Need Expert Advice CFL Grow

Ok so I'm planning on a CFL grow. The lights I am thinking about using are:
For Vegging: 5 42w 5700K cfl's
For Flowering: 5 42w 2500K cfl's

They'll be in soil. I will have a pretty big fan in the grow space. I will give them fox farm nutrients the big bloom and grow big. I will have the cfl's on them 24/7 for about 2 weeks or so then cut it back to 18/6 for about another 3 weeks, so a total of 5 weeks in vegg. I might go longerin veg becuase I want to make the best with these cfl's. then go 12/12. But do you guys think this will work? I will probalby try and put three plants in there.

Don't see wh7y it won't work. Use white walls or mylar to get maximum use of those cfl's. Be careful with nutrients during the veg cycle.

You will want exhaust along with the interior fan.
When you are growing under any type of flouros, you need to be constantly aware of distance to canopy. This means that during veg and even into flower you will want to train your plants so that a maximum amount of leaf surface is within just inches of a light.

yeah i was going to get some mylar over the net probably and i will probably have to order those cfl's over the net too, becuase i cant find them........i have looked at many sites too.....but not those bulbs or the sockets i need.....any suggestions(website) for this stuff........
and stink i have the perfect fan itsa lakewood fine piece of air moving hardware

oh and if you couldn't understand this im really high right now :rastasmoke:

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

You will want exhaust along with the interior fan.
When you are growing under any type of flouros, you need to be constantly aware of distance to canopy. This means that during veg and even into flower you will want to train your plants so that a maximum amount of leaf surface is within just inches of a light.

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I am looking up LST tutorials right now :thumbsup: Or actually if i top them doesnt that produce more buds than LST?

Toping will work but better on certain strains. Also if your using CFL's you dont want them too bushy because you'll need more light to cover the larger pants, taller may be better for you. Ive grown using 2-65watt CFL's from lights of america and 2 extra 40watt daylight bulbs, all were 6500K. I had 5 large plants under them and yeilded about 3 dried ounces, I also added a couple xtra soft white cfl's when put into flowering. You have to have the bulb right next to the plants, within inches and you should have success. They also dont put out very much heat at all so dont worry about the plants getting burned, CFL's are great for small grows.

To do LST properly, you really do need to top your plant as early as possible (after 5 nodes have formed) so that you have plenty of branches to work with later. You can also let it grow a little tall without topping, and then bend it in a horseshoe so that the highest point of the plant is pulled lower than some other nodes. This is actually topping too, but chemically; you are manipulating the hormones in the plant to favor side shoots that are now exposed to the light.
Topping without LST produces a bush- GREAT if you have multiple points of light and running HPS.
Topping WITH LST allows you to form the plant to suit the type of light you have.

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

To do LST properly, you really do need to top your plant as early as possible (after 5 nodes have formed) so that you have plenty of branches to work with later. You can also let it grow a little tall without topping, and then bend it in a horseshoe so that the highest point of the plant is pulled lower than some other nodes. This is actually topping too, but chemically; you are manipulating the hormones in the plant to favor side shoots that are now exposed to the light.
Topping without LST produces a bush- GREAT if you have multiple points of light and running HPS.
Topping WITH LST allows you to form the plant to suit the type of light you have.

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I always considered topping and LST two seperate things. I mean, topping the plant isn't exactly what I would call Low Stress.
You can LST from a very early age, as long as you're not to rough with the plant. If you're able to , you can basically train the plant almost daily and manipulate the lower secondary branching to grow more and still keep the main Cola.

Totally up to the grower though...If you're going to top, do it as soon as possible or as soon as you have your desired amount of nodes...the plant needs time to recover from it.

Cheers,
Bob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

You can also let it grow a little tall without topping, and then bend it in a horseshoe so that the highest point of the plant is pulled lower than some other nodes. This is actually topping too, but chemically; you are manipulating the hormones in the plant to favor side shoots that are now exposed to the light.

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Originally Posted by BobBong

If you're able to , you can basically train the plant almost daily and manipulate the lower secondary branching to grow more and still keep the main Cola.

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Indeed.

So with the lights I have chosen I can get about 4-5 plants going maybe. And honestly my plans for the light setup I can put the lights anywhere around the plant, but even so I will top and LST just to increase the bud numbers. Thanks for all the advice :jointsmile: