250w Cfl

wavey.mofo

wavey.mofo

Active Member
What is the actual wattage of a 250w cfl bulb? I've been reading that there is an actual wattage for bulbs which is what really matters, so i'm really confused.

I'll be using this in a reflector, would this be enough for 2 plants? or could i stretch it to 3 plants so i can get a larger overall yield?

I'll be growing in soil, what pot size would you guys use?

Soz for all the questions and thanks for any help given :)
 
Razztafarai

Razztafarai

Well-Known Member
Hmm... I've always assumed that (like home energy saving bulbs) the 250w /was/ the wattage output of the light and that that the actual power consumption wattage was less, say about 120w.

I'm most likely wrong though, I use CFL's also
 
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carnage11

Active Member
If it's one of those horticulture bulbs/grow bulbs, then the 250w is actual wattage. They don't state the equivalent to incandescent on the box. If it's the big 250w bulb you get from Home Depot or where ever, then the actual wattage is something like 48w. Home Depot also sells a 300w cfl that is 64 actual watts.


edit: You'll know if it's the grow bulb because it won't fit in a regular socket.
 
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carnage11

Active Member
wavey.mofo said:
Hmm thanks for the info but im not sure whether the bulbs im buying are horticulture bulbs.

Here is the link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fastlight-2-x-250w-CFL-Growlamp-Reflector-Hanger-Kit-/290394212091?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item439cd806fb#ht_2531wt_982
Click to expand...

Yes that is a grow bulb and is actually 250 watts. That's why it comes with it's own reflector, because the socket is bigger than a regular socket. You will not be able to plug that bulb into a regular light socket, it will be bigger.
 
mijola3

mijola3

Active Member
carnage11 said:
Yes that is a grow bulb and is actually 250 watts. That's why it comes with it's own reflector, because the socket is bigger than a regular socket. You will not be able to plug that bulb into a regular light socket, it will be bigger.
Click to expand...
however you can get larger CFL bulbs that fit in a regular house hold light socket (medium base)
www.stealthhydro.com

i use a daylight (5000k) 105 watt for veg
and warm white (3000k) 105 watt for flower
both fit in regular socket.

gdluck
 
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Schtev

Active Member
This is my second grow and its much better this time round, I have a similar 250w to the one your getting, I would say stick with the 2 plants and just train them to an even canopy, I top at the 4th node then lst the heads, I veg for about a month, starting them in 2 gal/ 8 ltr pots then in 3rd week of veg into a 4 gal/16 ltr to let it recover from stress of transplant before flowering... I use 8 week strains that usually take about 9... Pull off about 80-90g per plant.. They work pretty well, just I have a friend with a 250w hps and he out does me every time... The even canopy is crucial with CFL's as the light from them is far less effective when its not within an inch or two of the bulb
 
wavey.mofo

wavey.mofo

Active Member
Hmmm your set up sounds good, is 80-90g your wet or dry yield? And what strain are you growing?
I'll have another 250w cfl blue which will just be hanging around the plants for extra lighting and the other 250w red spec will be in a relfector on top. This would increase my yield right? but im afraid this will fuck up the canopy since the plants will want to grow towards the other light bulb.
 
RobbieP

RobbieP

Well-Known Member
Schtev said:
This is my second grow and its much better this time round, I have a similar 250w to the one your getting, I would say stick with the 2 plants and just train them to an even canopy, I top at the 4th node then lst the heads, I veg for about a month, starting them in 2 gal/ 8 ltr pots then in 3rd week of veg into a 4 gal/16 ltr to let it recover from stress of transplant before flowering... I use 8 week strains that usually take about 9... Pull off about 80-90g per plant.. They work pretty well, just I have a friend with a 250w hps and he out does me every time... The even canopy is crucial with CFL's as the light from them is far less effective when its not within an inch or two of the bulb
Click to expand...
80 - 90g DRY per plant with a 250w CFL ?? i highly doubt that , ive been growing a while and have used CFL's myself , i also has a friend who grows with just CFL's and has done for a long time he uses 2 x 250w CFL's and grows 2 plants a time he gets about 2oz DRY a plant and he knows what he is doing ....
 
RobbieP

RobbieP

Well-Known Member
A 250w HPS in a cool tube will give off less heat then a CFL and also give you a better yield , you can pick up a 250w HPS and a cool tube off ebay for about £90 .... im not knocking CFL's as ive used them myself and had good bud and a friend of mine only uses them but just giving you a alternative :)
 
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Schtev

Active Member
Thats 90g dry wieght, from Nirvana's Big Bud fem...

As for the blue spec 250, I heard that it would help along side a HID as supplemental lighting as you need a 2:1 ratio of red to blue light in flowering, not sure what it would do on a 1:1... Do you lst the canopy or any other techniques?
 
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Schtev

Active Member
RobbieP said:
80 - 90g DRY per plant with a 250w CFL ?? i highly doubt that , ive been growing a while and have used CFL's myself , i also has a friend who grows with just CFL's and has done for a long time he uses 2 x 250w CFL's and grows 2 plants a time he gets about 2oz DRY a plant and he knows what he is doing ....
Click to expand...
My bad, meant per harvest ^^
 
wavey.mofo

wavey.mofo

Active Member
Schtev said:
Thats 90g dry wieght, from Nirvana's Big Bud fem...

As for the blue spec 250, I heard that it would help along side a HID as supplemental lighting as you need a 2:1 ratio of red to blue light in flowering, not sure what it would do on a 1:1... Do you lst the canopy or any other techniques?
Click to expand...
Oh i see, umm i havnt grown anything yet so i cant answer your question but im planning on topping and then lsting the tops. Hmm im gonna be growing cheese and bubblebomb so hopeguly they'll yield as good as big bud.
 
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Schtev

Active Member
Watch out though with the lst, the plant im growing at the moment split in the centre stem vertically from lsting too fast... Doesnt seem to have made much of a difference however, and was a pretty big split about an inch long :/
 
wavey.mofo

wavey.mofo

Active Member
ouch, i'll probs will mess up some way or another. I was thinking of supercropping to but im not sure now. What do you think of it?
 
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Schtev

Active Member
It was my last Fem Big bud seed and a bagseed (that later turned out to be male), heres a few pics from the grow...

Pics 1+2: My grow closet, 2 plants, Big bud is the one on the left, second picture is it after it was topped...

Pics 3+4: Week before flowering, only 2 colas lst'd down to match ones around it

Pics 5+6: Week into flowering, pistils and alot more lst to even the canopy

Pics 7+8+9: Buds and Colas at week 4... No longer lsted however as I got the split at week 2 flowering

Pic 10: Shot under the light

Pic 11: Picture of the nasty split..

EDIT: Oh yea, iPhone pics :(
 

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