Compact Fluorescent Light Discussion

[BobBong]

So here we go again pot fans.

BlackJack Round 2.

germinating 6 seeds directly in soil.
For those that followed my last grow, enjoy.
For those that are following it for the first time...Enjoy :)

I'll keep ya updated as the weeks go by.

BlackJack
Black Domina & Jack Herer.

P.s my last harvest was amazing.. a really really nice strain.

[PartypokerPlayer]

what kinda compact floros are those bob...i got a few that say 42w on the box but says gives light out put of 150 watts.....the bulbs are 2600 lumens a peace...i saw some pix from your last grow...very nice i must say....hope to see more pix from ur new grow....any pix of ur harvest ?
PPP

[BobBong]

ya they put out 150w, only take 42w.

i'm planning on putting in at least two more.

Here are some pics of the main cola harvest then the main harvest of the rest of the plant i did about a week later.

Enjoy :)

[BobBong]

Well happy sunday, hope everyone had a great MMM yesterday.. i did.. NOW magazine from Toront took a pic of my tattoo :D.

Here's a week one update on my grow.

i have 3 just about week old seedlings, and i've germinated 4 more seeds.. which are located in the 3 soil cells around the 3 seedlings.

fan going all the time, average temp of about 80ish.

short and stubby is what i'm lookin at.. i'll keep ya updated.

[BobBong]

with 4 new sprouts and three good plants, i'm sure to get at least 2 female. :cool:

worked out a new setup and transplanted all 7 plants into larger and or serperate pots.

Enjoy :)

[HARDDON]

Very nice looking start bobbong.

One thing I might suggest, if you dont mind, I notice the lamp sockets are on a board.

You might want to think about covering the top with mylar or foil to reflect the light back down. Same thing for the bottom...to get the light to reflect back to the underside of the growth.

Very nice. Off to a great start.

HAPPY GROWING

[BobBong]

Thanks for the tip man, i have some mylar sheets, but i don't have enough so i'll be finding some more.. eventually, i'll have a grow box that has mylar plating on the entire inside :)

[BobBong]

well, at the two week mark now.

I've started LST on the one plant, i'm going to wait for some more space between nodes to do it on the others.
I've added another 150w CFL making it 600w total, 11,000+ lummens

i'll be getting some more wood to expand the growing boxe, to make it a total of 4ft. high, 2ft deep, and 26.5" wide. i'll add another 2 150w bulbs and have a total 900w at the end... not bad for a start i guess..

enjoy the pics.. i got some work to do

[BobBong]

p.s the small ones are just about 5 days old now

[BobBong]

Day 31 for these plants.

The two smaller ones are starting to show signs of preflower while the large one is famale for sure.

I've begun LST on 2 of the 3 because i think the 3rd is male, we'll see...

as you can see i need to repot the 2.

I have an inspection of my apartment soon, so things may have to be held up for a while.. not sure yet

This grow won't be as successful as i'd like it to be. things are happening that i can't control...so all i can do is dance and hope i get through it clean. either way, i'll keep you updated.

[HARDDON]

Hi BobBong....

Thanks for updating... :)

You certainly have a nice grow going on there....

Awesum stem strength...don't wait too long to lst more, as the bigger those stems get the tougher it will be......

But I am sure you know that...

Couple questions, if you dont mind...

1. Is that a plastic bag in a box on the large one? If so, how you do get oxygen to the root system???

Just curious.

2. I noticed your bottom shelving or what not is wood or something...no reflection coming from the bottom back to the undersides of the leaves...??

Seems a lot of light absorbtion might be going on...

But hey, looks really nice and better than a lot of grows I have seen.

Dont give up anything because of your inspection...you got a good thing going and I am sure it can get better.

THanks for sharing BobBong and

HAPPY GROWING :)

[ProjectEight]

Awesum stem strength...don't wait too long to lst more, as the bigger those stems get the tougher it will be......

I am lost on this comment

[HARDDON]

Awesum stem strength...don't wait too long to lst more, as the bigger those stems get the tougher it will be......

I am lost on this comment

Sorry didnt mean to lose you...

I mean the stronger the stem, the more resistence to bending.

:)

[SyKo]

my brother had a inspection on his apt one day,the lady came,looked around,went upstairs n seen a bowl he
forgot about,she didnt say nothing ,just left.20 mins later we was smokin a bowl n someone knocked on the door ,4 city cops :| we got busted with 2 pipes n a half 1/8
it sucked ass we both got fines n a year probation.not tryin to scare you just be safe
man

[BobBong]

as far as this inspection is concerned, it's only a brief inspection and i've already prepared to pack my shit up at a moments notice

as far as my plants go... i'm looking at doing 2-3 large plants this grow.. so i'm ballparking about 6-8 ounces of dried yeild.

we shall see as time goes on though.

attached are 2 pictures of the large plant.

p.s. yes it's a box with a plastic bag lining it. i have holes punched in the bottom and lower sides for drainage.. this is my 2nd grow with this box.. the first one was fine.

[ProjectEight]

nice bob,

[BobBong]

Lookin goooood !

enjoy some pictures of some stem growth and the result of some nice LST.

The main stem is 10.5", but the plan itself is only 7" tall :)

enjoy :)

[BobBong]

It's time to play... COUNT THE COLA'S !

[HARDDON]

No TOPPING required. :) :) :)

[BobBong]

No TOPPING required. :) :) :)

Sexy isn't she?

I'm not totally against topping, sometimes you need to. or if you want to grow a different way.. Growing is so much fun for me because i try different approaches to it. so far i'm doin pretty damn good, i've read the books. talked to people.. and done my homework.. that's what makes a grow successful...

so few people fail to realize that so many questions can be answered if you just take the time to sit down and read... a... grow book.

:)

P.s. her name is Brandy.

[BobBong]

well over a month, roughly 34 .. or 35 days old tied right down, the main stem is well over a foot now.. but the plant only stands 10" tall... the secondary growth is picking up alot, soon it'll be 12/12 time... but this apt.inspection i have needs to happen before it things get...sticky... :D

[BobBong]

I am gradually replacing the crappy foil with reflective sheets, addressing the light loss issue brought up earlier

[Zandor]

Great thick foliage dude. Raise the light a little for flower to get some stretch. The stretch will give you bigger buds in the end.

That's how you grow foliage people!

Just think how big it would be if you used CO², like twice that size.

Well done.

[Zandor]

just a note: CO² will not work with fluorescents lights. There is not enough lumens for the plant to process the extra CO² you must use HID lights if you use CO².

[BobBong]

4 150w bulbs at 2900 lumen is 11,600

how much more do you get from a 600w HID or HPS

[HARDDON]

4 150w bulbs at 2900 lumen is 11,600

how much more do you get from a 600w HID or HPS

A shit loadmore...

I think a 600W HPS is like 113,000 with a reflector...

I think....

Somewhere I got a chart that shows the increases.

I didnt think C02 was limited to lumens...I thought color spectrum was as important....

Older floros didn't have the full spectrum like they do now...

Seems if you have enuff CFL and lumens, and light spectrum the Co2 should be functional...

Where am I off here???

Lead me to stoner paradise and I will follow..

[Zandor]

It's about the plant having enough light to process the extra CO² efficiently. CO² will not increase the THC content but it will increase the foliage and bud producing area and that will give you higher yield.

fluorescents may work a little but not for the cost. HID is the only way to properly use CO² either Mh or HPS will provide enough light. We can get out the slide rule and do math ( Intensity is I=L/D²) but all comes to the same thing in the end no matter what you call it lumens, par watts what ever term you want to use it's still the same thing. More light is better.

Really CO² needs HID lights the more the better. One thing about reflectors is not only do they reflect light....they also reflect heat that goes with the extra light too. I stopped using bat wings or any reflectors years ago. Kool tubes are the way to go with Mylar lined walls and roof.

[HARDDON]

Do the light setups with the glass shield fuck up the light?

I had read somewhere that glass eats the light pretty good.

i saw on your grow zandor what i thought was handing MH bulbs...thats the way I have mine...just hanging...

thanks and lemme know..

[Zandor]

I use glass tubes on all my lights now, that was an old grow it's going back different now. I'm even throwing in a twist. No Mh lights at all this time veg room gets only 1000 w Hortilux HPS bulbs then mix standard and Hortilux bulbs in Kool Tubs with plumbing. No hoods, no bat wings no refelective heat either. Just Mylar on the walls and roof, white plastic floor the light bounces everywhere. Blinds you when you walk out at night....lol...you can't see a thing it takes your eyes about a full minuet to re-focus in the night before you can walk with out killing your self....longer if you have a buzz.

HARDDON glass is fine and Kool tubes are the best way to go you can get the light with in inches of the plant so penetration is very deep.

[HARDDON]

I just got a new dual MH/HPS system with glass plate bottom, tube cooled heat fan and blower...

I thought you said in another post though, that once the light is with 12", penetration stops or is maxed out and any closer lighting wont do anything...

