Need help with amount of lights

[spring2012]

New to this forum or any forum!

Setting up a small grow indoors. Space is 6' x 2' x 7'. Using CFL's on 6 auto flower. Can anyone recommend amount of lights needed and posibly wattages? Also lining walls with mylar. Any help is appreciated .

 

[Smokemupm8]

Hi mate,
Well it depends how your set up is, and how you intend to grow them.. The cfls will need to be 6500 k's for veg and 2500k's for flower.
You want to try get as much light as you can, so 2 - twin sockets,2 cfl's each socket, should be enough for one plant, so maybe 6 lights, 3 twin sockets above them about 2.5 inches.. Mylar is great! I will never use foil again
Hope this may help a little?? Goodluk, Smokemup

 

[spring2012]

Thanks!! Great advice.

 

[Jimmycricket]

I think you would be better off and be happier using a t5 ho 4 foot bulb. Either using a 6 bulb or 4 bulb light. Then to fill up the other 2 feet either use a 2 foot t5 ho, or put the 4 foot t5 ho in the middle then attach 2 CFL 23 watt bulbs to each side.

Either way of those would fill up your 6 by 2 space.

 

[Smokemupm8]

Yeah was going to suggest t5's etc; but figured they fall into the CFL category?? They require a ballast or not?? Cant remember atm

 

[Jimmycricket]

Well the are both florescents. But whenever I hear someone say cfl I think of the little light bulb screw in things with the squigly tubes.

Nah t5 ho dont use separate ballasts like MH or HPS. They have the transformer and ballast built into the lamp or w/e you wanna call it.

I have 432 watts of t5 ho for 16 square feet (4x4 tent). They really crank out growth. During the winter I will be trying a grow indoors with them from veg to flower. Previously I only used them to veg. I believe with some good LST I can make some killer bud with them. They exceeded my expectations for veg.

Plus I dont have to worry at all about heat which is nice.

 

[spring2012]

Thanks to all for the advice!!

 

[Smokemupm8]

@jimmy,
Yeah cool, i know what you mean, but even the household CFL's, well hi-output ones, are great for veg.. I raised my last grow on CFL for her first month, she grew great!!
IMO CFL s do veg very well, plants show great foliage growth - but going thru to flower with them IM NOT SO KEEN ON?? I have seen some journals using t5's etc, and the plants were good, but the growth of the buds is alot smaller and less dense than with a HPS..
I am still yet to see results that are comparable, without having LED panels and extra lighting..
Not to say there havent been great harvests done with them, i havent seen em yet thats all.. So dont take my word as gospel as there s always an exception to the rule!! And ive considered buying a t5 setup as for $70 i can get a whole setup, and my 400w MH/HPS cost me $180.. But vegging with my MH is having its benefits im sure Cindy is happy!
Do what you have to and what is available to you price wise, and goodluk
SMOKEMUP

 

[spring2012]

After pulling my hair out all day at Lowes, Depot, Walmart, etc.... I have another question. If I used 4' T8's @ 32watts x 2700 lumens x 6500k each would I be ok? I am growing 4 auto flowers in a 6' x 2' x 7' closet lined with Mylar. I can take back the fixtures and lights if needed. I was thinking about placing 4 lights above and 4 lights on the side ( too much/ Not enough? ).

Thanks for any advice!!

 

[Jimmycricket]

@Jimmy,
Yeah cool, i know what you mean, but even the household CFL's, well hi-output ones, are great for veg.. I raised my last grow on CFL for her first month, she grew great!!
IMO CFL s do veg very well, plants show great foliage growth - but going thru to flower with them IM NOT SO KEEN ON?? I have seen some journals using t5's etc, and the plants were good, but the growth of the buds is alot smaller and less dense than with a HPS..
I am still yet to see results that are comparable, without having LED panels and extra lighting..
Not to say there havent been great harvests done with them, i havent seen em yet thats all.. So dont take my word as gospel as there s always an exception to the rule!! And ive considered buying a t5 setup as for $70 i can get a whole setup, and my 400w MH/HPS cost me $180.. But vegging with my MH is having its benefits im sure Cindy is happy!
Do what you have to and what is available to you price wise, and goodluk
SMOKEMUP

I know what ya mean smoke about the smaller t5 and cfl buds. Thats about all I have seen as well. However I think part of that is because people dont do it right most of the time. I plan on keeping the plant no more then 12 inches in height and probably less then that. It might be like 4 feet wide lol, but its height will be low. I vegged plants up to 3 feet tall with my t5s and they where the picture of health. They would have probably grown a lot taller but I took them and started to flower.

