First post, First timer - wondering about some natural light indoors vs CFL

B

Brian.

Member
It seems to be that using CFL is my only artificial option due to not being interested in excessive heat, excessive electricity usage, and generally seeming from what I've seen in various youtube videos to not needing much more for as small of a grow as I have begun.

Here is the thing: Do I really NEED artificial light at all times for 2 plants at a time that could sit right on the floor by my window? Would window growing cause stretching? Is that why we should use artificial light as close to the plant as possible? Can I get away with sunlight most of the day then a few hours of CFL? Am I better off with purely using CFL, minimizing growing space, maximizing reflection, things of that sort, or can this work for me given the conditions below?

My room is the brightest in our home, always warm, even though I block the heater vent, always very bright, the sun comes through this room from two directions, first from the rising direction, then the other window down the setting direction. Blinding. Hard to see my monitor in the daytime kind of blinding.

I'm not looking to offend anyone by saying this, I wouldn't dream of being a prick on my first post, especially while seeking help and wanting to make new acquaintances (and not enemies!), but I am not interested in "you get what you pay for" replies or anything like that - I am not looking to grow rooms full of pot here (yet!), I just want to grow a couple plants and if they grow they grow and I will clone them if they are female and continue from there and see if it's feasible that this could be a financial relief for me every few months. I understand that come time for flowering (assuming these are not auto-flowering bagseeds) I will probably need to hide them away into a closed off place to make sure they always get 12 hours of darkness, but how absolutely necessary is a closed off area for sprout/veg?

I germinated 2 seed and have 3 left, the two germinated seeds are growing in mini-plastic cups and I think I overdid the water and will just stop doing that for a while (wait til it's dry, right?) and I don't expect success the first time through, but it would be cool obviously. As to not get my hopes up, I figure these all to die before they grow much at all, that way, any success is better than I would have imagined, and my babies dying is no surprise or shock to me.

One of the sprouts is up and beginning its first real leaves, on top of its sprouting petals. The other is bent over and trying to pull itself out of the dirt. Rather exciting, I bet I am making all you guys and gals nostalgic about your first grow! I am excited, goosebumps when I awoke to the second one showing. Too excited. Gotta think death - but hope life, but still, can't expect life, cause I'll be hurt if they die if I do that...

Anyhow, in a nutshell - for just 2 plants that I plan to keep under 1 to 2 feet and top them and all that, can I not get away with my natural sunlight? Does the plant know it's not really the right time of year? Is the sunlight crap compared to the warmer months? Can I get away with one 42 watt CFL for both plants provided I keep them small? Would a closed in space with reflection make that much more viable than a open-room CFL+sunlight blend?

I know, I know, 101 things thread - I've been lurking. I germinated seeds, and now I am looking for how to light... NOOB. Yea yea yea :P

But the thing is, I got confident to wing-it my first time through seeing a million idiots on youtube have an easy time (and a lot of smart folks too, both in stealth/small grows and large scale, watch the JC dvd's via youtube etc etc, lots of great videos found here on this site). I see guys growing in the corner of a room, open, no foils, no boxes, no fans, no other gadgetry - just lights and a couple of plants. Their yield was far beyond what I would expect to get, too. If I can grow just ONE quarter ounce of good meds, my effort is more than rewarded and I would take that as my cue to try for better.

Several weeks of growing, then a few weeks of flowering, right? Just for letting a plant grow and give it water I will get pot? Sign me up, the good is too expensive and the bad is a headache. I really want to be successful, but I need to know: Can I do this with my natural light, or should I enclose these plants in a single cfl for now, and plan for what I will do if/when they mature out of veg?

I am not looking to create the premo or a work of art in my buds - that's for people who have done it a few times and more. I just want to achieve buds, even if I need to smoke it all to get fixed right for the day, so be it - I'm pretty sure that since the bag I got the seeds from was SUPER good even though it had seeds, that the bud it produces can't be anywhere near as bad as the crap my homies sell on the corner. So can I get away with window + a few hours of CFL, or should I go ahead and close them into a space with a CFL 18 hours a day?

Thanks for reading through, if I haven't provided enough info it's because I'm a noob, bear with me :P I can provide more info but what I really seek is "The absolute MINIMUM for growing something that doesn't die before I can smoke it". Like I said, not looking to make amazing buds my first time through, just looking to get through one time first with something better than they sell on the corner.

Thanks all!
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
Brian. said:
It seems to be that using CFL is my only artificial option due to not being interested in excessive heat, excessive electricity usage, and generally seeming from what I've seen in various youtube videos to not needing much more for as small of a grow as I have begun.

Here is the thing: Do I really NEED artificial light at all times for 2 plants at a time that could sit right on the floor by my window? Would window growing cause stretching? Is that why we should use artificial light as close to the plant as possible? Can I get away with sunlight most of the day then a few hours of CFL? Am I better off with purely using CFL, minimizing growing space, maximizing reflection, things of that sort, or can this work for me given the conditions below?

My room is the brightest in our home, always warm, even though I block the heater vent, always very bright, the sun comes through this room from two directions, first from the rising direction, then the other window down the setting direction. Blinding. Hard to see my monitor in the daytime kind of blinding.

