How many Watts do i need to start seeds.???<3

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Philosophist

Well-Known Member
Hello....

I have just germinated 5 master kush seeds and am wondering if i have enough light for them to grow. I have there box lined with white panda film, so its about as good as i can get atm. I will be adding lights when i get paid but for now all i have is:

1 17w aquarium t8 light. 2 ft
1 16w CFL.

I know its not alot but it has kept my clones alive for a few days now, i was feeling good until someone told me thy would die, and that my clones are dead.....

Is this enough light?
or should i put them in teh corner of my grow room with my 1k w light until i get more??? HALP
 
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frmrboi

Well-Known Member
just a the cfl would get you started if it's a 6500 K (Daylight) bulb and was just an inch above the seedlings otherwise stick them under the the 1k as close as you can to the light (seedlings need as much light as big growing plants).
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
I'm sure they will be fine until you get paid, what kind of lights do you plan on adding to your veg setup? Biggest bang for your buck is cfls, I built a 16 bulb rig (416w) for $70 and it's served me well for over a year running 24/0.
 
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Philosophist

Well-Known Member
wow Xcon that cfl set up is SWEEEEEEEt!!!!

woudl you say its onpar or better than t5??

Cuz i liek making my own shit, im retired af so i have free time and LOVE to tinker.
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
Philosophist said:
wow Xcon that cfl set up is SWEEEEEEEt!!!!

woudl you say its onpar or better than t5??

Cuz i liek making my own shit, im retired af so i have free time and LOVE to tinker.
Click to expand...
Thanks man!!! I love DIY... prefer custom builds :)

IDK about t-5s, never used them.
 
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Philosophist

Well-Known Member
Ok so to Confirm.... I need to sprout the seeds under STRONG lights...so im using my 1000w until they sprout and then ill bring it to the Clone chamber...does that sound right??
Clnes need less light than clones? I have my clones in my Veg box i made with the aquarium t8 and 2 x 14w cfls...will that kieep clones alive? but not seeds right?
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
Nah man, 1 kw will fry your seedlings. Anything less than 2 weeks old should be kept under cfls.
 
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frmrboi

Well-Known Member
Philosophist said:
...will that kieep clones alive? but not seeds right?
Click to expand...
that's right, although it will keep seedlings alive, but you want them to thrive right ?

Xcon said:
Nah man, 1 kw will fry your seedlings. Anything less than 2 weeks old should be kept under cfls.
Click to expand...
don't listen to the newbie, I've sprouted and grown seedlings in full August sunshine, just like they do in the wild.
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
Yea, because having an extra veg light is a bad idea. You should do all stages of your grow under your single HID. Good thinking, maverick. :clap:

Newbie Central indeed :hump:
 
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Distiller

Active Member
fluorescent lights are the preferred way to germinate seeds. Seedlings and clones need only 375 lumens per square foot for optimal growth. most cfl's get about 82 lumens per watt. your 16 w alone is giving off about 1312 lumens.

In laymens terms, keep your fluorescent 2-3 inches above your seedlings and you'll be golden. for the record you should NEVER germ with a 1000w HID lol
 
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frmrboi

Well-Known Member
Distiller said:
. for the record you should NEVER germ with a 1000w HID lol
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that's a bold statement, literaly, that you aren't qualified to state.
The more lumens you can pump into your babies the faster they'll grow and the sooner you can switch to flowering.
This is the only proven method of speeding up harvest time.
Show some respect to your elders newbies !
 
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Distiller

Active Member
If you think plants, especially seedlings, can thrive under an unlimited light output, I don't know what to tell you other than I feel sorry for the unsuspecting gardeners listening to your advice.
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
While I may respect the knowledge of the elders here, I do question the wisdom of recommending advanced techniques to new growers without giving at the very least, a fucking guideline. I'm sure that the august sun in your shitkicking trailerpark is no different than holding a 1kw light 6" away from your face. :roll:
 
jonblaze420

jonblaze420

Well-Known Member
For real you can't put a 1000 W light 'as close as you can' to seedlings LOL

They will be dead. WTF why is someone giving advice like that?
 
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frmrboi

Well-Known Member
jonblaze420 said:
You don't have experience growing a seedling with a 1000 W HPS or HID 6 inches from it. Do you?
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Xcon is suggesting 6" not me, I HAVE grown seedlings that sprouted in full summer sunlight with no problem in fact they thrived and inspired several growers to go outdoors with their starts. Sunlight equivalent for a 1K HPS would be 21 inches but you could go closer if you use CO2 and a cool tube.
 
jonblaze420

jonblaze420

Well-Known Member
on the first page you told this guy to put a 1000 W bulb 'as close as you can' to a seedling. It's horrible advice. If you can't own up to it I guess you never can.
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
frmrboi said:
Xcon is suggesting 6" not me
Click to expand...
You suggested "as close as you can" not "21 inches", or "as close as you can without killing it" just plain old "as close as you can". You were intentionally vague on a subject that could have killed this guy's plants just so you could troll some noobs.

Happy trails dude :)

edit: oh, thanks for the chart!!!
 
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