i want to flower 1 small/medium sized ak48 clone i got goin, in a tiny rubbermaid 18 gal (2 of them stacked on top of each other) , thats gonna be about 1 sq foot of the top bin for light/lumens.......how many watts of cfl should i use? was gonna go wit as close to 150ish as i can get without goin over that.. Think that would be efficient enough to flower 1 plant in that tiny of a space?
Need a little advice. on cfls.
- Thread starter rawrfox
- Start date
C.Indica
Well-Known Member
Oh yea.
When using CFL bulbs, the rule is to have each bulb as close to the plant as possible without burning it.
Usually around 1.5"-2.5" away.
20w-40w bulbs are the most efficient size,
with 20w bulbs delivering about 1700 lumens, about 85 lumens per watt.
So it would be best to use about 6-7 20w bulbs. Which would be 120w-140w.
Believe me I know what it's like having a limit, and everybody just tells you to go ahead and get the biggest friggin' light on the market.
It gets annoying.
Now I'm assuming you're planning on doing a hydro setup?
I don't know much, if anything, about hydroponics, so that would be up to somebody else.
If you're using 140w of CFL's you could grow a bush to be about 2' tall.
The color temperature (kelvin rating) is the most important thing about a CFL besides lumens.
They are labelled things like warm white, soft white, daylight.
I choose to ignore those and look for the kelvin rating.
You will see one of these numbers on each CFL bulb package;
2700k 3000k 3500k 4000k 4100k 5000k 6400k 6500k
For flowering, you want bulbs from 2700k-3000k kelvin rating. These have a yellow glow and I believe are usually labelled Warm White.
I think they get hotter too? Could be wrong, someone else will correct me if I am.
For Vegetative growth, you want bulbs from 5000k-6500k. And honestly it would be best to use 6400k/6500k bulbs.
These have a whitish blue glow, and I think they burn cooler.
If you do a single plant grow, and give her all the attention she needs, you will be so darn happy with your success.
When people get all mechanical about it and start doing 3 or 4 little plants, problems usually arise unless they are professionals.
Just keep her happy, and most of all;
Enjoy the hobby!
When using CFL bulbs, the rule is to have each bulb as close to the plant as possible without burning it.
Usually around 1.5"-2.5" away.
20w-40w bulbs are the most efficient size,
with 20w bulbs delivering about 1700 lumens, about 85 lumens per watt.
So it would be best to use about 6-7 20w bulbs. Which would be 120w-140w.
Believe me I know what it's like having a limit, and everybody just tells you to go ahead and get the biggest friggin' light on the market.
It gets annoying.
Now I'm assuming you're planning on doing a hydro setup?
I don't know much, if anything, about hydroponics, so that would be up to somebody else.
If you're using 140w of CFL's you could grow a bush to be about 2' tall.
The color temperature (kelvin rating) is the most important thing about a CFL besides lumens.
They are labelled things like warm white, soft white, daylight.
I choose to ignore those and look for the kelvin rating.
You will see one of these numbers on each CFL bulb package;
2700k 3000k 3500k 4000k 4100k 5000k 6400k 6500k
For flowering, you want bulbs from 2700k-3000k kelvin rating. These have a yellow glow and I believe are usually labelled Warm White.
I think they get hotter too? Could be wrong, someone else will correct me if I am.
For Vegetative growth, you want bulbs from 5000k-6500k. And honestly it would be best to use 6400k/6500k bulbs.
These have a whitish blue glow, and I think they burn cooler.
If you do a single plant grow, and give her all the attention she needs, you will be so darn happy with your success.
When people get all mechanical about it and start doing 3 or 4 little plants, problems usually arise unless they are professionals.
Just keep her happy, and most of all;
Enjoy the hobby!
Foolet
Active Member
The 2700k's seem to get hotter to me... That may be because they are 42watt and my veg are 23 watt but they definitely feel warmer. Also, it is VERY easy to distinguish between the lights when using 2700k and 6500k. The 6500k look bright and white basically, the 2700k actually look yellow...
Good luck I'll be keeping on eye on your grow!
stumpjumper
Well-Known Member
You're better off with multiple 23w lights, you'll need to move them as the plant grows to get the best light coverage.