What are common mistakes made by first time growers?

[TorturedSoul]

I was wondering if you could tell me everything i need to to grow and get started from vegetation to budding.

Can I use both sides of the paper for that one?

Only way to answer that without destroying this site's message size limit is to say, "Read, read, read - until your eyes bleed." Read as many threads as possible in the forum(s) that most closely match your intended growing style. Then do the same with the grow journals. The live journals offer the possibility to ask the author questions, but that is probably best for clarification of a point than as a method for learning the basics. Although some people do not mind this, even then it can clutter a journal needlessly. I'd suggest the completed journals because you are able to see the entire process from beginning to end.

Is the 200 watt bulb a CFL?

its a CFL and i got it at walmart for 15 bucks

You got a 200-watt CFL at Wal*Mart? And for $15? Methinks you've got a 65-watt (or thereabouts) CFL and took the "200-watt equivalent" to mean that a 65-watt CFL was equal to a 200-watt CFL when, in fact, the marketing pukes are stating that it's producing roughly the same light output as a 200-watt incandescent bulb.

I could be wrong - but I doubt it

Re: What are the most common mistakes made by first-time [CFL] growers?

Failing to read the package. (Or, alternatively: Equating n watts of CFL with n watts of HPS and then designing their grow room thinking that they're getting the same amount of light as the HPS.)

a CFL? It is the lowest cost to operate

I'm thinking that watt-for-watt, operating costs are going to be pretty much the same (depending on ballast-losses). But since a HPS is much more efficient than a CFL, I'd say that it is going to be the most efficient. Some would say LEDs. But not a CFL. Additionally, since to get the same output of light you've got to have approximately double the wattage - and efficiency roughly meaning that an efficient bulb will produce less heat than an inefficient one - one will have to deal with the additional heat produced with CFLs (versus the same amount of outputted light with a high-pressure sodium). And then there's the fact that since that generally means multiple CFLs instead of one HPS, you'd have to deal with both heat and smell since you'd probably be venting the entire grow room instead of one sealed HPS fixture...

CFLs do have the advantage of being able to purchase a small chunk of the light that you need at a time if you are on a very limited budget. But I would think that in the case of a limited budget that one would consider monthly electrical usage to be the priority. And to me that would mean that the budget-limited would be far better off saving the small amount that they can allot each week until they can purchase the HPS.

Or at least saving as much as they can to purchase an HPS while they are purchasing a few CFLs (in 6500K color temperature) for vegging. You could use them as well as the HPS if you want to supplement it for additional lighting & to try to help the internodal-spacing remain short or you could throw a few more plants under them to veg while your HPS is merrily-flowering the plant(s) that you were previously vegging.

Home depot and Lowes sell a 300 watt CFL for about 15 dollars or use multiple 100 watt cfl's. As your plants begin to grow they will need more than the 200 watts of CFL's you are currently using.

See my comments above. I would also guess that they'd apply here. But let me know if I'm wrong and you can actually get a 300-watt CFL for $15 at Lowes or Home Depot. I'll go grab a couple in 6500K and a couple in 2700K.

[EDIT: That last sentence was NOT sarcasm, lol, and should not be taken as such - I really will.]

 

[Retired Three]

There is no doubt in the argument that HPS lighting is superior to CFL's but there is a huge price tag difference as well. For a first time grower (and experienced growers) on a budget CFL lighting is a good choice.

Here is a pic of 300 watt (65 & 68 watt) boxes of CFL lights purchased from Home Depot & Lowes. These lights are 2700K and are available off the shelf at $15.

 

[TorturedSoul]

There is no doubt in the argument that HPS lighting is superior to CFL's

Agreed.

but there is a huge price tag difference as well.

Also agreed. Have you ever priced the 1194 watts of CFLs you'd need to equal one 600-watt HPS? Along with the multiple fixtures, wiring, much more heat to remove, and quite possibly an extra electrical circuit? It's enough to send a CFL-grower to the poorhouse, lol.

