NEED GROWING ADVICE 2 23w CFL LIGHTS

This is my first grow and I need advice on my setup... Like somethings that mite need changed. I have chosen the Auto Flowering Great White Shark. I picked up all my supplies locally. Im Useing 2 23W cfl Lights that that a reflector around them. I have custom designed a grow area in the basement. Walls are made out of Dry Wall and I put Aluminium Foil on all the walls includeing the door. Next I have start pot dishes (black plastic starters) to grow in. I was told 5 liters is enought room for one for this strain. Im not sure weather to do 20/4 or 24/0 for light cycle seeing how ive read both is ok. I have choosen Mircle grow soil with a NPK of .24-.7-.14 and i have also bought plant food with NPK of 28-8-18. 2tsp to every gal. says the box (power form)... I recently planted 5 new seeds only bc (look at the pic youll notice 9 jiffy pellts inside the black buckets) i was useing 2 250W heat lamps... I think I fried the seeds b4 they even sprouted... I wet them done real good and switched to the 2 23W CFL lights. Hopefully the jiffy pellet seeds can still b saved... But I do have one question.. Im runin 2 23W CFL lights on them right now with reflectors HOWEVER it is in a chilli basement (warmer in the grow box) but since it is chilli at night should i at least switch one of the CFL lights with the 250W heat lamp to keep it warmer?... Let me know any of your advice... Thank you.. ill keep people posted on this grow...

-If you let the jiffy pellets go dry there's a good chance you hurt the seeds, might just slow down growth, might have killed them.

-Can't tell from pic but looks like you have the CFLs setup? If so they need to be closer.

-How cold does it get in the room during the night cycle? Unless its dropping below around 10°C I wouldn't worry too much.

-Also do you have the tray/cover the jiffy pellets came with? They are good for seedlings as when you cover it over the humidity stays high and you would have a hard time drying out the cubes.

I do have the CFL's up right now.. Could you tell me a round about distance i should keep them from the tops of my plants? (for when the start sprouting and growing). Im useing 2 23W CFL lights... I do have the tray cover however i did pick one seed out of the jiffy pellets and its lil tail/root was all winkd up and dry... and as far as the basement well its like a cement basement so its like walking from room normal temp to a lil colder. Tee shirt suitable...

-CFLs keep them around 2-4" above seedlings and you should be good (Which is about the distance from the cubes to the top of the cover)

-I wouldn't worry about the temperature too much, the seedlings would like room temp. but a little below won't cause you problems.

ok cool.. u think 2 23w cfl lights will b good? I just went down and adjusted the distance of the lights.. and have u ever workd with any auto flowering seed?

Your CFLs will be fine for 2-3weeks, you will need more though. Never used auto flower strains

ight one last question.. In 2-3 weeks instead of buyin more CFL lights and keeping them 2-4in away from the tops can i switch to my 2 250W heat lamps? and just keep them like a foot or 2 away from the tops.. or is that still goin to fry them?.. I will continue to use the cfl's till they flower i just didnt wanna buy more lights if i didnt have to...

using cfl, you will need about 80 watts per plant(for optimal growth)until it is a foot tall. then you will have to start adding side lights. a 23 watter will be good for 1-3 plant from seed to 4-5inches for the least amount of stretching. aftter 4-5inches you would need to switch to at least 1 250 at 12inches from the tops with a max of 8plants. that will be plenty until you flower. how many plants do you have? are your 250w lamps Metal halide lights or hps lights? if it is hps, you would want to put your 23w cfls in there too for side lights at about 3-4 inches from the sides. if you are going to keep vegging them. the heat lamp would raise the temp a little but it shouldn't fry them if you have some kind of humidity dome until they are 4-5 inches tall.

igrowdro said:

using cfl, you will need about 80 watts per plant(for optimal growth)until it is a foot tall. then you will have to start adding side lights. a 23 watter will be good for 1-3 plant from seed to 4-5inches for the least amount of stretching. aftter 4-5inches you would need to switch to at least 1 250 at 12inches from the tops with a max of 8plants. that will be plenty until you flower. how many plants do you have? are your 250w lamps Metal halide lights or hps lights? if it is hps, you would want to put your 23w cfls in there too for side lights at about 3-4 inches from the sides. if you are going to keep vegging them. the heat lamp would raise the temp a little but it shouldn't fry them if you have some kind of humidity dome until they are 4-5 inches tall.

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My 250W lights are just Heat Lamps made by G.E. im not sure what the are however.. Ur advice i think was for reg plants. Im usein Auto Flowering GWS seeds. I dont have a veg stage. It goes right into flowering stage. Someone told me the CFL's are good source for flowering stage...

No do not use a heat lamp. they put out lots of heat and not the right light.
Those lights will work for germination and maybe a week or so, but you will indeed be wanting at least 80w per plant. Id get like 4 on each plant at LEAST. more is optimal.

GPD.831 said:

No do not use a heat lamp. they put out lots of heat and not the right light.
Those lights will work for germination and maybe a week or so, but you will indeed be wanting at least 80w per plant. Id get like 4 on each plant at LEAST. more is optimal.

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Ok so no heat lamps at all... when it comes to 23W cfl i got all the room in the world in my dry wall room haha... Is there such thing as to many of them kinda lights? or should i stop?.. I would like a 10 plant cycle goin on every month... after males and females are developed ill probally be done to mayb 5 outta every 10 for females.. so we are talkin 5 to 10 plants... whats a good amount of lights? AND are the reflectors on them lights doin anything?.. (if u look at my first post the pic shows the reflectors the lights are in)

I also am growing w/ 8 23w cfls and 2 t8 6500k lights 4 of the cfls being 5000k and other 4 being 6500k