Did I read it wrong?

Thanks

[Zandor]

well you did not say what wattage it is so I can only give you the formula so you can do the caculation yourself.

From 0-12" the lumens are the same it's from 12" to ? that it starts to go down.

Here is what you are looking for.

Lumens is a mathematical formula that measures the bulbs intensity at 1 foot. The color or type of bulb is not calculated in the formula I=L/D² Lumens received are a measured in watts-per-square foot or foot-candles. Calculating foot-candles or lux is a more accurate way to estimate the amount of light plants receive. This still only measures how much light you plants have available but not how much your plants use.

Light diminishes exponentially fast!

So how close you can place the light is really determined by the temperature at the top of your plants. 12â?� or less is all the same. So itâ??s 12â?� to 48â?� we have to balance between heat and lumens penetration and the closer to the 12â?� mark the better without burning the leaves. If there is too much heat coming from your light then add a glass heat shield and heat exhaust fans to either suck the heat our or inline to push the heat out. How long you vent tubs are will determine weather you push or pull the heat out. You are better off if you blow air through your hood. This will allow you to get the light as close as possible but watch the temperature!

[HARDDON]

THanks Zandor.

Right now I have MH and HPS about 10 inches from canopy top...

No heat glass or shield, just a fan at the bottom blowing the hot air off of them and into the top of the cabinet where the exhuast fan lies.

THanks again.

[flipwonder]

how many watts are you using for your vegging and flowering?

[HARDDON]

VEGGING

3 CFL 125W 6400K
3 CFL 55W 5500K

FLOWERING

3 CFL 125W 6400K
1 MH 250W
1 HPS 250W

I got the 3 CFL on the sides and underside of the ferns.

[Zandor]

Hey H if you have not thought of it yet why donâ??t you hang a temperature probe under your light about plant height.
Just a suggestion for you; and anyone else that grows itâ??s good to monitor the temperature there 24/7.

[HARDDON]

Temp probe looks kool....the canopy doenst look so hot... :(

Yea got one of those...I can keep it around 82 for the most part running at night and flowering sleep during the day.

I did buy an AC unit to stick in the box, but, I know I dont have the room I need so I might just trash this box when this is over. Never installed it.

I need a fricking room in the house to do this shit right.

This storage cabinet stuff is for the birds.

THanks Z

[hondo]

zandor is right for CO2 to be effective,u need HPS light on flowering and about 85 degrees F. Luck to ya

[BobBong]

Day 39 you can see how the stem has grown, the diameter of the stem is now about the diameter of a highlighter...

i've also cut back from 18/6 to 14/10, which it will stay like that for a week then down to 12/12 for the next 7-8 weeks..


this is gonna be a bigass plant..

[HARDDON]

Looks really nice Bong. Yup, she is gonna be good.

In looking close at pic one, I would tie down the growth now a little frther out toward the main bud part. IT appears the main kola is again facing UP.

That is cool, but I would bring it out justy a tadmore, buz you still have a lot of growth potential.

Of course it you are gonna start flower, whats done is prett much done.

Why the drop to 14/10 first, outta curiosity? To give them some height?

[BobBong]

lookin good at 46 days

[BobBong]

Day 51 and she's been in 12/12 now for a week, growing has slowed while she's beginning to stretch for the light. i also moved one of the lights down to the bottom of the grow box to provide some underlight....

after my inspection (which has yet to come) i'll probably be doubling the size of my grow box to include 6 150w CFL's... making it a nice 900w but only pulling 270w

heat isn't a big issue if a fan is going... but the size is alright for 2 plants..

enjoy..

[HARDDON]

On a more serrious note BobBong...

I see the sheet metal whatever you call it covering the base of the plant...

This is not good. A GREAT idea, but not good.

#1. It is going to encourage mold growth on the soil surface. Mold prefers darkness almost all the time and I am afraid your contraption might just create the perfect environment....no light...no wind....no circulation....low oxygen...

#2. You will only reflect light that hits the sheet metal. All the other light will continue to be trapped....lost....eaten.....

#3. Once flowering kicks in good, you;re gonna lose all the bottom leaves anyhow. You need to get light UP into the density of the grow and I dont think reflecting around the base of the soil is enuff.

Make the whole bottom of the grow base reflective.

Ingenious indeed, but, for $2.00, Home Depot sells those styrofoam sheets that are easily cut to fit any situaton.

I know you and I don't get along....

But, I speak for the sake of your plants....

Here, on day 24, notice how the base of the grow chamber is all white and the light bounces off of every square inch of floor bottom......

[BobBong]

thanks for the advice harddon, the book i've read and use as a referance is the "Marijuana Grower's Guide" by Mel Frank & Ed Rosenthal...great for all kinds of information on indoor and outdoor growing.

as for the piece of reflective board i've got on the pot of the one plant, i'm removing it at night to ensure no mold is going to grow... i've already lost a good portion of the lower branches and first fan leaves.. probably due to lack of light through the canopy...not a big deal though...

growing is like having kids (if you have kids you'll know what i mean) the first one you're panicing if the leaves begin to yellow, or some fan leaves fall off.. but by the 4th or 5th grow.. you know what is a plant threatening problem and what isn't...

Remember, this plant wants to live alot more then you want it to live...it takes alot to kill an MJ plant.

Preflowering is in full swing, it's been about 8 days on 12/12 and the growth has begun to slow considerably.
I know there's alot of light being lost from the setup i have and frankly, there's nothing i can or am going to do about it right now.... this grow box was designed as a beginning grow box... a shelving unit with light fixtures screwed in.. crude you might say.. but it did the job...

In the near future i plant on hingeing two 6x2ft book cases together and having them on castor wheels... fully loaded and done very professionally...

money...time...and freedom is preventing me from doing this right now.. but hopefully soon... you'll see my masterpiece

[BobBong]

so from these pictures you can see a few things. plant #1 is 17". plant #2 is 13"

that's the total height of the plant and not the length of the main stem...you can also see some classic branch development for the bud spots. notice the zig-zag pattern..

also shown is the amount of foilage i've lost at the bottom of plant #1

[Zandor]

Hey bob why not add sidelights? One light in the front part if your room between the 2 plants. One in the back between the 2 plants. Lower the light to cover the bottom branches and keep it there. You will still need air movement in the underside of the foliage but your yield and quality will increase if you add 2 more bulbs.

[BobBong]

that's a great suggestion zandor, and i've already considered it. 2 more bulbs would put me to a nice 900watts of CFL.. this is true... i have one more bulb and enough fixtures. I more than likely will add the last bulb i have.

I think though, i'll invest in some red spectrum CFL's for flowering, last round i flowered with the same lights as i vegged with, only adding a 60watt incandescent for the red when i started 12/12...

things to consider.. :D

[HARDDON]

You know I tried the whole side / bottom light thing and I ditched it.

For the CFL to work they really gotta be CLOSE to the foilage.

I got way too much leaf burn than what I had anticipated.

It seems a lot easier to flood them on top with a fan blowing across than it is to side light and keep the leaves from touching them.

The fans at that point just blow the leaves into the light and every morning I had new fresh burns.

Once I removed the lights, yea, I began to lose a lot of undergrowth but that was gonna happen anyhow.

I suppose if the space is not a problem, it might work ok, but the added heat the CFL will bring requires more fan and then they just blew the leaves right on the bulbs.

OUCH!

Of course I am doing all that I am doing with a 3.75 SQ. FT. space.....

Too small for even two flowering ferns.... :(

I need more room and less kids... :)

Anyhow, now that I have lost all the bottom foilage and leaf burn isn't an issue, I added the lights BACK to the setup.

I'll take and post pics tonight of how it all panned out.

HAPPY GROWING BOBBONG :)

[BobBong]

Letter in my door this morning. Inspection in 2 days

[PartypokerPlayer]

:eek: let us know the out come of that...!!!! u live in an apt or what bong ?

[BobBong]

:eek: let us know the out come of that...!!!! u live in an apt or what bong ?

yea an apt.

It shouldn't be to bad though, he was here a week ago to fix a faulty circuit...talk about a heart ache, all he had to do was open one door and it'd been all over....i don't think my heart even beat once the whole time...

oh no.. wait.. it was the other way around.. it was beating so fast, i passed out after he left

..i'll keep ya posted

[HARDDON]

BobBong,

Just slide an entertainment center in front of the closet door.

Or hang your dirty underwear on the door knob. Make sure you have some nice skidmarks and place them skidmark side out.

He'll NEVER touch it. :) :) :)

HAPPY DIRTY UNDERWEAR HANGING :)

[BobBong]

A new found female...and her protector :)

[BobBong]

w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t!

talk about a relief... inspection done.. it took about 40 seconds.. and he didn't even go in my room

now... where'd i put those growbox blueprints...

[Zandor]

good glad to hear your inspectin went off with out any problems.

