What happens if i stop using the CFLs?

Cvntcrusher said:

But I've been too scared because using only my LEDs would mean I'm only using 220W total.

But if they're strong enough, I would like to use them solo for a bit in veg. And then when both plants are bigger, start using the CFLs again.

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Richard Drysift said:

I mean they certainly are not the best leds you can get but will be fine to veg those small plants and then some. Not bad for a cheapo grow light; I am impressed with these for the price. Problem is once they get to a decent size those panels will not penetrate even an average canopy. Train the branches to grow out short wide and flat. Use a net or something for bloom phase.
Leave it at the height it is for now and see how it goes. You will probably need more vertical space as you go up to a slightly larger container. If you notice the tops reaching for the light or lots of space in between the nodes drop the lights down more if you can or build up height under the plant.
Try to get away from CFLs altogether. They are fine for seedlings and clones but a bunch of them suck too much power to be efficient grow lights. Don’t worry about how much wattage you have either; it’s better to run slightly less and keep temps low than to throw everything you got at them and burn the tips or fry the buds/trichomes with high temps. Look into DIY quantum boards for a low cost lighting upgrade; COB leds were the way to go for my own purposes but also requires sizable investment.

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Cvntcrusher said:

I've thought about raising my LEDs to maybe get them to stretch a little but I figured it's too late.

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Richard Drysift said:

Yeah but you don’t want that; you want nice tight nodal spaces in between the branches where buds form. It’s never too late to LST as long as you are still in veg. Pinch in the spaces in between branches to fatten the stems. Keep a fan going so they dance a bit all the time to further strengthen stems.

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