Newbie question~NEEDS HELP~!! lighting anyone? - GreenPassion.org - Dedicated to Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Education

mfsteve · #1 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 01:04 AM

Hey guys, I've got two hydro drip pots (very caveman) that I've been messing with. I've been growing maze with good results up to two feet tall and wanted to ask how much light I need. Like many of you, I'm on a budget and I don't want to spend anymore than is required. I've got a 2x2x4 grow box (painted white on the inside) with 6 23 watt 5K lights -- they were on sale. Is this enough light to grow two decent girls?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

jangel · #2 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 01:15 PM

I can't help you with this but I will aim others in your direction.

Hold tight sweetie. I have added to your title to get more to come by.

Peace

420oclock · #3 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 01:48 PM

Hi mfsteve. I have never flowered under compact flouros, but I've used them in veg when I've started too many plants. I've also kept mother plants under CF lighting.

Generally speaking, it is difficult to have "too much" light. What you have should give you a harvest though, assuming you address the heat the bulbs produce and provide the nutrients the plants require. I've read grows that use nothing but CFs; if you look around you can find them:::
The CFL Club - GreenPassion.org - Dedicated to Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Education.

Tetrahyc · #4 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 01:56 PM

I did a CFL run, just to see, got some nice bud from it.

I used 12 26watt, 6 high, 6 low.

justanotherbozo · #5 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfsteve

Hey guys, I've got two hydro drip pots (very caveman) that I've been messing with. I've been growing maze with good results up to two feet tall and wanted to ask how much light I need. Like many of you, I'm on a budget and I don't want to spend anymore than is required. I've got a 2x2x4 grow box (painted white on the inside) with 6 23 watt 5K lights -- they were on sale. Is this enough light to grow two decent girls?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

wattage wise that's enough, although adding a couple more 23's wouldn't
hurt. your problem though is that the spectrum of those 5000K's is more
conducive to vegetative growth rather than for flowering so when you're
ready to flip to 12\12, you should break down and buy a half dozen 2500K
bulbs, if you don't, your yeilds will suffer.

consider also that your job as a grower is to try and provide your indoor
plants with light that is as close to natural sunlight as you can, so you
need to provide both red and blue light throughout it's life cycle, just in
different ratio's at different stages of it's development.

if you do the research you will find that there is much more blue light in
the spring time and much more red light in the fall and you need to try
and replicate this in your indoor environment.

for practical purposes what that means is you should be using mostly blue
light during veg at about a 3 to 1 ratio, blue to red, and you should be using
mostly red light during flowering at about a 2 to 1 ratio, red to blue, and
that's watt for watt.

note also that the ratio's aren't the same and that's because blue light
is much less intense so you need to add more of it in bloom to properly
mimic fall sunlight. keep in mind also that blue light limits stretch which
shortens internodes and makes for tighter buds.

here's a couple pics to illustrate what you can do with CFL's purchased
as needed so easier to handle than an HPS if you're on a tight budget.
anyway, pic 1 is of 3 of my cheap-ass light bars, pic 2 is of 2 young
mothers as they begin thier bondage training and pic 3 is of the top of
a Legends High-End that is just gorgeous, lol, i wish they had smell-o-vision
because the aroma of this plant is to-die-for!

as you can see, CFL's been berry berry good to me man!

justanotherbozo · #6 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 02:28 PM

btw, lol, in the interests of full disclosure i must admit that as a DIYer,
my stuff is always in a state of flux, constantly evolving as i climb up
the dratted learning curve.

what i'm saying is, that that pic of my lights is old and i've since added
a 150watt HPS to the mix so that bud i showed ya has had HPS light as
well as CFL's for about 2 weeks now, before that, CFL's exclusively.

anyway, here is a more current pic of my fruiting chamber.

mfsteve · #7 (**permalink**) 02-18-2009, 11:15 PM

I had figured I could grow "stuff" if I could grow maze. I will take the suggestions and spend $20 on "daylight" bulbs for the growth phase. I have some yellowish lights as well and I might use those come flowering time.

I'll be at Walmart if you need me :-)

Thank you again.

Markl

justanotherbozo · #8 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfsteve

I had figured I could grow "stuff" if I could grow maze. I will take the suggestions and spend $20 on "daylight" bulbs for the growth phase. I have some yellowish lights as well and I might use those come flowering time.

I'll be at Walmart if you need me :-)

Thank you again.

Markl

lol, those 5000Kelvin bulbs are 'daylight' or 'cool' bulbs, you need some of
the 2700Kelvin and lower, in other words, the 'warm' bulbs.

mfsteve · #9 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherbozo

lol, those 5000Kelvin bulbs are 'daylight' or 'cool' bulbs, you need some of
the 2700Kelvin and lower, in other words, the 'warm' bulbs.

