CFL Low Wattz First Grow

HaLFBaK3D

HaLFBaK3D

Active Member
Hi I'm new to growing and these are my first three plants.

I started all three of them in one pot with Scott's Premium Garden Soil. I let them sit out on my porch for about 2 1/2 weeks. My neighbors started getting noisy so I decided to start growing them in my closet shhh! I went out and bought 4 26 watt daylight 6500k CFL bulbs and a timer set for 18/6 also made a simple light set up with a piece of wood, a few light fixtures and a extension cord. Very expensive for us poor people.


I let them sit under the 4 CFL bulbs for 1 week and in that time we transplanted them into 3 separate pots and topped our biggest plant.
They suffered minor shock from the transplant and they didn't grow for a few days, While they tried to recover.
Now that were all caught up I will begin to start this grow journal in present time.

8/21/09
We went to wal-mart today and bought 2 new daylight 6500k bulbs and 2 new light fixtures, Now we are up to 600 equivalent watts looking for some advice and tips on our journey!


8/22/09
Currently we added a new light ceptical and Topped our Three Stemmed Beauty (not a mutant). In the new ceptical I placed a 14watt Soft White CFL. We are now up to 660 equivalent Wattage.

(Picture of Construction for the ceptical.) Top right is our three stemmed Beast, top left seems to be our runt and the one in the middle is our tallest, which is topped also.) If you were woundering what the white things are their egg shells its our grow technique. Don't you laugh at it.


(After new Installation)



(Picture of my topped 3 Leaf plant!)



(Setup with fan) Ghetto 2.0
 
ganjaluvr

ganjaluvr

Well-Known Member
your doing everything right so far..

EXCEPT..

just wanna let ya know about CFL bulbs and MJ.

When using CFL bulbs.. you can (and need to) make sure that the lights are no further away than 2" inches from the tops or sides of your plant(s). You need to do this to keep the plants from stretching out towards the lights. Keeps stem stretching down to a minimum. That's the only thing I would change... and make sure of.

However you also are up in the 600watt range.

Just make sure you keep the lights and plants close to each other. If your not sure on how far or how close is safe... just use the 'Hand' method. Put your hand under the lights.. about that same height as your plants.. and if the lights start to kinda burn the tops of your hands or (hand)... then you'll know that's too close and your leafs will get burned. Ya dig? If you have any questions just msg me if ya need any help.

peace.
 
HaLFBaK3D

HaLFBaK3D

Active Member
ganjaluvr said:
your doing everything right so far..

EXCEPT..

just wanna let ya know about CFL bulbs and MJ.

When using CFL bulbs.. you can (and need to) make sure that the lights are no further away than 2" inches from the tops or sides of your plant(s). You need to do this to keep the plants from stretching out towards the lights. Keeps stem stretching down to a minimum. That's the only thing I would change... and make sure of.

However you also are up in the 600watt range.

Just make sure you keep the lights and plants close to each other. If your not sure on how far or how close is safe... just use the 'Hand' method. Put your hand under the lights.. about that same height as your plants.. and if the lights start to kinda burn the tops of your hands or (hand)... then you'll know that's too close and your leafs will get burned. Ya dig? If you have any questions just msg me if ya need any help.
Click to expand...

Thanks ganja for the advice
 
ganjaluvr

ganjaluvr

Well-Known Member
HaLFBaK3D said:
Thanks ganja for the advice
Click to expand...

hmm? ah yea no prob man. I'm not a professional. But I have read alot. I mean.. ALOT.
So if i feel like I can share what I have learned.. any maybe help someone out.. I dunno
It's just how the cookie crumbles i suppose. ya dig?
Mainly on indoor growing with soil.

I personally usually go with organic growing. But i do that because I like to make sure that my plant is getting what it needs.
ya dig? I have in the past..
ordered just Nitrate in one bag;
then I ordered just phosphorous in its own bag.. etc.

Like I said.. that way I know what my plant is getting for sure.

Advertised NPK values on boxes and bags.. if you read carefully..
it will tell you what percentage of what is in that particular box/bag of ferts.
Well.. those are not always correct.
Your just hoping that the NPK levels are correct ya dig?

I was woken this morning.. took a couple hits out my glass bowl.
Had some cereal and now im tired again. lol. and stoned.. lol.
That's why im rambling. Sorry about the rambling..
i do that when i get stoned.. yawn.

well, peace.

take care ppl; and happy growing to every
member of RIU. 'RIU' - "RollItUp.Org: Simply the best forums around."
ganjaluvr`09 :bigjoint::clap::bigjoint:
 
thechoroid

thechoroid

Active Member
you might want to get an oscillating fan and direct it towards them babies, just to make the stem stronger considering their height and to keep them from overheating
 
doobnVA

doobnVA

Well-Known Member
CFL bulbs actually give off more light from the sides of the bulbs than the top, so when you lower your lights you want the sides of the bulbs to be facing the plants. I'm pretty sure CFLs are meant to be installed so the ballast is horizontal, not vertical. Hanging them ballast-up the way you have makes them considerably more hazardous in terms of potential fire, also, since the heat from the bulbs rises and heats up the ballast.
 
HaLFBaK3D

HaLFBaK3D

Active Member
--- Updated --- 8/23/09

I woke up this morning and noticed my biggest plants leafs were hanging:-(. If anyone could tell me why this is, it would be great. Also watered them today and that's pretty much it!


(Picture of Biggest Plant)
 
probo24

probo24

Well-Known Member
Instead of those reflectors, this is what i did for side lighting.
As someone said, cfls work better from the side.
Painted cardboard for a curve, Mylar glued to cardboard, y adaptor held on via clamp, and hooks on top to hang chains.
Behind the base of each 42w is taped the cap of a crystal light can to keep the bulb off the cardboard. Never gets more than warm.
You could then put ys in your sockets for top lights too.
I let side buds grow right to these lights, tie em up and watch em plump up.
 

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HaLFBaK3D

HaLFBaK3D

Active Member
Low Wattz Grow Journal Update 8/24/09

Topped the smallest plant today and it seems to be doing fine so far. Also The Biggest plant Is Growing what looks to me like 4 main colas, very excited about that!:weed:
The 3 Leaved Plant is growing 3 main colas! :grin: It Looks To Be Doing Fine As Well! The closet seems to be getting hotter than usual. It should be fine I have my fan in there with the door open.
The Biggest Plant is still Wilting, Still don't know why Maybe over watered or under watered I don't know, Help would be nice!

Still looking for advise from you RIU Members. Also If Plans don't change were going to start flowering Friday can't wait!

Hmm lets see, Here's Some Pictures


(The Setup Now)



(Topped Smallest Plant):grin:



(Topped 3 Leaved Plant I Think Its Gonna Grow 3 Main Colas)



(Biggest Plant Two Main Colas I Think Its Growing Four Main)



(Biggest Plant Bottom Two Colas)



(Plants Just waking up)
 
Genosyde

Genosyde

Well-Known Member
why would u wanna flower those plants so damn small? yer not gonna get much yeild i would think especially since it looks like u only have about 130 watts on 3 plants, your equivalent doesnt count for much, the actual wattage is the thing you want to look for, if u have all those bulbs at 26 actual watts. from what i see is 5, thats only 130 watts
 
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