Im going to be as detailed as possible, this is my first grow, but I have done alot of research and the Veggie state has been great. But im worried about my next stage of growing. I am on my first week only Im currently running two overhead flourescent fixtures that are 4 feet long, each 40 watt, one tube is 2700k the other is 5,000 K, one for flowering one for vegging. My biggest plant is only 4 days old with 1 set of leaves. This overhead flouresecent is about a foot away, too far away I know but I cant get it any close at the moment, I transplanted it yesterday. I put this sprout in a 5 gallon bucket, and put a 120 watt equivalent Compact Flouresecent (swirly bulb) plus a fixture inside the bucket, about half an inch away, with the overhead lights on. Definitally my most powerful light It is running 2,400 luminens These overhead lights are also sprouting 2 seeds, one is about to get its first set of leaves. Im tryiing to use the area as a chamber for my sprouts. I have two 15 watt natural light tubes on each side of the sprouts, with the overhead right above it, as a "greenhouse" effect. to conceal the light in my closet im using 2 space blankets to make it into a box, reflecting and concealing so far this has been great for vegging. But is all this flouresecent lighting good enough to bud the plants? I will only be growing at most 3, and don't mind chopping 1 or 2 if it will come out successful.
To be honest, I go lost there in your lighting description. A photo or two might make it all come together. 120w equivalent. Is that a 40w bulb? The useful metric is actual watts. Rule of thumb says you need a minimum of 100 watts for the first plant and 50 watts for each additional plant. Actual watts, not equivalent watts. I don't know where that rule of thumb comes from. I guess that would be for small plants. I just flowered one large plant and 390 watts wasn't really enough to do the job properly. I'm also not sure why you get a light discount on each plant after the first one. But those are the numbers that get passed around. The more general rule is more light means more bud. Minimal light means minimal bud. Then again, minimal bud is infinity greater than no bud. More light is always better. You can use the blue spectrum lights in flower along with the red spectrum lights. Heat may become an issue. Good luck.
Thanks man, I dont have a digital camera to take pictures, but when I got some decent sized sprouts im thinking of just getting a HPS setup if I can find one for cheap, im only growing at most 2 plants. All this flourescent stuff is making it kinda difficult, its nearly impossible for me to get all my lights right up next to the plant. I have a small fan for ventalation thats always on, and im using a space blanket to conceal the light in my closet, and also to reflect light. things seem to be going great, but im really concerned about 4-8 weeks down the road, what I will do, what I should do
you need more light to flower than to veg. for small gro= blue cfl to veg. red cfl to flower. < look for the cfl boxes are color coded> makes it easy.
you need more light to flower than to veg. for small gro= blue cfl to veg. red cfl to flower. < look for the cfl boxes are color coded> makes it easy.
I'm the last person who should be telling someone how to rig lights, but I can show you what I did. Posting photos in someone else's grow journal without permission is probably a serious breech of etiquette, but that's how I roll! ----
Hahhahaha SOOO many lights, seems like a mess but when I look at it more and more looks like a good set-up, I'll be organizing my stuff here shortly to pull some stuff out of the basement to make a little room for a plant or 2.... Hopefully some of my stuff grows decent... Post up some updates sub! I'd like to see what you have going so far.