PC CFL Grow -- going OK, I think

First grow. PC Case -- two blues, one red CFL, 24/7 light. 1.5 liter soilless mix, water with lite nutes once a day. Mylar all over the case. Indoor temos around 72, so I assume PC case is around 78-85.

Plants look healthy. I am surprised. Feminized Nirvana Short Rider and Lowlife AK47. Both supossively auto flower.

SO, my only complaint (not really) is that they are not reaching for light and growing wide -- is this normal? The Short Rider germed quick, sprouted quick, and is getting bushy and stinky real quick.

The lowlife AK47 started slow, but has made rapid strides in the last 3 days. I put the AK closer to the intake fan, and she took off. The Short Rider (Nirvana) doesn"t give a fuck -- she just keeps growing. The AK has no smell.

Shitty pics, but is there any reason they are not getting taller? I am on day 14ish for Short Rider after sprout and day 12ish for AK after sprout.

Thanks in advance.

greenpark13 said:

First grow. PC Case -- two blues, one red CFL, 24/7 light. 1.5 liter soilless mix, water with lite nutes once a day. Mylar all over the case. Indoor temos around 72, so I assume PC case is around 78-85.

Plants look healthy. I am surprised. Feminized Nirvana Short Rider and Lowlife AK47. Both supossively auto flower.

SO, my only complaint (not really) is that they are not reaching for light and growing wide -- is this normal? The Short Rider germed quick, sprouted quick, and is getting bushy and stinky real quick.

The lowlife AK47 started slow, but has made rapid strides in the last 3 days. I put the AK closer to the intake fan, and she took off. The Short Rider (Nirvana) doesn"t give a fuck -- she just keeps growing. The AK has no smell.

Shitty pics, but is there any reason they are not getting taller? I am on day 14ish for Short Rider after sprout and day 12ish for AK after sprout.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what kind of lights your using, I've only heard the light spectrum spoken of in Kelvin. The plant uses one end of the spectrum for veg and the other end for flower. It doesn't use the mid spectrums much so your blue lights may not be doing anything.

The right light for veg is 5000k to 6500k (kelvin) aka daylight

The right light for flowring is 2700k to 3000k (kelvin not lumens)

The ends of the spectrum are yellow & red, but I can't remember which is which.

Also by this time in the grow your lights should be as close to the plant as possible without touching it. You'll get better results if you do this, but as the plant grows you'll have to move the lights, sometimes several times per day.

For getter side growth add more side lights and if any leaves are in the way of light, I'd suggest using lst (use string to move the leaves to the side a bit)

For more info on cfl grows I'd suggest going here. https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/ It's a set of strings dedicated to CFL growing. You might also want to pick up a book called Buds for Less, the author has a papercliped thread there as well.

greenpark13 said:

First grow. PC Case -- two blues, one red CFL, 24/7 light. 1.5 liter soilless mix, water with lite nutes once a day. Mylar all over the case. Indoor temos around 72, so I assume PC case is around 78-85.

Plants look healthy. I am surprised. Feminized Nirvana Short Rider and Lowlife AK47. Both supossively auto flower.

SO, my only complaint (not really) is that they are not reaching for light and growing wide -- is this normal? The Short Rider germed quick, sprouted quick, and is getting bushy and stinky real quick.

The lowlife AK47 started slow, but has made rapid strides in the last 3 days. I put the AK closer to the intake fan, and she took off. The Short Rider (Nirvana) doesn"t give a fuck -- she just keeps growing. The AK has no smell.

Shitty pics, but is there any reason they are not getting taller? I am on day 14ish for Short Rider after sprout and day 12ish for AK after sprout.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Come join our Consolidated PC/Micro growers thread. Find your answers quick.
Lots a good brains to pick, pictures, and DIY stuff. + rep for doin a PC grow.

Link https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/256818-micro-pc-growers-thread-place.html

DannyGreenEyes said:

I'm not sure what kind of lights your using, I've only heard the light spectrum spoken of in Kelvin. The plant uses one end of the spectrum for veg and the other end for flower. It doesn't use the mid spectrums much so your blue lights may not be doing anything.

The right light for veg is 5000k to 6500k (kelvin) aka daylight

The right light for flowring is 2700k to 3000k (kelvin not lumens)

The ends of the spectrum are yellow & red, but I can't remember which is which.

Also by this time in the grow your lights should be as close to the plant as possible without touching it. You'll get better results if you do this, but as the plant grows you'll have to move the lights, sometimes several times per day.

For getter side growth add more side lights and if any leaves are in the way of light, I'd suggest using lst (use string to move the leaves to the side a bit)

For more info on cfl grows I'd suggest going here. https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/ It's a set of strings dedicated to CFL growing. You might also want to pick up a book called Buds for Less, the author has a papercliped thread there as well.

Click to expand...