Yeah, ok - that's probably not exactly the difference that you were thinking of. Maybe you were thinking of smaller grows than that. If, for example, you were thinking of a 1' by 1' box, then I could see the argument working. Although a 70-watt HPS might produce 6500 lumens instead of the 4200 your 68-watt CFL gives, the purchase of a single bulb of each, fixture for each, and ballast for the HPS (your CFL comes with a ballast - no charge), I'd probably give the CFL setup the nod. As most people interested in either of these setups would probably be making their own reflector, I would call that part moot.

But a 150-watt HPS might give 16,000 lumens. So in a box larger than one square foot or so, you run into more efficient HPS while the efficiency of the CFLs is about the same (the one you've shown for flowering seems to be at or close to the best as far as lumens per watt goes).

And in a four square foot area - IF sized at 1' by 4' - then you can use the traditional tubes. Your CFL gives 4200 lumens while a good 40-watt tube might produce anywhere between 3000-3200.

Those things can also be purchased fairly cheaply. But they won't fit (horizontally) into a very small grow box. So if that is the type of box a potential grower is thinking about, your CFL would get the nod over them automatically. But for a large enough grow area... For seedlings that do not need much light, the output of a CFL is from one point where the tube is spread out along 4'. So one could start more seedlings with less stretch with the tubes.

And then there are the HO tubes that are even brighter.

For a first time grower (and experienced growers) on a budget CFL lighting is a good choice.

Is it possible that the root cause of our disagreement can be because we might have differing views on the definition of a budget? I have not been in the situation where I got a small amount of money each week to spend on "things" - and where other people took care of items such as the electric bill - since I was a very small child. But even then, I was taught that it is generally better to save my allowance each week to purchase a better "thing" than to decide that I was going to buy something. And in the (too many to think about, lol) years that I've been the person that had to take care of the house payment, electric, and everything else in addition to making item-purchases, I have realized that the advice I received as a small child had even more merit. To me, budget means not how much I've got in my pocket and what I can immediately trade it for, but rather how much it's going to cost me to live this year.

In "MJ terms": When I was younger, a friend of my brother's would come around and try to get him to sell an 1/8th (my bro would sell a 1/4 if pestered but he really preferred lids). Every time, my brother would tell him, "Save your money and get a 1/4." The guy would instead go get some cheap brick with his money. And then he'd have no money, no smoke, and so he'd get a little money and come calling. And my brother would tell him, "Save your money..." An endlessly-repeating cycle in which the guy was always broke and usually without even the dirt-weed he was buying. Me, I saved my money. I went without for a couple days. I bought the 1/4. I got there quite nicely, and before I'd gone through 1/4 I had enough to get more when I wanted (because I was still saving).

The dirtweed the guy was throwing his money away on was much cheaper. But for the smoker on a budget, my choice was a much better value.

All that being said, I am not knocking CFLs hands-down. They have their uses. I have used them at times in the GR, and likely will again. But NOT for budget reasons. The best use for CFLs for a grower on a budget would be to use them to replace all his/her incandescent home lights.

Lastly, please do not refer to a 65- or 68-watt CFL as being a 300-watt one. It confuses the new (and experienced?) growers. Thanks!

 

[Stoned Redneck]

hey ,Come On! ,no name calling..... i am going to get a CFL to suplment my HPS system.i can't do the flower cycle (12 on 12 off ) and have 24 hour lights for some cuttings....so i am going to get some "little guys" to help out..the CFL lights are noway in the same leage as the HPS system.and like our crack addict friend Rodney King says"hey can't we all get along!!" God Bless America, todd

 

[OldMedUser]

If you take another look at the box BB you'll notice it says, "300 watt equivalent" but 65 or 68 watts actual usage. Name calling or profanity is an attempt by a person without the right words to express themselves forcibly and very much frowned upon here at 420Magazine, rightly so.

CFLs are very new to me and I embrace the technology and use them now and plan to use them more extensively in the future.

