CFL Light Tutorial

G-Dog said:
I believe a 3 foot plant, depending on how bushy it is will need about 12 lights.

Y adapters are great for CFLs. I seen one fellow put 2 Y adapter into a Y adapter. I am not sure about how safe that is yet, but the total wattage going to be additive for all 4 bulbs into one socket (probably 100 watts, and depending on the maximum wattage of the socket that should be okay).


Be creative with reflectors. I have gotten 22"x 36" foamcore (stiff white paper boards) at Wallys for a couple bucks each. You can cut them, duct tape them, put computer fans on them etc. Easy to work with and cheap. I am a huge fan of foamcore, CFLs and duct tape. I have made grow boxes composed completely from foamcore boards taped together. Flat white surfaces reflect light really nice and even. Foil crumples and reflects it in a less even way (hot spots). Not a bad thing, just harder to control. Foamcore doesn't tear like foil. Foamcore dissipates heat better than foil. Foamcore doesn't conduct electricity. Foamcore can burn or catch fire, so be aware of that.
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the thing is all i really have room for is those 4 bulbs i have in now /:. i have 2 10" reflectors that theyre in right now that barely fit in the space so im kind of limited... it sucks.

and setting sun, i dont think id be able to fit the big reflector in my space as much as id love to.
 
Great, Great, Great Thread. Im convinced between you and seemorebuds' book "buds for less", that 42 watt CFL are the most efficient bulbs. You say that 42W CFL plus those heavy duty clamp reflectors add the cheapest and most efficient light to the grow. So what do you clamp these clamps onto ? is the most efficient way to clamp these reflectors (with 2 42w bulbs a piece) onto an inverted U-shaped frame made out of 2x4 ?
 
teachmeurways said:
the thing is all i really have room for is those 4 bulbs i have in now /:. i have 2 10" reflectors that theyre in right now that barely fit in the space so im kind of limited... it sucks.

and setting sun, i dont think id be able to fit the big reflector in my space as much as id love to.
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It's 16" in diameter, so if you've got two 10" side-by-side, it should fit, but if you are doing OK with your two 10"ers, I'd just use them.

The nice thing about this one is that it's deep enough so that the bulbs don't stick out, and it's relatively cheap.
 
Setting Sun said:
It's 16" in diameter, so if you've got two 10" side-by-side, it should fit, but if you are doing OK with your two 10"ers, I'd just use them.

The nice thing about this one is that it's deep enough so that the bulbs don't stick out, and it's relatively cheap.
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if you say itll fit ill trust you than. worse case scenario it doesnt and i return it. my two 10 inch ones arent doing so bad ive seen some result with my plant, but your reflector sounds a lot better and that itll help help my plant grow faster so with one accurate ray so i will look into it. thank you again setting sun. :thanks:
 
I'm in my 2nd grow currently. On this grow as well as my 1st grow I purchased and using four 105watt, 2700k, 5000 lumen, four 65watt, 2700k, 4500 lumen for flowering, four 85watt, 6500k, 4800 lumen and a 1/2 doz each 23watt, 2700k, 1850 lumen and 26watt, 6500k, 1850 lumen for vegging, less the 23watt, 2700k.

I find it important to get the CFLs within a few inches from the bud/colas whenever possible during flowering/ripening stage. Also I will put a few 6500k in w/my flowering stage CFLs to mix up the spectrum or I guess to add to the spectrum.

I always use CFLs to grow bud

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Photos, 1st grow
 
G-Dog said:
Good Job Fader. A great example of what can be done with CFLs.
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Thanks, I grow for medical purposes, I have Lymes disease. Using a small closet with noway to truely vent out was what made me decide to use CFLs, no heat issues. I hope soon they will make a high density CFL, but right now I enjoy using my big spirals.

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my second grow w/CFLs in progress, 1 Blue Widow, 3 Landrace Columbian Gold, aero-hydro grow method
 
You are doing great Fader... Not only heat, but it is more responsible for smokers to be energy efficient for the sake of the planet and all. Great shots. I hope more people see this and convert to CFLs. I would have some to show myself but had to tear down my grow recently.
 
G-Dog said:
You are doing great Fader... Not only heat, but it is more responsible for smokers to be energy efficient for the sake of the planet and all. Great shots. I hope more people see this and convert to CFLs. I would have some to show myself but had to tear down my grow recently.
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Sorry to hear you had to tear down your grow..May I ask why? I see your from the NW, my wife and I lived in Tacoma Washington for 16 months, I was assigned to Ft. Lewis. I swear man, the NW is majestic w/the mountain ranges, beautiful forest, or rain forest is more accurate. My sister lives in Washington....need to get back out there in the near future

Yeah, my 1st grow was almost unbelievable, I grow aero-hydro and my ladies just got big growing that way, not to mention growing w/using CFLs, could not believe how well they truely worked. I kept a daily check log on my 1st run, which has proven useful during this grow to compare grow to grow. As much as I would like to take full credit for my 1st run, I honestly believe it was more about how I grew it, via aero-hydro w/CFLs than any growing skills I had applied. I really researched it, and continue to do so.

