Advise needed on closet grow
- Thread starter peezy315
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whitewidow2
Well-Known Member
Split your room down the middle... and do one half veg and one half for flowering... use cfl's so that you dont get a great heat build up - i think 12 plants is too many for that space and its a bit ambitious considering your plant should have some space each side as they grow outwards. Try 4 each side so you can get a small harvest every few months and dont forget oscillating fans in there and good ventilation!!!
fraiserblaze
Active Member
i would agree that 12 plants is about 6 too many .....cfls for sure remember that when in flowering your girls will be larger than you might expect them to be .... best of luck
also the types of seeds are just from a bag so they arent any gaurented females or strains thats y i wanted to do 12 cuz im not sure of the male to female ratio, plus dont have tons of money to spend on electricity but i just want good bud, i always get thrown off cuz people are like get cfls get hps i dont which is best for results im so confused lol, i was thinking bout veging with like 5 walmart gro lux florescents would that b good, plz still respond to my last reply also tp help me with my confusion
HPS lights give off more light per watt, get more penetration and get a lot hotter, so ventilation with good, powerful fans is key when using these lights...
When using CFL's remember you have to keep em nice n close, like a few inches above the leaves....
use CFL's, get the 42 watt ones, the 100+ watt ones produce more light, but are not as efficient....
From Ed Rosenthal:
In the new Skunk Magazine there was a question in the "Ask Ed" section that just made my night last night when reading it...
The question was:
I intend to grow a single cannabis plant in a space 1' x 2'. What light would you recommend? I was think of using four 30-watt compact fluorescent lamps. Will this be enough? Cost isn't an issue but I am deterred from getting a high pressure sodium [light] because of the amount of heat the bulb produces.
Answer:
As you mentioned, you have several lighting systems to choose from, including compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Among HPS lamps you have a choice between a single 100-watt lamp which uses a total of about 120-watts and emits about 8,800 lumens(73 lumens per watt) or a 150-watt lamp, which uses about 180 watts and emits almost double that-15,800 lumens (87 lumens per watt).
A 42-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) emits about 2700 lumens(64 lumens per watt). Four 42 watt CFLs use 168 watts and emit 10,800 lumens. Other size CFLs have a similar efficiency.
However, that is only part of the story. Plants use mostly red and blue light. Yellow and green light is of little use to them, so light that is emitted in these spectrums is wasted energy. Most of the light emitted by HPS lamps is in the yellow spectrum. Only a small amount of the emitted light is is in the orange or red spectrums, which plants use efficiently. Warm white fluorescents (2700 Kelvin) emit a greater portion in the red and orange sectors.
Although fluorescents produce only about 75% of the light per watt that the HPS does, the amount of light usable by the plant is equal or probably higher with the fluorescents. You may wish to experiment to see if adding a single cool white CFL to replace one warm white results in shorter, stouter stems and more vigorous growth. The reasoning is that warm whites don't emit much blue light, which the plants use for photosynthesis and to regulate their growth. The cool white bulb supplies the blue light.
My call for your unit would be to use several (three to five) CFLs with a total input of between 120-160 watts. Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents.
Make sure to use reflective material around the garden so that any light escaping the garden is reflected back to the plants. Any light that doesn't get to the plant leaves is wasted.
Look at a lumen/watt ration of various CFL's. The higher the wattage of CFLs, the lower the lumen/watt ratio. This chart was submitted by Jerry Garcia, of RIU and edited for typos.
For example...
the 200w listed at 9250 lumens for a lumens/watt ratio of 9250/200=46.25
the 150w is listed at 7500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 7500/150=50
the 125w is listed at 6500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 6500/125=52
the 42w are listed for 2700 lumens, l/w ratio of 2700/42=64.28
I have some 26w that give off 1700 lumens for a l/w ratio of 1700/26=65.38
GE lists some 13w that give off 825 lumens for a l/w ratio of 825/13=63.46
So, according to these numbers the most efficient bulbs for growing are the 26w that emit 1700 lumens. If you used 8 26w bulbs (208 watts total) you'd be getting 13,600 lumens...4,350 more lumens than a single 200 watt cfl.
I suppose you need to purchase more sockets and cords and things to support 8 bulbs, but in the long run more lower watt CFLs seem like the way to go.
Note:
Info taken from Post # 42 by Roseman in the "Watts vs. lumens? Which is better?" thread of the Newbie section in rollitup.org.
When using CFL's remember you have to keep em nice n close, like a few inches above the leaves....
use CFL's, get the 42 watt ones, the 100+ watt ones produce more light, but are not as efficient....
From Ed Rosenthal:
In the new Skunk Magazine there was a question in the "Ask Ed" section that just made my night last night when reading it...
The question was:
I intend to grow a single cannabis plant in a space 1' x 2'. What light would you recommend? I was think of using four 30-watt compact fluorescent lamps. Will this be enough? Cost isn't an issue but I am deterred from getting a high pressure sodium [light] because of the amount of heat the bulb produces.
Answer:
As you mentioned, you have several lighting systems to choose from, including compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Among HPS lamps you have a choice between a single 100-watt lamp which uses a total of about 120-watts and emits about 8,800 lumens(73 lumens per watt) or a 150-watt lamp, which uses about 180 watts and emits almost double that-15,800 lumens (87 lumens per watt).
A 42-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) emits about 2700 lumens(64 lumens per watt). Four 42 watt CFLs use 168 watts and emit 10,800 lumens. Other size CFLs have a similar efficiency.