[BobBong]

Thanks Zandor

about day 14 of 12/12 and both have now started to pistil all over the place :)

as you can see i've done some pruning to open up the branches.. i was finding i was losing to much undergrowth...especially since i plan to double harvest.

so i've opened a bunch of colas.. they'll develope nicely...

enjoy the pics!

[HARDDON]

bobbong..looking nice....

what you mean double harvest?

you gonna pic the buds off, then start re-veg?

I was thinking of that cuz now that I added lower light back to the bottom, i am getting new sprouts all over the main stem and growth shoot stems.

is this what your referring to?

[BobBong]

yes...this is what i'm referring to.

when you harvest you take the bulk of the buds, leaving whatever the lower branches that may be leafless.. they will sprout again... basically what i did my first grow is i cut off the main harvest... left the smaller branches that weren't worth cutting on a 12/12 cycle for another 6-8 weeks

there is however more likely a chance of the plant developing male flowers the second time you flower

[BobBong]

if done right though you can get about 1/2 of your original yeild

[HARDDON]

and would the chances of male balls increase if the plant were RE-VEGGED?

I have heard this but never heard of the odds.

Seems strange that a female would turn male...

i guess they turn hermie huh?

But any idea on the odds???

[BobBong]

it's a matter of chance really.. it depends on how badly the plant is stressed...

[BobBong]

Just some pics for your viewing pleasure

[BobBong]

Just some pics for your viewing pleasure

These are pictures from my last grow, FYI. i'll do an update on my present girls tomorrow sometime

[Zandor]

Bob I'm waiting!!!!!!

[BobBong]

month 2 of plant life.

day 20 of flowering

one topped, one not... so far so good i guess? I had a small run in with a fert burn, nothing major though.. and it was early in flowering so not to much damage should be done. i'm not worried.

definately looking at at least a double harvest.. if not triple

[BobBong]

Bob I'm waiting!!!!!!

hahaha sorry about the wait zandor, got busy before i went out and couldn't get this posted before hand.. you know how it is

[redeye]

Looking good Bob i hope my plants look as good as that 1 day!!! wher did you get hold of your cfl's ??? a garden store or something?? i need 2 get hold of some asap!!

[BobBong]

Looking good Bob i hope my plants look as good as that 1 day!!! wher did you get hold of your cfl's ??? a garden store or something?? i need 2 get hold of some asap!!

i got them at the canadian tire near my place. it's like an all purpose hardware store..large place.. have em all over canada (it is called canadian tire afterall)

about 14$ but they're cool white so they're not the right colour spec. for flowering.. i'll be adding lights soon, i'm taking advantage of the long weekend to rethink my setup.

happy canada day :P

[Zandor]

Nice job Bob....they look very healthy.

[unmeg]

nice looken nugs bob! well done my man.

[BobBong]

well ... it's done!

now sporting a larger box with an additional light making it 750w, 14500lumen.

that's.. the good news .. the bad?

both are growing balls lower on the branches... they are single male flowers.. whereas there are still colas with no balls..

i'm thinkin it was the combo of undergrowth loss and pruning.. i pruned after i lost my undergrowth to open it up ....

too little too late i guess?

from what i can it's not going to be too bad.. if anything i'll have a few seeds more, and i get to see what male flowers develope like..

any suggestions would be great

[BobBong]

if i pick off the male flowers will they grow back somewhere else or will this possibley save my sensimilia

[Zandor]

If they have not polinated yet then it could save your other plants

[BobBong]

well i got more lights today, and sockets.. i've put in 2 incandescent lights for some additional red spectrum.. it's.. pretty much all i can afford for now...from what i can tell though an additional 200w of red spec should be enough to help along the flowering.. for now..

the only now issue is heat.. which i will keep a close eye on.. i'm thinking of implementing a 2nd fan....
and adding some height to the box... things for tomorrow i guess :D

i love long weekends

900Watts of CFL
200watts of incandescent

man it's bright in here..

[BobBong]

If they have not polinated yet then it could save your other plants

i only have two plants and both plants are showing signs of mlae flowers..

it's still hard to tell, i could be wrong.. but i don't think i am.. let's hope they're pods that haven't popped yet..

let's hope.. :(

[Zandor]

I' sorry to hear that Bob, that's a bummer dude.

Congrats on the 420th post bty.

[BobBong]

haha thanks zandor :P

I'm not terribley sure how many male balls there are...some have actually turned out to be female pods.. just..developing differently..

heat seems to be a bit of an issue.. although for now it's under control..
yes, i know the heat is created vastly by the incandescents in there, but it's my only source of red spectrum lighting, it's 200 watts....until i can get something better.. it'll have to do

it's better than nothing.

[BobBong]

so we're goin on just about day 29 of 12/12

a few abnormal flowers have developed lower.. but they're not male.. i believe they're just stressed female flowers.

other than that short delay, flowering continues as planned.. the heat is stable at around 85-90 degrees with constant air movement, so it looks like i'll be okay.

now i just have the height issue to deal with . :)

Fire in the bowl! :rolleyes:

Enjoy.

P.s. the last picture is both plants together

[BobBong]

I'll be finding the red spectrum CFL's soon, probably have em in for my next grow.


i've also added the additional 9" to the back grow box, making it the same size.

size is no longer an issue for now, making the next 4-5 weeks of my grow a waiting game :)

[BobBong]

i undid their bra's yesterday... so they're free until harvest..

[BobBong]

:D

i had to flush them because i believe that there is a K lockout in the one plant.
so i've begun to flush and will probably not add much more nutrient until i harvest the first time

[PartypokerPlayer]

bob how much longer til harvest ?....how much do you expect to yeild using the compacts ? GL to u sir PPP

[BobBong]

i'm looking at about 4-5 weeks until first harvest.. then another 3 until the 2nd.. it's not a set date as you know :P i'm guesstimating

[BobBong]

stretching? it was my intention to stretch them a little bit, they were extremely compact for a while there... they're also like 40 days into 12/12, they won't grow much more, just fatten up alot.. i've begun to flush seeing how i had a run in with the nute lockout. seems pretty good now though, hasn't gotten any worse and the plant's showing no signs of any other problems. :)

anywhoo... i'm estimating about 5-6 ounces of these two plants in total... i'll let ya know how it goes.

[Nochowderforyou]

Ya, I guess they're not major stretching. Have you considered using an Hps for flowering? You can easily triple your yeild.

[BobBong]

Ya, I guess they're not major stretching. Have you considered using an Hps for flowering? You can easily triple your yeild.

heheh of course, if i could i would go up to an hps at the drop of a hat. but it's not that easy... it's the fact that i'm in a 1 bedroom apt. with my uncle (it's really 2 bedrooms,kitchen.bathroom and a balcony) .. an hps right now would be to much of a good thing for such a small area. i will do what i can with the space and money i have.

as everyone should..

[BobBong]

About day 42 of flowering now. another 3 weeks until harvest.. if that..

i'll keep ya posted

[stonedsince89]

Man... Great Plants! This is exactly what i want to do. Grow 2 or 3 plants just for personal. I really like your grow box. That is the size, I want to use. One question? Is that the same area for the whole grow operation, veg and flowering? If it is, you are the man!! I am looking to get something like that started in the next 3 months or so. It will be only my 2nd grow. First was a phototron like 8 years ago. Good luck with your grow Bob!

[Zandor]

Looking good Bob!!

[BobBong]

Hey thanks guys, i've got two airworks fans. one circular one vertical, i'm using the one fan now as an extraction fan.. the reading temp on the TOP of the lights is just about 94-95 ... with constant air movement, the foilage temp shouldn't me more than 85... i'm thinking of suspending in the thermometer in the foiliage to be sure.

Thanks for the compliments :)

[BobBong]

this is where i have my thermometer now... it's in the direct fan path.. which i think might interfere with a proper reading.. but ... how can you get an exact temp reading anyway? something digital would work i imagine.. but $$ :P

oh well.. this will give me an idea of what the temp is in the foliage of the plants

we'll see :)

[Zandor]

That's fine Bob, being in the airflow is the same temperature the plants get. They get the airflow as well, so you are reading what they get. You want it to be at the average height of the canopy.

[BobBong]

i'm actually thinking of topping the back plant... this should plump up the side shoots over the next few weeks dramatically

but then... i lose the main cola.

any thoughts?

here's a pic of the main cola size, it's smaller because of the extensive LST i did to this plant.. the main cola, isn't the largest...

[BobBong]

Ahoy hoy again, just thought i'd give some update on zee girls.

Day 47 flowering and she's fattening up now nicely..

went away for afew days and when i got back the fertilizer got knocked over when my uncle was watering the plants or something.. lost alot of my bloom fert on the floor... it's a bitch to clean up too...

enjoy zee pics eh?