Almost every light in my house is CFL.

My HIDs are the core of my indoor grows and will be until something better comes along. LEDs IMHO aren't there yet so better lighting will be found by using better bulbs like Ceramic Metal Halide with HPS ballasts.

+Reps to mello redneck for an un-redneck like attitude!

to all my brothers.

 

[TorturedSoul]

i am going to get a CFL to suplment my HPS system.i can't do the flower cycle (12 on 12 off ) and have 24 hour lights for some cuttings....so i am going to get some "little guys" to help out..the CFL lights

It can be helpful if you can place them in a horizontal orientation and provide some sort of reflector. Soda (etc.) cans have been used because they are fairly reflective, basically free, and easy to cut with a Dremel as going through a stick of butter with a hot knife. As with all "sheet-metal" projects, be careful of edges or you might be giving your plants a blood-meal supplement. And the further away from the plants they are, the more the plants will stretch.

 

[dennisna]

nice info cant wait to begin thank.

 

[ade25]

Brill post, thats really helpfull, thanks

 

[AllDayReefer3]

Thanks for the post i am a first time grower and after reading realized i over watered my little sprouts

 

[lassus]

thanks all for a very informative thread.

 

[Retired Three]

I lived on this thread during my first grow... LOL! There was so much to learn!

 

[rpainter09]

very good post, gave me a lot of good advice. PEACE

 

[ledtester]

"300 watt equivalent" but 65 or 68 watts actual usage..

A common mistake made by all is believing equivalency wattage ratings advertised by manufactures of any lights...LOL

 

[TorturedSoul]

A common mistake made by all is believing equivalency wattage ratings advertised by manufactures of any lights...LOL

I tried to REP you for that one but it told me I had to spread it around first.

Which sucks because your statement deserves 3X REPs, a 12th-level karma promotion, and a free gold-plated pen that writes in outer space, lol.

So I'll just say thanks.

 

[bbqribz570]

thanks a ton, your tips are helping me soo much =D

 

[ade25]

Thanks great post

 

[MarrrYJayne21]

Do you really need a male to fertilize a female in order to have buds? because mine is a seedling. and i think its a male. but its the only one that sprouted. should i go throw it out and try and get a bunch to sprout or keep this one?

 

[TorturedSoul]

No. Male flowers produce the pollen that is needed to fertilize female flowers if you want to have seeded bud.

 

[Gary000056]

Why don't more people use buds freash instead of smoking? Don't smoking waste alot of product as well as alert the neighbor hood? Also not everyone smokes. I'm inexperianced but it would seem more ecconomical as well as less used. I'm sure the down side would be slower high but the up side would be more personel with out seting off the fire works. I'm just saying. So you old tolkers don't don't get your underware in a knot about keeping it a pure experiance. I think the world is a smaller place and most likely at best every other person will not be supportive. Also how about kids, friends and family. We love our rights but so do everyone else. It would seem that a liquid version would be more practical. Gary000056 maybe i'm just out of communication practice my spelling is getting better, it's been a while!

 

[Andy 371]

Why don't more people use buds freash instead of smoking? Don't smoking waste alot of product as well as alert the neighbor hood? Also not everyone smokes. I'm inexperianced but it would seem more ecconomical as well as less used. I'm sure the down side would be slower high but the up side would be more personel with out seting off the fire works. I'm just saying. So you old tolkers don't don't get your underware in a knot about keeping it a pure experiance. I think the world is a smaller place and most likely at best every other person will not be supportive. Also how about kids, friends and family. We love our rights but so do everyone else. It would seem that a liquid version would be more practical. Gary000056 maybe i'm just out of communication practice my spelling is getting better, it's been a while!

I'm not 100% sure what you meant, but there are people that smoke buds, smoke oil, smoke hash, smoke keif, eat canna food, drink tincture, smoke canna budder. There are so many different ways to get stoned and all of them are put into practice somewhere.