Quote Originally Posted by Monsurot
Hey fellow growers Im just starting out and I was curious if it will be worth growing 2 plants from start to finish under 4 T12 40w cfl at 3150 lumens and 4100 kelvin each? ....I cant afford HPS or MH and I want to be able to harvest something decent.......thanx^^
I can't find it right now, but I have read a thread that states that 3000 lumens per square foot is about the minimum one can use and expect to get a crop of bud. 4000 lumens per sq ft is better, and over 5000 is ideal. Two 2-bulb fluorescent fixtures running side-by-side are 4' long and about a foot wide. If they are right down almost in contact with the tops of the plants that's about 4 square feet. Four times 3150 lumens is 12,600 lumens, or about 3150 lumens per sq ft...right above the minimum.

On that basis, I would expect your plants to mature normally, but you may not get a very big crop because the kelvin is wrong. 4100 kelvin is neither ideal for veg (use 6500 kelvin for veg) nor for flowering (use 2700 or 3000 kelvin for flowering).

If you are on a super-tight budget, veg the plants with the 4100 kelvin bulbs you have, then swap in 4 40w 2700 or 3000 kelvin bulbs to finish the grow. There have been enough closet grows with minimal lighting that we know it should mature a crop for you.