CFL Grow

I am using a 2x4 plastic box to grow in. I was wondering if 3 26 watt 6500k Daylight CFL's would be enough for 3 plants?

no

you need 3000 lumen per sq ft minimum for decent growth.

with the average storebought cfl bulbs that takes at least 2 per sq ft

but aim for 3.

Wow I was far off it's probably like 1(1/2)x2. Do you still think it won't be enough? I mean I can add more if needed I guess.

yep your gonna need more for sure. try packing in as many cfls as you can without temps going over 82F. but if you can get a 70w hps from home depot or lowes and rig it up. trust me. good luck

buy the 42 or 68 watt bulbs and find a way to get about 10-14 bulbs in that space, where theres a will there's a way there is way better bud. Try to mix the spectrum a little too, I like 2 to 1 6500 in veg and vice versa 2700k for flower. Good luck

i use this exact wattage for 1.2 sq ft micro grows with a single plant
it does work well, but it's right on the edge, just enough light for 1 small plant

lol... 10 to 14 bulbs and sockets... That's a good $80 to $120 on CFL bulbs. When that money could be put towards a T5 system... No way Jose.

I figure a CFL setup should cost $40 to $70. Any more than that and you are wasting your cash when T5 fluoro lighting could be used.

Three plants, small space, strategically placed bulbs between the plants. I'm thinking eight 23w to 27w bulbs by the end of flowering is about as much as you'd need to use. Any more than that and you should be looking at low wattage HID or T5 lighting.

aye.

with the cfl's your better with spaces 1-1.5ft wide or deep.

otherwise them arrays get big, especially if u throw in a little ocd.

This guy is a new grower. Everything you guys are telling him hes proboly not got a clue where to start at this point.

Get your seedlings started, Keep them outside till they get just about an inch, then move them in your grow room.
Your grow room you will need atleast 100W of cfl per plant, NOT EQUIVILENT! So for those 3 plants you will need
some decent light. Other then that im very lazy to write a perfect plan for you. Just do a little bit research on RIU.
You will find many helpful tutorials on my profile that i have layed out for people.

Nice Ol Bud said:

This guy is a new grower. Everything you guys are telling him hes proboly not got a clue where to start at this point.

Get your seedlings started, Keep them outside till they get just about an inch, then move them in your grow room.
Your grow room you will need atleast 100W of cfl per plant, NOT EQUIVILENT! So for those 3 plants you will need
some decent light. Other then that im very lazy to write a perfect plan for you. Just do a little bit research on RIU.
You will find many helpful tutorials on my profile that i have layed out for people.

Click to expand...

100w per plant is pure myth.



196w total, all day light cfl. 5 plants. Had to harvest when they fell over with weight. My avatar is in there somewhere.

Grow outside? You crazy It would never make it outside, I live in NJ. I was hoping to grow more of a short thicker plant rather then a nice long tall one. Can I control these features by the way I place my lights? Example: By keeping the lighter closer to the plant it wouldn't need to grow very long to reach?

Right now I'm doing my first grow...I started with 6 plants, but now have 8 because two of them are the tops I cloned after using Uncle Bens topping technique. At the moment they are doing pretty good under just 8 daylight (6500k)CFLs. I'm sure I could have bigger plants with HID lighting, but thats not happening just yet. I need to learn to grow with a cheap system before I invest in any expensive equipment. I've had to raise the lights nearly every day this week, so the 8 CFLs (26wX8=208total watts) are doing just fine. I've got several four cola plants that are doing well after topping - a shorter, thicker plant like you mentioned. My tallest plants are about a foot now, and will be switched to flowering in about ten days. If they double in size, like most do, they should be pretty good for a first grow with just CFLs. Check out this thread from a veteran grower who knows his stuff!

https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/151706-uncle-bens-topping-technique-get.html

lights up close do help keep the plant compact, to a point
if you're growing from seed, you probably will see 2 foot plants at a minimum, probably taller
there are methods to keep things small, SOG, LST, topping

I'm bumping this thread because it is mine and I have a question about this. Would
-8, 23w 6500k Daylight CFL's
be enough to grow 3 plants? They are Sweet Seeds Fast Bud Feminized