During this great ripping season i was a victim and so now my plants are gone a week b4 harvest. i decided to grow indoors to minimize this risk and so i dont have to wait til next season..i have seeds and soil and everything except i never grew indoors. and i need to know what are the basics I need for vegging-i will worry about flowering later when i have more money. I am looking to spend least money possible. what is the cheapest lights to use?
some CFLs would be the cheapest option i guess. it depends on how many plants you want to grow. a true 200w CFL with a hood should be good for 2-3 plants. but if you want to go really cheap you can get a lot of the small CFLs at like home depot. you want 5700k for vegging.
I'm currently growing 2 plants in my closet. I have a T5 bulb fixture (~ $65) and 6 CFLs (all together ~ $50). Get some mylar reflective paper to cover the walls of your grow area, it'll make the lights much much more efficient. Go for 6700k bulbs for veg.
Some 6500k CFL's and paint your room white. It's 98% reflective and cheaper than mylar as well as doesn't hold as much heat in.
thanks fellas that is great info cuz i never grew indoors. So i need some CFLs i am tihnking about 8 seedlings and and eliminate down to 3 females. maybe 6-8 of those lights? do u guys put the lights all above the plants or a mixture above and on the sides of the plants to simulate the sun? Someone of my friends that is never grown before so he's noob but he said this CO2 fan or something is necessary - but the room im going to grow in is very well ventilated to the outside air flow.
IMO the cheapest option is a normal 400w HPS ballast. These can be had with a standard HPS bulb (40k lumens) for 100-120 $US and a MH conversion bulb (for Veg) would run you 40 $US. By the time you get done buying CFL's for Veg and flower, and sockets/ wiring , you will be close to this cost, but your total lumens will not be nearly as great.