Come join our thread, you know some stuff, and you can help us answer others.
Just a friendly invite. +rep for givin good advice.
Sorry everyone i mis judged, Danny here needs to Brush up on his facts, thus i take back this invite for now.

https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/256818-micro-pc-growers-thread-place.html

Sgt.Sly said:

Come join our thread, you know some stuff, and you can help us answer others.
Just a friendly invite. +rep for givin good advice.

https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/256818-micro-pc-growers-thread-place.html

Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment. I only found out about CFL grows a few days ago, but I'm a quick study and I've learned a lot in a few days. I'm not going to be doing any micro grows though so I'm not really sure how much help I'd be at your forum.

Right now I'm trying to get the right lights for the right price and it took me all afternoon to learn the diff between MH & HPS.

If you can do me a favor though, check out this link http://organic-hydroponicsupplies.thebigtomato.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=tbt&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=33306300&Count2=950446724&CategoryID=43&Target=products.asp
The 1000w HPS is $10 cheaper than the 600w HPS. Is that because the 600w is a bad deal or because the 1000w is a good deal. I'd appreciate the help, this is my first solo grow and I've never had to deal with the lights before.

DannyGreenEyes said:

Thanks for the compliment. I only found out about CFL grows a few days ago, but I'm a quick study and I've learned a lot in a few days. I'm not going to be doing any micro grows though so I'm not really sure how much help I'd be at your forum.

Right now I'm trying to get the right lights for the right price and it took me all afternoon to learn the diff between MH & HPS.

If you can do me a favor though, check out this link http://organic-hydroponicsupplies.thebigtomato.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=tbt&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=33306300&Count2=950446724&CategoryID=43&Target=products.asp
The 1000w HPS is $10 cheaper than the 600w HPS. Is that because the 600w is a bad deal or because the 1000w is a good deal. I'd appreciate the help, this is my first solo grow and I've never had to deal with the lights before.

Click to expand...

It's mORE than likely that it's a suppily and demand thing. That store prolly makes more money off the thousand watt. BUt the 1000 is serious stuff, you need to dedicate a whole room, and work out serious ventalation.

Hmmm. But if the plants wanted more light, wouldn't they be reaching for it? Mine are growing wide. Many of the other pics I have seen of plants reaching were withouit mylar -- could that be it?

greenpark13 said:

Hmmm. But if the plants wanted more light, wouldn't they be reaching for it? Mine are growing wide. Many of the other pics I have seen of plants reaching were withouit mylar -- could that be it?

Click to expand...

If the lights are too far away, then the plant wont reach for them. CFLs have to be right on top of the plant so if the bulb isn't real close then that's one of your problems. If you're using blue bulbs, that's another problem. The blue end of the light spectrum do almost nothing for plants.

Another problem might be the temp, optimum temp is 74 to 80. Buy one of those little thermometers that stick in the dirt next to the plant. You know, the ones our grandparents used to use to grow ferns, they only cost a dollar or two and are the best way to know what temp your plants are actually feeling.

Mylar, or other reflective surfaces, are used so you can get more out of your lights, up to 30% from what I understand. But the CFLs have a much shorter range, so I'm sure reflective materials mean much less (the light has to travel to the reflective surface and back, by the time it travels that much distance it can't do much for the plant)

Just keep in mind that the light from CFLs loose most of their potency after just a couple of inches and you should do better.

The plants should be wider at that height, so side lights should probably be added.

I'd suggest side lights to make them bushy & topping them as soon as they start to get bushier.

Also, with CFLs it's much more important to pay attention to the color spectrum. Use 5000k to 6500k (daylight) for veg & 2700k to 3000k (soft white) for flowering. The plants should get bigger if you do, and you should see a diffence right away.

If money is an issue you can sometimes find good deals on CFLs here www.wholesalecentral.com You'll find importers, liquidators, & MFGs there, stay away from the China Mfgs, they're likely to rip you off. But the local importers & liquidators are usually honest, and you should be able to buy bulbs by the case (6s, 12s, 24s) at about $4 or $5 ea.

I hope you appreciate me telling this secret. For the last 7 years I've made a good living buying from dropshippers located at that site and reselling to retail stores at a mark up.

This is Rock Bottom Deals in IL, I've used them a lot. Here's a deal for 24 bulbs, only $30 plus shipping ($20 min for shipping). They're honest, and if you look at the box you'll see these are "soft white" which means they're what you need for flower http://www.rockbottomdeals.biz/pd_feit_ecobulb_4_pack_23_watt_spiral_cfl_light_bulbs.cfm

These bulbs are "warm white" as you can see on the front of the box. These bulbs give off light in the blue spectrum and will do nothing for you at all. http://www.rockbottomdeals.biz/pd_sun__stars_lighting_23_watt_spiral_cfl_warm_white_bulb.cfm

More soft white bulbs for flowering http://wholesalecentral.com/searchresults.htm?searchstr=cfl

Sorry, there don't seem to be any super good deals on CFL veg lights (5000k to 6500k - Daylight)

Here's the best deal I could find on CFL veg lights http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100661903/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

If you look at the box you'll notice that they use a different identifier. You'll notice that, some boxes will say soft white or day light. Some boxes will give you a number. And some boxes make up their own little measuring thingy. You can see on this box (on their little measuring thingy) that 6500 is Daylight and 2700 is soft white.

