How much cfl wattage per plant?

I've been seeing mixed info in reference to the amount of wattage to use per plant. Can anyone clarify this a little?

It also depends on the size of your space. A very basic rule of thumb is approximately 50 watts per square foot of grow space. If you're growing fewer than 3-4 plants, you might even figure about 100 watts per plant. Also, it would benefit your plants if you could set your lights up in a way that would allow you to reposition them all around your plants as they start to fill out, especially during flowering.

So if the plant is 4 feet tall, use two 40 watt cfl's 2700k and 6500k on each side? Making a total of 4 lights to one plant that size? Is that the idea? What exactly did everyone use before they invented the cfl's a few years ago?

expensive hot power sucking lights

you shud work in lumens instead of watts

So the difference between the two 2700k and 6500k, you want a "soft white" and a "bright white". Is that acurate? I'm heading to get some now, just trying to make sure I get the right one's.

lighthouse said:

So if the plant is 4 feet tall, use two 40 watt cfl's 2700k and 6500k on each side? Making a total of 4 lights to one plant that size? Is that the idea? What exactly did everyone use before they invented the cfl's a few yers ago?

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I think you'll need a good 5-6 40 watters for a four footer. I'd stick to the 2700k bulbs, or maybe do a 3:1 ratio of 2700k to 6500k presuming you're already into flowering.

What exactly do you mean in lumens's instead of wattage? I have taken my plants this far from seedlings til now, they are getting ready to sex and flower. So this part is still new to me.

When I started with the lighting when they were babies, I used a shop light with two ecolux aquarium grow lights. The veg stage has done fine with these lights. I also had three plants go into flowering outside, I brought them in before the frost. They weren't getting enough sun light where I had them planted. Maybe 4 to 5 hours per day.I could'nt have them out in the open the way the yard is set up. They continued to grow, started flowering, I brought them in and put them under the lights I had. The buds did not grow too much bigger or thicken. I screwed up because of lack of knowledge! Now I want to do it right with this batch.

i read on here that the sun gives 10000 lumens per sq foot apparently on a good day so 10000 lumens per sq foot would be a good start to aim for

Ok guys, thank you for your help! I'LL GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME AROUND!

10k lumens is more than you can use, 6k would be fine. 2700 and 6500 refer to spectrum. 2700 warm white is for flowering plants and 6500 daylight for veg. But in both cases you want about 70% that, and 30% of the other, if that makes sense.

Oh okay,gotcha, thanks for your help again.