100% agree that you are going to get faster, better growth out of a 1000 watt light then you will with a CFL. My recommendation with the CFLs comes from experience with time and efficiency with your money. I prefer to have my 1000 watt going on a larger plant because it will utilize more of the light, aka less is lost to reflection and travel because there is more "green" to pick up the light and stop it from colliding with the walls, where it will lose the majority of its energy. If you have the space to do it, its probably worth your time to veg your girls under the 1000, then take a few clones from them. Root those clones under a weaker CFL light, I use (2) 65 watt cfls in a 15x15x15 inch box. These lights are put off about 5000 lumens, which is enough to support root development. I only leave them in this box for a week or two while my mother plants are healing from the cloning.
See that is what my train of thought is, I figure the 1000 that I have will give around 15000 - 19000 lumens at my current distances. IMO that will give them a strong start
and really not waste too much if the mid and end product is quicker and better than it would be with cfl's.
Im willing to bet (just by my own observations between cfl and Hid) that you might consider switching. They just get more energy to turn into growth IMO.
I know it saves money, I already have a box full of cfl's so the cost is not a factor but the initial investment has been spent.
I find ( even though this is my first HID grow) that cfl's are slower growing, I can see that across the short time I have been growing these these strains
already. All four plants are different strains but are fairly close in size. The Afghan is smaller than the rest more in line with my cfl grow for size, but the
rest are taking off like mad. The 3 are on their second set at 4 days and the second set on the Afgan is just starting to show.
I think the lumen output of the HID is making the diff, and IMO right now it really counts to get those roots strong and large for future growth.
I could be wrong, and probably am, you are both obviously far more experienced than I am, but Im just going off my own conditions for my
results or lack there of.