I can't wait anymore!

[JunkYard]

I've decided to do my first indoor grow with flouros. I simply can't wait until I have the money for an HPS system. Flouros are much cheaper, and don't put out near as much heat, so...

I'll be growing in a closet with enough room for 4 tall, and bushy ladies. I'll be growing Cindy 99, and maybe a Grapefruit. (Female seeds)

Which would be better to use, the flouresent tubes, or the cfl's? I've noticed the tubes have more wattage. Also, I wonder if I can do the entire grow under the red spectrum flouros, or do I need the blue spectrum for veg? If I need the blue spectrum, I wonder what I could get away with in terms of how many lights? I don't plan on vegging for too awful long.

I know HID's would be better, but I can't afford them, and I can't wait until I can. What can I expect for weight using flouros. (3-4 plants "Sativa")

I'd get more using an HPS, but you know the deal. Do you think I'd get a 1/2 oz per plant, or more? Or less?

Anyone willing to help a first time 'indoor' grower?

[tadaa]

If you go to lowes you can get a 150watt hps cheaper than you can get enough florous for a grow.

[mand]

Hello Junkyard :) Well I say don't wait then, get them started and give it go with what you've got or what you can afford ;).

I'm affraid I don't know anything about CFL's and flouros, I've never used them but if they come in blue spectrum and red spectrum then Ideally you would be better with blue for veggitive growth and red for flowering ;)

Hmmm what weight to expect ? .......................... To be honest it's impossible to say, it all depends on so many different factors, you really never know untill you harvest them.

I reckon see what advice is given on the light's, decide which you fancy, and then get growing ......................... part of the fun in growing can be making do and seeing what turns out :)



love mand xxx:)

[mobay]

i second that Mand, Junkyard once you start to see the transformation of the plants and you say you dont have the money now to get what you need , believe me you will do overtime on the job to get the equipment

[JunkYard]

Yup, I'm going for it, lol! :)

Still need info on the lights, though. I czeched out the HPS flood lights at Lowes, too. I wonder if it would work? $78.00 for a 150 watt HPS isn't that bad. How many of those would I need to grow 3 plants?

Would one work just as well as several flouros? If so, that may be what I choose?

Thanks,

Oh, I may be able to get a regualar HPS after a month of flowering...

We'll see!

[Kush Over]

..Which would be better to use, the fluorescent tubes, or the cfl's?..
Depends on your set-up. Tubes may be giving you better light coverage if you're using a grow room. CFLs would naturally be the better choice if you were growing in claustrophobic spaces such as a grow box. A 40 watt two foot tube will give you a little over 3,000 lumens, but a 65 watt CFL floodlight will give you closer to 6,500 with a hell of a lot more space to spare. Personally, I started my plant from seed under less than a hundred watts of CFLs [ balanced spectrum -- meaning near equal daylight spectrum with warm white ]. If you're willing to wait on the HID but not on the grow, that's all right. I started my present grow the same way -- began with CFLs, now flowering with an HPS that I waited to buy. Looks great, couldn't be happier.



..Also, I wonder if I can do the entire grow under the red spectrum flouros, or do I need the blue spectrum for veg?..
I suppose you could. Hell, I use an HPS so I really can't say, "Substitute that blue spectrum!" If the luminosity is strong enough, I suppose it'll grow under anything that produces viable ultraviolet radiation. I find the past and present plant(s) of mine reacted better under the higher kelvin [ blue spectrum ] light -- as in, there was less internodal stretch in the plants under higher kelvin light as opposed to those that were under lower kelvin light, which produced plants that stretched at a mean of .4 inches more than those under the blue spectrum.



