My first closet grow with cfl's

So I finally got my closet set up with some lights for indoor grow. Its in soil, so no hydro yet, but trying to learn a lot before i start spending $. I went cheap with the cost, but I think it will get the job done for now. (Until i get my 400w hps for flowering, $150 with shipping on ebay) Heres a list of costs to build something like this. Most everything can be found at walmart. =) Ill post better pics of plants later, but they are loving the new light ive given them. Started with just the 2 tube lights =( .

Piece of ply wood or something... free or cheap
Chain to hang... cheap
4 hooks... free or cheap
6 1600lum 6500k cfl's ... $3.50 ea
3 Y-splitters ... $1.50 ea
3 lamp fixture kits... $6.00 ea
2 warm fluor tubes ... $7.00 ea

10,000+ lumens for about $65 ... priceless

Throwing a fan in there would help out circulation. Just a thought. Keep us updated.

looks good. I heard foil wasnt good though...

Looks good but that foil is going to burn your plants!

the lights look weak,get something that has i higher lumen rating,u got about 9000lumens in there and thats like barely enough for one plant to survive.

gl

ps i made the same mistake(incorrect lighten...spectrum and lumen) you did and u wont get much bud at all

Well I do have 2 fans in there, but not in picture. One is below lights and plants pointing diagonally up and one is above the lights pointing out of closet(sort of like an exhaust fan).
About the lights. I understand that they are not the most powerful fluorescents, the T5HO's are better, but as far as spectrum I think I have that covered right? Maybe ill exchange 2 of the 6500k's for 4100k's , but i also have those 2 T8 warm fluoro's in there, prob at 2700k-3000k ea). Are the 6500k's too much blue spectrum for vegetative growing? Should I go a little lower? Hmmm Any thoughts would help.
For flowering I think imma just spend the $ for a 400w HPS or the new ceramic coated MH bulb I've been reading about. Cool. Let me know what you guys think.

um first of all dont go with hps or mh till u can get down a cfl grow with confidence.u must be stupid if u think 6500k bulbs are too much for veggin.they are just right for veggin.get stronger cfls instead of all the small ones and the tubes.the tubes do shit they work but produce very little bud at all.go splurge some money and you might get a decent yeild
jewtard

The cfl's are just for veg. Not for flowering. I understand they arnt the most powerful lights, but like I said im on a very low budget right now. I might spend $27 to hook up 2 42watt 2700 lumen cfl's along side my current set up. If I cant get my 400 hps by the time im ready to flower they are going into the sun light when the days are 12 hrs long or... Ill just get the 400w HPS and call it a day.
Since Im growing in soil right now, does anybody recommend a particular brand, im using miracle grow potting soil right now mixed about 50/50 with perlite.
Also does anybody have a good nutrient brand they like and schedule for soil growing. Im just using miracle grow plant food with a N-P-K of 24-8-16 for my veg right now. Thanks again for any help.

dont bother.with the right cfl setup you can produce awesome bud.the yeild will be a little less but the majority of us is on budget grows and will still get a respectable nice ass harvest.personally im picking up a 250w hps for flowering cus my electric bill is low and i want to get more bud.and it will be 250w for 1 bushy plant wit prob yeilding 3-8 oz. for it.i got 8 more months b4 i flower it cus im using lst to produce a giant,looking foward to that harvest.ill prob get more autoflowering strains to grow wit my monster so i get a continous harvest nonstop.

Here they are in a 50/50 mix of miracle grow soil and perlite. Slight yellowing of bigger leaves on right side plant. Nitrogen deficiency possibly? Or... Just moved to bigger pot today, but yellowing began before.

Ok heres an update on how things are going... Added 2 more cfl's at 30watt, 3500K, 2000 lum each. Total: 6 26w 6500k cfls, 2 30w 3500k cfls, and 2 17w warm grow fluors. My large one is doing good, think its purple kush, but I mixed a bunch of seeds so not sure. One got stressed and started to flower, and I put one outside to try to sex it. The plant outside has some yellowing on the lower leaves, but other then that looks good. Going to try new soil mix im posting about under: best soil mix? Also looking into the ceramic metal halide bulb at 250w for flowering. Shrooms are Thai koh super strand.

Whats up with the spores??? dont look like Portabella to me

Hehehe. They may be flowering in a terrarium underneath the plants. =) Thai KOH super strain

Well I've switched over from miracle grow plant food to a more organic nutrient schedule. Im now using Alaska fish emulsion at 5-1-1 , just ordered some liquid kelp at 0-1-1 (with tons of micro nuts), and super thrive for the B1 vitamins and such. Using each at a slightly diluted solution (according to back instructions) and about 2 times a week into my soil. Post pics of how they are doing soon. Comments on nutrients? Anything I should add or... Oh ya still haven't gotten a ph tester for my soil. Anyone know where I can get a good one for not too much $ ?

Well this is what my 3 indoor kids look like. The one in mid is older then the 2 on the sides. The first one Im trying some lst tek and steaking/tieing her around the pot. I think I shocked the last one into prebudding or just flat out budding. They are in a 19-5 cycle right now with planty of cfl's. Anyone have any idea if the prebudder will go back into veg and about how long it will take? Also can I pick the buds on it without damaging her too much? I want to grow her bigger and really bud her later down the road, but if shes just going to die then so be it.

Well here an update on how the kids are doing. Did some reorganizing of the closet space and painted everything with flat white paint (75-85% reflective). The left plant started flowering on its own. I want to try to return it to veg, but remove some of the bud once its ready. Anyone have tips for this??? Trying LST on the right one, the mid is my topped baby, and the front is a newly acquired clone of some OG kush. Waiting to flower until the clone gets bigger 3-4 weeks. Hopefully by then I get a good flower light, or ill cfl flower, or into the sun they go. Dont know yet.... pics:
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ZR1 > GT-R

nice looking grow

BTS420, Let me just give you a small piece of advise my friend. I have learned that, one must do what works for them. Each and every person on here does it their way, which is different from yours, and mine. So, I would suggest reading as much as you can on the subject, or whatever topic interests you, and then jump into it strapped with your own knowledge. I have found in my experience, that nobody can tell me as well as the plants themselves. Ya know what I'm saying? I will also say that, my favorite is Fox Farms Ocean Forest. Very good stuff, has all the goods young chronic plants need. And mixed with a lil perlite, your babies will flourish, and thank you later. And as far as nutes, they all work, some to different degrees or what not, but they all do something. I personally use fox farm, and General Hydroponics nutes and additives and all that. I Just am gonna start with average stuff then work my way up. I suggest you do the same, and by all means learn hands on. Just my piece of mind.

NOTHING does better then the sun for flowering. PERIOD. You'll get MUCH larger yields. If you can use the sun...use it!!!!!

And I wish you all the best and fattest harvests. Chuuuuurch!