Of course you'll also run into boxes that say nothing at all about the spectrum, only buy these if someone can tell you what the spectrum is.

If you need help making a harness to get the lights closer to the plant, I'd suggest getting a copy of "Buds for Less". The book shows you how to make a cheap home made harness that does a good job, the book is about $20 and I bought a copy myself.

DannyGreenEyes said:

If the lights are too far away, then the plant wont reach for them. CFLs have to be right on top of the plant so if the bulb isn't real close then that's one of your problems. If you're using blue bulbs, that's another problem. The blue end of the light spectrum do almost nothing for plants.

Another problem might be the temp, optimum temp is 74 to 80. Buy one of those little thermometers that stick in the dirt next to the plant. You know, the ones our grandparents used to use to grow ferns, they only cost a dollar or two and are the best way to know what temp your plants are actually feeling.

Mylar, or other reflective surfaces, are used so you can get more out of your lights, up to 30% from what I understand. But the CFLs have a much shorter range, so I'm sure reflective materials mean much less (the light has to travel to the reflective surface and back, by the time it travels that much distance it can't do much for the plant)

Just keep in mind that the light from CFLs loose most of their potency after just a couple of inches and you should do better.

The plants should be wider at that height, so side lights should probably be added.

I'd suggest side lights to make them bushy & topping them as soon as they start to get bushier.

Click to expand...

WOAH THERE DANNY BOY!!!!!!
Your whole first paragraph here is completely the oppiset of whats right.
Do you realize, that 6500Kelvin, IS at the blue end of the spectrum? And that the blue spectrun is what the plants respond to most in veg!!! They make red and blue LED UFO's for growing. Look up that and then tell us blue is usless. Seriously edit that before the haters come. It is infact the GREEN spectrum that is completely usless.
ALSO if your plants are too far from the light, they WILL INDEED STRECH!!!

In response to the blue text
type: Although CFL's lose their maximum effectiveness after about 3 inches, REFELECTION is twice as important with them.
You are too new to be handing out poor facts like that, please do your research.

Sgt.Sly said:

WOAH THERE DANNY BOY!!!!!!
Your whole first paragraph here is completely the oppiset of whats right.
Do you realize, that 6500Kelvin, IS at the blue end of the spectrum? And that the blue spectrun is what the plants respond to most in veg!!! They make red and blue LED UFO's for growing. Look up that and then tell us blue is usless. Seriously edit that before the haters come. It is infact the GREEN spectrum that is completely usless.
ALSO if your plants are too far from the light, they WILL INDEED STRECH!!!

In response to the blue text
type: Although CFL's lose their maximum effectiveness after about 3 inches, REFELECTION is twice as important with them.
You are too new to be handing out poor facts like that, please do your research.

Click to expand...

On the light spectrum I was applying what I remembered from school. When I learned the spectrum in school blue was always in the middle with red & yellow on either end. Green you get by mixing blue & yellow if I remember right, so that spectrum would be between the blue & yellow, closer to blue.

Although I haven't been able to figure out why MHs with a white/blue spectrum are supposedely a little better for veg. So I guess I'm probably wrong being that HPS use red/yellow/orange which would mean that those colors would have to be on the same end of the spectrum with blue/white on the other end. Sorry for the mistake, but I don't know how to edit so I guess I'm stuck with it. I did get the kelvin & consumer labeling (soft white, day light, etc) right though I think.

The stretching for the lights I had read something about in the CFL rooms in several different conversations. The solution to the problem always seemed to be moving the lights closer. And it's the popular opinion in that thread that the only time lights should be kept more than 2" from the plant is when the plant is a little baby. Any more than 2" and you risk letting the buds end up light & fluffy. Also for side lights more than 2" you risk making your plant stretch too much between the nodes. I did research for 3 days strait and this is what I found.

A word on 2" v 3". Many say 3" is the magic number, but I've noticed that some disagree. 2" is a number that everyone seems to agree is good. Therefore I'm using 2" as my guide since there's 100% concensus on that number.

Loosing most of it's potency after 3" is an assumption I made I guess, but I think it's a safe assumption. I mean why would you end up with light & fluffy buds if it didn't loose most of it's potency?

On the reflectors, hoods are always imortant but he was asking about mylar. Though I'm sure it helps, the light has to travel more than 3" to reach the mylar, deflect off it, and reach the plant. So I'm sure the benefits can't be what you would call stupendous and should never be used in place of an extra bulb on CFL grows. I know this is an opinion, but I'm sure Seemore Buds would back me up on it. In his book on CFL grows he uses no reclectors except the hoods and he gets half a pound off 3 plants using 8 CFLs, and it's all done with bulb placement.

That said, I'd still suggest using reflective surfaces on all grows. It's cheap enough for the benefit to be worth it.

Hi ther im curently doing a cfl grow blue is for weg and red for flowering ..
ive read that cfl has a close light spectum 2 sun light dondt give of mutch heat and im curently flowering with 320 watt cfl id recomend for starters , im fancying hps next but need more room ha

keep the updates comeing

keep the fire burning