Need assistance on CFL lighting for my grow boxes!

Okay. I have two grow boxes, they are identical, so I will just refer to everything as if I have one box.

My grow box is a 2x2x3.5 space (14 square feet). I have painted the walls of it Green House White. I will be growing three plants in the box. 3, 5" square pots. I'm thinking about doing a SCROG for the grow. I have about 50 bucks to spend on one box for lights. How many lights, wattage on the lights, spectrum (keep in mind I want either a 2:1 ratio of Veg:Flower lights or two completely different sets of lights.) Please don't just say, "Go to 1000bulbs.com and get some 105W bulbs" or something like that. I want the dumbed down explanation of everything. Please help a new grower out. Thank you in advance.

Come on guys, 100+ views and no one can help a guy out?

Okay, obviously I'm going to need to kick-start this thread...

I've looked around a bit and found some lights that I can afford, and that might work. I just want some feedback from other people.

Flowering Light: http://1000bulbs.com/product/1599/FC30-FEIIS30W27.html

Vegging Light: http://1000bulbs.com/product/1598/FC30-FEIIS30W65.html

I would buy 6 of each. Put a mix of 3-1 for each stage in the process. 3-65k lights with 1-27K for Vegging, then swap it up for Flowering. I have two grow boxes, which is why I'd be getting six of each instead of just three. Please leave any and all comments on this, really needing some feedback on this.

u need atleast 100w to each plant try getting 600watt cfl and you will be bringing in sum good weed

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You may want to pump your breaks on those bulbs. See attached chart.

According to that chart, it looks like 5700K and 2400K lights are the ones to use. Thank god for google lol.

I can't find jack crap about some cheapish 5700k and 2400k CFL lights. Most people get great things from 6500k and 2700k, so I will probably stick with those I pointed out, UNLESS someone could find something somewhere that I haven't looked. (I have looked at a lot of places lol.) Thank you for that though. It's very interesting.

6500k at a ratio of at least 2:1 for veg and 2700k for flower at a ratio of at least 3:1 is what most people use. Mixing bulbs at the right ratio will save you money.

Try to think in lumens and not watts. You can find lumens listed on the packaging or on the bulb itself.I recomend 6-8k lumens per plant for veggging then 8-10k lumens per plant for flower. Bulbs should be 1-4 inches from plant at all times.

Hope that helps and good luck with your grow.

Thanks for that. And now I have a question. When figuring out the lumens, do I multiply by the actual wattage or the incandescent equal? And what is the CRI on light bulbs?

Have a look @ dual spectrum cfl's bro

Id rather not mess around with dual spectrums. Thanks for that though.

The Stoner King said:

Thanks for that. And now I have a question. When figuring out the lumens, do I multiply by the actual wattage or the incandescent equal? And what is the CRI on light bulbs?

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Try to keep things simple. Lumens. Only. As I said above. There is enough to worry about already. Check your packaging and the bulbs themselves. Lumens will be listed. Just add them up.

The place where I was going to order them from doesn't have it's total lumens listed. Just the lumens per watt. That's why I asked.

Can someone help me out on that last question?

It should be listed on the website... check the Specifications tab

ignore the incandescent equal. multiply actual watts and lumens per watt. for example: 65 lumens per watt on a 26 watt bulb will be 65x26=1690 lumens.

^^^^ just like that. I plan to (assuming I can find them) mix in a 5500 k bulb for veg, and a 3000 k for flower and I think it would help (hopefully) by giving a bit more variety over the spectrum of light. Try it if you like and let us or at least me know how it works out.

The Stoner King said:

The place where I was going to order them from doesn't have it's total lumens listed. Just the lumens per watt. That's why I asked.

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It's posted on that site, under the Specifications tab...

I was thinking. The way I would have the set up is all the light on top. I was wondering about some T5's in the corners. Two in each box, in opposite corners. But I know nothing about them, can someone give me some kinda feedback on whether this is a good idea or not, and what kinds I should get?

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The Stoner King said:

According to that chart, it looks like 5700K and 2400K lights are the ones to use. Thank god for google lol.

I can't find jack crap about some cheapish 5700k and 2400k CFL lights. Most people get great things from 6500k and 2700k, so I will probably stick with those I pointed out, UNLESS someone could find something somewhere that I haven't looked. (I have looked at a lot of places lol.) Thank you for that though. It's very interesting.

Click to expand...

My space is exactly the size u said urs is...and I have 3plants...I have a mixed spectrum of 6500 and 2700...all different Watts....there's around 30,000 lumens in there...maybe a little more...u gotta have that to have successful grow

I appreciate the attempt to help but saying my grow has to be the same as yours to work, doesn't help. If that works for you, then by all means use it. But I asked most recently for help on T5 lights. If you had read the whole thread instead of just the first post, you might realize that.

I really don't mean to be mean or a dick. But I want some legit help. I wanna be able to grow marijuana as much as everybody else, but posts like that don't help anyone out.

Now can someone please post some actual help on T5 lights?