How much can you get out of a CFL?

I grew cfl before and was wondering how much others have gotten out of them I used like 6 or 7 lights from the store just the regular kind of each soft and bright I hooked up as many lamps as I could find but that was the makeshift way I did it. What are some of RIU’s results and how did you achieve, nutrients you used, I would like to know, myco, anything else. I searched multiple cfl grow lamps and can’t find anything. Did anyone else find?

There's a good reason you haven't found any cfl grows; it's the same reason we don't use dial-up modems, audio cassettes, or flip phones.

CFL works great for clones, it’s doesn’t produce enough light energy to flower plants well.

Thundercat said:

CFL works great for clones, it’s doesn’t produce enough light energy to flower plants well.

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Ok because I see some people on here using it for full cycle, maybe it’s not the best but good point @Billy the Mountain you don’t see any really they’re all from years ago

When me and my bro burly burly started growing we would make grow boxes out of wood, mylar and pc case fans the lights we used were CFL's honestly with enough CFL's and using mylar on the walls etc you can get some dry nug. Large-wattage CFL lamps are available in sizes of 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 watts. LEDs have largely supplanted the use of CFLs.

secretmicrogrow420 said:

When me and my bro burly burly started growing we would make grow boxes out of wood, mylar and pc case fans the lights we used were CFL's honestly with enough CFL's and using mylar on the walls etc you can get some dry nug. Large-wattage CFL lamps are available in sizes of 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 watts. LEDs have largely supplanted the use of CFLs.

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Yea that was what I used when starting growing my first real time I got results. but I want to step it up. That taught me light matters and can use a better light for more yield probably. I wonder what a 250 watt cfl would be able to create in terms of yield.

If you look on youtube, I recall seeing someone who built a "trashcan grow" and used a crapton of CFL's. It's doable, sure, but your end result is going to reflect the lack of effort put into it with poor quality lighting.

As stated, CFL's are best for clones, or what I would call "slow veg" like keeping a mother & keeping her growth slow.

Seanf610 said:

Yea that was what I used when starting growing my first real time I got results. but I want to step it up. That taught me light matters and can use a better light for more yield probably. I wonder what a 250 watt cfl would be able to create in terms of yield.

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being honest with HPS me and my bro were getting like .6gpw(some people get more) so with a 250watt CFL i would probably yield max 100grams but thats just me lol also because LED's exist and there are diodes that are super efficient there is no reason to ever grow with a 250watt CFL that is literally wasting electricity just buy a 240/250watt LED light with good diodes and call it a day

Seanf610 said:

I wonder what a 250 watt cfl would be able to create in terms of yield

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the coverage area of a 250w cfl even in a reflector is tiny.

I used shittons of these lights 8-9 tubes, back (WAY back) in the day for closet grows. Can't speak to flowering but they vegged well. We had a friend's garage set up with several metal halides and move the plants there when they outgrew the closet. Holy shit the electricity bill for the halides was insane

I would have to say that it all depends on your total wattage of CFLS. I got great results doing 12/12 from seed.

Billy the Mountain said:

There's a good reason you haven't found any cfl grows; it's the same reason we don't use dial-up modems, audio cassettes, or flip phones.

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Wooha whooha whooha there William, I use a flip phone. Unrivalled for one hand operation!

Ive seen people use em in bloom in combo with other lights to limit stretch in pure sativa stuff and it did help control it to a extent but they aint ideal for bloom better for veg or in combo or cuttings i never used em in bloom much myself i prefer hids

I got you. This is a Mephisto auto(i don't put in my tent anymore but have a huge stock) in a 3 gal dwc/bubbler using the airdomes from my autopots. 2 14 watt screw in leds for house. Not big lens floods. No reflection. It was lets see what it does as long as i keep the bucket full, moment. She grew, but obviously not super fat buds. Still got time, but she's pretty much what she's going to be. Hope it helps with a "sweet spot" if you need to go this route. Also note, leds will be better than cfls if you really need to go bulbs.

CFLs aren't really all that bad. In a small space they can be really useful because they don't need as much height as other lights since you can place the bulbs just a couple of inches from the plants. My first indoor grow I built an array of 8 23w CFLs, 4 6500k and 4 2700k bulbs, and I got about a quarter pound of quality bud.