However, that is only part of the story. Plants use mostly red and blue light. Yellow and green light is of little use to them, so light that is emitted in these spectrums is wasted energy. Most of the light emitted by HPS lamps is in the yellow spectrum. Only a small amount of the emitted light is is in the orange or red spectrums, which plants use efficiently. Warm white fluorescents (2700 Kelvin) emit a greater portion in the red and orange sectors.
Although fluorescents produce only about 75% of the light per watt that the HPS does, the amount of light usable by the plant is equal or probably higher with the fluorescents. You may wish to experiment to see if adding a single cool white CFL to replace one warm white results in shorter, stouter stems and more vigorous growth. The reasoning is that warm whites don't emit much blue light, which the plants use for photosynthesis and to regulate their growth. The cool white bulb supplies the blue light.
My call for your unit would be to use several (three to five) CFLs with a total input of between 120-160 watts. Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents.
Make sure to use reflective material around the garden so that any light escaping the garden is reflected back to the plants. Any light that doesn't get to the plant leaves is wasted.
Look at a lumen/watt ration of various CFL's. The higher the wattage of CFLs, the lower the lumen/watt ratio. This chart was submitted by Jerry Garcia, of RIU and edited for typos.
For example...
the 200w listed at 9250 lumens for a lumens/watt ratio of 9250/200=46.25
the 150w is listed at 7500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 7500/150=50
the 125w is listed at 6500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 6500/125=52
the 42w are listed for 2700 lumens, l/w ratio of 2700/42=64.28
I have some 26w that give off 1700 lumens for a l/w ratio of 1700/26=65.38
GE lists some 13w that give off 825 lumens for a l/w ratio of 825/13=63.46
So, according to these numbers the most efficient bulbs for growing are the 26w that emit 1700 lumens. If you used 8 26w bulbs (208 watts total) you'd be getting 13,600 lumens...4,350 more lumens than a single 200 watt cfl.
I suppose you need to purchase more sockets and cords and things to support 8 bulbs, but in the long run more lower watt CFLs seem like the way to go.
Note:
Info taken from Post # 42 by Roseman in the "Watts vs. lumens? Which is better?" thread of the Newbie section in rollitup.org.
can you get good ventilation in the closet? like maybe finding a way to set up ducting? or at least some sort of good exhaust into the attic or the rest of the house?? or outside??
* outside is not recommended unless you can spread the heat, or if you do exhaust to the outside, put up a spotlight right infront of the exhaust. to "fool" any FLIR that may come around that what they are looking at is not a heat exhaust, but a light... or through the dryer vent is a good idea....
* outside is not recommended unless you can spread the heat, or if you do exhaust to the outside, put up a spotlight right infront of the exhaust. to "fool" any FLIR that may come around that what they are looking at is not a heat exhaust, but a light... or through the dryer vent is a good idea....
ReggaeGanja
Active Member
wats a cfl?????????????
FireOwl
Active Member
^^ CFL stands for "Compact Fluorescent." It's a fluorescent bulb scrunched down into the size of an ordinary incandescent lightbulb, rather than being a big long tube. They look like normal lightbulbs, but a coil instead of a normal shaped bulb, you've probably seen one somewhere. CFL's are marvelous for indoor grows since they're so nice and small, relatively efficient in terms of energy, heat and output, and are very reasonably priced.
To the original poster, I'd definitely plan on using CFL's. HPS has a lot of perks, but for the smaller, more casual, or space-restricted grower, CFL's are unquestionably the way to go.
In veg stage plants like blues, and in flower they use more reds. That's how the sun works in various seasons; in summer, the sun's rays hit earth closer to the perpendicular, so the light is less filtered and we get a lot of intense blue rays. Then in the fall, as the alignment of the earth/sun changes and such, the angle of light rays hitting earth are a lot more acute, which filters the sunlight through the atmosphere more, stripping away lots of the intense blues, leaving a higher range of reds, which plants learned to make use of for flowering.
So, I use primarily 6500K lights for growth stage. My veg setup for my current grow was three 42W 6500K bulbs and one 2700K bulb on one plant. For flower, I just reversed it, giving her three 2700's and one 6500K. I'd recommend you use a similar setup, it's very practical and I can tell you, gets gorgeous results.
To the original poster, I'd definitely plan on using CFL's. HPS has a lot of perks, but for the smaller, more casual, or space-restricted grower, CFL's are unquestionably the way to go.
In veg stage plants like blues, and in flower they use more reds. That's how the sun works in various seasons; in summer, the sun's rays hit earth closer to the perpendicular, so the light is less filtered and we get a lot of intense blue rays. Then in the fall, as the alignment of the earth/sun changes and such, the angle of light rays hitting earth are a lot more acute, which filters the sunlight through the atmosphere more, stripping away lots of the intense blues, leaving a higher range of reds, which plants learned to make use of for flowering.
So, I use primarily 6500K lights for growth stage. My veg setup for my current grow was three 42W 6500K bulbs and one 2700K bulb on one plant. For flower, I just reversed it, giving her three 2700's and one 6500K. I'd recommend you use a similar setup, it's very practical and I can tell you, gets gorgeous results.
calculate lumens, aim for 10,000 per square foot... that's the norm round here, i'm no experienced grower, but i have researched the topic so much it's ridiculous....
remember 6500K for veg. 2700K for flower.... that's the color temperature..... you know what that is right??
aim for 80% 6500K, 20% 2700K veg.... vice versa flower....
you might want to look at HPS for a 4x4 room though... unless you're prepared to do some heavy wiring and setting up for like 20 CFL's....
remember 6500K for veg. 2700K for flower.... that's the color temperature..... you know what that is right??
aim for 80% 6500K, 20% 2700K veg.... vice versa flower....
you might want to look at HPS for a 4x4 room though... unless you're prepared to do some heavy wiring and setting up for like 20 CFL's....