, black lights, halogens and others that escape me. not sure about the mercury vapor, haven't heard much about them, so I guess not desired.

How cheap is cheap? How much will you spend in total? Some costs can be done later Like a CFL veg grow and in a couple months buy a small HPS for the flowering. About 75% should towards lights

Small spaces build up heat. (trust me on this one!)

what do you want people to say to you? you've allready pointed out
that you wont spend any money.you cant grow without spending money.
regular house bulbs dont have the right light spectrum to grow with.it will
start your seedlings,then it will just stretch to hell and fall over.if your
gonna grow you gotta spend money anyway on ventilation.a few plants will
stink up your whole house.you say "still experimenting and learning",you cant learn
anything without growing something and you cant grow with regular light bulbs.
also,if your not willing to read shit,your gonna learn shit.

this is a cfl

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Compact-Flourescent-Bulb.jpg

you need the ones that say "soft white" or warm for flowering.
you need the ones that say "daylight" for vegetating or the growing part,
before you start flowering.

you can get away with less bulbs in veging but youll need at least three
for each plant for flowering,at least to make it worth it.get the 42 watt
ones.and not the equivalent watts,the actual watts used.

a 125w cfl and shade will cost about $40. i used 1 for veging 6 plants and has done really well.

Dont be a cheap ass and look after ur plants give them what they need.

I agree with the previuos comment, house bulbs will only stertch ur plant. A mate tried this it grow to 2ft and then died.

I answered the way I did because the answers to your questions are the same as you would find in a tutorial about lighting. It's not that people don't want to help, but to write out a bunch of information on lighting is a waste of time and energy when it can be easily found and understood. A specific question is different, but you are asking very general questions that you can research and learn about on your own.

Forget your 'regular house bulb.' It's useless. It will keep a small plant alive for a while, but that's not the same thing as growing robustly. I take it 'cheaply' means no money at all; the sun is the only free lighting I know of.

When i started my ladies in december, i was broke, so i used my ceiling fixtures lights and all (40w cool blue). I ended up using 3 fixtures but stuck w/ those bulbs all the way thru. Today I finished my last harvesting of my 4 ladies that I 'weeded' out thru my 20 baggie seeds. I am at this very moment, schmoking a dried bud in my pipe for an experimental hit. It's good! harsh, cause it's not cured yet, but good. all from a total investment (including yeast packets and sugar for the cheap-ass c02 setup and molasses for an additive during flowering) fly strips, and a timer ( I used MG potting soil, it's infested with gnats), I spent less than $60 for a 5 month grow period.
Cheap enough? oh, yeah, the dehumidifier and box fan I owned already. and I say dehumidifier, only 'cause it was in an unheated wet basement room and its exhaust actually heated the room (75F) while drying it at the same time.
So a fan and cheap flourescents and some ferts and nutes comes to about $40 if you have to buy the fixtures. add a fan

LMFAO @ fridge's avatar!



ugh ugh, yea lot's of CFL's @ 6500k...

Thanks for the help people...The most I'm willing to spend is maybe $60 bucks..then maybe I'll place them some place nice outside once it gets huge...trust me I got places. If the plants get stolen then so be it..I just want to see what I can yield with such low cost...and no I'm not trying to yield something with no potency what so ever. A light buzz is still nice you know?

The thing is, growing cannabis from start to finish requires a fair bit of time and work. I never understand when someone says 'I don't care about yield or potentcy' which, incidentally, I have heard many times at RIU. Why on earth would anyone want to spend months taking care of a plant or plants for a little yield and a 'light buzz?' I just don't get the reasoning behind that thinking. I know in your case you have no money, but the sun is cheap, water is cheap, and if you're really that poor you can make your own nutrients if need be. For example, did you know that some of the cheap nutes commonly found in hardware stores (at least one that I know of anyway - Shultz All Purpose) are little more than black-strap molasses? Use your imagination, do some research, grow outside and you won't need to settle.

You sound very young. You're not going to like this but, I often wonder if the first step for the younger crowd should be, get a job.

Ativas said:

I never understand when someone says 'I don't care about yield or potentcy'

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yeah and they always say, the most i'm willing to spend, when they really mean, if i get my allowance and sell these xbox games i might be able to come up with 60 bucks LOLOL!!

i found this funny and sad...

"but like I said..still learning. So I do minimal researching."

come on, really? i know when you first start it seems like a ton to learn, isnt the point of doing research to be learned in a subject? you are trying to rationalize doing minimal research by saying you are still learning??? growing pot isnt for the lethargic. when i found this site i was absolutely clueless. and people pointed me to the growfaq and i poured through it, several growjournals, tons of posts.
you ARE going to run into problems even if you do a ton of research. but if you do just a little you may avoid many problems. first grows are problem ridden. trust me im runnin one too. check out those articles eh? sorry if i sound a bit preachy, that qoute just got me.

good luck on it though.

Ery

Ativas said:

The thing is, growing cannabis from start to finish requires a fair bit of time and work. I never understand when someone says 'I don't care about yield or potentcy' which, incidentally, I have heard many times at RIU. Why on earth would anyone want to spend months taking care of a plant or plants for a little yield and a 'light buzz?' I just don't get the reasoning behind that thinking. I know in your case you have no money, but the sun is cheap, water is cheap, and if you're really that poor you can make your own nutrients if need be. For example, did you know that some of the cheap nutes commonly found in hardware stores (at least one that I know of anyway - Shultz All Purpose) are little more than black-strap molasses? Use your imagination, do some research, grow outside and you won't need to settle.

You sound very young. You're not going to like this but, I often wonder if the first step for the younger crowd should be, get a job.

Click to expand...

No...not very young..Just too many damn bills. lol

Erysichthon said:

i found this funny and sad...

"but like I said..still learning. So I do minimal researching."

come on, really? i know when you first start it seems like a ton to learn, isnt the point of doing research to be learned in a subject? you are trying to rationalize doing minimal research by saying you are still learning??? growing pot isnt for the lethargic. when i found this site i was absolutely clueless. and people pointed me to the growfaq and i poured through it, several growjournals, tons of posts.
you ARE going to run into problems even if you do a ton of research. but if you do just a little you may avoid many problems. first grows are problem ridden. trust me im runnin one too. check out those articles eh? sorry if i sound a bit preachy, that qoute just got me.

good luck on it though.

Ery

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thanks. Appreciate all the feed back. I'm just low on crash from bills I have to pay, not enough research time due to working. But keep the tips comming. I will start learning more before asking dumb questions.