1st timer need math guru for cfl lighting question! 3 weeks from harvest

Fenix42020

New Member
Hello, first time grower i'll give you quick rundown here. I'm terrible at math, just god awful, and I'm trying to figure out if my lighting is adequate for the area, mainly lumen output. Space is 24 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 9.5 inches deep. There are 3 cfls, all 2700k at 60 actual watt 125 w equivalent, each giving off 900 lumens for a total of 2700 lumens. I cannot seem to figure out the calculations to see how many sq meters my box is, and then how many lumens per sq meter i'm getting, and if it's enough. Just wanna max out the density in my mary lol. So ya other than that if someone could please help me I would be eternally grateful!

other info-
DWC
basic nute / pk13-14
ph 6.0- checked 2x daily
lots of love!
 

robnarley1111

Active Member
You have give or take 3 square feet. You're getting about 900 lumens per square foot. Sorry, I can't determine what that is in meters off of the top of head.

Do you have any pictures of your setup? I personally recommend at LEAST 50 watts per square foot. 75 watts per is even better. The amount of lumens you "need" is hard to determine because it depends on your setup: lighting arrangement, enclosure shape, plant size, pot size, etc.

Ideally, you want as close to 100,000 lumens per square foot as possible--being that's what the sun puts out on a sunny day. Of course you won't get that far with CFLs, but it's a target. Do you have reflective material in your grow area, such as Mylar?

Is it an enclosure such as a closet, tent or grow cabinet? Certain types of smaller spaces and Mylar can help improve the light output your CFLs are giving by reflecting more light back to your plants. If you can give more details, we can give you more assistance!
 

MoJo Marty

New Member
I can't believe how well my plants are growing with just four, 4 footers. Getting ready to switch lights for flowering.
 

Fenix42020

New Member
Ya I probably should have mentioned that it is completely enclosed grow box with mylar, intake/exhaust/ activated carbon filter over exhaust. The dimensions listed in my previous post are the dimensions of the box.
 

Concord Dawn

Well-Known Member
"60 actual watt 125 w equivalent" an actual 60 watt cfl would be 300 watt equivalent and 4200 lumens so that be 180 actual watts, 900 equivalent and 12,600 lumens total. a normal 23 watt house buld is 100 watt equivalent and about 1600 lumens. just sayin, LoL.
 
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