Hello

[Lou Weed]

Wattage doesn't magically appear from CFLs. A 23 watt light creates less than 15 watts of light, and 5 watt's of that is plant-useable light at most(the rest is heat). The light output is equivalent of a 100 watt incandescent (which turns the other 85+ watts into heat). That means big savings in a normal lighting situation, where human eyes are used. Growing is not a normal lighting situation, though, and you should be reading actual watts and using lots of them. Try not to be misled by marketing schemes.
Get the 45 watt or whatever is biggest, and use less Y sockets. Your light rig won't be as cumbersome.

P.s. Always have some form of wind or airflow on them, because the lights heat up the interior of the leaf.

 

[Lou Weed]

Look in some sort of classifieds, or on buy-and-sell websites for some lights, people will often sell their old systems for low price. Ex. On Kijiji, I recently saw a 250 watt HPS sun system for $80. Pretty decent, considering the savings versus home depot bulbs.

Lights are your first concern, so, try not to cheap out on them. Look online, do some research about the importance of light to plants.

 

[QueenTokelove]

Thanks for the info, Lou. I have to say I am still confused about the light situation other than knowing that I need more light. So I guess you're saying that my 2 38 watt lights aren't doing jack for my ladies then? I have been doing research about lights here and on other sites. What has me confused is that some are saying that cfls are only good for vegging but then you need another type of light for flowering. Then I read somewhere else that cfl lights is good for both, so which is it?

They still are not ready to be watered yet, did the finger test, dirt is still damp but I have to catch myself because I am so anxious to give them something. I am even considering the urine but I am waiting for someone to answer if the meds I take will affect the ladies. Since I am diabetic, I pee like crazy...lol...Also could someone please answer some of the questions I posted earlier about the multivitamin?

Vince, You are so right. I love this site! It's great that people take the time to share their knowledge with others. I wish I could ask some of you more questions but I can't send messages or pm you.

 

[CannaVince]

You will be able to PM once you get more familar with the posting, forums and whatnot!!! Just takes some time!!! Once your off of new member!!!

 

[QueenTokelove]

Thanks Vince, any input on some of my questions I have posted here? You seem like the main one who answers me. I was trying to add a few for friends on here but haven't figured that out yet.

 

[QueenTokelove]

Well, I did look on CL for lightening as Lou suggested but did not find anything or the ones I did see were way out of my price range. So, it would seem that HD is gonna be my best bet.....

 

[Truth Seeker]

whats good QTL!!!
you know its really hard to see any of those pix. here is what your looking for

those little pistols coming out of the little calyx which looks like a seed shell, not the long stick lookin piece that comes out of all the branching areas. the 2 little pistols will be in a V formation. a male plant will start showing a banana type balls popping out!!! hope this info helps!!

 

[CannaVince]

Astonr my man what's amazing?? Thanx for that pic is a goodie!!!

 

[iminadaze]

Wattage doesn't magically appear from CFLs. A 23 watt light creates less than 15 watts of light, and 5 watt's of that is plant-useable light at most(the rest is heat). The light output is equivalent of a 100 watt incandescent (which turns the other 85+ watts into heat). That means big savings in a normal lighting situation, where human eyes are used. Growing is not a normal lighting situation, though, and you should be reading actual watts and using lots of them. Try not to be misled by marketing schemes.
Get the 45 watt or whatever is biggest, and use less Y sockets. Your light rig won't be as cumbersome.

P.s. Always have some form of wind or airflow on them, because the lights heat up the interior of the leaf.

Look in some sort of classifieds, or on buy-and-sell websites for some lights, people will often sell their old systems for low price. Ex. On Kijiji, I recently saw a 250 watt HPS sun system for $80. Pretty decent, considering the savings versus home depot bulbs.

Lights are your first concern, so, try not to cheap out on them. Look online, do some research about the importance of light to plants.

Um! Yeah! You are high...

A 23 watt light creates less than 15 watts of light....Maybe if you put a lampshade on it...

We all know that HID lamps are better. But to say that CFL's are insufficient for growing is making you sound like you don't know what you are talking about. Its all about spectrum and intensity.

