3 Plant CFL

My first closet grow with CFL's.
Done outside grows, but now I'm doin an indoor. Money is an issue, but i did get a few bulbs and etc. for free. Total investment as of now is around $80.00 I used the paper towel and ziploc bag method. Picture 1 shows the bulbs i used for after the seed sprouted and was still completely under dirt. I wanted to give them a little more heat, and some low lumens. bulbs consisted of 4ft x 2 T12 40watt 3000k, 2 Sylvania Spot-Grow 65watt and 60watt, and then the Spot-Grows were replaced with 3 CF 14watters. Im 1.5 weeks into this already and now have converted to, 3 42watt CFL(picture 2), and 4ft x 2 T8 6500k. I also have a personal 8inch fan up top to keep air moving within the closet.

As of right now i do not think heat is a problem, i run around 81 in the day and around 68 at night. Im doing a 18/6 schedule all hooked up to a timer except the fan. i only run the fan maybe two hours a day, because i do not want it cooling the room off too much. I am getting rid of the cardboard on the floor as soon as i get paid, and replacing it with plastic. also i am going to go get some emergency blankets to make a semi PVC pipe tent.

Any ideas and help would be great!


Theres a few pics of my two strong plants,

I have a set up similar to that in a closet. I have 3 x 42watt t8's and I hang as many CFL I need to get more light to lower parts. When you get into flowering you might have issues with humidity, I just used Damp-rid buckets and it worked like a charm, nice and cheap and easy maintenance. Just make sure you keep your lights nice and close since you are using CFL and floro tubing. The lumens drop by like half after about 2-3 inches from the bulb.

Thanks for the advice, they are doing way better since ive added the 2 T8's

So its been 11 days since germinating seeds( put seeds in wet paper towel and ziploc on 11/8/11). my plants are growing strong. After a few days now of having the T8 fixture in the closet, the temp has jumped up to right under 90. Is this a problem?
I am going to walmart today to pick up some emergency blankets, and will post pics later today after the blankets are up.

how many plants do you have? how long did you veg, and then how long are you going to flower? and how much are you expecting to yield?

bamfrivet said:

I have a set up similar to that in a closet. I have 3 x 42watt t8's and I hang as many CFL I need to get more light to lower parts. When you get into flowering you might have issues with humidity, I just used Damp-rid buckets and it worked like a charm, nice and cheap and easy maintenance. Just make sure you keep your lights nice and close since you are using CFL and floro tubing. The lumens drop by like half after about 2-3 inches from the bulb.

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I leave my doors open when the lights are on so the temps stay around 77ish. 80 is the highest you really want to let it get. If you can leave the doors open or put a fan in there to blow air out I would do it.

ANyone ever tried this? and what were the results.

Yea there is a fan in the closet, blowing down. and i do have a tower fan outside the closet blowing in, the temp on my fan says 73. hopefully that is enough.

bamfrivet said:

I leave my doors open when the lights are on so the temps stay around 77ish. 80 is the highest you really want to let it get. If you can leave the doors open or put a fan in there to blow air out I would do it.

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Just picked up some y sockets and rearranged the lights for easier access and viewing, failed to find any emergency blankets so far.


any more knowledge and advice would be appreciated

Good Luck DO.. I'm an outdoor gardener as well just starting an indoor CFL grow. Sure makes me appreciate the SUN. 90 degree days never bothered the outdoor weeds but put them in a box and cook them they get all pissed off. $2.88 for the space blankets at wally world Bud. "campmor" was the brand. Where else cept wally world can you buy sumpin for $2.88. Who makes up that freakin price? Rock ON.

Search Ebay for emergency blanket. You can get them for about 1.75 delivered, takes about 10 days... Order plenty there cheap.. What a deal!
Good luck and keep posting.
Cant tell for sure, but you need those cfl's within 2".. and the one pic of the seedling looks like it needs water to me.

Look at the First Aid kits. I got one out of there that I used for a PC grow case for sexing my clones. Always handy to have a first aid kit around anyway.

Walked around WalMart for 30 minutes looking for all kinds of first aid kits and lankets. they just didnt have any, i even tried a sporting goods store. Ill have too look online, yes you should have the CFL's around 2 inches away, but when you are using so much, you do get a good amount of heat. two inches closer was reading 91,, pulled em up a few inches, and reading 83.. rather be safe than srry

its wrinkling because its growing and pushing at the same time, i am not worried about it

DO3SHA said:

Walked around WalMart for 30 minutes looking for all kinds of first aid kits and lankets. they just didnt have any, i even tried a sporting goods store. Ill have too look online, yes you should have the CFL's around 2 inches away, but when you are using so much, you do get a good amount of heat. two inches closer was reading 91,, pulled em up a few inches, and reading 83.. rather be safe than srry

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Yep, can suck looking for things in Wally world did the same 30 min. walk around... I found the emergency blankets in the camping section. Small package.. I think it made by Ozark.

Walmart has them in the sporting goods section, but ebay is the cheapest

Yea my Wal-Mart didnt have any in stock and didnt plan on getting any in stock either. even though winter is right around the corner

go for the ebay ones... 1.75 shipped... Takes about 10 days/

the fourth walmart i went to, found the blankes. only bought two tho, one suits my space just nice. Ill keep the other for backup.

nice incandescent bulb br0!