yet another lighting question

Ive read that cfl lights are good for small grow spaces.
Im also interested in what other lights are good to use.

 

I'd love to answer this question! Just finished writing notes on lighting.

CFL lighting is best on your wallet and still great way to grow and flower!

HID lighting which includes the two types of lighting (MH and HPS) is the best way to grow but hurts the wallet and can tend to be tedious. MH lights are best for growth and HPS are best for flowering (Using the HID lights for the purpose and schedule that its for is an excellent way to grow and flower)

I'd stick to CFL as a beginner since it is cost effective and easy to use

buy bulbs in the 2700k range for flowering (these emit red from the light spectrum, optimal for flowering and buy bulbs in the 6000-6500k range (these emit blue from the light spectrum, optimal for growth)

You can have 250 watts for 5-12square foot (you have 2x3, so its still ideal)
Use the grow bulbs during growth stage, when you see the pre-flowers on your plant you can switch lights to flower bulbs a week later or whenever you want to end growth stage.

 

Best answer about lighting i have seen on here.
Thumbs up man!

 

CFL's are great for small grows for a number of reasons.
1. They are the cheap.
2. No heat issues, means no loud ventilation and stanky exhaust.
3. You can put them right up against the plants, so long as they don't touch.
4. They are easy!

If you are growing one or two plants, CFL's can do wonders.

I'm growing with two 50W CFL's (10 bucks a pop at wal-mart) and just recently added three 26W's for added side lighting (6 bucks for a pack of three).

I'm using a light fixture I made myself that fits 2 CFL's of any size, look at my profile for complete step-by-step tutorial on how to make this fixture for less than 20 bucks.

My grow box is 3x2x3.
I have 2 plants, ice is the strain.

Here's a picture of one of them, taken less than an hour ago.

I'm able to get results like this with very low wattage, and It's my first time growing.

I'm by no means an expert, but that's just my 2 cents.

Good luck bro, stay safe.

 

^
Your plant looks gorgeous dude!

 

Glad you think it's the best answer, but honestly there is so much to lighting to actually provide a very detailed answer. I'll be doing more studying so I can educate myself and further master elements in horticulture by teaching others.

 

Its a simple answer but still explains a good amount of info.
If you start a thread on lighting id be subb'd for sure.

 

Thanks! I'll stick to answering questions on threads before starting a thread on lighting, I'm sure my notes can somewhat be condensed and turn them into a thread format, plus I'd like to compare my book and online research to real life experiences and knowledge before doing that type of thread.

 

you would be better off with at least a 150 watt HPS it will double your plant growth in half the time and you can pick up a full kit for 68 dollars, and this light is best for veg

 

I'm planning to do almost the same as poster, instead of making a new thread I figured I might as well ask my lighting related question here.

I've been looking at some CFL lights now and have now found something that seems alright.

Its information is:

Pallet Size: 600
Lumen: 4800 ch
Watt: 55 W
Colour number: 830
Color temperature: 3000 C
Base: 2G11
Length: 510 mm
Voltage: 101 V
Diameter: 38 mm
Measurements: 38/535
Total length: 535 mm

It's description is as follows:
Energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps without integrated starter Arming conventional and højfrekvensdrift.MASTER PL-L 40W, 55W and 80W requires high-frequency operation. Long and slim design allows you to use light source for general or indirect lighting luminaires.
Dimmable on high-frequency operation.
Good color rendering (Ra & gt80)
Contains only 4 mg of mercury
Long average life: 15,000 hours on conventional operation and 20,000 hours of high-frequency (economic lifetime: 10,500 and 13,500 hours)


Mind me this is translated from my main language to english using a translator online for the ease so it might be a bit wrong grammar.

Would 1 or 2 of these be enough for 1 plant? Would they be enough throughout the whole growing process or would I need different lights for another phase of the plants life?

In regards to lights I am within a budget and wish to not use more than 55$ on it if possible, I'm willing to spend up to 80$ however prefer not to as I would have to cut down on some other stuff then regarding the growing, this is my first time haven't started yet, haven't gotten seeds or anything, this is basically some planning I'm getting done before starting to set it up.

 

for 1 -2 plants you would see a better grow and buds from a 150-200watt HPS that you can pick up for 65 bux

 

I'm not interested in getting into it too much, but if you plan to grow in the future and this isn't a one time deal, then definitely go with an HID light. CFL's aren't the way to go if you want good yields. There's some guys that get good yields with CFL's, but they also have a lot of them and are experienced growers that have other tricks. A new grower won't end up with very much of anything using CFL's usually because they never use enough. IMO the amount of bulbs you have to buy plus the pain in the ass or screwing them all in isn't anywhere near as good as an HID. I'm only on my second grow, so I"m not an expert by any means, but more light = more bud. I went with a 1000W, not because I needed a 1000W, but since I plant to grow in the future I don't want to have to redo my setup after a grow or two that didn't yield much bud. If I'm going to waste 3 months growing a plant and using my electricity to do so I want to end up with a decent amount of bud. HID's get hotter, but if you have a little money to get a light/fan setup I'd go with that. Most new growers end up disappointed with their CFL grows. If you do go with CFL's make sure you look at ACTUAL WATTAGE, not equivalent, and get a lot of them.

 

Yeah, when you move into HPS, you need heat reduction ventilation, and the light cannot be nearly as close to the plants. If you are limited on space, and cash, CFL's are always gonna be the best choice. IF you have money, and plenty of room, and an exhaust system, and a place to put the stanky exhaust output, yes. HPS will always grow bigger buds. There's just more light period.

 

Whoa man, were talking about a space the size of a trunk of a car on end here. He doesn't have room, or ventilation options, for a HPS of any size. And I'm only using (2) 50W in a reflector hood, and recently stuck (3) 26W's around just for some added side lighting. Look back in the thread for a picture of one of my girls. It's my first time growing. Don't dis on lights you don't have experience with. If done right, CFL's can do amazing.

 

If you use 1 or 2, 50W CFL's you can place them literally 1/4 of an inch from the tops of the plants. Saving space like no other. I was under the assumption that you didn't have room for an HPS that must sit at least a foot and a half to 2 feet above your plant. If you have space, ventilation, and money isn't an issue, definitely go with a 200W HPS for higher yields.