I use a 400w HPS w/ supplemental CFL's in my flower room but I only use CFL's in my veg room, yes 10 of them w/ Y sockets. What you call cumbersome I call light spread.

So if CFl lighting would not put out the necessary light the plant needs, then the plant would stretch and grow weak and thin.

The proof is in the pics. Lou, tell me how is it that these plants are thriving so well under 10 23w CFL's and they aren't even 6 inches tall yet.

QueenTokelove CFL's work great trust me. I put those pics up so you can decide for yourself instead of just taking my word for it.

Happy Growing!

 

[QueenTokelove]

I am not sure if mine look like that. I don't see any type of balls. What it looks like to me is like another set of leaves is sprouting out from between the leaf and the stalk. Uh I hate being such a noob. But how do you learn unless ya make mistakes. Good news is that hopefully I will have more lights and nutes tomorrow....Yippee! I have also been putting my feelers out for some stuff too. So wish me luck....

Thanks Daze for the input on the lights. I hope to get better lights when I can afford them, unfortunately I am not made of money so I can't afford the better lights that Lou is speaking of. But as long as I know I can use the cfls for veg and flowering, I will stick with those. Also can ya add me as a friend? I was trying to add you but I haven't figured it out yet. If not, I understand.

 

[iminadaze]

I am not sure if mine look like that. I don't see any type of balls. What it looks like to me is like another set of leaves is sprouting out from between the leaf and the stalk. Uh I hate being such a noob. But how do you learn unless ya make mistakes. Good news is that hopefully I will have more lights and nutes tomorrow....Yippee! I have also been putting my feelers out for some stuff too. So wish me luck....

Thanks Daze for the input on the lights. I hope to get better lights when I can afford them, unfortunately I am not made of money so I can't afford the better lights that Lou is speaking of. But as long as I know I can use the cfls for veg and flowering, I will stick with those. Also can ya add me as a friend? I was trying to add you but I haven't figured it out yet. If not, I understand.

Of course I will add you... Friends helping friends, thats what its all about.

 

[iminadaze]

Thanks for the info, Lou. I have to say I am still confused about the light situation other than knowing that I need more light. So I guess you're saying that my 2 38 watt lights aren't doing jack for my ladies then? I have been doing research about lights here and on other sites. What has me confused is that some are saying that cfls are only good for vegging but then you need another type of light for flowering. Then I read somewhere else that cfl lights is good for both, so which is it?

They still are not ready to be watered yet, did the finger test, dirt is still damp but I have to catch myself because I am so anxious to give them something. I am even considering the urine but I am waiting for someone to answer if the meds I take will affect the ladies. Since I am diabetic, I pee like crazy...lol...Also could someone please answer some of the questions I posted earlier about the multivitamin?

Vince, You are so right. I love this site! It's great that people take the time to share their knowledge with others. I wish I could ask some of you more questions but I can't send messages or pm you.

If you are talking about the insulin, I don't really know. I do know that scientists are using flowers to produce insulin. Also if insulin is for the uptake of glucose then I would like to know what effect if any it would have in the plant, seeing that the photosynthesis process is to produce sugars for the plant.


I don't think that a multivitamin is going to work unless it is water soluble (which most are not and need to be broken down through ingestion).
However if you take the vitamin and excrete it through urine then it will likely work I just dont know if it will be too much or not enough.

 

[QueenTokelove]

Daze--

Yeah, the insulin I take is to lower my sugar because it runs high but I also take Januvia which is another med which I believe helps me not to release a lot of sugar into my bloodstream. As for the multivitamin I just figured eventually it would dissolve since it would be sitting in water.

Now you guys got me sitting here wanting to pee on my plants. Too bad I can't aim and shoot like the guys....

 

[Lou Weed]

We all know that HID lamps are better. But to say that CFL's are insufficient for growing is making you sound like you don't know what you are talking about.

Where in my post did I say CFL's are insufficient for growing? I said HID is better, not CFL's don't work.
I'm not disputing that CFL's work, at all, I'm saying they're inefficient. And, I'm not saying you're light rig doesn't work, it obviously does, I'm saying it's safer to use less bulbs.