On this grow I have taken cuttings, not all survived, but now that I found out I can still take cuttings during flowering at least up to 4 weeks into flowering. This grow the gals are 15 days in 12/12, so I still have 6 days to cut. I only need a few Blue Widow, a few C.Gold to achieve 2 full grow-boxes of clones. Each grow-box can hold up to 6 gals from veg. to harvest, no transplanting.

As I get better at cloning, I'll keep 1 Blue Widow, 1 Columbian Gold as mothers, but not aero-hydro but in soil. I believe by keeping the mothers in soil, I can have a better control over them. Aero-hydro is a great way to grow, but keeping the mothers in an aero-hydro grow system in a constant vegetation state would required a stand alone system, which is fine, just more work to add on w/the on-going clone grows. Somewhere down the road I plan to introduce some Bubbledelicious and Red Dragon into the mix....perhaps January 2011. I'll always use CFLs to grow............:bong:
 
Why did I tear it down? God, it is embarrassing... My girl and I had a fantastic little grow going and had a crazy fight. The whole neighborhood was involved and taking sides. The girl across the street is on probation and had been having problems with the police and probation officers coming. I totally freaked out and cut down my plants that were half way through flower. My girl freaked at that and tore up all my mothers and clones. It was a huge mess with plants, soil and junk thrown everywhere. Growing can be really stressful and if you are doing it with someone you do not know that well it can be worse. I am not sure when I am going to be able to start again, but I had a huge loss from that fight. That happened after my skunk no. 1 was stolen (outdoor grow). Way too much drama for this good thread... but that is what happened to me this year. I was in Oregon when that happened. I have since moved. Still have the same crazy girl friend (No matter what I cannot seem to get rid of her) and she smoked that half flowered weed I grew. I guess my advice is not to date a girl that is so much younger. They seem to have drama issues.

Mods feel free to delete this post
 
G-Dog said:
Why did I tear it down? God, it is embarrassing... My girl and I had a fantastic little grow going and had a crazy fight. The whole neighborhood was involved and taking sides. The girl across the street is on probation and had been having problems with the police and probation officers coming. I totally freaked out and cut down my plants that were half way through flower. My girl freaked at that and tore up all my mothers and clones. It was a huge mess with plants, soil and junk thrown everywhere. Growing can be really stressful and if you are doing it with someone you do not know that well it can be worse. I am not sure when I am going to be able to start again, but I had a huge loss from that fight. That happened after my skunk no. 1 was stolen (outdoor grow). Way too much drama for this good thread... but that is what happened to me this year. I was in Oregon when that happened. I have since moved. Still have the same crazy girl friend (No matter what I cannot seem to get rid of her) and she smoked that half flowered weed I grew. I guess my advice is not to date a girl that is so much younger. They seem to have drama issues.

Mods feel free to delete this post
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That's to bad about your grow, keep trying to grow is the only advice I can give you. Also staying in a stressful relationship is not good for ya, I 've been married forever so I know how tuff it can get during bad times....we certainly have had ours, now we are to old and tired to fight...we just get along
 
retcwby said:
I have 4 of these in my tent....only place i have been able to find them is home De Pot.:morenutes:


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Those will work great for flowering stage, you got 260 watts total, enough for 2-3 plants. You can use 5-6 26watt, 6500kelvin range for vegetation, that would also be enough for 2 to 3 plants as well. I add the smaller watt CFLs for light placement w/my larger CFLs when the colas start to stretch and fill-out.
 
I am starting to see higher wattage CFLs becoming more and more common in home and discount stores. I told my girl that the manufactures and vendors are responding to the market. In my opinion the largest user of higher wattage CFLs have to be predominately the indoor grower.
 
Back in Feb. 2010 when I decided on how I was going to grow, which is aero-hydro btw, I was going to buy a hps light set-up. But when I came across those large CFLs, I thought at least I can move them around, get closer to the bud/colas and there is no-way to vent out the heat in my grow-closet, so the were the logical choice. After that I keep adding CFLs to the grow.

It was the CFLs, aero-hydro growing was what made my 1st grow so successful, well that I researched and asked questions on forums like this one. The largest CFL I use is the 105 wattage, got 6 of them, also have the 85 watts and 65 watts as well. I think the 105 watts cost close to $30 bucks, 85watt about $27.00 and the 65 watt at lowes for $18.00, and a shit load of 23 and 26 watters, lol.

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Photos of my current grow and my 1st grow w/CFLs
 
FH, Your plants look great!!!!! I wish I could afford 6 separate tents and 6 lights (have 3 of them) to test HID, MH, CFL, HO T5s, CFLS, CMH, and LEDs all at once. LOL

This thread is the best out there for these CFLS! Mine are still in the works and moving around between veg and flower. I like that I can move them so easily to where they are needed. My reflector is still a work in progress... Gotta fix grow tent first.
 
Lusi said:
FH, Your plants look great!!!!! I wish I could afford 6 separate tents and 6 lights (have 3 of them) to test HID, MH, CFL, HO T5s, CFLS, CMH, and LEDs all at once. LOL

This thread is the best out there for these CFLS! Mine are still in the works and moving around between veg and flower. I like that I can move them so easily to where they are needed. My reflector is still a work in progress... Gotta fix grow tent first.
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Everyday I move my CFLs around, it makes a difference in the cola/bud growth, ripening and trichomes production.
 

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