I may not be able to grow buds quite as big as hps (maybe I can though who knows yet). But I bet I can grow some pretty dank ones and a fair amount too. Time will tell.

 

[Smokemupm8]

Hey mate,
Yeah well thats prob right, it may be the case of some ppl going about growing with the T5's and CFL' s dont give enough of the amber spectrum during flower, or maybe they arent able to emit a strong enough red spectrum for maximum results, I DO NOT KNOW FOR CERTAIN?? But i know they obviously do have enough to flower a plant, i havent seen a comparison on a chart or such as yet, comparing HID and CFL s' amounts of Lumens?? Or whatever measurements would be used, to see if the CFL has as much emitted at the same distances, or Wattages etc;..
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK MANY GROWERS WOULD FIND QUITE HANDY.. I have a graph of 'Wattage of bulb' , 'Inches from the bulb' and ' lumen output' for my HID's- THO IM SURE "Lumen O/put" is an estimation..
But yeah a cross reference of both would be good, there maybe already out there but yeah..
Ive been very impressed by some plants growth during Veg.. Jealous on some occasions!!! Some people have gotten quite large plants just left as they are, xmas trees, and then flowered - but a few times ive seen the buds are squat with larger leaves in the buds that have no trichs, or there arent realy swollen calyxes. IF ANYONE HAS SOME MAD CFL;T5; ONLY, GROWN BUDS-PLZ SHOW ME!!
Its your call when you intend to flower mate, but give em at least 2ft growth I RECKON, if you only get a foot of stretch, least youll have a fairly solid 3ft plant - she would be wide!! Maybe topping her would suit your intentions?? Keep her shorter, but bush her out and that way you could grow her to like 3/4ft and you may get a larger plant? Anyways, as i said it s your call and im sure you will be fine!
Take it easy buddy, Smokem..
P.s. I may have a new pest prob

 

[Jimmycricket]

Awh man not pests!

I saw a huge grasshopper yesterday in my garden. It wwas the first time too. But it was WEIRD because I just went outside about to go water some plants then the guy literally jumped on my chest and just stared up at me. Freaked me out so I flicked my shirt and sent him flying away towards the wall. Hopefully grasshoppers dont like buds lol. I know they eat some sorts of plants.

Usually my only possible pests are black widows. My garden is full of them and my garage. But its not like they actively go out and try to bite people so w/e.

As for the spectrum thing yeah that may be part of it since HPS typically operate around 2200k and the lowest t5 I know of is 2700k

 

[Smokemupm8]

Awh man not pests!

I saw a huge grasshopper yesterday in my garden. It wwas the first time too. But it was WEIRD because I just went outside about to go water some plants then the guy literally jumped on my chest and just stared up at me. Freaked me out so I flicked my shirt and sent him flying away towards the wall. Hopefully grasshoppers dont like buds lol. I know they eat some sorts of plants.

Usually my only possible pests are black widows. My garden is full of them and my garage. But its not like they actively go out and try to bite people so w/e.

As for the spectrum thing yeah that may be part of it since HPS typically operate around 2200k and the lowest t5 I know of is 2700k

Yeah, well that could be something that is a liitle different between the 2 light sources?? MATE.... I HAVE SPIDER MITES!!X(
Just discovered em, there were a few crawling on the pot, now there will be a few if there s already more than 20 been sighted. Ive looked and that SNS stuff seems to be the go, but i cant get it here. Im using PYRETHRUM spray, that has t Pyrethrum and another ingredient, its for thrips and various pests, i sprayed my girl with some as a seedling and it burned her some, BUT- IT DID STATE 'NOt Recommended for Seedlings"
So im hoping this wont affect her now i need to use it?? Ive only sprayed on the soil after her water and all over her outside pot and a spray around any possible entry points.
Do you know of any other effective natural products i can KILL THESE FARKRS WITH.. IM NOT LETTING THEM DESTROY CINDY!!!
SO for the mean-time, im going to spray the soil twice daily attempting to kill any mites coming thru the soil.. I dont wanna spray CINDY all over with this PYrethrum, as im afraid of harming her.. SO DO YOU or ANYONE reading this know if spraying the pyrethrum in the soil and such will harm her? Im sketchy on if it will poison her through the soil or anything??
ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED GUYS>> PLZ HELP CINDY!!

