My first closet grow, using cfl's

Greetings all, I am new to these forums, here are some pics from my first ever attempt at growing, using a random seed from vancouver island seed company, the plant is about 1 week old at this point, the light on the top is a 40 watt "soft white" cfl and the two side ones are 26 watt cool daylight spectrum, i just added the two 26 watters yesterday. any comments or advice would be appreciated.

Light is seen by people as "visible energy" that we use to see and distinguish different colors. Plants use light as stimulants and fuel for growth. Light is the most important factor in any indoor growing environment. It is also the limiting factor in any indoor growing environment. Lighting technology has vastly improved over what it once was and it is continually evolving with new technologies. Without good and plentiful light, a plant will not be able to perform photosynthesis, chiefly the main principle by which a plant converts food into energy. Plants are able to use artificial light, so long as it is of the correct lighting spectrum for plant growth and there is plenty of it. An indoor garden requires a lot of light and an efficient and effective source should be chosen to provide this light. Some types of incandescent lamps might be an effective source for plant growth but they are not very efficient and many lamps and a lot of energy (watts) would be needed. Most indoor gardens are lighted by HID lamps (Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium), because these sources are both effective and efficient, producing much more light per watt of energy used than incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps are often used for seed starting and early stages of plant growth or to supplement spectral needs of plants when using HPS lamps. Different HID and Fluorescent lamps produce different lighting spectrums and lumen outputs.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lamps are:

• Efficient. They put out more light, with less energy usage, than any other type of illumination available to indoor growers.
• Bright. HID's produce more light than other types of indoor horticultural lighting.
• Expensive. HID's cost more than flourescents. They range in price from $50-$600 dollars.
• Hot. HID's produce considerably more heat than standard fluorescents.

Fluorescent lamps are:

• Inexpensive. Shoplight fixtures can be purchased for as little as $7. Compact fluorescent bulbs only cost a couple of dollars a piece.
• Locally Available. Most discount stores and home improvement stores carry inexpensive, fluorescent fixtures and bulbs.
• Fine for vegetative growth. Fluorescent bulbs put out plenty of light for plants growing vegetatively, including mothers, seedlings and clones. Some growers prefer fluorescents for vegetative growth because of the slower pace of growth and better root development.
• Fluorescents need to be in close proximity to achieve their rated output, which means their canopy penetration is more limited than HID's.
• Comparatively inefficient. 10 forty watt fluorescent bulbs use the same amount of energy as a 400 watt HID, but produce far less light. Since they use the same amount of energy but produce less light, the remaining must be given off as heat. Contrary to how it may first appear, fluoros actually run hotter than the equivalent wattage of HID-- they just disperse the heat over a wider area.

HOW DO I MAKE A SIMPLE REFLECTOR FOR YOUR COMPACT FLUORESCENT?

To build this reflector you will need a regular soda can, any brand will do, which you will need to rinse thoroughly until no residue is left inside. You will also need a good pair or scissor and a robust kitchen knife to cut the metal accordingly. An alternate method to remove the lid, would be to use a can opener. The lip of the lid can be used, and it will cut it cleanly. These tools should be chosen carefully as they will determine over failure or success of this construction. A lack of caution and a sharp metal edge can be fatal to your fingertips so think twice if your tools are capable of doing the job.



How and where to cut:
Firstly, draw a plan of your cutting path on the outside of the can using a permanent marker or a wax crayon. This will aid you to get a better overview of you plan and to avoid silly mistakes on the way.

Cutting the top part of the can out needs to be done first, adjusting the opening according to the size of your bulb. You do not have to cut it exactly to shape as glue (super or high-temp hot glue) can be used to stick the reflector to the bulb ballast later on. A can opener is the preffered tool for this job. The reflector is purposely not covering the ballast to ensure good aeration and to avoid damage to the ballast components, resulting in a short circuit.

Next, you will need to cut the main part of your soda can in half using your scissors. A hole may need to be drilled first using your kitchen knife to get a good starting point for the scissors.

The inside of the can is coated with a thin plastic layer that should not cause any trouble cutting through the sheet metal. The bottom side of the can does not have to remain in place but leaving it will add stability to the reflector and enhance the reflectivity. An extra hole can be cut into the bottom as well to improve ventilation along the bulb or to connect a 50mm pc-fan to the end.

Lastly, two more cuts have to be made into the sides of the semi-circle reflector to ensure that the sides do not reflect the light back to its origin but rather focus it to where it is needed. The reflector can now be bent according to your light requirements thus making it possible to focus it directly on your plants. If your reflector does not quite fit the bulb yet you can now use glue to stick it to the ballast.

Contributed by: Stickydank

I've discovered the cheapest Mylar around-- only 2 bucks$! You save 18 bucks$ a roll! It?s a Christmas present wrapping Mylar called Polywrap



- Waterproof
- 50 square ft. a roll
- 1 mil (@ .001 inch) thick X 3 1/2 ft. wide X 20ft long.

Note: Only buy the very Bright and shiny Mylar-type wrapping!

i find white poster board works well for redirecting light in indoor growing. i would use to make reflectors bigger and pin it to wall of grow box.

thanks for the tips mogie, il keep working on improving my set up, does the plant look satisfactory in its state as of now though?

Do you have a fan on it? Don't want it to become long and lanky. Other then that looks good.

Nice reflector idea! Only costs a few pennies, hehe. I have some Polywrap in my growing closet too that I had no idea works as mylar, I've been using tinfoil wrapped around the outside of a huge fish tank. I know tinfoil sucks ass but it's better than nothing and doesn't get very hot on the outside of my tank. I'll replace it today with the Polywrap.Thanks mogie

By the way I think your plant looks very good so far. The lamps staring it down are funny.