Welcome Bean - I can't attest to too much grow advice as I have mostly focused on trying to get dosing down for me, trying to have my cake and eat it too. Recreational which I think a poor description actually,it is still health use to decompress, self awareness, & pain mgt.
Only 2 grows under my belt, quite frankly I am just amazed at the quality of my labors. I was on major hiatus from cannabis since my early 20's. Began experimentation maybe 18 - 20 months ago. First challenge at my age was to find where to even buy cannabis well I found one person and at $400 / oz it only was a few months before I started looking into growing. Oh I did get source 2 for $300 / oz supposedly excess MMJ stock. So the first guy told me he bought seeds from ads in HighTimes. Being a computer geek off to the Net. If ads in magazines were available I was certain the net would hold lots of options a grower was born!
I will tell you this, first I bought an insanely expensive IMO & budget grow light a Blurple type 3 watt LEDs like $650 I think. I never used that light alone, it didn't seem as though it would produce enough. So, I know a bit about electronics at least trends for costs to reduce with increased demand. No way was I going to add another of the same brand, it's heavy as anything rectangular also so I didn't like the footprint of light.
So...my research about LEDs began again, I tend to dig deep once on something I am like a dog w a bone! FF - on Amazon I found cheap chinese 1500 watt advertised COBS. First was maybe $120 then I looked some more and found other lights that appeared identical for as little I think maybe $90 - $99 each. They are small for my liking but I can promise your this they are all churned out of the same factory picked up by others at wholesale maybe painted or a simple paper "brand" label on them. But they even have the same dent in same corner of the case.
So I was not a real gardener I had dabbled with herbs on my deck in a townhouse & had success with jalepenos, tomatoes out doors as well. So my first grow was in summer, try to avoid that again...we only have central AC so to keep cool enough I had to keep door open in my grow room, electric bills were higher than I would like. I read scores about Veg time cropping training on and on.
That first grow I had a 4x4 tent think I had 6 plants maybe 5 but I think I popped my seeds in early may and forget how long I left in veg but it was at least 8 weeks. I wasn't really getting the flower period times advertised...so my 4x4 was quickly replaced with a budget 8x4 tent. Let me tell you what that sucker filled up! So I also was growing microgreens in another area of the house no tent required. I had purchased 3 of the 1500 watt COBs BT if you are not aware I think my 1500 watt cobs draw only 300 watts or less from the wall.
I made lots of mistakes I chose coco as a medium sounded close to the little gardening I had done. I fried them a couple times requiring immediate flushing within a couple of hours. I think I measure Tablespoon not teaspoon! Then I had gnats overwatering. thought I had other pests and sprayed w Neem and Spinosaid (SP?) but had a harvest maybe late september or october estimated harvest was about 1.5 -2 lbs!
Well next grow was kinda an emergency situation as that "giant" stash was depleting fast as hell. Consumtion was up because well it was there right?! But also much experimentation with tinctures GreenDragon my fave thus far. But also lotions other massage oils for pain mgt. lots of mistakes. I initially made GD and reduced with double boiler & began decarbs in mason jars in the oven, early attempts were AVB which I just figured would have leftover goodies. That thought is how I discovered tinctures. I even further decarbed my first batch of AVB and it was decent. Now I am so into cobbing to cure suits my needs so well! I screwed that up also first attempt. Well not totally screwed up but I ended up decarbing my first COB cure to total brown. But it is awesome to just weigh a bit out and let it sit under my tongue awhile chew a bit and swallow after a few mins. So while not a true Malawi COB cure still kicks ass! I also have made GD with it. Great results.
But as typical I digress...Grow 2 was as mentioned urgent, so I looked at some grow journals and was amazed at IMO how small some people grow their crop to maturity. As such I vegged not long and into flower they went, which I did a journal but estimate maybe from seed to harvest 4.5 months max. that includes sampling here and there during flower.
I tend to not combust my cannabis, I dislike the flavor the burning in my throat & have several dry vapes. Works out well as my partner prefers vaping she is a bit more a lightweight 2 pulls from our PAX 2 and she is good. Finally she also practices T-Breaks 2 -3 days here and there. But the vaping feeds my supply for tinctures so it's really awesome.
My point is you do not have to spend a ton on lights, I am blown away what I see ppl produce on what I consider cheap overpriced lights! Oh one note my 2nd grow I got a little happy with light intensity and did suffer some light burn, but played with light heights and they seemed to come out just great!