SHE NEEDS THOSE WIDE OPEN KITTEN EYES...

 

[Jimmycricket]

If they are crawling on the pot are you sure they are spider mites?

There is something called soil mites. They are quite common in organics indoors and they will not harm your plants. If you see them crawling all over the rim of the pot and common out of the soil inbetween the crack of the soil and the pot those are 90% soil mites. Howeever if they are falling from underside of leaves onto the pot, yeah thats probably spider mites.

btw this was taken on day 45 of flower with a guy using 3000k t5. He harvested on day 64

 

[Smokemupm8]

If they are crawling on the pot are you sure they are spider mites?

There is something called soil mites. They are quite common in organics indoors and they will not harm your plants. If you see them crawling all over the rim of the pot and common out of the soil inbetween the crack of the soil and the pot those are 90% soil mites. Howeever if they are falling from underside of leaves onto the pot, yeah thats probably spider mites.

btw this was taken on day 45 of flower with a guy using 3000k t5. He harvested on day 64

FIRSTLY, Theyre lookin GREAT!
And soil mites?? Do they look like tiny clear bedbugs?? similar to spider mites anyway?Theyre clear.. I cant see any on leaves or trunks of Cindy? WHat do you think, ill have to try find images of soil mites.. I HOPE THEYRE SOIL MITES PLZ GANJA GODS HELP ME!!!
Thanks Jimmy

 

[spring2012]

After pulling my hair out all day at Lowes, Depot, Walmart, etc.... I have another question. If I used 6..... 4' T8's @ 32watts x 2700 lumens x 6500k each would I be ok? I am growing 4 auto flowers in a 6' x 2' x 7' closet lined with Mylar. I can take back the fixtures and lights if needed. I was thinking about placing 4 lights above and 2 lights on the side ( too much/ Not enough? ).

Thanks for any advice!! Sorry for the re-post! I am new to the forum scene.

 

[Jimmycricket]

spring don't use t8s t8 high output is ok but you will not see them at the normal store.

I bought my 4 foot 4 bulb t5 ho light on homedepot.com they were 125 bucks. Bult pretty well and have a switch to use jsut 2 bulbs or all 4.

The only downside to them is their mounts that you hang them by suck. So you will want to replace them (or else risk them falling on your plants). So if you dont want to bother doing that look somewhere else. But if thats cool with you then go for it, you wont find a light for cheaper. Plus it comes with 4 6500k bulbs in it already.

 

[spring2012]

I will start looking into ordering them!

 

[Jimmycricket]

just remember what I said about the mounts on them.

Also remember with any sort of plant lighting you must replace them consistently and before they actually burn out.

 

[Smokemupm8]

Yeah listen to Jimmy mate.. He saved my girls ass last nite!!
But as long as you have mostly 65oo k's, maybe 4 and 2 2600 k's that SHOULD give adequate light for them to grow well..
As ive conversed with some other members about CFL's, including t5's etc; they will Veg great, but we had similar opinions on the growth of buds during flower with them, we agreed that some buds werent as well formed and as dense as HID lit plants.
NOT TO SAY, there arent any out there, just finding buds of comparible size with only CFL/t5 use vs MH use has been hard.
I was discussing that having a light spectrum graph for CFL/t5's which showed their outputs- lumens and color bands, Coupled with a graph that i have about ' Wattage of Bulb ' - ' Inches from bulb ' - and ' Lumen output ", with optimal distances for MH and HPS lighting.
Id like to see what frequencies the CFL's put out and the in what amount, also the same for HID's , and cross reference them to see if MH/HPS spectrums actually put out as much or less blue/ red light as CFL.. Anyone who may have such a chart, plz give me the link or just post it on my journal! Thank you
SMOKEMUP