Cfl Proximity To Foliage

ok, thanks a lot for the input, buddy! I'm happy with the cfls - I like the idea of my plants getting light all over and not only on top. With proper ventilation and positioning one could keep the lights really close to the plants and get more than 1/4 of usable energy or at least I'm left with that impression...

Bluejeans - unfortunately I bought them from a new chain of shops that sell "German" items. I forgot the name but I wouldn't think it's too popular. I still can't believe that they cost so little - I just don't get it - if 24watt cfl bulb costs twice as much, is it really so badly overpriced?? Or will my bulbs burn out in a grow or two.. nevertheless for 4 euro I can get as many as I like even if they pop every other week Will post the name of the stores once I have it though.

DreamB0x said:

ok, thanks a lot for the input, buddy! I'm happy with the cfls - I like the idea of my plants getting light all over and not only on top. With proper ventilation and positioning one could keep the lights really close to the plants and get more than 1/4 of usable energy or at least I'm left with that impression...

Bluejeans - unfortunately I bought them from a new chain of shops that sell "German" items. I forgot the name but I wouldn't think it's too popular. I still can't believe that they cost so little - I just don't get it - if 24watt cfl bulb costs twice as much, is it really so badly overpriced?? Or will my bulbs burn out in a grow or two.. nevertheless for 4 euro I can get as many as I like even if they pop every other week Will post the name of the stores once I have it though.

Click to expand...

LOL, that's cool...check my new setup... I'll be needing CFL's for a long time...

Use some pie tins for reflectors or tallcans or fosters beer can (big can) cut open and taped to the socket, some reflectors will get alot more of that light on them, you have alot of watts/lumens there but you have to focus all the energy, but I like the array you have there Some fixtures I made for my cfl's, they're just cardboard, bent and folded and taped in place w duct tape, then some aluminum foil spray glued onto one side... 2 26w's --> <-- a 64w bloom bulb. my current all cfl nursery set up --> <-- 100$ 4x48" T5 for veggin.

Bluejeans, are u mixing spectrums? How does it work for you? I'm doing it on AFs but then i really doesn't matter for them. The thing is I have a dual CFL (big ones) and wouldn't like to replace it when growing regulars cause I was stupid and threw away a lot of cash for it. I know it's a debated subject, but just wanted to know if you found any difference..

Cop, I love the diy mini reflectors - just what I was thinking to do to my side cfls - got some ideas from your setup

DreamB0x said:

Bluejeans, are u mixing spectrums? How does it work for you? I'm doing it on AFs but then i really doesn't matter for them. The thing is I have a dual CFL (big ones) and wouldn't like to replace it when growing regulars cause I was stupid and threw away a lot of cash for it. I know it's a debated subject, but just wanted to know if you found any difference..

Cop, I love the diy mini reflectors - just what I was thinking to do to my side cfls - got some ideas from your setup

Click to expand...

I am mixing spectrums and to be honest, I dunno how it's working out for me...its my first grow and the whole shebang was sort of ghetto-developed... I'm on a tight income and so I've been picking up CFLs when I find them on sale, a few at a time...as well as cheap extension cords, MOC strips, etc...since I have nothing real to compare it to, I can't tell you if it's a good thing or a bad one...it just is what it is.

I harvested 12.4grams off of a little bitty plant, less than 8" total using just the 8 CFL's. She was vegged completely under a single 40w (150w eq) 2700k CFL (not my doing).

I figure anything I do is going to be an improvement over that environment! My Red Cherry Berry seems to be happy as a lark under there so I think it's working for her...

DreamB0x said:

Bluejeans, are u mixing spectrums?

Click to expand...

Just for conversation sake, here's my mix:

4 - 68w (300w) 2700k
4 - 27w (100w) 2700k
8 - 27w (100w) 6500k
5 - 26w (100w) 5000k

When I switch to 12/12 this weekend (I think), the only ones I plan to change out will be the 5 - 5000k bulbs. The 2700k and the full spectrum (6500k) can stay through flowering.

And I simply LOVE those huge 300w bulbs, but I can only find them in 2700k... they are like $15 apiece.

I could use some of those Blue, where did you find them for $15? Local store here didn't have 'em.

