This is my problem I have 5 plants germinating 2 at a week and half and the other 3 just getting their leaves(found more seeds last minute). I am running a 40 watt compact fluro in a regular shop light socket and have a 2 foot compact fluro unit with (2) 20-watt plant and aquatic life bulbs in it (home depot sells them says it mimics sunlight and helps indoor plants) which isnt hooked up yet cause it seems like a waste to have all of them on. So what Im trying to get at is will this take forever the way Im doing it cause I dont want to cause a large noticable difference on the electric bill and only want 40 watts going at once instead of both the shop light and the 2 20-watt fluro bulbs together using up 80 watts. Am I better off risking the plants to disease and letting the sun give them their light outside. Do you know what Im saying? I would hate to put them outside and have some dumbass bug eat them up
I just started growing indoors about a year ago and I was worried about the same thing. But I am running 2 4oo watt hps and the electric bill is no more than $20-$30 extra a month. I think for just those 2 it is about $1.00 extra a day.
Sunlight of course is the best possible light for them if you have a safe spot to grow outside. Don't put the babies outside though. Otherwise, I would get every bulb in your house that is a flouro and put it on them. You can never have too many flouros.