First timer needs some lighting help

[donkeypunch95]

Im just starting my first grow and Im going to be using cfls, just need to know exactly what to get. Right now i have 2 24" tubes, one 20w GE F20 "daylight" 1025 lumens and 6500k color temp, one 20w "sunshine" 875 lumens and 5000K color temp, and one cfl 23w (120w incandescent equiv) 5000K color temp.

Im going to buy some new cfls tomorrow and just want to get the right thing this time. Ive read that 2700k is best for vegging and that 6500k is for flowering. Is this correct? Also, my space is 2'x2' with adjustable height, painted semi-gloss white. Ill post a pic.

My two plants have stretched some from using a sylvania spot grow before i got these floros and im just hoping to salvage them. I have one planted in miracle grow potting soil which i now know is a no no from reading here. the other was planted in some regular dirt from under my porch. the porch dirt plant looks to be doing better, not quite as tall and skinny, bigger leaves, better color on the stem. The tips are starting to brown also, anything i might do to help them or are they too far gone?

donkeypunch95 Reviewed by donkeypunch95 on 11-07-2006. First timer needs some lighting help Im just starting my first grow and Im going to be using cfls, just need to know exactly what to get. Right now i have 2 24" tubes, one 20w GE F20 "daylight" 1025 lumens and 6500k color temp, one 20w "sunshine" 875 lumens and 5000K color temp, and one cfl 23w (120w incandescent equiv) 5000K color temp. Im going to buy some new cfls tomorrow and just want to get the right thing this time. Ive read that 2700k is best for vegging and that 6500k is for flowering. Is this correct? Also, my Rating: 5

[Bree1978]

I am new but I can tell you that no plant likes a clear pot....and no plant likes to sit in water constantly either. You need to have them planted in something that has drain holes/opaque. And btw- cannabis has a tap root so that is much too short for any root growth.

[donkeypunch95]

im going to be transplanting them today, thanks.

[potburns]

Hi I am a newbie myself and have had some great advice from this forum. There are a few points I would make. Bree1978 is right about the pots, but I know you are transplanting. You are right about the colour temps of the lamps, but your space really isn't big enough. You need more height and you could do with lifting your lamp a bit higher to encourage them to grow upwards rather outwards. One last thing is about you using soil from your porch. It will be full of bugs. You may end up with the dreaded spider mite. If it were me, I would ditch it completely, but you may get away with re-potting it into some clean compost. I used soil from my garden and ended up losing 6 plants and had to start from scratch. I had spider mites - small flies, red bugs, all kins of stuff and they very nearly killed all the plants.

[donkeypunch95]

Hi I am a newbie myself and have had some great advice from this forum. There are a few points I would make. Bree1978 is right about the pots, but I know you are transplanting. You are right about the colour temps of the lamps, but your space really isn't big enough. You need more height and you could do with lifting your lamp a bit higher to encourage them to grow upwards rather outwards. One last thing is about you using soil from your porch. It will be full of bugs. You may end up with the dreaded spider mite. If it were me, I would ditch it completely, but you may get away with re-potting it into some clean compost. I used soil from my garden and ended up losing 6 plants and had to start from scratch. I had spider mites - small flies, red bugs, all kins of stuff and they very nearly killed all the plants.

but arent they stretched too much already to encourage upward growth? and as far as the light color. does anyone know of any 6500k cfls? i cant remember seeing any at lowes.

[Bree1978]

but arent they stretched too much already to encourage upward growth? and as far as the light color. does anyone know of any 6500k cfls? i cant remember seeing any at lowes.

I found some at Wal-Mart 2 26w for 6.00. They didn't have bigger, if they had, I'd have bought them.

[potburns]

>> but arent they stretched too much already to encourage upward growth? and as far as the light color.
Just think about what occurs naturally. The germinating seeds usually have to push their way through undergrowth, then grow upwards to find light. If you give them too much light when they are young, they stop growing up and start growing out. Give them a bit more space and they will balance themselves out as they grow. I started my plants out in a room with a normal light bulb. They took a while, but grew fine. I put them under grow lights when they were a bit bigger. Your plants have a long way to go yet. Hope this helps.