I'm gonna make some mylar reflectors today, have more of that and cardboard then pie tins

I got two of em at Home depot, broke em both when I got home cuz im an idiot! pissed me off! keep in mind though, the smaller bulbs are more efficient (the big bulbs have alot of light being emitted that hits the other tubes and is diffused or is shining the wrong direction... thinner tubes allow more of the light to pass through uninterupted) 23-46w are most efficient-more light for less watts used, and you can spread a bunch out for more even lighting and can get them close. But I dont wanna knock the big ones for certain circumstances though, I got a few more myself , at Ace Hardware they have the 2700k AND 5000k, they're just a lil more expensive there. I would pass on the 5000k's though, lots of wasted green spectrum in em.

with fluoros if you look closely on the labeling it will say what type of tubes are used. the smaller the better (t12/t8/t5/t...) the number describes how many 8ths of an inch thick the bulbs are (T12's are 1.5" thick, t8 are 1", T5's are 5/8" thick) The thinner the tube the more efficient and intense the light emitted, and you get less restrike(when light emitted from a point is either reflected back into the bulb and is blocked/diffused or in a spiral CFl, light can be emitted right into another tube and diffused) with thinner tubes there is less risk of re-strike. T5's are very popular right now, vs t8's and t12 which have been widely used in years past, t5's are more efficient and brighter for the watts used, T2's even more so (rare and only smaller bulb sizes, 22" for fish tanks etc) but they use them in CFL's also. The BIG 64-68w twisty's are T4's, most smaller cfl bulbs are T3's, I know GE Mini's use T2's, and for a 26w are fucking bright! look at the cfl bulb, the more of its surface you can actually see from one direction the better. The big bulbs dont allow alot of the light from the far side coils to shine through... make sense?

Oh BTW... they dont sell reflectors (socket/reflector with the clamp) at home depot that will fit the 68w bulbs...They will look like they do but they dont fit! Even the biggest $20 12" dia dish type shop reflectors dont work. I got a socket extender to make it work, but the entire bulb was extended past the lip of the reflector, useless. Gotta make your own for the big bulbs.

^^^^^All that stuff UC said... cept for the being an idiot part...I'm not one of those... LOL (and I STRONGLY suspect UC isn't either) I actually got 2 at Lowes and later, 4 at Home Depot on the 300W... I don't worry about the surface issue cuz at some point those are going to end up dangling between plants for side lighting during flower.

mysunnyboy said:

I could use some of those Blue, where did you find them for $15? Local store here didn't have 'em.

I'm gonna make some mylar reflectors today, have more of that and cardboard then pie tins

Click to expand...

View attachment 1894919View attachment 1894920View attachment 1894921View attachment 1894922

all done on 2700k and 5500k spectrum...6700k isnt NECESSARY jus sayin

Has anyone tried the CFL spotlights? You can get the in fairly high wattage and would solve the reflector problem possibly.

Dont Fear The Reefer said:

Has anyone tried the CFL spotlights? You can get the in fairly high wattage and would solve the reflector problem possibly.

Click to expand...

Ive never tried using them to grow, but I have some for my back patio. I noticed they dont have the the same lumen output per watt that normal non-enclosed bulbs would. I dont know if the glass enclosure blocks some of the light? but they do have significantly lower lumen output for the same wattage... They would eliminate the reflector issue nicely and may actually be focusing the lower total light amount into a more usable beam. I dunno, I like making my reflectors lol

you can get them in 300 watt equiv.! I plan on getting some

I just put my girls into flower and changed out all my 5000k and 5500k bulbs for 2700k. I have 19 bulbs total in the grow room, but I had a few more non-2700k than I had 2700k to replace them with. Think it will be okay to leave 4 6500k bulbs in there with the 15 2700K ones? Or should I go buy more bulbs. I thought that I read that the 6500k had the 2700k spectrum in their lumens as well, but just wasn't sure.

ive flowered with mainly 5500k and 6500k bulbs and had reallly dense nugs. mine are about 10 days off now. marijuana absorbs both spectrums about the same to be honest

Thanks. I think I'll just leave things as they are. 15 - 2700k bulbs and 4 - 6500k bulbs ought to be good. I can always add more (cuz I LOVE creating light strings) later on if I need them.

i would definetly agree, but imo if you are using an lst technique like myself light directly above the plant is ideal. solution a 68w (300w equiv) bulbs directly above the plant for the first 3 to 4 days after bending her over. after that its fair game. if you dont the plant seems to not want to grow towards the light and you could potentially kill your top leaves.