Cfl lights? Can you grow without a hps or mh light?

[Jeeztatted]

I cannot afford the hps or mh ballast or the one that comes all together. I also think its too big for my grow box (5x2x2).

Can I grow with multiple cfl light or a few high watt cfl lights? Or do I need a hps light ?

 

[Hosebomber]

You can grow with CFLs or tube florescent. Both work well and there are a large number of grows on this site with both. Look through the completed and current grow journals to get a good idea of what is possible.

 

[Jeeztatted]

You can grow with CFLs or tube florescent. Both work well and there are a large number of grows on this site with both. Look through the completed and current grow journals to get a good idea of what is possible.

Do you have any suggestions on how many bulds I should get? Or total watts I need. My grow box is 5x2x2

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

I use gaint cfl 125w 6400k (kelvin) for vegging in tiny space of 2 foot by 2 foot on average 4 plants for aprox 6 weeks... does not include the 2 weeks for clones to root tho !

I flower under a 400w hps tho in a 3 foot by 3 foot space tho as hps out peforms cfl's 2700K yield wise !

 

[Jeeztatted]

I use gaint cfl 125w 6400k (kelvin) for vegging in tiny space of 2 foot by 2 foot on average 4 plants for aprox 6 weeks... does not include the 2 weeks for clones to root tho !

I flower under a 400w hps tho in a 3 foot by 3 foot space tho as hps out peforms cfl's 2700K yield wise !

How much was your hps light and setup? Did it make your electric bill jump up in price?

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

How much was your hps light and setup? Did it make your electric bill jump up in price?

Depends on your grow style really !

As i grow pepertual e.g vegging one crop in a seperate tent whilst flowering another crop in another tent to maintian a havest every 2 months etc

My old electric bill was an adittional £25 more with a 125w cfl on 16/8 lighting regime and a flowering lighting regime based on DLR (diminshing light routine) perpetual growing.

With recent electric hikes in prices i estimate nearly £40 month additional cost at present !



All the cost can be worked out on....


1000W is 1 KW

Electric is charged on a 1KW basis

Work out W/KW consumption based on bulb size for running time/lighting regime used !

E.g 400w HPS on 12/12 (flowering) = 4.8KW for the day.

4.8KW X 30 (30 days being the average lenght of month) = 144 KW X cost of unit of electric (KW) = average increase of electric bill !


Over all cost can be off set by harvest depending on how much you wish to yield for personal needs to make the adventure worth while ?




If starting out from scratch it may take 2 to 3 harvest for total equipment required & bills to pay it self off, based on average medical consumption of MMJ & total yield per harvest... could be longer tho whilst dailing in your skills.