CFL question

[exAkT]

In the process of planning out and budgeting for my grow. I plan on growing 6 plants in hydrobuckets in a 4' x 6' x 6' box, maybe with scrog.

I plan on Vegging with CFL light bulbs, and went looking at them at Home Depot today. Found the "daylight" spectrum, and started looking at lumens. Small ones were like, 800 lumens each, then there a few mediums ones that were between 1400-2000 i think. And then the huge one, which was 4800 lumens.

I figure, at 14 bucks a pop, the big ones arent too out of the question, but how many would I need? They only run 48 watts, but they claim to be equivalent to 300 watts. I also couldnt find any big ones with daylight spectrum, only cool white. is that ok for vegging?

So I guess what im trying to figure out is...

how many lumens per plant
is daylight the best spectrum for veg, or is cool white accepted too
how many lights, big or small, for the box (6 plants)

 

[smokinthe719]

i have a CFL set up you want atleast 8500lumens per plant
an you want that blue white daylight color for veg and the soft white redesh color for flowering
i have 2 med bulbs 1750lumen a piece and 4 small 1350lumen so i only have 8900lumen on one plant right now and their all daylight bluesh tint
the more lumen the better but bluesh (daylight) for veg and redesh (soft white) for flowering
hope this is some help to ya

 

[exAkT]

ok thanks!!

I'll only be vegging with CFLS, for budding i have a 400W HPS

How do your plants veg under those lights? are they "full" or do they stretch or anything like that?

 

[smokinthe719]

the full ness has to do with your light schedule and type of plant
if you do 24/0 or 18/6 light schedul for the first 4 weeks then they will be fuller than if you jump straigh to 12/12
i did 12/12 my first grow they got big fast but i pulled them do to a trust issue
now i have mine with CFLS again and i am doing 18/6 for veg and in 4 weeks ill go 12/12 and switch my daylight CLFS for the soft white CLFs for flowering
hope this helps