Cool white CFLs?

[Deejay2163]

I currently have a couple of plants from bagseed flowering under 2 "500 watt" CFL fixtures(the type you'd normally use outside in place of regular floodlights that mount on the side of your house) I will be ordering an HPS light for my growroom in a couple weeks and wanted to add just a touch more lighting to the girls that are flowering now.When i went to our dinky assed wallyworld all they had in 100 watt Eq. CFLs was cool white which were only 1700 lumens. should i just wait for my HPS and not worry about adding additional CFLs for these two or would it be worth having them anyway ?

Deejay2163 Reviewed by Deejay2163 on 10-23-2006. Cool white CFLs? I currently have a couple of plants from bagseed flowering under 2 "500 watt" CFL fixtures(the type you'd normally use outside in place of regular floodlights that mount on the side of your house) I will be ordering an HPS light for my growroom in a couple weeks and wanted to add just a touch more lighting to the girls that are flowering now.When i went to our dinky assed wallyworld all they had in 100 watt Eq. CFLs was cool white which were only 1700 lumens. should i just wait for my HPS and Rating: 5

[BobBong]

Add blue spectrum (cool white) CFL's. Blue sprectrum is needed from seed to harvest. You just need more red than blue for flowering..
In the case of an HPS the high lumen is there.

[Deejay2163]

Thanks for the reply Bob.I guess my question was ,would i be just better off to wait for my HPS which will most likely be here too late for my current ladies but just in time for my new crop.Or would the three 100 wtt cool white cfls do any measurable good in addition to the HPS when it arrives.i still don't think i'm asking this right but i really don't know just how to word it.

[Deejay2163]

would the cool white CFLs be a worthwhile investment i guess is the question.

[BobBong]

Yes you'll have to wait for your HPS...unless you can speed up time.. or ..sleep alot...
You want to use the HPS for vegging the seedlings of your new crop, when it arrives? This is what i understand.

The coolwhite CFL's will be much better to get the seedlings underway, you'll be able to have the CFL's right on top of the plant (as you know) and they don't give off much heat.
Seedlings need to be eased into this world.. as naturally the seasons gradually change over a course of weeks.
Introduce your seeds to lots and lots of blue spectrum. The HPS will be great for them but ideal after they've established a good root system.

It's very hard to gauge the right distance of an HPS for seedlings, as seedlings also grow very quick. You can burn and/or stretch seedlings very easily with an HPS.
CFL's are ideal for young seedlings.

So yes, they would be a good investment because you'll be able to do a hard Blue spectrum veg on your seedlings then introduce them to the HPS for the rest of the Vegging and flowering cycle.

Hope this helps,
Bob.

[Deejay2163]

It does help loads Bob and thanks again.Perhaps i was not too clear in saying what i wanted to say...here's my situation in a nutshell...I have a veg room that's 2'x4'x53" ....i guess cabinet would be the better term.I also have a 3'4'52" flowering cabinet.in my veg cabinet i have 3 two tube 4ft reg. flour. shoplight fixtures. in my flowering cabinet i have the two 500 watt cfls that i mentioned.i've got ventilation and mylar and all that good stuff but even with flowering 2 plants under those cfls i figured a little more wouldn't hurt but all i ever hear talk off on the postings here are about warm white for flowering.when i saw the cool white ,knowing that they were mostly blue spectrum ,i wondered if they would even be worth having in the flowering cab.

[Duckys]

they arent 500watt cfls. Use the acual wattage, not the equivalent.

I think your using fluorex bulbs, they are 65 watts.

[Deejay2163]

Exactly....that's what i'm using

[Deejay2163]

here's the babies that are due up next in the flowering room.at least a fourth of them. They'll be long enough in vegging to allow me the time i need to get my HPS.Hey...i'm just a poor squirrel tryin to get a decent nut.

[BobBong]

i wondered if they would even be worth having in the flowering cab.

depending on the wattage of the HPS, it wouldn't be needed.. no. HPS is significantly higher lumen than any fluorescent light.
Now if you wanted to use the blue spectrum CFL's through out the whole veg with the HPS then remove the CFL's for flower with the 12/12 to increase the red:blue ratio..you could do that too..

your grow. you decide. HPS > CFL anyday.