OK got it. Thanks.

justanotherbozo · #10 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfsteve

OK got it. Thanks.

you're welcome bro, glad i could help.

jonnyappleweed · #11 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 07:53 PM

I veg and bloom under CFL,I use 6500K to veg and 3500K to bloom(4100K is the color of High the noon sun) I would double my lighting by using Y bulb adapters,But you gotta change the color of the bulbs also.Add 6 3500K bulbs to the mix and it should bring you in around 4250K total(Rick Simpson uses 4100K as his reference point,I use 3500K) I get good production from a 24"x 42"x 72" closet 8 plants in bloom.
Hope this helps you some
Peace
and
Happy Trails

4everhydro · #12 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 08:12 PM

or maybe one of these $99 usd

mfsteve · #13 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4everhydro

or maybe one of these $99 usd

Nah. I could build something far less efficient for three times the price.

jangel · #14 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfsteve

Nah. I could build something far less efficient for three times the price.

...sounds like my sweetie!

LOL! BOY! can I relate!

mfsteve · #15 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 02:55 PM

OK, I added 6 more lights. I had a handful of CFLs in the garage that we once tried to use in the house but they are the "warm" ones and we didn't like them. So that worked out. I now have a mix of bulbs (let's call it eclectic) and we'll see what happens. Sure is bright in there!

Thanks again for the help!!!

urbanfunk · #16 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfsteve

OK, I added 6 more lights. I had a handful of CFLs in the garage that we once tried to use in the house but they are the "warm" ones and we didn't like them. So that worked out. I now have a mix of bulbs (let's call it eclectic) and we'll see what happens. Sure is bright in there!

Thanks again for the help!!!

Its good you have various spctrums of light.. Doing well so far and im sure they come out just fine!!! Keep it up!!!

My Current Grow!!!! : Uk cheese 375w enviro grow

mfsteve · #17 (**permalink**) 03-10-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanfunk

Its good you have various spctrums of light.. Doing well so far and im sure they come out just fine!!! Keep it up!!!

My Current Grow!!!! : Uk cheese 375w enviro grow

I will start a journal soon. My seeds arrived today (I've been checking the mail EVERY FREAKING DAY) and I have two in rock wool waiting to make me happy. I know that they may not even germinate, but what the heck. This is a step by learning-step for me. Hydro and home cultivation.

I did try the sugar thing on the last batch of maze. I added 1 tsp to 2 1/2 gallons of water and they did NOT like it. Leaves turned black. Not a mold but the actual meat of the leaves. So I'm not gonna do anything "advanced" again until I have my hydro with CFLs producing.

I'd like to thank all the beautiful women on this site, as well as the major stud muffin men, for their help.

Best kiss I could think of right now :-)

medicinecloset · #18 (**permalink**) 03-10-2009, 09:22 PM

I cant really talk about the cfls as of yet a whole lot cause I dont use them. I do know however that you will never get the intensity from them that you will out of a good HID lamp. Intensity equals growth and yield not too mention finishing times. Sure there are drawbacks but they payout I think is so much greater. I do have to admit that from what it looks like i'd say some of you are making bigtime headway from those cfls. I may try a cfl setup in the near future and do some comparison testing just to see whats up. I dont think that cfls can penetrate into the canopy deep enough to reach more of the plant therefore lowerring your efficiency and yields.jmo so i apologize to the rock solid cfl fans. variety is definately the spice of life though!
Peace,
MC

mfsteve · #19 (**permalink**) 03-10-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by medicinecloset

I cant really talk about the cfls as of yet a whole lot cause I dont use them. I do know however that you will never get the intensity from them that you will out of a good HID lamp. Intensity equals growth and yield not too mention finishing times. Sure there are drawbacks but they payout I think is so much greater. I do have to admit that from what it looks like i'd say some of you are making bigtime headway from those cfls. I may try a cfl setup in the near future and do some comparison testing just to see whats up. I dont think that cfls can penetrate into the canopy deep enough to reach more of the plant therefore lowerring your efficiency and yields.jmo so i apologize to the rock solid cfl fans. variety is definately the spice of life though!
Peace,
MC

I agree. I should have went HID but, like many others, it's cheaper to build a cfi deal on a "get as you can afford" deal. I should be able to convince the spousal unit that I NEEEEEED a hid after my first decent grow.

Live, learn, and reflect with a good smoke.

medicinecloset · #20 (**permalink**) 03-10-2009, 09:33 PM

No problem it's understandable. You do what you can to get by now and deal with upgrades later. Oh i'm not saying anythings wrong with cfls I just havent used em to be able to comment much on em but I do know that HID lamps emit faaaaaaaaaaar more lumens compared to cfls.
You'll do fine keep it up.
Peace,
MC