newbie!!

Hey all i was just wondering if anyone could answer this question for me.It might sound like a dumb one but i want to know which bulb will be suitable?

I am a first time grower and basically just want to see how it works and get a feel for it.

If your starting up seedlings what is the ideal wattage of the light bulbs?

I was only planning on growing 2-3 in my closet, I currently have 2 clamp lights and am trying to find out which bulb's to get for them?

So if anyone could answer this for me it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks :rasta:

well you can get 2 x 45watt CFLs for your 3 seedlings that should be Ok for no more than maybe 1 week when they pop through the soil. I you leave it with that type of lighting they will stretch. You will either have to switch your light or add more wattage to your plants

First off i would like to say thank you to my boy bukdatass for replying.

Do you have to use those flourescent tube light things or can i just use 100 watt bulbs in my two clamp lights??? should that be ok?


All replies Appreciated

Thanks a bunch :stoned:

HI Newfie and welcome. If you get the highest wattage CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) you will be able to put the light a couple of inches away from your plants. If you try to put regular incandescent bulbs that close, your plants will get cooked and die. If you keep the incandescents up high enough to not cook the plants, they'll stretch upward in an effort to reach the light. The strecthed out stems will be weak and your plants might even not be able to support their own weight. Plus, CFLs will screw right into your clamp lights. Try to get ones that say "Daylight", "Sunshine", "Sunlight". If you can't find those and your choices are cool white or soft white, get cool whites, it's a better color for plants. Hope this helps. :thumbsup:

you are looking for lumens...incadescents emit very little lumens...go to walfart and get cfl and look for ones that say cool or 5000k or above...

first off...i was wondering how the cfls stretch your plants...especially with that kinda wattage...i have lower wattage cfls...although i have a numerous amount of them, i only started out with 3 or 4 and my plants didnt stretch...anyway man....all you gotta do is go to walmart or lowes ANY APPLIANCE store where light bulbs are sold and ask them for COOL WHITE COMPACT FLUORECENT LIGHT BULBS...more than likely you will get the ones that say the equivelents to incandecent light bulbs...look for the most wattage you can find...ALSO...you can get those big fluorecent bulbs that come in a tube...get High Outputs and they will do just fine...and hell...if ya can find one...get a 400Watt High Pressure Sodium light bulb...save ya time and money....they are like 25$ and will do ya for the entire grow...

HPS bulbs are cheap, but require another $100 ballast and a special socket and reflector and.... You can't just buy a HPS bulb and stick 110v to it and expect anything to happen...