Surrounding with CFLs, but how much wattage for veg? flower?

SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone - First post here.. Been doing lots of reading though and decided to join so I can post up. I'm on about 10 other forums right now (not for growing but for my other hobbies like guns, cars, pool, etc..) and learn everything I know from interacting with the likes of you forum-folk, so I enjoy this stuff quite a bit. :)

Been reading a lot about a CFL setup, and I like what I see, so here is what I plan to do - please critique as necessary:

"Quattro" setup like on the left of this pic - this gives good coverage on top and sides with 4 CFLs @ semi horizontal angles: https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/grow-journals/229445d1225378494-bensmokins-first-cfl-grow-ppp-ben-024.jpg

I will have 2 plants for my 1st gro..

So I will have a quattro of 4 CFLs on each plant, 8 total. This should maximize use of output lumens from each CFL, or as close as possible. I will keep ~2-3" from plant entire time. Might need to bend angles around as the plants evolves and bushes out.

I plan to use the defacto 6500K daylight CFLs for veg and 2700K soft white CFLs for flowering. For now. KISS and budget for first grow or two.

I need to figure approx watts needed for veg, veg finish (when I go from 24/0 to 18/6) and for flowering.

I thought I heard 40-100 per plant is ideal. So I think I will be OK with 2 quattros of 23w. Most CFLs seem to come in 23w or the next level up, which I think is 42w which I'm guessing will be too hot (x4 remember).

And when I go to flowering, do I want to keep same wattage or go higher wattage and back the lights off a few more inches?

Thanks in advance!

:blsmoke:
 
YungMune

YungMune

Well-Known Member
buy 4 pack 23 watters 6k for veg...you get the most lumens per dollar...for 2 plants you will only need about 6 of those. but for flowering youll have ot load up probably 10-12
 
Mountainman86

Mountainman86

Active Member
Hey buddy. Welcome to RIU.

I'll soon be doing my first grow and am choosing CFL's for vegging as well, but a 250 watt HPS for flowering. I heard using CFLs for flowering produce fluffy nugs and not much yield so I went with the HPS.

That quad setup is nice but most I've seen only have 2 over each plant (sometimes even 1). Those must be low wattage. .

Howeer, as far as I know, when growing with CFLs, more the better. I will also be using Daylight CFLs for vegging. When flowering, I'd up the wattage and keep them about 5-8 inches away.
 
flatrider

flatrider

Well-Known Member
Mountainman86 said:
Hey buddy. Welcome to RIU.

I'll soon be doing my first grow and am choosing CFL's for vegging as well, but a 250 watt HPS for flowering. I heard using CFLs for flowering produce fluffy nugs and not much yield so I went with the HPS.

That quad setup is nice but most I've seen only have 2 over each plant (sometimes even 1). Those must be low wattage. .

Howeer, as far as I know, when growing with CFLs, more the better. I will also be using Daylight CFLs for vegging. When flowering, I'd up the wattage and keep them about 5-8 inches away.
Click to expand...

true if you have very few lights, some hps users have switched to cfls for flowering,to keep the temps down.. cfls can give you outstanding results if done properly just as well as hps
 
SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
I am lining the inside of my box with mylar. At least that is my plan. Don't know where to get it yet, but I think Target has some, else I might go with some shiny wrapping paper - maybe silver flake to bling out the canna-cave... lol :)

Seriously though, do I need a hood vs. just relying on mylar? The way I have it setup, it will put 3-4 CFLs really close, at angles, around the sides and top, not just one side or just the top. I have read that all over the place is best. :)

I got the 23w 6500K CFLs this evening from the House of Pot, down the street here. They had the same ones everyone here is jabbin about... They will give me 23w x 3 = 69w per plant. Should be plenty for vegging out.

I will go back in a few days after the wallet cools off and pick up the 27w 2700K bulbs, too. It seems like everyone is saying more wattage than 50ish per plant, so how many watts for flowering with 2700Ks? 100watts (CFL wattage) per plant?

I don't recall seeing any hoods, but I could make one out of a sheet of polished aluminum, or maybe just a lot of aluminum foil around the base of the bulbs?? Would that really be necessary though?

Thanks!
 
Tanuvan

Tanuvan

Well-Known Member
This is what I found while looking around the net...

2000 lumens sq. ft./21500 lumens sq. m. = Absolute minimum for growth. You won't get much from this, especially after the plant has grown a bit. Not really enough to flower well.

