What do you think from the compact fluorescent lamp?
- Thread starter SunZa
- Start date
Garden Knowm
The Love Doctor
check this book.... it is a day by day journal on CFL growing... you can also check the CFL forum on this site..
iloveyou
iloveyou
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I went start to finish with them. Overall I am happy, but I kinda had higher expectations from the yield, but my experience more than likely had something to do with it as well. I am not giving up on cfls yet. I have learned a few things along the way and have a few new ideas to try next.
cheetah2007
Well-Known Member
they are a lil streched, but looks healthy.are you goin' to use those cfls for the flowering?
cheetah2007
Well-Known Member
good luck then man! Peace!!! CHeetah
Brussels
Active Member
Actually, there are several things you can do to improve your yield, but first just a point: your plant isn't "a lil stretched", it's desperately reaching out in search of more light. The stems on your fan leaves are much longer than normal growth, and spacing between nodes, well, the spacing says it all.
Why not add three more lights, 120 degrees from each other, hanging midway down on the plant, or if that's not possible, lower some of your existing lights. One and a half to two inches away from foliage is ok with small cfl's. Lowering the lights, will add size and weight to lower growth, in what will be no more than little popcorn buds as it is. When looking for cfl's, look for the 150w equivalent lights, they put out 42w (I've seen them at both Lowes & Home disappointment) and come in both "bright and soft'" colors. In your existing light socket, add a "Y" adapter, so you can screw two lights into each location -- doubles your output at each position.
It's not to late to salvage a decent yield, if you can take a few steps. Your plant will love you for it, and I promise, you'll love her more...Brussels
Why not add three more lights, 120 degrees from each other, hanging midway down on the plant, or if that's not possible, lower some of your existing lights. One and a half to two inches away from foliage is ok with small cfl's. Lowering the lights, will add size and weight to lower growth, in what will be no more than little popcorn buds as it is. When looking for cfl's, look for the 150w equivalent lights, they put out 42w (I've seen them at both Lowes & Home disappointment) and come in both "bright and soft'" colors. In your existing light socket, add a "Y" adapter, so you can screw two lights into each location -- doubles your output at each position.
It's not to late to salvage a decent yield, if you can take a few steps. Your plant will love you for it, and I promise, you'll love her more...Brussels
orangebudda
Active Member
4 Plants, 6 weeks under a 100W CFL
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Brussels
Active Member
Just a few followup notes: as you water, add one tbl spoon of regular molasses to each gallon of water. There is no better soil activator, and it provides far to many micro nutrients to list. When you get close to 'finish' (two weeks), up it to two tbls per gal. During your last week of growth, when you should flush, with no nutes, go to three tbls of molasses. You'll be able to watch your buds get fat and swell...B
Brussels
Active Member
SunZa and Orangebudda...I do hope you realize I'm not trying to be nasty here, only helpful. My first grows seven years ago were with cfl's, and I made many disappointing errors using them, the most common: lanky spindly plants, with little actual bud production. Cannabis is considered a 'high light plant', and as such, has minimal requirements, not just to grow, but to produce.
Our goal, I feel, is not to grow tall plants, but produce big resinous flowers. Without the minimum light requirements, plants will make a desperate attempt to reach out for any available light, and will produce little usable flower. Both of your photos are indicative of that.
Growing guru Jorge Cervantes states that: "Light fades very very quickly." Light diminishes to the square of the distance it travels. Meaning, for example: "3,300 lumens at a bulb, yields about 1500 lumens a foot away, and a scant 500 to 700 lumens at two feet away." This is a simple physical law, that we cannot change. The reason for using high lumen output lighting is an attempt to overcome this lumen/distance loss. Heat is a great factor with some lighting, and less so with floro's. Cfl's with their low lumen output need to be very close.
I wish you both luck with your grows, but feel, in the end, much moreor better placement of lighting is needed. Orange with 4 plants might be much better off with the 100 w bulb by hanging it vertically in the center of the 4 plants, about a third of the way down. Light will be emitted in all directions, then simply rotate your plants a 1/4 turn every day...Brussels
Our goal, I feel, is not to grow tall plants, but produce big resinous flowers. Without the minimum light requirements, plants will make a desperate attempt to reach out for any available light, and will produce little usable flower. Both of your photos are indicative of that.
Growing guru Jorge Cervantes states that: "Light fades very very quickly." Light diminishes to the square of the distance it travels. Meaning, for example: "3,300 lumens at a bulb, yields about 1500 lumens a foot away, and a scant 500 to 700 lumens at two feet away." This is a simple physical law, that we cannot change. The reason for using high lumen output lighting is an attempt to overcome this lumen/distance loss. Heat is a great factor with some lighting, and less so with floro's. Cfl's with their low lumen output need to be very close.
I wish you both luck with your grows, but feel, in the end, much moreor better placement of lighting is needed. Orange with 4 plants might be much better off with the 100 w bulb by hanging it vertically in the center of the 4 plants, about a third of the way down. Light will be emitted in all directions, then simply rotate your plants a 1/4 turn every day...Brussels
orangebudda
Active Member
I don't thnk you are being nasty. Personally I'm really surpised how well the plantsare doing under the CFL, was expacting them to be rather spindaly, but they are coming along very nicley.
I concidered hanging the bulb vertically, but decided this was a bad idea as the plant I think would do better with constant even light, rather than bursts at the side of the plants, plus if I forget to turn it will be a mass. plus hanging horizontaly makes better use of teh reflector.
The CFL I'm using is built to grow. I dare say these are vastly different to the CFL's 7 years ago.
Also the CFL's are an awesome alternative for someone who just wants a few fresh buds on hand. Low power, no heat, perfect for sneaky closet grows. They are perfect for a hot Australian summer.
Cheers for the advice anyway.
I concidered hanging the bulb vertically, but decided this was a bad idea as the plant I think would do better with constant even light, rather than bursts at the side of the plants, plus if I forget to turn it will be a mass. plus hanging horizontaly makes better use of teh reflector.
The CFL I'm using is built to grow. I dare say these are vastly different to the CFL's 7 years ago.
Also the CFL's are an awesome alternative for someone who just wants a few fresh buds on hand. Low power, no heat, perfect for sneaky closet grows. They are perfect for a hot Australian summer.
Cheers for the advice anyway.
ivebeencanceled
Well-Known Member
I have done begining to end with CFLs.
Overall, from the way everyone bashes on CFLs, i had excellent results.
Overall, from the way everyone bashes on CFLs, i had excellent results.
SunZa
Active Member
Hi! thx your advices! unfortunately i havent got more space, for more bulbs.
I have 6500lumen together in 40x60cm floorspace. It's not the best, but i cant do more.
I will send pics......
thx
can u do this in hydro
