First CFL/fluorescent Grow NEED ADVICE

Hi. On my one older plant i found that the bottom leaves were browning and i thought it was from when i had touched the leaves without washing my hands but i havent touched them in a week but the browning is still getting worse.

good luck to all the new cfl growers it so nice to see that there are more and more of us coming around. good luck with all you girls.

burton13order said:

Hi. On my one older plant i found that the bottom leaves were browning and i thought it was from when i had touched the leaves without washing my hands but i havent touched them in a week but the browning is still getting worse.

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Could be pH, make sure your pH is set between 6.5-6.8. Plants cant obtain nutes properly with pH outside those limits.

If you have the room and money, ide ditch the 23 and 42 watt cfl's ( low lumen output and you'll use around 8-12 of em) You should go with the 105 watt cfl's, they fit in a normal ballast and give off 6,900 lumens compared to the 1,600 that 23 watt bulbs give off so it would be four 23 watt bulbs in one or you can grab a 200 watt cfl which also fits in a regular fixture and gives off 10,000 lumens ( almost 6 cfls in one ). These will cut back on all of your wireing and just 4 of either bulb in 2 Y fixture would amont in a mass lumen output. Only thing about em is that there big ( like 13" ) but worth it.

PRICES:

I bought my lights on ebay (105 watt) 4 for $110 shipping included.

The 200 watts are pricy but well worth it at around $80 per bulb on ebay.

Make sure you're diluting your fertilizer enough. I've killed all my previous grows through over fertilizing. People generally recomend 1/4 strength but if you're growing with miracle grow soil i'de dilute it alot more. I'm doing ok right now with miracle grow soil and diluting my fertilizer to 1/10 strength - which seems to be working (fingers crossed). Hope those leaves recover and g'luck!

i just got a new fertilizer off a fellow grower. General Hydroponics FloraMicro 5-0-1. Would this be better for the plants since in using miracle grow?

burton13order said:

i just got a new fertilizer off a fellow grower. General Hydroponics FloraMicro 5-0-1. Would this be better for the plants since in using miracle grow?

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Yea for a hydro set up, MG doesnt have anything specificly for hydro.

ok nvm i am not using that its not meant for soil thats what io thought but my friend said it might work. how long should i vegetate them for?

burton13order said:

ok nvm i am not using that its not meant for soil thats what io thought but my friend said it might work. how long should i vegetate them for?

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Ide veg em for 2-3 weeks at most because CFL's have limited light penetration. They cannot maintain a healthy plant larger than 20" in height. Many new indoor growers believe that a bigger plant means more buds. The may be right, but more buds dont mean a larger yeild. A large plant grown under CFL's may have many small fluffy buds which most can weigh under .5 grams. On the other hand a small plant can produce buds weighing 1-15 grams. Not only will a smaller plant produce the same if not more heavy buds, it will do so in a shorter amount of time. A smaller plant, 20" or less can utilize the limited amount of lumens that a CFL gives off better than a larger plant because the CFL is shining over a smaller area.

i would go four weeks if you have the room. i do four weeks and i get a great yeild and my stuff HAS NEVER BEEN FLUFFY. i veg mine for 30 days and they are about 2 to 3 feet. i had my first grow and they were 4 feet when i was done. i had two plants and i got almost a half pound off both and it was hard. mine girl that i have going now is 2 feet and i am 31 days in veg. she will be atleast 4 feet when i am done. i think it depends on how many lights you put in your room...

How many CFL's at what wattage? how large is your space?

i veg with 6 26watt cool white spiral bulbs. i flowered with 28 26 watt daytime bulbs my first grow. i am going to use 30 to 40 this time on my current girl. i am in a box 2x3.5x3 right now. i will be flowering in a 6 foot tall freestanding freezer that we are going to gut out. my first grow was in my closet i think it was 6x6x3??? my pic is my first plant 5 weeks into flower. the guys at the local grow shop told me the same thing that i was going to get fluffy buds and they were shocked when i took him some in. i think its all on how many light you put in. my next grow i will be using 12 26 watt cool whites on two plants.

[QUOTE="let it burn";2144094]i veg with 6 26watt cool white spiral bulbs. i flowered with 28 26 watt daytime bulbs my first grow. i am going to use 30 to 40 this time on my current girl. i am in a box 2x3.5x3 right now. i will be flowering in a 6 foot tall freestanding freezer that we are going to gut out. my first grow was in my closet i think it was 6x6x3??? my pic is my first plant 5 weeks into flower. the guys at the local grow shop told me the same thing that i was going to get fluffy buds and they were shocked when i took him some in. i think its all on how many light you put in. my next grow i will be using 12 26 watt cool whites on two plants.[/QUOTE]

Shit, dats alota lights on one plant, whats you electric bill look like? and what do you hook all those fixtures up to so you dont have a fire hazard?

my power went up 4 dollers a month. i went to the local elitric store and bought the 4 bulb holders and put y's in them. so it made it 8 to a bar. 3 bars on top, one on each sidewall total of 3. i used a heavy duty power cord and bout a heavy duty outlout. (the ones like you plug you computer stuff in)

Hi. Where would i find those 23 watt odor killing cfl bulbs? Could i find them in a local store or do i have to order them?

i have seen them in the local grow shops, online and some of your bigger stores might have them. 1000bulbs.com has really good prices and have those bulbs. good luck

burton13order said:

Hi. Where would i find those 23 watt odor killing cfl bulbs? Could i find them in a local store or do i have to order them?

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They are called fresh2 can be purchased at http://www.fresh2.com/ or other lighting stores

how many would i need for a grow room about 2'x3'x2'

ive never used them but im sure 3 at the most would work for your room. good luck and tell me how they work i think that i need to get me a couple!!!

Not sure why someone wouldnt use daylight 6500k cfl and daylight flouro for vegging.. I use the 2700k CFL for flowering with supplimented cool white or fullspectrum 5000k 4000k. The package should tell you what the color temp is..

I use 6-26 watt daylight cfl for veg and 4 daylight 4ft flouro 40 watts each check my sig for my reciepe i try to stick to the same system every grow.. but get all the light you can on that sucker and it will grow its a weed ahha WEED!