Found My Old Lights from 1970's....

Greetings, by the title you can tell I'm an old fart. Been reading up on the forum here and particularly like MKWorld's thread for information and picked up some stuff already.

I found my old 40 watt 4' fluorescent fixture with 2 Phillips AgroMax bulbs from the 1970's and it still came on and my youngest daughter just moved out! So Mom and Dad are home alone again! I thought what the heck and soaked a few seeds (15) in a paper towel for 2 days then put them in little paper cups under the light fixture. After 2 days the first seedling popped up and now after 4 days there are 12 plants out of 15 up. My wife then went up in the attic and pulled out another 4 foot fixture and then 3 more old Phillips AgroMax bulbs - they all worked too! Surprise Surprise. These old Phillips are 2700K's and 600 Lumen. So I went to HD and looked at the lights they had in stock (mind you I live in the south not out west so stock is limited somewhat) - the newer Phillips Plant 40 watts were 1600K's and didn't have the Lumen listed like the older packaging from the 70's. They were $10.97 a tube while the Phillips Blue Daylight Deluxes were 6500K and 2325 Lumen for $7.97 for pack of two. I went with the 6500K's. Am I missing something or isn't that the better choice for growth or veggie state? Also picked up some 18 oz Soho cups to transplant the seedlings in a few more days (day 7) as again seeing MKWorld's thread and what Shovel used.

For my grow space I emptied one of the closets upstairs; there are two per bedroom on either side of the dormer windows (dimensions 2.3' deep, 5' wide with lights hanging from top shelf at 5' high). Painted the closet first with some flat bright white paint we had left over. So to date I've invested only $21 for 4 new 4' bulbs and a bag of Vigoro All Purpose potting soil. I got two 4' fixtures with 2-40 watt Phillips Blue Daylight Deluxe bulbs 6500K and 2325 Lumen (9,300) in about 22.5 sqft of space for the short term plan getting started. Lights on 24/7.

Thinking supplement current light fixtures with CFL after plants reach 12"-15" from sides around 1st week of July, then top for clones and grow till 1st August lights on 24 hours always (hope they will reach 24"-30" by then) and either place outside for August, September and maybe into early October (frost date is 10/15 here) for budding in backyard as I have over an acre and plenty of cover. Or pick up some 3500K bulbs for bud stage. Thinking using the other closet for buds at that time and then have clones in first closet growing for perpetual garden. Would like to have maybe 5 plants in bud stage even if in closet. It will be tight but what the heck I love a challenge.

I need to get more seeds but my son has suddenly stopped smoking as he has a new girl friend...

Any suggestions or advice is appreciated.

Side note: last time I grew was outdoors in 1997 as my one neighbor down the street was the pilot for the National Guard helicopter crews who searched rural areas for grows. I grew directly across the street from his house (not mine) under a dead old hickey tree that had been hit by lightning. The old tree growth had limited ground cover and provide a clean and clear area for my 20 gallon containers with sunlight all day long. He would fly by his own house every night as a signal to his wife he'd be home in 30 minutes for dinner as the airport is only 15 miles away. That was fun as I knew they'd never really search around his house and neighborhood but simply fly low over head each evening when they were done searching areas further out from the airport in the more rural countryside as a signal about coming home.