[BobBong]

Day 53

i've gotten some ph down, and i'm bring the ph of the soil down for the last 2 weeks of flowering...a few doses of some neutral ph water.. then the last week will just be plain water. i took a sample too :rolleyes: so i'll let you know how it is in a few days


Cheers :)

[BobBong]

I also got to check out my buddies outdoor potted plants... by the looks of it he had two males and one female.. the female though, is far behind the males in terms of flowering. she just started to show her first hairs.
:) i topped her last night also... she's quite tall and has many nodes.. it doesn't need to get any taller. probably set the flowering back a week.. but should be better in the long run.

[StealYourFace]

Hey bob really nice grow man, im doing the same sorta thing w/ my lights. I went out the other day to get some new lights for flowering but the problem i had was hooking the lights up to a socket. I noticed you have the same thing... the black and white wires. I was wondering if you could tell me how to hook them up and what to use to convert them so they can hook up to a regular socket. Thanks man and keep up the good work.

[latewood]

keep it up bob...nice grow man, i just read you r entire thread ..good reading and discussion throughtout...later

[BobBong]

Hey everyone, Goin on Day 61 of 12/12. I've cut the main cola off a week or so in advance. It was considerably smaller than the other colas, which seems odd..but easily explained.

I'd gladly give up 1 big main cola and 5 or 6 small colas for 1 small main cola and 5 or 6 med. sized colas. :)


http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/seriesparallelcircuits/seriesparallelcircuits.html

is what i used for a basic memory refresher on how to wire up parallel circuits.
If you really need it i will go through it step by step on how i set it up. (it'll just take a while to post it all that's all)

be 110% sure when dealing with wiring up 110v or 220v fixtures (British people tend to electrocute themselves twice as fast as American's)

Be safe :) if you're unsure have someone check your work too. last thing i wanna hear is some poor schmuck burnt down his house trying to simply wire up light fixtures.

[nobiee420]

looking good bobbong i havent posted on here that i can think of but i have been following the grow for a while looking good man

[BobBong]

Hey, thanks man...

Here's the sample 2 days after cutting.. not quite ready to smoke yet.. but i think i'll try her friday. :)

Remember.. curing isn't a MUST DO process...it's a CAN DO... you CAN cure.. you don't HAVE to.

:rolleyes:

[nobiee420]

WOW man that a nice looking bud seem to be pretty tight too and lots of crystals man i know its going to blow you mind let us know!!!!

[Zandor]

Nice job Bob :D

[Marc Benson]

Looks great Bob. This may have been answered already but did you use just cfl's for the whole grow?

[BobBong]

So!
After the sample i've decided it's about time to harvest. the sample was goooood, ahhhhhhhh....this is what i'm talkin about :D

it's fine smoke.. i dried the sample in 3 days. The harvest i plan to hang for 2 days, chop down into smaller pieces. than i will cure for approx. 10 days.

then it's another 4-5 weeks for the 2nd harvest.

Chop chop tomorrow!

[BobBong]

Thanks guys, it was a good grow. Few problems, not quite the same controled circumstances for the plants... but efficient non the less.

So all in all 14 cola's. most about the size of my forearm.

2 days of hanging then it's into a cure bag for a more than a week.

5 more weeks i should have some more bud to harvest too.I'll be keeping the plants on 10/14 for the rest of their lives.

[BobBong]

P.s

It stinks in my room right now

[Marc Benson]

P.s

It stinks in my room right now

I doubt many of us would describe it as a 'stink' Bob! More like a fine exotic perfume.

I asked this before but didn't get an answer. What lights did you use for this grow? Thanks!

[BobBong]

I doubt many of us would describe it as a 'stink' Bob! More like a fine exotic perfume.

I asked this before but didn't get an answer. What lights did you use for this grow? Thanks!

Sorry Marc, the lights that were used are CFL cool white 150w. 2900 lumens, approx. 14$ per bulb. i started with 3, and gradually have implimented 3 more. 900watts of cfl. and i added 300watts of incandescent for flowering.

900+-watts in veg.
1200+-watts in flowering.

i say +- because some of the bulbs used were from my first grow and are bound to have lost some energy along the way.

[Marc Benson]

So are you talking 43 watt cfl's that give out the equivilent of 150 watts? I would assume so.

Hard to argue with your results. I've got 400 watts and will put more in as they get a little more mature.

Can you get warm white's for flowering in the 43 watt? That seems like it'd be the ticket.

Send me one of those colas would ya? I'd like to do some testing. Just for scientific purposes...of course.

[BobBong]

http://www.homeharvest.com/hydrofarmcompactfluorescents.htm

yes, they pull 45watts. put out an equivilent of 150.

:P i'll test it out for ya and let ya know how she is : )

[BobBong]

The first set of results :)

60% dry and 99.1 grams. Now I start the slight cure i wanted, and soon it'll be over 3 ounces of stemless,seedless, indica dominent, couch lock stone Marijuana.

BlackJack to be precise :)

[BobBong]

My drying/curing method has been questioned....

I've hung the cola's for 2 days, then removed the buds from the stem. I've put the bag full of buds on the refrigerator where it is dark and relatively warm. Here it will stay for 7-10 days, being opened daily to ensure no molding.

after 10 days the harvest will be dried completely and ready to smoke

[Zandor]

:D Sweet Bob :D

[TokeItUp420]

dude that was a good grow man and all the input you gave all of us will help well me in my growing of one plant and im gonna go buy acouple of those cfl lights and i think mines near flowering sence all the bottom leafs fell off...lol see i learn stuff.lol thanks for the innfo though

[BobBong]

dude that was a good grow man and all the input you gave all of us will help well me in my growing of one plant and im gonna go buy acouple of those cfl lights and i think mines near flowering sence all the bottom leafs fell off...lol see i learn stuff.lol thanks for the innfo though

Anytime man, any questions that you have for me i'll gladly take a swing at.

[Blackbox]

Go check out my site @ www.bey-tech.com
for The co2 Blackbox & Odor control system for Pennies a day.
www.bey-tech.com

[Zandor]

Go check out my site @ www.bey-tech.com (http://www.bey-tech.com/)
for The co2 Blackbox & Odor control system for Pennies a day.
www.bey-tech.com (http://www.bey-tech.com)
I know you, welcome to the forum. Are you just posting for sales or are you a member?

I have not tried your product but the science is true enough and in theory it should work. How hot does the area get around the box?

[zdub]

Thanks for the post Bob. Beautiful girls you had there!

I learned a ton reading this. Look forward to your future grows.

[BobBong]

Day 86 of "Flowering" or since i first changed the light cycle to 12/12.

a beautiful sweet smell is coming from my room :D

as you can see, the continued flowering has proven to be pretty successful. I'm down to 9/15 now... trying to simulate the end of the season as much as i can.

some of the buds are starting to purple, which is interesting and ihaven't seen it before. i could be because of the heat though.

I'll let you know how she is :D after i finish this bowl of Husk.

cheers :)

[BobBong]

this is the light setup i'm using. the incandescent is for the red spectrum. they create more heat.. but put out 100w warm white. earlier in the flowering stage i had 4 incandescents. i've cut back because the heat was to much.

[BobBong]

Well folks.. that's it! that's all she wrote! the fat lady has sung... and sing well she did.

I'm tryin a bit of a different drying/curing method. i've got the rest of one plant in wooden boxes, and the rest of the other in a cardboard box.

i'm going to leave the boxes open in a drawer for 2 days. after which i'll put the lids on the boxes and keep them in the dark.. and probably in an open area to ensure there's ventilation when i go away this weekend.

cheers guys.. i'm going to have a short period of re-setup and re-evaluation.. then i'll start the 3rd round of BlackJack.

Cheers.. and happy smoking :)

[BobBong]

Hey gang.
So here i am once again... starting out with 4 BlackJackSeeds. In a week, i'm going to drop a female Sensi Star White Widow into the Mix.Depending on male:female ratio i may have to put more seeds in. i may not. This will also be my 2nd cloning attempt. this time using rooting gel, as opposed to powder.

Stay tuned...as i'm sure we can all learn a thing or two from this grow.

Cheers!
I'm off to the shop tomorrow to pick up more pots and supplies :)

[HARDDON]

OH....ROFLMAO...

I know the feeling.

Might I recommend some rooting hormone powder for the transpant :)

[Joel]

Hahaha shit, doesnt it suck not having the right supplies when you get your seeds? I love having all my shit ready to germ and then plant next morning, I love that day. I still laughing at how you 3 plants in 1 pot, boy you must been HELLA anxious lol.

[BobBong]

2 plants.. per pot actually... and it's not a really big deal.. i've actually found it easier to germinate and have seedlings together because they tend to feed off eachother... keeping more humidity around them and such. But it's important to seperate them before it's to late..

[Joel]

Intresting ... than whats that??(photo)
Dont know why I cant fullscreen it, but check it on your picture, I see a little green.

[cannabuds]

i see what your talken about there dude but might just be light reflecting who knows lol

[BobBong]

ROFLMAO!!! Holy jesus.. i just checked the pot after looking at that pic again...

i didn't even see that seedling.. it was tucked behind the light .. lol...

i guess that seed germinated after all.. hahah i threw it in there, but it hadn't rooted so i was just going out on a limb...

Joel sir... thanks for noticing.. hahaha

i guess i'm gonna need one more pot than i thought.. lol..

[BobBong]

So..with 5..not..4 seedlings.. it's kind crowded.. but it works.

I seem to have fixed the ventilation problem (for now). The temps stay at about 80 degrees.

So that is that, for now! I just play the waiting game now.

I'll keep ya updated :)

The Plan is to Veg for approx. 3-4 weeks. and flower for approx 10. Giving me a total of approx. 91 days. or just about 3 months.

I'm still debating wether to do lst this round or not. I probably will not, due to the lack of LST space that i have.. we'll see.

[Garden Knowm]

I would like to see more : )

[HARDDON]

Yes, please update us Mr. Bong :D

[BobBong]

An update you want :P an update you'll get.

goin on about 10 days now from popping.

Curiously, i've noticed between the two largest plants that one has much more rounded leaves.. where the other one has much sharper more mj like leaves. i suppose it could be just the early age of the plant and how the first few leaves have developed. we'll see..

great secondary growth on the big girl. the others are not to far behind.. thankfully they have a good role model :)

Enjoy guys.. i'll keep ya updated

[BobBong]

Correction, it's actually about 17 days from seed germination.

[maryjane911]

Hey
How much longer are you leaving them to Veg for :D

[BobBong]

well i was on 18/6 to begin. gradually i will reduce the amount of light they'll get by 30 minutes every few days until i'm down to 12/12 . i'm now actually on 17/7. in a week i expect to be down to 16/8, then 15/9..so on... I won't veg for more than 4 weeks. so i expect to see sex within the next 2-3 weeks. I'm doing this because i plan to flower for a long time, approx. 10 weeks. give or take. and obviously.. if everything goes as planned.

Hopefully i get more girls than boys. :\ if not, well.. poo

[BobBong]

going on 22 days

[SamoanLawyer]

nice grow bob!

[turtle420]

Hey Bob (and others),

What about that incremental light cycle? I liked that idea... anybody else has tried it?

So, you start 18/6 for 4 weeks of vegetative (aprox)... then gradually, everyday, change the cycle by 30 minutes... So, the entire thing from 18/6 to 12/12 should take twelve (12) days if I'm not so stoned as to fuck up that simple math... right?

Don't wanna hijack your thread... just that question... I like that cycle transition phase. :)

Ok, regarding your grow: keep us update. They look very good! Another very interesting grow thread.... ohhh.... the day people come read/write to my grow thread... ohhhh.... LOL!!!

-turtle420 :cool:

[HARDDON]

the day people come read/write to my grow thread... ohhhh....[/i] LOL!!!



Soon enuff young grasshoppa...soon enuff...

Enjoy your peace now :)

[BobBong]

Hey Bob (and others),

What about that incremental light cycle? I liked that idea... anybody else has tried it?

So, you start 18/6 for 4 weeks of vegetative (aprox)... then gradually, everyday, change the cycle by 30 minutes... So, the entire thing from 18/6 to 12/12 should take twelve (12) days if I'm not so stoned as to fuck up that simple math... right?

Don't wanna hijack your thread... just that question... I like that cycle transition phase. :)

Ok, regarding your grow: keep us update. They look very good! Another very interesting grow thread.... ohhh.... the day people come read/write to my grow thread... ohhhh.... LOL!!!

-turtle420 :cool:

Thanks man! i appreciate the input and comments as always!

you got it pretty much nailed as to my intention with the light cycle. I do though, think the change to 12/12 will be over the course of 2-3 weeks rather than 12 or 13 days. Giving the plants a few days between each 1/2 hour change. With this i pretty much expect the plants to begin flowering on thier own. i imagine i'll see sexes when i'm at about 14 or 13 hours of light daily.

I don't know of many people that have done this.. and infact.. i don't recall anyone doing it here on cannabis.com, i'm probably wrong though. I'll keep ya posted! thanks for the upbuilding comments, again!

[Garden Knowm]

looking good... I love the simplicity.. and such nice happy plants!!

thanks

[BobBong]

I think you're right Garden :)

Can you hear the giggles? :) :D ;) :rolleyes: :cool:

[BobBong]

Hey look who moved in! I hope she finds enough to eat... anyone heard of giving ladybugs supplementary food incase there aren't enough bugs to feed her? :(

Reminds me of a little song i used to know when i was a kid..
Ladybug, Ladybug
Fly away home
Your house is on fire
and your kids are home alone!
So fly away ladybug!
Fly away home!

[Garden Knowm]

it's amazing to me how compat and close you nodes stay together using CFL's
What strain is that?

[BobBong]

Like the thread says my magical keep of the garden...

BlackJack Be Bob's Buds.

BlackJack = Black Domina vs. Jack Herer.

The trick to the compactness.. is in the lights....

[BobBong]

weeee 30 days! :cool:

Pic 1 is my suspected male, still to early to tell though...we'll see.

5 plants @ different angles :) enjoy!

[BobBong]

35 days.
i'm on 14/10
4 of the 5 are looking female :D
We'll know for sure by next week

[BobBong]

Day 42...i think?

Day 3 of 12/12 anyway.

On the first pic you can see one of the girls has a unique pheno-type, developing alternating nodes..

neat.. :P

[Garden Knowm]

Did they really started to strecth as soon as you changed to 12/12?

thanks FOR the great pics!!!!!!!!

[Mctuffet]

I'd like to duplicate that. where did you get those bulbs and the fixtures for them? how much did it cost?

[BobBong]

The bulbs cost 14$ +- at the local Canadian Tire.

The sockets, approx. 4$.

I'm done to 4 now.. but at least they're all girls.

The plant with the funky pheno-type turned out to be male.

Day 6 of 12/12 and 3 of the 4 have popped pistils. the 4th, is looking very female..so i'm pretty confident i've weeded out the only male from the crop :)
On another note, i've decided to tie the females down..Mainly to open the lower branches and yield more..and also to reduce the amount of space i've needed.

[BobBong]

LST is a beautiful technique to master...

Master it, and you master the Sea of Green.

A work of art...

I'm getting there

:p

..Didn't think i was going to LST this round... but who am i kidding... there's just to many pro's about LST'ing your plant.

[BobBong]

So high!

Just a quick update.. sorry i've been out of it lately.. life has kinda sucked the big floppy one for a while. but meh. :stoned:

Going on day 17 of 12/12. All 4 now are showing pistils.

Had one of the secondary branches touch a bulb...not a total loss.. but woops.

The smaller plants also seem to struggling with some nutes a bit..not bad. but hopefully they hold up okay.

[latewood]

very nice job bob, can't wait to see you finish...later

[Fugitive]

Hey BobBong I don't understand why you hav incandescent light bulbs ? I can't wait for an update of those lovely plants . k ? soon-ish?

[BobBong]

Thanks for the support guys!

So here we are going on day 24 of 12/12 and 3 of the 4 are flowering strongly now. the 3rd IS flowering, it's just behind the rest.. it'll need an extra two weeks as least.

I'll keep ya posted!

[BobBong]

It's a god damn jungle in here boys... it's scary

[BobBong]

Goin on 30 days @ 12/12.

[elcheapo]

Love your threads BobBong. Keep up the good work!
CFL's rock! I was lucky enough to find some that are 48watt - 240 watt equiv. in both the 5000k cool white and 3000k warm white variety. I got 3 of each and will start a thread soon. Make sure you check it out and let me know how you think I'm doing.
Thanks again for the proof that CFLs work and that they work well.
One question though - how are you controlling issues with heat?

[BobBong]

Thankfully heat isn't a big issue. although i don't need more... it's not to bad right now. I keep my window open during the day.. keeping the room pretty cool. I also have a vertical fan blowing past all the bulbs.. carrying out the hot air..

Going on 35 days @ 12/12.

[BobBong]

Some more pics...I also took a few through a magnifying glass.. :D

enjoy!

[Mctuffet]

i'm very impressed. the leaves seem to have aolt of trichomes on them, and soo soon. Plus i'm interested to see how well you yield using all cfls. you are very crouded.hahhhaha but that is awsome, that just means you're kickin ass.

[BobBong]

:D yea I use the CFL's all the way through. This is my 3rd grow with these bulbs... I'm very suprised at the life of them. Although i think 3 of them will need replacing for next grow...

For flowering, because you need red spectrum. I've introduced incandescent 100watt bulbs.. This isn't the best source for red spectrum.. at all. If you can use a MH or a HPS .. by all means... DO. But for limited space, money and knowledge.. incandescents are not a bad start at all. The only issue with them is Heat. Keep the heat down with constant airflow, and you can do alright.

Practice makes perfect, as we all know. The best way to start .. for anyone, in my opinion is using Compact Fluorescent Lights...there's alot less room for error.

