lighting question

i have searched this forum and was wondering if i could use a 100w mh bulb with out a ballast and just screw it into a regular 110 outlet

No. but are u in the usa?

yeah im in usa

Go to home depot and get thur 50 watt M/H fixture in the home secutiry lighting isle for about 40 bux. Its same as 300 watts i think.Anyhow this light will be more than sufficient enuff to veg at least 4 plants 1 foot tall!

thanks for all the input so far and it will be another pay day or so b4 i can get anything like that yet. but i was wondering how halogen lights fair for growing

If u have them ok put them up but they arent worth a crap, U are looking for lumens, if u are between seedling and veg stage a couple 42 watt 65 k cfls from walmart will work but thats gonna run ya 20 bux or so lol, ur back to the original question, check out my thred in here about newbies help to light cfls vs hps bro for what yur trying to do this is all the evidence u need, and ya dont need to spend 400 bux to grow bud!

thanks! will do

halogens don't do nothin for growin besides raisin temps beyond believe. Best bet is hid's, or cfl's.

i know this started off as a lighting question but im gonna let you guys see my setup and tell me what you think i may need (however keep in mind im on a tight budget)

im running 4 plants under 1 2' 7500k florescent bulb and 1 18" bulb at 6500k
ive been germinating the seeds in water and growing in MG potting soil
watering 2-3 times a week with distilled water (dont have a way to test ph yet)

im also popping some more out of soil. Now my question for that is how long should i wait before i put them under light because ive got the lil white roots coming out of the soil but nothing that resembles a plant yet

can no one respond common guys?

i germ in paper towel .... wait till tap root is .5 inch long .. plant in soil slightly deeper than the tap root,... and put it under the lights which are 20" away and they usually come up in 2 days

thanks for the input ill do that from now on

Here is what I'd do, get 2 27K CFL's and 2 64K CFL's and 4 of the green outdoor floodlight bases, you'll probably find them in a box near the extension cords and 4 2-3 gallon pots for plants. Get enough soil to fill your new pots. Something with not too many wood chips and more sand and/or perlite in it. Cut about 1.5 inches off of the flood light bases where you screw the bulbs into. It's plastic so shouldn't be too difficult. Suspend your light basses and lights over each plant. Secure but alow for raising and lowering them. Transplant your beasties into the larger pots, water, no food for at least 2 more weeks, Leave your existing floros in there, wont hurt. Veg for 3-4 more weeks or till they get from a foot to 18 inches tall, and switch to flowering (12hrs on 12hrs off) for the rest of the grow. Since you have them in MG soil, I wouldn't add any Nitrogen for vegging, and just before i switched to flowering I'd flush the soil with about 6 gallons of water and start with the bloom food. High P and K (phosphorus, and potassium). Get some litmus paper for checking the soil PH and your water. Keep it as neutral as possible. Now your lights will run ya about 12 or so dollars, and the outdoor green flood bases will run 3 dollars each. For about 12 bucks you'll have lights necessary to finish them. Wont be a large harvest but good enuf to test your growing skills, and improve them as you see fit. Not sure on the soil and Walmart but your pots will be about 2 bucks each. This is as ghetto as i'd go on a tight budget. Luck wit dem beasties. Oh, and watch them as you flower, you'll want to remove any males you find. Just get them out pull em up or whatever, You could let them grow up in another room and make butter or oil out of them. Just get them away from the ladies.

Nim

it sucks when your plant is that small...4 months to go..haha

anyway

after you pop ur seeds, put them root down in the soil about an inch or so down and then water the soil to make sure it's moist and put them in a dark place, check every 2-3 hours because it'll sprout quick, but when it's an inch or so out of the soil and u see 2 pedals, put it under light.

and also..how close are your lights to the tops? start about 6-8" away to let em stretch a bit, and then move them down to about 2" away..those lights could get hot though..good luck

oh and no nutes till end of week three. so day 21 in soil give them 1/4 strength of nutes

i dunno about all these other techniques and stuff that these other people mention that take 2-3 days, but within hours after the seed pops the way i do it youll have a sprout 1" out of the soil..do what u gotta do though good luck

Man i tell you what you guys are awsome this is like a library of info. I really appreciate all the info/tips and tricks. Keep it coming anything that you know on this subject i wanna know