New CFL/HPS Grow.

[k1ucHt]

Whats up everyone me and a friend are setting up a new grow room and I wanted to verify a few things to make sure there will be enough power for a successful grow.

We have a 400 watt HPS system as well as the following CFL bulbs:
CFL 20(75)watt Soft White
CFL 26(100)watt Soft White
CFL 26(100)watt Warm White
CFL 26(100)watt Warm white

*The bottom two say they are 3000k, I am unaware of the top two.

My question here is if we were to VEG under just the CFL for the first 3 Weeks in a 2.5' wide x 2' deep x 3' high box would the lighting be sufficient until the HPS put them into flowering?

[karmaxul]

To convert K into nanometers take 3,000,000 / Kelvin degrees = nanometers (basically if it was always that simple)

So since the pure light nanometers go from 375 to 750 you may be thinking what is a 1000 nanometer spectrum?

1000-750=250
250+375=625
V=401.8 I=455.4 B=508.9 G=562.5 Y=616.1 O=669.6 R=723.2

Plants need roughly 5.3% red light 36.3% blue light and 58.3 % yellow which is about 582.2 nm as it is easier to make cloroplasts (blue) then break them down (yellow) which is how the plants make food. Cloroplast to sugar to starch.

· Warm white: low CRI and color temperature of about 3000 degrees Kelvin

· Cool white: moderate CRI and a color temperature of about 4100 degrees Kelvin

· Full spectrum: Good CRI and a color temperature of about 5000-5500 degrees Kelvin (noon sunlight )

· Artificial daylight: Good CRI and a color temperature of about 6500 degrees Kelvin (arctic noon sunlight)

Most places use a unbalanced nanometer rainbow and it varies alot depending on who you speak with. The best spectrum is a 5150 but no one makes it for growth. I thought the cool white was closest but it seems the full spectrum is. I guess it depends on the company.

So I would stay away from the redish light of the 3000K unless used to force flower. The plants under these lights will most likely stretch as seen when grown under pure yellow low pressure sodium bulbs.

Here is a good link for more info on CFLs
http://www.mywiseowl.com/articles/Fluorescent_light

Soft whites I just found are 2700K which in nm is 736 or a red spectrum and appear pinkish when lite. I would not use these.
3,000,000/2700=1111.111
1111-750=361
375+361=736.1 nanometers

I hope this is helpfull

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