Anyone using Flourescent Tubes...(Help)

[Giantshredder]

OK. I am about to go into flowering. First grow. Soil grow. 2 plants. Very strong strain of Indica clones.

I am using SIX 40 watt fluorescent tubes. These girls are doing great so far. They are 9 weeks old from cloning and about 12' high, and 12" around. Very short but bushy. I haven't had a problem yet and just recently started nutes. PH is adjusted. I keep a fan blowing on them on low most of the time.

Basically I want to know any tips for using Fluorescent tubes for flowering. From what I hear and see it is fine to use this lighting. I just wanna know if someone has experience using this type of lighting for flowering and if they had any problems?

Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

 

[561crim]

they will work for flowering...but you are not gonna get hard buds...i would pick up a HPS asap if i were you...

 

[plaguedog]

they will work for flowering...but you are not gonna get hard buds...i would pick up a HPS asap if i were you...

Good advice but it really depends on the strain. The first bagseed grow I ever did was with floro tubes (had no clue really, but it worked) and I had one plant that turned out to be great. The yields will never be on par with HID lighting or even CFL's but you CAN get some decent smoke with tubes, just not the best. I was actually quite pleased with the one plant but the other two I had some fluffy buds that smoked pretty decent though. Just be sure to keep the tubes around an inch or so from the plants and be patient in flowering as it will take longer to complete then with HID lighting.

If you can try to get some 2700k CFL's (I like 42 watt) And use them as supplemental side lighting while in flowering, they should help tighten things up a bit and give decent lighting to your lower bud sites.

 

[ReAVeR]

with those bulbs you can literally press them on the top of the plants (not advised). i would surround the plants with the fixtures, creating a stadium effect so each part of the plant is getting the same amount of light.

 

[jordisgarden]

vegging with the floros is ok. you can grow a plant but it aint gonna be anything near where it could be....you absolutly need an hps or a metal halide to reach full potential...especially with multiple plants.

 

[High Time 420]

You will have very loose buds, complete fluff.

 

[plaguedog]

You will have very loose buds, complete fluff.

Again it depends on the strain really, like I said I had one plant with some very dense nugs off the same amount of floros (6 four footers) but it seems like that was just pure luck of the draw with the strain I had. They were quite leggy though because tube light penetration is almost non-existent.

Like mentioned try to keep the plants surrounded with light in flower and you will get some results.

 

[nuera59]

ive got two rooms
flower room with a 600w hps diamond reflector, carb ect....
veg room with 6 40 w twin flouro tubes, they absulutly work great, no probs here at all!!!

 

[shylas]

I have a set up with flouro & cfl.
As stated above with just flouros you won't get very dense buds.(I know I've tried)
I have 6 floros 3" 12t but they are all dif light freq. I have two cool two daylight and two purple grow flouros.
Then I've added 4 full spec. 100w cfls and one red spec cfl. (in clamp lights w/ reflectors)
I can tell you since I've added the cfls this setup works amazing.
I also have 3 completely red cfls for flowering. I've almost thought if getting rid of
the 12t's but I really get good results with this setup.

 

[Giantshredder]

Yeah. This is a very STRONG strain. I heard they could go through hell and still produce good. I've seen what they can do under really good set up too, and they are amazing. They are very short and bushy now. Basically I have them against a white wall, 4 tubes directly above them and 2 proped up in front. I rotate them everyday. I'd post pics but don't on here.