My point is, nothing is 100% efficient. The ballast to drive the Fluorescent tube takes 3 watts itself, so you can only have 20 watts of light in an ideal situation, which this is not. The CFL produces heat, which requires energy, so there goes more wattage. It's all information available to everyone. Luminous efficacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Now, I will say, nice plants, man. I use CFL's, too, just, bigger ones, and, not all the time. I use them for seedlings and clones only, they produce just enough heat for germination or rooting, whilst the light is not so intense as to overdrive the poor things.


You're results are good, no contest, but, if you had a 250 watt HID instead of 230 watts of CFL, you could get from 10000 to 15000 more lumens. Just saying, don't attack me because I'm trying to give you information. I was just trying to straighten out some misconceptions.



QueenTokeLove, go for CFL if you're gonna stay small. If you want more area, get HID. A 175 watt HID will cover 2X2 ft area, and a 250 watt will cover a 3x3 area, etc.
Also, check out Jorge Cervantes' book. You might be able to find a PDF online.

 

[PrairiePoet]

Now you guys got me sitting here wanting to pee on my plants. Too bad I can't aim and shoot like the guys....

[TOTALY SIDEBAR]
Actually.... you can, though it is a lot harder to learn. Many years ago I use to date a lady that had an aim as well as I did. Not quiet the distance though. She told me her grandmother taught her how. And they do make female urinals.
[/TOTALY SIDEBAR]

 

[QueenTokelove]

Well let me just say I value everyone's opinion. My babies now have more light! Besides the previous cfls, I now have 5 100 watt bulbs. It is way brighter in there and I hope it does help. I put more dirt in the pots, something from Scotts since they didn't seem to have anything from FoxFarm that has perelite mixed in with it. Matter of fact HD didn't have anything from FoxFarm or Tigerbloom but I did get 2 bottles of nutes. So, I don't have to aim and shoot with the urine...*smile*...So now all I can say is grow babies grow! Just standing in front of the closet I can feel the difference in heat...Whew!

@Prairie, that is quite the story and I have never come across a female urinal but hey you learn something new everyday!

The Scotts soil says it feeds for up to 4 months so does that mean I don't have to give additional nutes and just give water? Still not ready for water yet but I am hoping I will see a big improvement now!!! I am so happy I could just spit!

 

[CannaVince]

Wow queen this thread is almost 4 pages!! Nice work!!! Although i love the advice from lou ive never tried HID so im not certain!!! I have used cfl's for a couple of years and combined them with MH for stage two and have had amazing success!!! My grownbox/ clonebox is 18"x 40" and cfls are perfect!!!! My bloombox is 49"x75" and MH and hps is best for me!!!

 

[QueenTokelove]

Yeah, already but it is mainly me asking a load of questions..lol...my closet is 24x 50 width and 3ft x 2ft I believe my bf said. So I truly hope I do have enuff light. Now since I just changed the lighting some what should I still keep them on the same light schedule..16/8? I don't wanna shock them too much but I figure they will be ok due to the added soil which is moist. And should I extended their veg state? Suppose to go into flower on the 26th. And if I extend, for about how long?

 

[Lou Weed]

With soil like that, you basically just look for deficiency, and add whatever to treat it, when you get your first deficiency you should start feeding after that, not full strength maybe half, because the soil is still releasing nutrients.

You can feed extra nutes, but then you run the risk of nute burn, so I recommend just using additives like seaweed, carbos, trace elements, even compost/casting tea, or all four in one dose.

Actually, yeah, just make a tea. The bacteria seem to know how grow better than me, so leave it up to them.

I've never burned my plants with compost tea, but I've never used that soil.

Another good read is a book called, Teaming with Microbes. Very informative about the way soil microorganisms provide for plants and vice versa.

 

[Lou Weed]

I don't wanna shock them too much but I figure they will be ok due to the added soil which is moist. And should I extended their veg state? Suppose to go into flower on the 26th. And if I extend, for about how long?

That should be a enough time for the plants to recover, but if you want to be extra safe, give them another week to take hold in the new soil.