[Mctuffet]

what happened to taking clones???

[BobBong]

:o

I didn't get the chance to, I've been pretty sick over the last few months and just never got around to cutting them. I have some female seeds that my buddy gave me, so rather than clone i'm just going to start a new batch after this one

[dingobaby]

Can you put a link on how to LST?

[BobBong]

LST (Low Stress Training) Is simply tying down the top of the plant at the appropriate age. This will open the lower branches for stronger development without the need to top the plant.

On another note, I was trimming the girls this morning and decided to take a sample. I've been without fert's for a good week now so i should be okay. I'm also trying to get my curing down better. I've taken this sample straight from the plant and put it in a small jar...I'll be opening the jar for 20 minutes daily for the next 2 weeks...hopefully drying it slow enough without molding.

I'll let you know how the sample goes... If it goes well, i'll probably harvest in 3 weeks. :pimp:

[elcheapo]

Congrats. On the home stretch now.. looks like you are going to finish with another successful grow. I do like your previous drying methods. Have you been having issues with your other batches? In the past I've used a paper bag for drying and curing 'samples'. Same sort of thing, opening it every now and again to let the gases out.

[Mctuffet]

what kinda of fem seeds did your buddy give you? just curios. ohh yea what kinda seeds are ;you growing with now? Black jack r somehting? who makes those?

[Mctuffet]

up dates. PLEASE.

[BobBong]

:D
Thanks for the support Mctuffet..and.. everyone who's been following :)
I hope i've proven that CFL's DO work.. that an HPS is NOT required for good results. Granted you yeild more with better lighting, you also enter a different realm of growing. A lot of people move faster than they should, thus getting busted..
It's a tricky thing this growing stuff.. mentally and psychologically...so you gotta take care when doing it :)

P.s. The first post of this thread shows the strains that i'll be attempting next.

[BobBong]

Going on 47 days of 12/12.

[Mctuffet]

yay for bob.i love how your grow is going. do you have any plans to grow more plants? are do you plan on just using the same box and growing the same numberof plants?

[BobBong]

yay for bob.i love how your grow is going. do you have any plans to grow more plants? are do you plan on just using the same box and growing the same numberof plants?

Because of my location and surroundings, my grow box is about as big and complex as it'll get. I won't be using different lights until i move and i won't be increasing the number of plants i grow until i have some new lighting.

To be honest, i feel comfortable staying with a small amount of plants. I don't sell my harvest..so it's completely personal.

For now.. 4 will do nicely :)

[Powder Puff]

LOL Bob..!:)

But don't you get a pretty deacent yield whit your setup?

.... And if you don't sell, shouldn't it last for at least a couple of days! :p

I think I saw you'r last grow, and didn't you yield enough for yourself? :D

[Sentinel]

Bob, have you been using the same kind of fluorescent bulbs all the way through?

[BobBong]

LOL Bob..!:)

But don't you get a pretty deacent yield whit your setup?

.... And if you don't sell, shouldn't it last for at least a couple of days! :p

I think I saw you'r last grow, and didn't you yield enough for yourself? :D

Hell ya! My very first plant i had i yielded close to 3 ounces! with only 3 CFL's and a few incandescents.

I love this stuff so much! it's so fun and easy! and REWARDING. :D

I've used the same lights since january.. eventually adding 4 more.. and many more sockets.

10 sockets total

5 CFL's
5 Incandescent

i have a 6th cfl , but i've been inputting more red spectrum. so slowly i'm removing the blue spectrum..and replacing it with red (incandescents)

I'll probably replace 3 of the bulbs after this grow..although i might just push it for another grow and only do 1 plant.

My next grow is going to be different.. :thumbsup:

P.s. the pics are of my first plant in its late flowering, and a small plant i managed to keep under a foot earlier this year...

[BobBong]

The key is in the Lighting Temps.

Blue Spectrum for Veg.
More Red Spectrum for Flowering.

[dingobaby]

How tall before you tie the main branch down?

[BobBong]

How tall before you tie the main branch down?

It really depends on what you're trying to achieve...

Here are some pics of the 2nd plant i LST'd. I did a great job with it.. and yielded again, close to 3 ounces...as well as additional 2nd harvest off the same plant for a 1/2 ounce.

so off this plant, when properly LST'd yielded over 3 ounces in practically a 3ft grow space.

you can see how large the space is... it's not a lot. I tell no lies about how much i yield either.

Tie the plant when she's ready...when she is ready depends on many factors..

secondary growth is a good indicator that the plant is doing well... if it's growing secondary growth.. but you're finding her to tall.. tie her down.

It's impossible to give an exact schedueling as to when you'd tie a plant down.
Hope this helps..
Bob.

[Powder Puff]

Nice..!:D

But, how much lumens do incadecent give? Is it enough?

And, don't they get pretty warm?

[Sentinel]

So you are using cool white and not soft white? Where I live they only sold soft white twirly fluoros. SO i ended up buying 4 shop light ballasts and 4 32 watt cool white tubes. And im getting very little growth, at 3 weeks old they only were maybe 3 inches tall and 2 wide.

[Powder Puff]

So, you tie down the main stem to reveal the secondaries?

Or how does it work??:)

[BobBong]

Incandescents aren't a great source of light.. infact, i'm not even sure how many lumens they put out... i have 500watts of red spectrum in there though...

I've decided to take a larger sample of one of the plants, i'm off to visit my buddy in a week and decided it'd be nice to take some with me... i'll give you a weight when she's dry

... LST is tying down the top growing shoot to reveal the secondaries..as you can see.. even without the main cola he plant is still pretty large

[Powder Puff]

Looks nice!:D

How did the last sample do??:)

[BobBong]

Looks nice!:D

How did the last sample do??:)

still drying :) i'll probably give it a smoke on monday or tuesday :)

[Powder Puff]

Nice!:D

[dingobaby]

Nice, thanks for the info. Do you ever untie let the middle cola?

What would be a good way to get all the secondarie growths nice and strong so they dont bend a shitload during flower time when they get nice and heavy from that beautiful flower Ms. Mary Jane

[Fugitive]

Hi bob , I might have missed it, but what nutrients do you give your plants?

[Chrisg420]

hey bob i got some ?'s to ask you because i wanna grow with CFL's also so if u could email me that would be great, u seem to be the source on CFL growing, so my email is [email protected]

Thx in advance man, and i love how ur buds look.

Chris

[supersonicchronic]

Incandescents aren't a great source of light.. infact, i'm not even sure how many lumens they put out... i have 500watts of red spectrum in there though...

I've decided to take a larger sample of one of the plants, i'm off to visit my buddy in a week and decided it'd be nice to take some with me... i'll give you a weight when she's dry

... LST is tying down the top growing shoot to reveal the secondaries..as you can see.. even without the main cola he plant is still pretty large

Looking good Bob, Dankity Dank Dank! I'm curious on your nutes also, I can't see the pics right now, but are you in soil or hydro?

[BobBong]

The soil I'm using is an indoor potting soil that has a combination of slow release nutrients. Scott's and Schultz make very reliable soil mediums. Using this soil i don't need to give very much nutrient in the early stages of vegging. I do however start to give them a Shultz "5-30-5 Bloom Builder" in the last week of 18/6 and into the first few weeks of flowering(12/12) until they show signs of nute max out. It's a very heavy phosphate mix, ideal for Flowering.

As for the weight issue on the secondary growth...it can be a bit of a problem when your branches begin to bow under their own weight...
this is what string was invented for :smokin:

P.S.
Dry weight on the main cola taken as a sample from my smallest plant is 8.5grams.
Also, I've been asked to write up a FAQ on CFL lighting. This will help many of you who are so strongly interested in beginning with CFL lighting.

Thanks for all the support again guys. :dance:

Cheers,
Bob.

[Mctuffet]

Ohh shit son. your first cutting shourld be about ready i do believe. update us on that bad boy.

ohh and a side note that makes me very happy in light fo recent events, hahaha light, i just got my conversion 250watt mh hps system in today. it's super sweet.

ok i realy just wanted to share that.

plus thatnks for the concern on my fallen light.

[Mctuffet]

the above was posted meer seconds after you posted. my bad.

[Chrisg420]

Bobbong if u could email me with some tips on using CFL's it would be greatly appreciated. [email protected] is my email.

Chris

[BobBong]

:D the very first sample i cut 2 weeks ago has been smoked.. I think it was smoked...yesterday.. or monday.. i don't quite remember hahahahah....

either way it was good, a bit on the harsh side.. but good nonetheless. Good ol' BlackJack, just like i remember it. :stoned:


Bobbong if u could email me with some tips on using CFL's it would be greatly appreciated. [email protected] is my email.

Chris

I've been asked to write up a CFL "how-to" for the FAQ section, You'll see it in the next few days (hopefully before the weekend because i'm going away for 3 days).

