sup city, i found this compact flouro bulb, im wondering if it will work for a small grow in a rubbermaid box about 1' by 1.5' by 2' tall, mine is 120V 23W but this is just a pic of how it looks like. http://www.goodmart.com/products/305431.htm
Hey, Muffin. I had that exact same bulb, and wondering the same thing. Mine's a Sylvania 23w 2700k CFL (compact flourescent). I'm goriwng in a rubbermaid box with roughtly the same dimensions, and it is possible. My plants are doing fairly well, I'm struggling with thrips (i think, or just fert burn) right now. I'm afriad that they'll outgrow the box, though, so I picked up a cardboard box from work that's about 3.5' tall, 2.5' wide and 2.5' deep, should be fine. The rubbermaid is fine for now, but think about upgrading when the plants start to get big. As for the light, it will grow plants, however it isn't the best. The bulb is 2700 kelvin, which is much more red light than blue light, and for veg'ing (just growing, no budding) you want blue light. You want a 'cool white' CFL bulb. I found some at Home Depot. Lowes, walmart and every hardware store I checked didn't have 'em, but the Depot did, so check there. Mine didn't say 'cool white', though, but they do have a color temperature of 6500k, which is one of the best spectrums for veging. Here: ----------------------------------- The color of a light source entails a complicated relationship of different factors, that are important in determining the right light source for your garden. The advantage of Metal Halide lamps is that they provide high-quality, crisp white light in a variety of different color temperatures that meet the needs of many different users. Correlated Color Temperature(CCT) The first factor in choosing a color of lamp is to determine whether you need a warm or cool light source. The CCT, expressed in Kelvin degrees, relates to actual thermal temperature. If you've ever seen a piece of metal being heated, you know that as the metal gets hotter, it's color changes. The CCT rating of HID and flourescent light sources indicate how warm or cool the light source is. For instance a lamp with a CCT of 2700 Kelvin is considered warm; with a CCT of 4200 Kelvin is considered neutral; and one of 6000 Kelvin is considered cool. Spectral Energy Distribution When you look at a light source, you perceive seeing a single color, but you are actually seeing thousands of hues. The combinations of different wavelengths of light make up the color we see. The relative intensity of the various wavelengths are used to determine a light source's Color Rendering Index(CRI). Color Rendering Index(CRI) The CRI is an indication of a lamps ability to show individual colors relative to a standard. This value is determined from a comparison of the lamp's spectral distribution compared to a black body at the same color temperature. Light sources, such as metal halide lamps, are rated with a CCT; however, CCT does not provide any information on the quality of the color. For this, a CRI is also necessary. In general, the higher the CRI rating of a lamp, the better the different colors will show. 5K - 7K Kelvin: Strong Blue Light Promotes bushy growth. Ideal for rapid growth phase of plants. Greatly enhances all-around plant growth when used with super high output, high pressure sodium or 3K warm metal halide lamps. 4.2K - 4200 Kelvin: Cool white Flourescents Can be used as supplimental blue lighting when used with a 3K source. 4K - 4000 Kelvin: Neutral Metal Halide Best single source for plant growth, producing shorter, bushier growth than 3700 Kelvin and color rendition. Used in general plant lighting. 3.7K - 3700 Kelvin: Softer Metal Halide(coated) This coated lamp is used in general plant lighting and for more rapid growth than 4000 Kelvin produces. 3K - 3200 Kelvin: Warm Metal Halide Highest photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) value of all HID lighting for all phases of plant growth. PAR watts account for the nutritional value of light and are a direct measure of the light energy available for photosythesis. 2.7K - 2700 Kelvin: High Pressure Sodium Lamps Redder color mix, used for propagation, blooming, supplemental greenhouse lighting. Good luck, man!
Good info Kuso, yes it will work for starting your plant but once it gets around 2 weeks old it will not be enough light. The spectrum is correct (soft white,cool blue and daylights all work), but you have to remember a plant needs on average 2000 lumens/sqare foot minimum to grow. It may be ok while the plant is small (first 1-2 weeks) but after that i'd diffiniatly get atleast 1 more CFL in there to help out. (on average 1 27 watt CFL is around 1200-1400 lumens.
Yep ^ Oh ya just thought i'd point out that cool whites are not 6500k Cfl's, 6500k cfl's are daylight spec, they are totally in the blue spectrum.Cool whites are fairly balanced with a bit more blue than red.For veggin' id definitely go with the 6500k's if u can, or else the cool whites and during flowering id add in some 2700k cfl's. Good luck! CWL