how much light is enough light?!

Discussion in 'Micro Grows' started by orienthc, Mar 9, 2013.

  1. hi everyone, this is our first serious grow.
    we germinated 3 bag seeds. when they sprouted, we planted them in some organic soil.
    each seed is in a small cup for the moment and they have been growing for 12 days now.
    they are in a cardboard box, under one 30W 6500K CFL. (like the pic)
    my question is: is this enough? i read a few threads where people said that you don't need as much light like people claim, as long as all leaves are getting some.

    do you think i should add one or two CFLs?
    and since its in a cardboard box, do you think adding bulbs would increase the temperature a lot?
     

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  2. #2 WickedSmoke, Mar 9, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2013
    100 true watts for 1 plant and additional 50w for an additional plant.

    Adding more bulbs to any micro grow is going to add heat. You need fans also. Can you post more pictures of what you have set up? It sounds like you were not ready to plant these seeds just yet.

    If you use a lot less then 100w your plant will most likely stretch a lot, and be lacking through the whole grow.

    In my micro I grow one plant, and I dont use less then 6 26w which comes out to 156 actual watts. I have splitters and can go up to 10 easily but causes a lot of heat, so I stay around 6-8. 6 if i run my 70w hps at the same time.
     
  3. Well not that i know that much, but i think that would be overkill. :s
    we're currently on 24/0 cycle. Will be adding 2 more 30W for now, but need to figure out the ventilation issues.
     
  4. #4 WickedSmoke, Mar 10, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2013
    Get the ventilation figured out before adding bulbs. That 30w will be fine as long as its 6400k untill the sprouts have a few true leaves. But by then I would hope to see some ventilations.

    PC fans work.. Okay, but IMOP are hard to work with when your trying to hook up a filter, most end up DIY'ing filters for pc fans with some success.

    I would suggest a 4" booster fan ($32 at Home's Depot) and a decent PC fan for intake.
    The booster fan will defiantly be easier to handle temps and fit a filter to hide smell. Just keep in mind just cuz it's a micro doesn't mean it needs micro ventilation, the smaller the grow room the higher chance of heat and problems.

    I think 3 30w will work okay, specially since these are bag seeds and some may be male. I would suggest keeping 1 of the strongest females and do a mini scrog. If 2 out of 3 pop female you could grow 2 very small but I think you will yield less and have issues controlling plants unless you flower premature.

    EDIT: don't burn your house down putting lights in a card board box. Craigslist has free cabinets all day long!

    But 100w to one plant is a solid number to stick by for better results.. You could keep 5 plants and grow them under that 1 30w but they would look weak, and horrible.

    If you can only fit three bulbs I would suggest picking up a 3 pack of 35w bulbs from HTG supply last I checked they had a pretty good deal on them. They also carry veg and flower spectrum, and I believe they sell them mixed as well.
     
  5. A better lighting rule for micro grows is 100W of light per square foot, as plant count is more variable. If you can get the dimensions of your space, you can figure out the area and calculate a ball park figure for what you need. Ventilation will be important, so you probably want to get that sorted as well.

    I also have to second the idea of getting an actual cabinet, or even a rubbermaid tote would work fine. I've grown in cardboard and have never had any issues, but those CFLs get hotter than you might imagine. I grew in a rubbermaid tote for years, and retired it recently because the heat had just destroyed the integrity of the plastic wherever the lights came into contact with them. That and it had holes for fans cut into the lid and I didn't want to explain that to my inlaws when they helped me move.
     

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