..I know HID's would be better, but I can't afford them, and I can't wait until I can. What can I expect for weight using flouros. (3-4 plants "Sativa")..
It's 'common' knowledge that you can expect anywhere between .25 - .45 grams per watt under fluorescent light with good care and proper maintenance. While there may have been grows where this number was higher, it's usually the plant's genetics and the environment's it's grown in that's the true deciding factor. True, HID light does give you better chances of getting .5 - 1 grams a watt, but it doesn't always turn out that way. So, with all this in mind under the worst possible conditions I can think of you'd get about 15 grams -- or a half ounce per plant -- for a hundred watts of fluorescents at a rate of .15 grams per watt. Personally though, bro, I'd like to see you get a bigger yield -- at least try to get one of those HID for flowering later on. You'd be much more pleased with, say, up to three ounces off each under a single 150. I know I would.


..I wonder if it would work? $78.00 for a 150 watt HPS isn't that bad. How many of those would I need to grow 3 plants?

Would one work just as well as several flouros? If so, that may be what I choose?..

Caught this one late. To grow three plants comfortably you'd want about two of those 150 watt fixtures. I use one and it's fucking great -- space conservative, plants love the light.. One thing is the heat, but it's nothing a fan blowing directly on the ballast can't take care of. That'd probably be the better choice considering each 150 gives out over 12,000 lumens as a mean, 16,000 as an initial.

[mobay]

125 Watt Compact Fluorescent Bulb - Daylight $50.00USD



Click to enlarge
The 125w Mogul base, self-ballasted lamp is growing in popularity for both propagation and plant growth. At almost 60 lumens per watt it is a energy efficient and extremely effective, especially when used in numbers. This biggest selling feature of fluorescents is the reduced heat when compared to the High Intensity Discharge. This is a 6400K full spectrum daylight lamp. 8125 lumens output.

125 Watt Compact Fluorescent Bulb - Warm $50.00USD



Click to enlarge
The 125w Mogul base, self-ballasted lamp is growing in popularity for both propagation and plant growth. At almost 60 lumens per watt it is a energy efficient and extremely effective, especially when used in numbers. This biggest selling feature of fluorescents is the reduced heat when compared to the High Intensity Discharge. This is a 2700K full spectrum lamp. 8125 lumens output

www.hydrowarehouse.com

[JunkYard]

Thanks, Mobay...you're quite helpful! ;)

Kush Over, These are 150 watt HPS 'flood' lights from Lowes. You are certain they will work, correct?

I'd still need blue spectrum flouros for veg, though.

I'll only be starting out with a little over $200.00 to spend on my first grow. I still need ferts, soil, fan, etc...

Maybe I'll start with only 1 plant, and flower under the 150 watt HPS from Lowes, just to get a grow under my belt. By the time I harvest, I'll have enough money for a proper 400-600 watt HPS grow light for my next grow.

May be the wisest choice for the funds I have at hand...

What do you all think?

[UNDYINGIMAGE]

Kush knows the deal.

[the image reaper]

I just bought a pair of 85-watt CFLs, supposedly equal to 500-watt incandescents apiece ... but I see they put out a LOT less lumens than my Eight 48" flourescent tubes (totaling 320 watts) .... so, which will be better ?? :smokin:

[elcheapo]

I read somewhere that energy saving CFLs have better light penetration. The lumens drop off over a longer distance. I think it said that tubes need to be 1inch away and CFLs can be 6 inches. I haven't used tubes but I know I've had surprising results with energy saving CFLs. Even the lowest, most shaded buds growing at the bottom of the stem are substantial.
Definitely go with the HID if you can accommodate for the heat. And don't forget the CFLs don't exactly run cool either.
Keep you plants short and LST if you use fluoros.

[JunkYard]

I may have found my light! Woot, woot

http://cgi.ebay.com/400-HPS-Econo-Grow-Light-w-Remote-Ballast-Hydroponics_W0QQitemZ7750592242QQcategoryZ42225QQr dZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Only $20.00 to ship!

$100.00 total for a 400 watt hps!

Not bad...

I think I'm going to buy! Must do it fast, though. Only 27 in stock!

[Kush Over]

Shit, there you go, bro.

[karmaxul]

junk yard shinny surfaces are absorb light. I would paint the hood white. Nice find.

[JunkYard]

I always thought the shiny created 'hot' pockets. Didn't know it absorbed the light.

Thanks for the tip,