JamaicaHerbs
Active Member
so after doing alot of browsing around im just gonna compile the needed to know information and common questions about CFL lights for growing.i have not done alot of research on LED so i will not mention them, here we go:
1.What Kelvin rating to Use?
6500k or similar for Veg 2700k or similar for Flower.
2.How close to keep the lights??
I have gotten the lights as close as 1 inch to the plants,but this requires alot of air flow between the lights and plants. 2-3 inches is good in anycase.
3.can i mix the lights??
This is possible as it gives the plant a wider spectrum that it needs for growth[The sun does not emit blue or red light alone, and we need to emulate this].For the Ratio Veg is 2x 6500k + 1 2700k for flowering its the reverse[2x 2700k + 1x6500k].
4. Should i use larger more expensive bulbs like 100w or 13/26 watters?
both have there pros and cons ,higher rating bulbs = less fixtures,wiring,etc. smaller rated bulbs = more versatile to spread out around plants & more wiring , but also where 1 large 100w bulb would fail leaving ur plant in darkness, 4x smaller bulbs would 4x less likely to all fail at once giving more time to replace a faulty bulb.
5. My plants are now growing larger and not enough light is penetrating them!?!?
Try Low stress training to open the canopy or pinch/bend the stems carefully with Minor trimming of the Shade leaves. Also side lighting is recommended as the plants grow larger.
6. how many lights to use per plants?
As HID lights are culculated over sq.ft area. i prefer to calculate cfls by the plants size
This depends on plant size/bulb rating but as an example 1 plant 3 feet high 1.5 feet wide u would need 4 to 6 13w cfls on the canopy and another 4 13w cfl as side lighting.
7.How will my buds turn out?
This depends on how much care u put into your plants,but if grown correctly u can have a nice smoke[Not as dense as HID lighting though]
8.how many ounces would be expecting from the above plant mentioned?
a plant of that size can easily have 10-20 tops, yielding about 4-7 ounces dry.
9. what are few advantages of cfl over HID in small scale grows?
1. easy to setup.
2.low heat build up in small cabs.
3.Starts up easily after a power cut.
4.easy to replace bulbs.
5.lower chance of light burn to plants.
6.lower power cost[increases passivly, u might add 1 light every week as plant gets lager]
10.what are a few disadvantages of cf to HID lights?
1. less light penetration.
2.less effective in larger grows.
3.Less effective in colder climates.
4.Lower yield[Same plants mentioned above could give 6-13 ounces]
Feel free to add more information that i may have missed.
Thanks all
1.What Kelvin rating to Use?
6500k or similar for Veg 2700k or similar for Flower.
2.How close to keep the lights??
I have gotten the lights as close as 1 inch to the plants,but this requires alot of air flow between the lights and plants. 2-3 inches is good in anycase.
3.can i mix the lights??
This is possible as it gives the plant a wider spectrum that it needs for growth[The sun does not emit blue or red light alone, and we need to emulate this].For the Ratio Veg is 2x 6500k + 1 2700k for flowering its the reverse[2x 2700k + 1x6500k].
4. Should i use larger more expensive bulbs like 100w or 13/26 watters?
both have there pros and cons ,higher rating bulbs = less fixtures,wiring,etc. smaller rated bulbs = more versatile to spread out around plants & more wiring , but also where 1 large 100w bulb would fail leaving ur plant in darkness, 4x smaller bulbs would 4x less likely to all fail at once giving more time to replace a faulty bulb.
5. My plants are now growing larger and not enough light is penetrating them!?!?
Try Low stress training to open the canopy or pinch/bend the stems carefully with Minor trimming of the Shade leaves. Also side lighting is recommended as the plants grow larger.
6. how many lights to use per plants?
As HID lights are culculated over sq.ft area. i prefer to calculate cfls by the plants size
This depends on plant size/bulb rating but as an example 1 plant 3 feet high 1.5 feet wide u would need 4 to 6 13w cfls on the canopy and another 4 13w cfl as side lighting.
7.How will my buds turn out?
This depends on how much care u put into your plants,but if grown correctly u can have a nice smoke[Not as dense as HID lighting though]
8.how many ounces would be expecting from the above plant mentioned?
a plant of that size can easily have 10-20 tops, yielding about 4-7 ounces dry.
9. what are few advantages of cfl over HID in small scale grows?
1. easy to setup.
2.low heat build up in small cabs.
3.Starts up easily after a power cut.
4.easy to replace bulbs.
5.lower chance of light burn to plants.
6.lower power cost[increases passivly, u might add 1 light every week as plant gets lager]
10.what are a few disadvantages of cf to HID lights?
1. less light penetration.
2.less effective in larger grows.
3.Less effective in colder climates.
4.Lower yield[Same plants mentioned above could give 6-13 ounces]
Feel free to add more information that i may have missed.
Thanks all
Good logic, not putting all eggs in one basket (one expensive bulb, or a bunch of cheaper bulbs, cost of failure). I think I'm gonna aim for 9x 26w CFL's in my ghetto grow (for my clones from hanging garden of asteidl).