[Chrisg420]

allright man sounds good to me, thx for the help.

[Mctuffet]

uhh ohhh bob. it's coming up on the home stretch.... maybe not for most people but for me.....this is the home strecht. i' get toooo excited!! those girls better be getting fat. if not make them stop reeding those damb magazines telling them to be skinny.

[BobBong]

well... sorry for the delay.

Had some problems with my cpu melting to the heat sync... :mad: resulted in having to get a new motherboard... decided to upgrade though.. and spent a total of about 850$ @ the computer store.... on the upside of course.. i have a kick ass computer i built myself now :P



Christmas comes early for Bob...

I harvested on wednesday... 18 cola in total..most ranging from medium to large... with a few smaller ones
I'll get pics a.s.a.p.

Ps. sorry for the delay on the FAQ Zandor.

[towel]

I see that you added incandescents to your original CFLs to get more red spectrum light for flowering. Is this because your original CFLs are cool white (~4100K)? Do you think that using warm white CFLs (~2700K) would be good for flowering or are incandescents better?

[Rekap]

:p im excited to see this yeild :p

great job BOB.

Rekap_

[Mctuffet]

sorry to hear that.... i mean about th computer. that sucks

[Powder Puff]

So.. Whats up Bob?? Dry yet? Have you smoked any of it?:)

Yield, etc.?:)

[SneakerPimp]

all I have to say is..... Brilliant!

[MisterSource]

Please explain or show how you handled the odor.

I have about the same type of space I am going to be working with. Starting to gather materials and info. thanks! your thread is giving me alot of info!

[BobBong]

Compact Fluorescent Lights

I'd like to talk about these lights.. I've managed to complete a number of nice grows using only CFL and incandescent lighting. Those that know my grows will know that i have managed to yield quite a bit of porduct using just these lights.

So i'd like to talk about them

Have you any questions for me? concerns? I'm currently in the process of making a FAQ on these lights and would like to know what kind of concerns or information people would like on these lights before the FAQ is put up.

These lights are simple to use, simple to install and very effective for the "amature" grow.

So.. Let's begin!

[BobBong]

http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=31150&highlight=Bob%27s+BlackJack
http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=17014&highlight=Bob%27s+BlackJack

These are links to past grow "reports" i've done with CFL based grows. You will be able to see what kind of yield i got, how these bulbs can be utilized properly and what kind of results you can get with them.

[LIP]

CFL's are great, and with the right spectrum are perfect for growing.

I used 1 15 watt, yeah, just 15 watts to veg a 1 foot high plant, and it was fine, no stretching or anything.

Btw, incandesants dont promote vegative growth, only stem growth, but thats only in high, not thickness, so realy it promotes stretching and possibly the plant falling over, so incandesants are ultimatly useless.

[postmandave]

Exellent grows bob. cfl, i have never used them i use fluro tubes for beggining of veg. I have heard great things about them from mobay.They solved hiS heat prob and his yeid was exellent so it will be intresting to follow this thread and i will read up and see if i can throw a couple of questoins your way thanks.The Postman.

[Zandor]

Bob is writing up a great FAQ for us so please be nice with your posts and keep that in mind.

Thanks Bob.

[GrowinGreen23]

incandesants whats is this like a regular everyday bulb or are these the CFL's? only cause you mentioned LIP that it only promotes the stem growth like higher not so much thicker, why is this?

Growingreen23

[SkillzRemix]

hello everyone wassup bobbong actually when i first became intrested in cultivation i spent several nights just reading over previouse grow logs and yours were definietly insightfull i mentioned it several times in previouse post including my first grow log under bkskillz which i recently completed and a continueing i attempted to complete growing with cfls but became sidetracked and progress hungry and switched over to 250w hps but i aggree completely theres relativly no better alternative for the cost friendly grower then cfls and thus far a combanation of cfls and hid's seems to work wonders as well especially if you mix up the kelvins such as my grow which consist of the 250w hps then 2 55w 5000k(blue spectrum) cfl's...i also have several 2700k(red spectrum) cfls but i tend to use those for the week prior to my clones going under the hps...moving on seeing as you did ask for questions i'll start it off with a good foundation point im sure youve already included the brake down of the kelvins chart in your faq(which a cfl faq is way over due in my opinion) but for those first timers can you brake down the spacific differences in light spectrums and there end results with that said great to see you posting in the cultivation section and safe growing!

[NewGrower]

Cool Bob Can't wait to see that FAQ and start a CFL Grow seen the pic's from your last grows and they looked Great most ppl would prob want to know what type of cfls and how much is need per Square foot of space and that type of soil when to switch to diffren't specturm lights for flowering what nutrients you use thats about all i can think of for now :)

[GrowinGreen23]

you can use the same lights from what i heard it's just a change in the cycle

[GrowinGreen23]

hey bon in your threads i noticed you had CFL's and regular bulbs, don't they just stretch the plants and provide no lumens? what is there purpose

[LIP]

incandesants whats is this like a regular everyday bulb or are these the CFL's? only cause you mentioned LIP that it only promotes the stem growth like higher not so much thicker, why is this?

Growingreen23

Yes, incandesant bulbs are your every day household bulbs, that produce NO lumens, and are the wrong psectrum, therefor rendering them useless.

[postmandave]

Questoin bob.Hw much are these cfls to run as expensive as hps or cheaper?
Thats mty first questoin lol.The Postman.

[BobBong]

Yes, incandesant bulbs are your every day household bulbs, that produce NO lumens, and are the wrong psectrum, therefor rendering them useless.

Hey guys, thanks for the input.. It's helpin make this FAQ come along nicely.

I'd like to talk Incandescent :)

I found this in my CFL research, thought it'd shed some light on the incandescent issue.
""In a 120 volt, 100 watt "standard" bulb with a rated light output of 1750 lumens, the efficiency is 17.5 lumens per watt. This compares poorly to an "ideal" of 242.5 lumens per watt for one idealized type of white light, or 681 lumens per watt ideally for the yellowish-green wavelength of light that the human eye is most sensitive to.
Other types of incandescent light bulbs have different efficiencies, but all generally have efficiencies near or below 35 lumens per watt. Most household incandescent bulbs have efficiencies from 8 to 21 lumen per watt. Higher efficiencies near 35 lumens per watt are only achieved with photographic and projection lamps with very high filament temperatures and short lifetimes of a few hours to around 40 hours.
The reason for this poor efficiency is the fact that tungsten filaments radiate mostly infrared radiation at any temperature that they can withstand. An ideal thermal radiator produces visible light most efficiently at temperatures around 6300 Celsius (6600 Kelvin or 11,500 degrees Fahrenheit). Even at this high temperature, a lot of the radiation is either infrared or ultraviolet, and the theoretical luminous efficiency is 95 lumens per watt.""

So from this we see that Incandescent, like LIP says is almost useless. The percentage of useable lumen per watt ranges from 12 - 35lm/w Compared to practically any other type of lighting this is poor quality light. CFL's give us about 45-65 lumens per watt.
You can see there also the Overall Efficiency which makes it obvious that for 100watts it's really just not worth the heat and energy. However...It's still better than no light at all.

Incandescent than, should only be used as supplemental light...and that is if you have no other choice.

[BobBong]

but for those first timers can you brake down the spacific differences in light spectrums and there end results with that said great to see you posting in the cultivation section and safe growing!

The temperature of light varies from blue to red. Blue produces the most amount of growth...it is the light that plant utilize the most and is what the plant requires to produce as much photosynthesis as possible. The kelvin temperature for your plants will range from 5500k(blue) - 2200K(red). Fluorescent lighting can be found in varying kelvin temperatures to suit your specific needs. There are different "names" for these bulbs, such as "warm white", "soft white" and "cool white". "Warm white" being much lower on the kelvin scale, thus giving off a "warm" or red tone to it. "cool white" being the opposite of "warm white" and "soft white" being between the two to give a combination of both. Do not use "Soft white" this is between the red and blue spectrum, specifically designed to be easier on the eyes for some people. Often the lights in your lamp or kitchen fan will be "soft white". Plants do not see the middle of the kelvin colour temperatures.. yellow and green will not be seen by the plant...hence the whole Blue/Red conversion when it comes to flowering.

[BobBong]

Questoin bob.Hw much are these cfls to run as expensive as hps or cheaper?
Thats mty first questoin lol.The Postman.


There are many places that you can acquire these CFL bulbs. Home depot,Canadian Tire,Target,WalMart and MANY other places are carrying these bulbs now as they are becoming increasingly popular for workplace environments...and growers.
You will also be able to find many places online that will shop worldwide with reasonable prices...
Online maybe the best source for many people for these lights.. you will be able to find exactly the colour temperature you'd like (from 6000k to 2200k). Often the bulbs you find in your local hardware store will not be as good quality as the bulbs you can find online. These stores will not carry bulbs with specific kelvin colours.. rather advertise them as "warm","cool" and "soft" white.