3000 lumens sq. ft./32250 lumens sq. m. = Pretty Good growth. Enough light for the entire light cycle, although your yields may be lower.
4000 lumens sq. ft./43000 lumens sq. m. = Very good growth. Once you pass around 3500, growth rate and ability goes up fast.

Over 5000 lumens sq. ft./53750 lumens sq. m. = Optimal growth. Dense growth in all stages.
 
SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
OK, well each bulb puts out 1600 lumens. So if you figure 2.5 of that, because I have 2 bulbs on it and 1 shared for both (from the sides) then that is 4000 lumens per plant. That sounds like it should be sufficient, provided I can keep the CFL close enough (w/out burning and w/out losing lumens over distance).

I can always add more if need be, right?

Does the same amount of lumens apply for the flowering phase? (just a more ideal - cooler blue - light spectrum)?
 
pacman123

pacman123

Well-Known Member
flatrider said:
true if you have very few lights, some hps users have switched to cfls for flowering,to keep the temps down.. cfls can give you outstanding results if done properly just as well as hps
Click to expand...
I have experienced, as others will attest to, that CFL's produce more heat that is more difficult to deal with. A cooltube and HPS ended up being my solution. Ton's of luminosity, temps peak at 82, and I can use supplimental CFL's as side lighting! A small PC fan exhausts heat out of the box through a carbon filter. When you go micro and want more than one plant, small HPS are the better value. My .02 cents!
 
pacman123

pacman123

Well-Known Member
SmokeDoggy said:
OK, well each bulb puts out 1600 lumens. So if you figure 2.5 of that, because I have 2 bulbs on it and 1 shared for both (from the sides) then that is 4000 lumens per plant. That sounds like it should be sufficient, provided I can keep the CFL close enough (w/out burning and w/out losing lumens over distance).

I can always add more if need be, right?

Does the same amount of lumens apply for the flowering phase? (just a more ideal - cooler blue - light spectrum)?
Click to expand...
flowering is the stage where light energy is used in the highest quantity, so it's better to have more during flowering then veg if that's what you are wondering. And you want a warmer, i.e. re and orange spectrum, light for flowering. the 25 or 2700k CFL's are the best, though you should use one or two daylight or full spectrum bulbsper plant to supply a more realistic light spectrum.
 
dew-b

dew-b

Well-Known Member
SmokeDoggy said:
Hey everyone - First post here.. Been doing lots of reading though and decided to join so I can post up. I'm on about 10 other forums right now (not for growing but for my other hobbies like guns, cars, pool, etc..) and learn everything I know from interacting with the likes of you forum-folk, so I enjoy this stuff quite a bit. :)

Been reading a lot about a CFL setup, and I like what I see, so here is what I plan to do - please critique as necessary:

"Quattro" setup like on the left of this pic - this gives good coverage on top and sides with 4 CFLs @ semi horizontal angles: https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/grow-journals/229445d1225378494-bensmokins-first-cfl-grow-ppp-ben-024.jpg

I will have 2 plants for my 1st gro..

So I will have a quattro of 4 CFLs on each plant, 8 total. This should maximize use of output lumens from each CFL, or as close as possible. I will keep ~2-3" from plant entire time. Might need to bend angles around as the plants evolves and bushes out.

I plan to use the defacto 6500K daylight CFLs for veg and 2700K soft white CFLs for flowering. For now. KISS and budget for first grow or two.

I need to figure approx watts needed for veg, veg finish (when I go from 24/0 to 18/6) and for flowering.

I thought I heard 40-100 per plant is ideal. So I think I will be OK with 2 quattros of 23w. Most CFLs seem to come in 23w or the next level up, which I think is 42w which I'm guessing will be too hot (x4 remember).

And when I go to flowering, do I want to keep same wattage or go higher wattage and back the lights off a few more inches?

Thanks in advance!

:blsmoke:
Click to expand...
the watts don't matter as much as the lumes. you will want to go to a 12/12 for flowering not 18/6.
18/6 is a veg light cycle
 
SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
Thanks pacman - Understood. Yes, I plan to use the 2700K temp bulbs, and will use a few extra just in case. :)

Dew-b - I actually meant 18/6 for vegging. I've heard some people say 18/6 - 24/0 are acceptable for vegging. Then I read that some people go 24/0 for veg and then the last few days, they go 18/6, I guess so when they finally do 12/12, it isn't so much of a "shock" to the plant. *shrug* Good idea? Bad idea?? Thanks!

