How close can my plants get to the lights?

I have three 40 watt CFLs over 2 one foot tall plants. How far should I raise my lights over my plants?

Thanks!

With CFL's you want them as close as possible... 3-5"... put your hand in front of the bulb... if it's too hot for your hand it's too hot for your plants. But with CFL's you can get those suckers pretty close. Maybe think about adding one more bulb so each plant has 2 light sources. Won't hurt. GL with your grow.

sub1427 said:

With CFL's you want them as close as possible... 3-5"... put your hand in front of the bulb... if it's too hot for your hand it's too hot for your plants. But with CFL's you can get those suckers pretty close. Maybe think about adding one more bulb so each plant has 2 light sources. Won't hurt. GL with your grow.

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Thanks!

Make sure to keep the bulbs horizontal as cfl throws light from sides rather than the bottom.. Also make sure to add a reflector of soe sort. You will get way more light on the plant itself. HD has some foil type insulation that is great for cutting and making reflectors.. Even a foil pie pan could be used, but it's not optimal.

Mabye time to upgrade that lighting are you planning to flower with the same sort of wattage?

Lemoncandy said:

Mabye time to upgrade that lighting are you planning to flower with the same sort of wattage?

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Yeah I was planning on it for my very first grow

patrick17 said:

Yeah I was planning on it for my very first grow

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cfl's always left me wanting. by the time I employed enough of them to do the job I wasnt saving anything in heat or power, a 400 watt hid blew away a hundred cfl's

chemphlegm said:

cfl's always left me wanting. by the time I employed enough of them to do the job I wasnt saving anything in heat or power, a 400 watt hid blew away a hundred cfl's

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How much is a 400 watt hid?

patrick17 said:

How much is a 400 watt hid?

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try google, thats what I did

there are other alternatives like cobs too

Lumatec do a fantastic 600 switchable didgy can go 250, 400, 600 and superlumes for different stages of veg and flower add large adjusts wings + 600 lucagrow hps = golden

If you move from a few cfls to a 400w HID you are going to jump straight into the deep end of handling heat problems.
True you wont get much bud at all with your few cfls, but if you are a noob just learning... it might allow you to focus on other things.
What is your exhaust fan?

GreenLogician said:

If you move from a few cfls to a 400w HID you are going to jump straight into the deep end of handling heat problems.
True you wont get much bud at all with your few cfls, but if you are a noob just learning... it might allow you to focus on other things.
What is your exhaust fan?

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Well true have to have adequate ventilation with mh/ hps

My first grow was in hallowed out freezer. I used 10 or so walmart cfl, on their side w a reflector on it. Later overdrove a u shaped 2' florescent in adition to them for flower. Start to finish, was amazing quality for first grow and harvest was plentiful...

But that was all on one plant. Maybe consider cutting plant count till you can get cmh, mh, or hps, or good led.

Id rather have one adequatly lighted plant to four weakly lit plants... my $0.02..

Keep em close, use hand test, make sure air is a moving too...

GreenLogician said:

If you move from a few cfls to a 400w HID you are going to jump straight into the deep end of handling heat problems.
True you wont get much bud at all with your few cfls, but if you are a noob just learning... it might allow you to focus on other things.
What is your exhaust fan?

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Right now I just have a box fan in my closet the temp ranges from 78-low 80s

Yea hid Wud def need some venting or ull cook em...