These bulbs will range from 10$ -25$ and up(USD) depending on where you get them from..and the size you wish to go with

[Garden Knowm]

NIce work BOB,

I have just finished the first draft of an 85 page book. It is the life of a single mango plant that was grown under CFL lights and harvested 3 ounces in 70 days.. started from seed.. Each page has a picture of the plant and a description of what needs the plant needed on that particular day...

I am going to start a thread soon requesting pictures of other CFL grows. I want there to be a few pages in the back of the book with many different CFL set ups....

you da man BOB

when you only think about the well being of others, you can never be offended

-MY MOM

[BobBong]

NIce work BOB,

I have just finished the first draft of an 85 page book. It is the life of a single mango plant that was grown under CFL lights and harvested 3 ounces in 70 days.. started from seed.. Each page has a picture of the plant and a description of what needs the plant needed on that particular day...

I am going to start a thread soon requesting pictures of other CFL grows. I want there to be a few pages in the back of the book with many different CFL set ups....

you da man BOB

when you only think about the well being of others, you can never be offended

-MY MOM

I fucking love you...

i did the same thing. 3 months, 3 ounces of "Bob'sBlackJack" . Started Boxing day..and was smoking my harvest well before 420 of that year.
Remember my frist grow log? That's a prime example of what a noobie can do with CFL's.. amazing stuff. :D

Happy 420 Folks!! I'll keep inputting my CFL info as much as i can.. and this thread is where it'll be.

[notanotherteensmoker]

I was thinking about next grow putting CFLs on the floor to light the bottoms of plants and keep the HPS for the top 1/3.

Would that cause a power overload and potential fire hazard if it was all on the same power strip? I'm no expert on electricity. It would be in an older apartment, built probably in the 1950s.

Thanks.

[postmandave]

If you are looking for pics on cfl grow mobay could help you out there garden . Thanks bob very intresting can you tell me are they more expensive electricity wise or do they use less than a hps watt per watt.thank.The Postman.

[GrowinGreen23]

i saw in your posted threads you had a few regular bulbs in the mix, if they're useless then why have them is there any effect that's benificial

Growingreen23

[BobBong]

i saw in your posted threads you had a few regular bulbs in the mix, if they're useless then why have them is there any effect that's benificial

Growingreen23

This a bump/delayed response to the last reply :stoned:

Incandescent (a good majority anyway) are to low on the kelvin range to even be seen by most plants...making the light not terribely useful as a source itself. I personally believe through trial and error that incandescent can be used as supplimental light for the source that you are already using (ie.CFL's). Most of my information is through direct reading from Ed Rosenthal and Mel Frank's "Guide to growing Marijuana" and trial and error. I've completed a number of reasonably successful grows... and currently working on my next with already great results.

As you can see.. my sensi star white widow is turning into a big girl.

These pics were taken just now.

[CChrisgat05]

Very nice muh man

[krustythfreakinclown]

First of all: NICE GROW! I've been considering doing a CFL and Waterfarm grow as an experiment to see what happens.

I have some questions about CFL growing. Namely, do you use SOG or just let the plant grow on its own? Also, what your grams per watt yield? I'm getting about .33 g/W yield with my 400W HPS. Meh.

[seattle420]

krusty, that's what I just did and the buds grew wonderfully.

I use the SUPERCROPPING method.

another thing about those 125 watt compact flo's
they are great for new clones!
you can get the lights really close!

[FOXBIRD]

I am super impressed. I spent alotta mula on bulbs and ballasts and reflectors when all i needed were a few sockets with some cheap bulbs.
read your top 2 grows and i am closing in. On my 2nd day of flower.:dance:
Here are some pics
with a before and after of an LST session. also having some fun with a plant that had problems and is now on recovery, but i still dont expect much.

[cmorbud]

buy lighting.com has cfls up to 85w.= to 350wts

[latewood]

not much I can add...I am enjoying this. ON the retail tip:
lowe's sells 7pak of 14/42w cfls for 10 bucks...now that is a small lamps, but equal to almost 300 watts...

the point is; I buy these for my whole house.

thanks Bob. Looks like alot of info. lw

[BobBong]

Great pictures guys!
Glad to see others have good results with these CFL's.

I'd like to point out that this lighting is ideal for "Noob" grows.. If you have the knowledge,money and space to get HPS or MH , then by all means.. do. your results will be tenfold.

But.. for those who can't do the 1000watt MH in every room of your house... CFL's are handy.

I'm going on about 3 weeks to harvest
...here are a couple pics.

[latewood]

I wanted to say that I have used them a few times for veg and they grow extremely nice under 4 of these 45w cfl's

I have so many experiments going that I use them as mobile utility/fill lights.

Here is an idea I had awhile back and I was thinking of blackjack when I saw this...utility light string...it is one of those multi receptacle light-strings for parties and construction sites...they are not that expensive, and you could string them all over a room.

I will find out which distributor has them, but I think it might be Zandor's favorite...Harbor freight...Great supplier for the small closet grower.

And finally, I agree with BB! These lights are great for newb grower's because they will not burn up your plants or your pocket book.

[harmonicminor]

dont forget the 4 foot shoplights are also cheap and can be overdriven by 4x.

[cactusman23]

www.1000bulbs.com has some pretty good stuff

[chronicuk]

nice grow lets see that yeild

[mobay]

hello bob bong , i have been keeping up with your thread and i wanted to wait til i got my 4 in 1 cfl hood reflector. iam using 4/ 125w cfl cool bulbs now on my plants, i will veg for 1 week and throw the reds in. this hook has light hitting every part of the plants. my grow box is 3x4 and the reflector has 6 inches around the box for movement , perfect fit.

[hotdogzuk]

cheap too run good crop of them have a look www.envirolite.com

[BobBong]

Great info folks, much appreciation for taking part in this open discussion.

On another note, i'm getting close to my first harvest and will be flushing within a few weeks. :thumbsup:
Enjoy
Bob.:stoned:

[lovetogrow]

thats all great and i used to grow with cfls but i went to hps and ill never go back you try hps and you will see huge diff

[BobBong]

thats all great and i used to grow with cfls but i went to hps and ill never go back you try hps and you will see huge diff

Of course... HPS is considerably better than any fluorescent lighting, this is a given... but this is not what the goal of this thread is. People ... a lot of people are unable to make their grows into something larger than they can reasonably handle. a 400 or 600 hps would be ideal of course.. but a little unorthadox for a one bedroom apartment....

For those that are unable to go that extra step into HPS or MH... this thread's for you.

[altec3]

I just bought some 25w 6500k cfls at walmart for 4.84 a bulb. Will these do well for seedlings? I plan on getting them as big as possible and then planting them outdoors when I go home for the summer. BTW this is a great thread

[teledingo]

Those should be great for seedlings.

6500K (cooler, whiter light)= best for seedlings and vegetative growth.

2700K (warmer, redder light) = best for flowering.

[Moose101]

Are lights like this any better? http://www.bltdirect.co.uk/item783.htm
The glass is coated. Me wonders if the coating changes the wavelength. Will it all be red/blue light or is the light going to be absorbed in the bulbs color and produce crappier light?

[knna]

A coloured glass absorb more light. All the coloured bulbs ive seen are far less efficients than normal one. If you want a very especific spectrum, try the special color wich some brands have (reds from Osram and Phillips, as well as blue; in CFL, Osram have the DuluxS 9W in both and Dulux L 24W in blue).

When using CFLs, as large the watage per tube wich form the bulb, best efficiency. CFLs below 26w have very poor efficiency (less than 65lm/w in 830 color). Higher ones give from 65 to 75 lm/w. And the more efficient CFLs are of type L (they are like a fluo tube bended by half, forming a twin tube), wich reach 87lm/w. They have other advantage, they are no integrated CFLs, so you can put the ballast outside the cabinet, reducing heat, and they achive a more even lighting, better when grow SCROG and SOG. And when you replace it, only must buy the lamp, not the lamp and ballast.

I grow in 5 sqft with 4 DuluxL 55w /830 with very good results.

All brands type L CFLs are compatible between (Osram Dulux L, Phillips PL-L, Sylvania Linx L, GE Biax L ...) and higher watages (>36w) need electronic ballast (they are relative cheap, a good investment, paid itselves in 1-1,5years).

[Ausguy]

BobBong, what CFL watts are those that you use? :stoned:

[BobBong]

Great info knna, glad to see i'm not the only one having good success with these bulbs (even a year after purchase and hundreds of hours of use).

The bulbs i use are 45w each and put out approx. 29000 lummens in total.

Picture was taken today, actually.. just now... i'm looking at a week from my first harvest.


Happy toking :)
Bob.

[BobBong]

I decided to harvest early i guess.. well, more of a haircut really...

On with the flowering!


....mmmm stinky...

[BobBong]

Here's a few of the plant post-cut. she's pretty much leveled off like a hedge :D

we'll see how she recovers from her haircut...