Need Some Help

SuperStar

Member
i recently changed my bulbs from 2 64 watt incandescents to 2 300 watt cfls.
the first day i put them in i had them too close to the plants and they fried the top of them(its not too bad) which makes me have to hang them 2 feet above them. my one plant is roughly 2 feet tall and the other is 18 inches, they're just stretching from having the lights so high.
first, anything i can do to avoid that?
second, its drying my soil out very quickly and i tend to have to water ALOT. i think i need to get buckets and transplant, would it be safe to do that?
i have had my plants on 2 weeks of 12/12 and i'm pretty sure they are female(at least i hope)
thirdly, should i just top them?
thanks for any help
if you guys want pictures i can get em
 

Airwave

Well-Known Member
i recently changed my bulbs from 2 64 watt incandescents to 2 300 watt cfls.
the first day i put them in i had them too close to the plants and they fried the top of them(its not too bad) which makes me have to hang them 2 feet above them. my one plant is roughly 2 feet tall and the other is 18 inches, they're just stretching from having the lights so high.
first, anything i can do to avoid that?
second, its drying my soil out very quickly and i tend to have to water ALOT. i think i need to get buckets and transplant, would it be safe to do that?
i have had my plants on 2 weeks of 12/12 and i'm pretty sure they are female(at least i hope)
thirdly, should i just top them?
thanks for any help
if you guys want pictures i can get em
Why the hell did you use incandescents in the first place?
 

whiteflour

Well-Known Member
Just like HID you'll have to do something with the heat. Best option is to fit a piece of glass below the lights and use a fan to exhaust that air.
 

SuperStar

Member
Just like HID you'll have to do something with the heat. Best option is to fit a piece of glass below the lights and use a fan to exhaust that air.
well I have a fan in there and it seems to keep the temperature down somewhat, I just cant put the lights close without frying the plants
 

LadyKimi

Well-Known Member
Just like HID you'll have to do something with the heat. Best option is to fit a piece of glass below the lights and use a fan to exhaust that air.
I have my 300 watt CFLs (2700k for flowering) approx 2 inches from the tops of my girls as CFLs do not penetrate like MH or HPS and I have had no burning. I don't know if it matters that I have always been on CFLs (started with 100 watt) or not. The Tops of CFL lights are not nearly as hot as the sides of CFLS. I can hold my fingers on the end of them forever with no burn where as I can only touch the sides for a minute or two...

~Lady
 

SuperStar

Member
5870 lumens is the equivalent of 60 watts, YOU DO NOT HAVE A 300 WATT BULB. http://www.1000bulbs.com/85-Watt-Compact-Fluorescents/31292/
you have 120 watts total. which is about 1/3 as much as you need for a single plant. Thats why they stretch so bad.
well those are the bulbs I use to have, but they arent the right spectrum for my flowering stage, so i had to get these new ones
and they will just have to make due I guess, i dont have the money to get a decent lighting system
 
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