After reading everything I can about CFL's and experimenting with some bag-seeds, this is what I've learned so far (and still learning every day). I have a total of 757 Watts, 47,410 lumens on ONE plant, and she seems to like it ok. Many are up top, and then I use clamp on fixtures and string to get light to the lower buds and side buds. You want to veg under the bulbs that say 6500K on them. They are super white as opposed to the orange/red color of the 2700K bulbs. I started this first grow off doing everything wrong you could imagine. I had it under a T12 Fixture with some Phillips "plant & aquarium" incandescent lights as the "side lighting." It started off BAD. It was super stretchy, and the stalk was really thin. Then I went out and bought a bunch of the 6500K bulbs. The new growth tightened up a lot - much shorter distance between nodes, and the stalk got exponentially fatter. I planned on using the 6500K bulbs all the way to harvest. After I switched to 12/12 though, she wouldn't stop stretching, and seemed like it wouldn't come out of veg. So I went and got some 2700K bulbs, and sure enough, just a couple days later I started seeing some pre-flower. I didn't completely eliminate the 6500K bulbs though, I just added the 2700K's with them. I have a range of different bulbs - (4) 23 watt 1450 lumens 6500K, (3) 55 watt 4200 lumens 2700K, (2) 105 watt 2700K 7140 lumens, (2) 105 watt 6500K 5040 lumens, and a 4' T12 Fixture that has (2) 40 watt 6500K 2325 lumens.
It is, like everyone suggests, a daily battle to get the bulbs positioned where they won't burn your leaves, but close enough that they are effective. The 27 watters I can get nice and close - like 1" away. The larger bulbs are 2-4" away. It doesn't hurt too bad if you burn up a fan leaf or two while trying to "dial in the distance"... there should be plenty more where that one came from. After experimenting on this first plant, and actually getting some decent buds on her, I ordered some good seeds and will start my second grow with much more confidence. I also ordered a strain of seeds that may be better suited to my particular grow style. I have some Feminized Auto-Flowering Short Riders to start next. I think they will complement my setup in that they're a really short plant to begin with. Less surface area to try to get light on. Plus, my closet is small, and my needs are about the same. I am not growing to distribute... just merely as a hobby & for some personal smoke. I am certainly no expert, but if I can help anyone, I'd be more than happy to do so over PM or phone call. Just let me know.
Something I plan on experimenting with in the near future, is constantly rotating my plant 360* while the lights are on. I am not sure what I will use to "spin" the plant with, but was thinking about getting maybe a x-mas tree rotator, or tearing up a microwave and getting the motor & turntable. I think this will be just another step in getting light to every little nook & cranny.
This ones for you.
Good luck to ya!
I'll def. be keepin my eyes out for those bad boys....they are so cool, and I'm diggin the design concept. Looks like a good way to spread them lumens around!