What are Compact Fluorescents?

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
Compact Fluorescents (or CF's) are fluorescent lights that can be plugged into a regular incandescent (normal light bulb) fixture.

They are advertised as 'Energy Saving Light bulbs'. Don't confuse their advertised wattage and actual wattage! The advertised wattage (usually in LARGE letters) will say something like "100w". Usually hidden is the actual wattage (say 10w-30w). This rating indicates the CF emits as much light as a 100w incandescent bulb, but uses only 10w-30w.

The 10-30w bulbs will work in your regular lamp or light fitting. The 31-50w bulbs (preferred for growing) are made for outdoors, and require an outdoor light fitting.

Placing Compact Fluorescents
Fluorescent lights do not have the penetrating power of HID lights, so they must be placed very close to the plants, either horizontally or vertically, preferably several CF's to illuminate both sides of the plant(s).
The CF should be mounted about 5cm away from the plant. Too far and they'll stretch, too close and they'll burn! Yes, plants will suffer burnt tips if placed too close.

A good homemade reflector (highly recommended with low power floros) can be made from aluminum. Put a hole through the bottom big enough to get your CF through.

You can take a plant through its entire cycle using CF's but I would strongly, advise flowering with an HID, even if it's only 250w. This will vastly boost potency and yield.

There are only three reasons to use CF's for an entire cycle: 1. an extremely tight budget or, 2. no space, or 3. HID's are too hot for your grow.
 
I just started using a 125 watt vitalume by Sunleaves. Its internally ballasted and requires a seperate fixture, as it's socket is bigger than the regular light sockets in our homes, but thats fine because it also houses the reflector. I'v had it for a week and the 2 plants are 4 wks old. Its a small closet op so the vitalume, in conjuction with two sets of 2 4' T12s as supplimental, is actually working great! The plants are responding really well to the new cfl, and during flowering I'll probably use another large cfl like this one only more in the red spectrum...
 
One high watt cfl is ok to use.

The biggest problem with cfl's or flouro tubes is their light diminishes quite a bit the further away they are from the plant. Usually plants grow like a tree and a big bulb or tubes can't get close to anything except the top cola. That leaves the lower flowers light starved.

So if one uses the big watt cfl or tubes, it probably is best to lst or scrog to keep the canopy flat.

I prefer to use many small watt cfl's. I can position them all around the plant and focus on all the flowers with them. I'm currently using 3-4 23w per plant in veg and 3 42w per plant for flower.
 
Greetings All :+]
3rd grow using CFL'S.Here are details.Aurors+Snow white Indica seeds.
5 gal buckets..1 seed in each. Mircle grow organis soil..
1 overhanging 100wt. 6500 kelvin CFL in a aluminum shop light fixture(directs light to plant thats a blue spectrum cfl.
1 100 wt 2700 kelvin CFL..thats a red spctrum light..soft white .
I have posistioned over and on sides of bucket for now..as the 14 day old seeds grow i add another focused light onto seedling.
Works Great..just haffa keep the lights 3 in or so away from the plant.
CFL's are cheap ..no real heat to them and plug right into any wall socket
T1
 
that should work fine. those light seam to give high rato of females for some reason if your growing from seed. if veg with clones you know their female and will work good you can kept your lights close to your girls.good luck :peacetwo:
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If anybody knows where to pick up 2100k CFLs please pm or post here. Prefer 125-200w mogul socket.

I can find 2700k everywhere but the 2100k I can only find from a company in Europe that does not ship to the USA.

Thanks,
WillyB
 
ok ? can haveing more cfls help increas yeld as much as switching, i am growing in my closit, and i think im ****** because i started too many seeds i have 9 sproutlings and they have only just broken the tape root out... the one is 2 days ahead, the first time we *gf and I* did our seeds only one tape root broke out not realiseing that it could take up to 10 days, for them to break out. this time we did like 25 seeds.our friend gave us a bag of them. and in 2 days 8 of them broke out of there shells, and its only been 2 days on thows 8... may have to kill a few after so many of them break free. cant have 2 damn many plants to start at this moment i am running 2 cfl's 100 watt 1700 lummins or what ever each... going to increace light's to 5-7, on 5 post light you get from walmart, and 2 lamp types that can project onto the sides of the plants. also when should i start running the fan? like i sed the oldest is only 2-4 days old and the seedlings where just planted today, we are just useing tap water it seems to be working fine, also in closit it has a little draft of its own. also dont understand the whole adding new soil... and i dont even wanna think about fertaliser at this very moment, i am going to get that spray on stuff to prevent mold, also i wanna know how much i can exspet my ladies to strech out words i think i want them tall because the closit is like 9 foot tall, so i beleve i want them tall and not wide. is this a good idea the closit is like 4 maybe 5 squair fee. i think im fucked with too may plants as it is... i am wondering how to increace hummity in the closit. it is farly worm under the lights so im not sure if hummity even is a problem... need advice... thanks in advance :lot-o-toke::high-five:
 
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