I would look at the power draw from your CFL vs your new lights I only use LEDs entire grow. The COBs are all White & I think this fall will try only the way over priced blurple for the seedlings. Then just the COBs maybe. But I think I will do a grow journal next grow. My problem is I suffer with chronic pain grow room requires stairs and typically is such an effort when I get to tend to the garden.
I did a curing journal the last grow however just simple notes taped to my mason jars as I reduced the humidity levels, also decided to keep my stash at 58% not the 62% I originally saw as what seemed the overwhelming recommendations.
I did my harvest in stages initially first cuts not small bud samples was late april and panicked late may with the light burn. I trusted what I read over and over about how important slow curing was so I just trusted it would remain potent.
So this year I invested in small hydrometers for the jars last year I used the one from my grow room that smashed too many buds so new monitors & Boveda Packs first 62% & now I think I like the 58% I do not want dreaded mold. Aside from typical ppl mold is bad but I am allergic to lots of molds. I have learned so much on this forum I almost don't obsessively cross reference other sites. It was here I learned of the Malawi Cob technique. Oddly enough because I also began home fermentation / pickling for health benefits. I wondered about fermenting cannabis, that's when I discovered COB curing. So awesome, I love the science of it all the plant and plants in general. I have a dream that I get healthy enough that I can do some kind of organic food farming micro scale of course.
I came back to cannabis due to my chronic pain and to get off I so hope the legal heroin actually Oxycontin which is more potent than heroin. I watched Jack Herer's documetary read his book and was so blown away about the history of what we Americans call Marijuana. That combined with health issues learning about marketing and bad experiences with our health care system has changed my view of the world & how our own government does NOT have our best interests at heart.
LMAO - I haven't even done a drop of tincture or vaped yet and still you got more than I bet you imagined as we simple welcome! But I am a bit compulsive & ADHD when I focus it gets intense I just hope to educate others that may just have interest in growing & using cannabis. The whole reason we still have so many restrictions at federal level and states have insane rules medical but no recreational, or both OK but no grow rights! Excuse me but WTF?! At one time in US history farmers we forced to grow hemp as it was needed for war efforts and every rope on a ship! Then Nixon decided these stinky hippies had to go and MMJ gets classified in the same category as Heroin & Cocaine. The only reason any movement happens changing the laws are through lobbying & don't kid yourself they want the cash grab.
The laws my guess will end up killing the smaller farmers and we will end up with mass produced product by giant corporations. Only continual efforts by us can stop it. Why I can't grow a plant for personal use is just insane. While a bit off topic I have transitioned from Big Pharma pills to plant based Kratom and MMJ. It was only a few years ago the DEA was gong to ad Kratom to banned substances as well. Only due to enormous demonstrations petitions did they back off and it remains legal(ish) we need to watch and advocate that we should be allowed full rights to cannabis grow and use.
I am also older 50's my partner few yrs my senior. This forum is chock full of some of the most caring, warm, & helpful members. Shouldn't surprise me most of those who love the plant tend to just have at least the best traits of that "old hippie" personality.
At 50 yrs after Woodstock nice to see what my observations are have always been 100% positive and very thoughtful.
My line of work dealing with forums dates back to dial up BBS > DIal Up Internet where news groups were the only forums...oh the days of endless FLAME WARS. Most of that I think today is on unsocial media! Lest I author another novel, ( just search almost any of my posts) I just again wish you a warm welcome head to the growers forums I would think & thanks for stopping by to say Hi!
PS: Ok, so sorry if my books offend but I believe that we all need awareness of how we really get the raw end of the stick by the powers that be. You can always filter me out I believe, but this is a powerful community & one more likely to be at least a little aware of what is happening to our country. It also goes beyond our borders we the great US of A beleive we know what the world needs and aren't quiet about it...
I too am on a budget grow for now. Lotto hasn't hit yet. 
for the welcome Billotto, I'm waiting on the Lotto to. Have a great day.
Have you checked into MegaCrop nutrients ? Works great !
I will be harvesting this weekend, I love it ! Went from $400-500 AN nutrients to less than $30 for the whole grow .
I will be harvesting this weekend, I love it ! Went from $400-500 AN nutrients to less than $30 for the whole grow .
@InTheShed started me on the MegaCrop, the buds are dense just as if I used the high $ nutrients. It’s a little high on nitrogen,GH has a calimagic I gonna use with my next grow with the ro water that’s low on nitrogen!
I didn’t either see any nitrogen deficiency at all and I ran 120% of the recommended manufacturers dosing !
No reason that you wouldn't- it's great stuff!
