first time - lighting?

i would go with CFL bulbs there cheap and easy to use. its a really common type of bulb and you can get them at your local hardware store. good luck

 

u want about 100w per plant, with cfls probobly more... also dont just get 1 100w bulb go for a few lower wattage bulbs and spread them around the plant covering more of the plant as she grows

 

When looking at watts for CFLs make sure that you look at the actual wattage of the CFL bulb and not the equivalent. I.E. 26 watt CFL is equiv to 100w reg. (IDK about actual numbers, just using as an example)

but if I were you, I would go with at least like 6-8 CFLs per plant. That way you will be able to place them all around the plant and ensure that all or most of the plant is receiving light, as CFL penetration is not very strong, or as strong as other light sources out there such as HPS.

 

One plant is not stupid! it's a great place to start - just keep in mind that unless the seed is feminized -- there is a 50% chance that it will turn out to be a male... but you'll still learn a lot about how to grow.

CFLs are a great way to start out for new growers. There are a few things that you need to know when you're using CFL

1: you need 100-watts (actual watts, not equivalents) for the first plant, and 30-50 additional watts for each additional plant. Try to stick with CFL's that have 20-watts or more (avoid the 13-watt bulbs, they don't do much(

2: you need to pay attention to light spectrum. I recommend going to Lowes or similar to get your bulbs, as their bulbs tend to have the spectrum information you need. Now - on to the actual information. To start (veg stage) you're going to need CFL bulbs that are 6500k. In several weeks (flower stage) you're going to need CFL bulbs that are 2700k.

3: Light Schedule - to start (veg stage) you'll want to go with a 18/6 (light/dark) or 20/4 light schedule. In several weeks (flower stage) you'll need to change your light schedule to 12/12

4: Distance - CFLs lose a lot of power at a distance -- so you want to keep your CFL BULB 2-3 inches from the top of your plant, at all times! If your light bulb is too far away, your plant will stretch. You are most at risk of stretching during the early days. Your plant in the first day or 2 (after coming above the surface) can stretch so much that it can no longer support itself, and will fall over.... bad news. You may have to move your lights up a little bit everyday as your plant grows - or keep them close to promote a short and bushy plant. The CFL's don't put off much heat, so your plants won't burn (as long as you have air circulation).

Hope this helps

 

Was very glad to find this thread. I've been planning to start a small grow operation myself just for personal use for almost a year now, trying to plan everything out well, and I have some questions about lights as well. The main one I'm struggling with right now is about enclosed-ballast HID systems. I'll be growing 3-4 auto-dwarf plants, and I'm planning on getting a 250W HPS system and supplement the sides and bottom with CFL's. The problem is that most of the 250W systems i've found are "all-in-one" enclosed ballasts systems (where the ballast and hood/bulb are all one unit, in case there is any confusion). Wouldn't that create *a lot* of heat? If i'm not mistaken the bulb alone will contribute to the temperature quite a bit, but combined with the heat of a ballast inside of a closet-sized enclosure would it get too hot? I would start out with just CFL's as a complete beginner as many have suggested, but comparing CFL vs. HID grow journal photos, there just seems to be no comparison to HID, and I'm a stickler for getting the most out of my investment.

if it helps, the isolated grow area will be about 2ft (D) X 5ft (W) X 5ft (H)

3-4 dwarf plants

ventilation with 4-6 CPU fans connected to a computer power supply.

If the hood is the kind with ventilation hook-ups, would a CPU fan placed directly into the ducting that passes through the hood be sufficient to keep things cool?

All informed opinions/ideas/criticisms/suggestions are quite welcome and appreciated!

 

lower wattage lighs are usually all in one my 150is and it generates crazy ridiculous heat

my room went up to 95 with no fan in my early stages

but you should sub out those cpu fans go to wal mart spend 20 bucks and get a real fan ,, one thatss head turns and swivels this way you can face it directly on your light and the dispersing the heat immediately and keeping it cooler
circulation will be good enough to keep those plant wobbling and wiggling

just also be sure to have a good place for your heat to escape

and since your using a small grow space nothing would be better than to mylar those walls up

 

Good call Texas! i'll still probably route some mounting holes for a few CPU fans for good measure but i'm going to play it safe and get a 6" duct fan. are you just using one 150W? if so, and especially if the Watt/sq. ftg. ratio of your space is at all comparable to mine, could you describe how you keep the temp down? i'm thinking about rigging up an aquarium pump to some copper pipe coiled around the back of a desk fan, with a cold water reservoir outside the grow space and the fan and tubes mounted inside, like a little air conditioner. that way if it gets too cool i can turn off the water pump and it would just be an extra fan. that is, unless there is an easier way hahaha. I just love to frankenstein shit. anyway, i'd love to hear how you get things done!

 

well those cpu fans wouuld be great for pulling out heat( i have a escape way so i didnt think about those fans)
but here it goes i have a total of 2 ( and a half) plants( i say half cuz one started way behind and is really smaller)

but my garden is around a 2x2 since i am using a 10 gal sterilite tub for all three plants and ii have my light around 12-15 inches but the only way i am able to disperse heat is because it is winter here and its cold wich makes the house cold so i just tilt my (head turning) fan upwards towards my light and since my gArden is in the corner of my closet it kinda makes a tornado of wind and ther is an escape at top of the door and carries all the lights heat out took forever for me to figure out how to get it this way

but no doubt i only have one 150 with a 26 watt cfl which reallly isnt shit compared to my hps

these things have been a challenge to cool though and in the beginning i would find it hard to cool my room you have to play around with the fan on your light so you can get the best cooling just takes time

and definately if your room gets HOT but you have a way to keep it conditioned like you mentioned it might work because i know my res starts smellin funky with them high temps