:eyesmoke:
 
ImissATARI

ImissATARI

Well-Known Member
SmokeDoggy said:
Hey everyone - First post here.. Been doing lots of reading though and decided to join so I can post up. I'm on about 10 other forums right now (not for growing but for my other hobbies like guns, cars, pool, etc..) and learn everything I know from interacting with the likes of you forum-folk, so I enjoy this stuff quite a bit. :)

Been reading a lot about a CFL setup, and I like what I see, so here is what I plan to do - please critique as necessary:

"Quattro" setup like on the left of this pic - this gives good coverage on top and sides with 4 CFLs @ semi horizontal angles: https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/grow-journals/229445d1225378494-bensmokins-first-cfl-grow-ppp-ben-024.jpg

I will have 2 plants for my 1st gro..

So I will have a quattro of 4 CFLs on each plant, 8 total. This should maximize use of output lumens from each CFL, or as close as possible. I will keep ~2-3" from plant entire time. Might need to bend angles around as the plants evolves and bushes out.

I plan to use the defacto 6500K daylight CFLs for veg and 2700K soft white CFLs for flowering. For now. KISS and budget for first grow or two.

I need to figure approx watts needed for veg, veg finish (when I go from 24/0 to 18/6) and for flowering.

I thought I heard 40-100 per plant is ideal. So I think I will be OK with 2 quattros of 23w. Most CFLs seem to come in 23w or the next level up, which I think is 42w which I'm guessing will be too hot (x4 remember).

And when I go to flowering, do I want to keep same wattage or go higher wattage and back the lights off a few more inches?

Thanks in advance!

:blsmoke:
Click to expand...
This is all the kind of stuff I'm trying to figure out. CLF's seem easier to go along as you can afford it, I have a Dresser 3 ft long, 16'' deep and 2 1/2 feet tall. I figure I can fit 3 scrogs. So did you figure out it will be about 3 23 watt 6500's per plant at least till it gets taller?
 
F

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
I've seen these light configurations before but no one ever makes a reflector above the bulbs. Your loosing half your light energy without one. If I was using a setup like that I'd get some of those disposable turkey roasting pans and cut a hole through them to get the single socket through then add the lights and rebend the pan into some kind of batwing type reflector.
 
ImissATARI

ImissATARI

Well-Known Member
frmrboi said:
I've seen these light configurations before but no one ever makes a reflector above the bulbs. Your loosing half your light energy without one. If I was using a setup like that I'd get some of those disposable turkey roasting pans and cut a hole through them to get the single socket through then add the lights and rebend the pan into some kind of batwing type reflector.
Click to expand...
Frmrboi-

Would a ceiling of mylar make up for that to some extent?
 
SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
ImissATARI said:
Frmrboi-

Would a ceiling of mylar make up for that to some extent?
Click to expand...
I would think NO because it is too far from the bulbs - needs to be right there, as with CFLs the lumens drop off major after a few inches.

I like the idea of the turkey basting pan - will pick one of those up to make it into a hood. :)
 
ImissATARI

ImissATARI

Well-Known Member
SmokeDoggy said:
I would think NO because it is too far from the bulbs - needs to be right there, as with CFLs the lumens drop off major after a few inches.

I like the idea of the turkey basting pan - will pick one of those up to make it into a hood. :)
Click to expand...
Hey, as far as the light you are using - I have a Dresser 3 ft long, 16'' deep and 2 1/2 feet tall. I figure I can fit 3 scrogs. So did you figure out it will be about 3 23 watt 6500's per plant at least till it gets taller?
 
SmokeDoggy

SmokeDoggy

Well-Known Member
Yes, I'm doing 3x23w 6500K CFL until it gets about 12-16" then switching to 12/12.
I'll probably go 4x23w of 2700Ks, or more, when I switch to 12/12.

I plan to LST the whole stalk and get a lot of extra growth on that original stalk's 12-16", just FYI.
 
ImissATARI

ImissATARI

Well-Known Member
SmokeDoggy said:
Yes, I'm doing 3x23w 6500K CFL until it gets about 12-16" then switching to 12/12.
I'll probably go 4x23w of 2700Ks, or more, when I switch to 12/12.

I plan to LST the whole stalk and get a lot of extra growth on that original stalk's 12-16", just FYI.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clearning that up, its really going to help : check my stealth box I got goin, just working on my shopping list:
 
Mountainman86

Mountainman86

Active Member
Smoke Doggy: Unfortunately your calculations are off. You don't add lumens. You can have 80 bulbs that put out 1,600 lumens but the total lumens put out would still be 1,600.

Correct me if I'm wrong please.

Pacman : Did you make your cool tube? carbon filter? if so how? And how did you power your computer fans.

Thanks!
 
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