I'm not looking to offend anyone by saying this, I wouldn't dream of being a prick on my first post, especially while seeking help and wanting to make new acquaintances (and not enemies!), but I am not interested in "you get what you pay for" replies or anything like that - I am not looking to grow rooms full of pot here (yet!), I just want to grow a couple plants and if they grow they grow and I will clone them if they are female and continue from there and see if it's feasible that this could be a financial relief for me every few months. I understand that come time for flowering (assuming these are not auto-flowering bagseeds) I will probably need to hide them away into a closed off place to make sure they always get 12 hours of darkness, but how absolutely necessary is a closed off area for sprout/veg?

I germinated 2 seed and have 3 left, the two germinated seeds are growing in mini-plastic cups and I think I overdid the water and will just stop doing that for a while (wait til it's dry, right?) and I don't expect success the first time through, but it would be cool obviously. As to not get my hopes up, I figure these all to die before they grow much at all, that way, any success is better than I would have imagined, and my babies dying is no surprise or shock to me.

One of the sprouts is up and beginning its first real leaves, on top of its sprouting petals. The other is bent over and trying to pull itself out of the dirt. Rather exciting, I bet I am making all you guys and gals nostalgic about your first grow! I am excited, goosebumps when I awoke to the second one showing. Too excited. Gotta think death - but hope life, but still, can't expect life, cause I'll be hurt if they die if I do that...

Anyhow, in a nutshell - for just 2 plants that I plan to keep under 1 to 2 feet and top them and all that, can I not get away with my natural sunlight? Does the plant know it's not really the right time of year? Is the sunlight crap compared to the warmer months? Can I get away with one 42 watt CFL for both plants provided I keep them small? Would a closed in space with reflection make that much more viable than a open-room CFL+sunlight blend?

I know, I know, 101 things thread - I've been lurking. I germinated seeds, and now I am looking for how to light... NOOB. Yea yea yea :P

But the thing is, I got confident to wing-it my first time through seeing a million idiots on youtube have an easy time (and a lot of smart folks too, both in stealth/small grows and large scale, watch the JC dvd's via youtube etc etc, lots of great videos found here on this site). I see guys growing in the corner of a room, open, no foils, no boxes, no fans, no other gadgetry - just lights and a couple of plants. Their yield was far beyond what I would expect to get, too. If I can grow just ONE quarter ounce of good meds, my effort is more than rewarded and I would take that as my cue to try for better.

Several weeks of growing, then a few weeks of flowering, right? Just for letting a plant grow and give it water I will get pot? Sign me up, the good is too expensive and the bad is a headache. I really want to be successful, but I need to know: Can I do this with my natural light, or should I enclose these plants in a single cfl for now, and plan for what I will do if/when they mature out of veg?

I am not looking to create the premo or a work of art in my buds - that's for people who have done it a few times and more. I just want to achieve buds, even if I need to smoke it all to get fixed right for the day, so be it - I'm pretty sure that since the bag I got the seeds from was SUPER good even though it had seeds, that the bud it produces can't be anywhere near as bad as the crap my homies sell on the corner. So can I get away with window + a few hours of CFL, or should I go ahead and close them into a space with a CFL 18 hours a day?

Thanks for reading through, if I haven't provided enough info it's because I'm a noob, bear with me :P I can provide more info but what I really seek is "The absolute MINIMUM for growing something that doesn't die before I can smoke it". Like I said, not looking to make amazing buds my first time through, just looking to get through one time first with something better than they sell on the corner.

Thanks all!
Click to expand...
you could use a 150w hps. build a little cab yourself and use it. it wont use much electric and you can get one on ebay for 73 bucks and its got a option for a 4 inch cooling flange as well to make it air cooled.and could you also put a summary up.. i didn even read all that cuz its too long lol
 
GenePerfect

GenePerfect

Active Member
if you can go outdoors do that, will take a bit longer, but it will be good. if you can only work inside, id get a plain old warm white fluro for seedlings

for veg growth cfl will do ok. of course you kno sodium and mh globes are great, but if unable to get one, get more fluros. the light cycle in veg is not as ' delicate' as in flower. however, when lights are off, it should be dark. for flowering, yield, quality, and scent depend on a lot of things. Intense as light is one very important factor, more light, more weed. the dark cycle in flower must not be disturbed! otherwise the plant may hermie, or may just delay the flowers reaching maturity. What type of plant you got, it will depend on how long you need to flower.



if you want real good vigorous growth, strong stems, pungeant odor and oz's of good shit then invest in hydro equipment, or put her outside. I started off terribly my first time, used dodge lights, interupted light cycle and general mistakes expected by a first timer. main thing is, keep trying things, you will find your own way. hope this helps, anything else just ask mate. happy growing
 
B

Brian.

Member
Yea, the funds aren't there, barely scraping by as it is. Good suggestion, but I like the idea of CFL's because they are even less power than my normal light bulbs, produce little to no noticeable heat, and generally make a lot more sense to buy in the local store for a few bucks. I am unable to get a kit going, perhaps next time around. Right now, I just want the absolute bare minimum CFL or natural light indoors advice.

Really, that is a great suggestion, I just never tried this before because I didn't know CFL's worked. Now that I know they work - and use less electric than my normal lights - I was willing to give it a shot, when I thought I needed lights like those or MH lights, and all sorts of fans, co2 machines etc, it was out of the question for me.

For example, I do not plan to ever buy a co2 machine or tube of co2. I will keep good circulation (already do) in my room to be sure they don't eat it all up on themselves at once, and perhaps if they end up in a box I will put vinegar and baking soda or other means of getting co2 in there (I take it a box will indeed be better than open space on the floor by my window? I can certainly make a box, but my budget is like... one or two cfl lights. Nothing more for now. My main reason for growing is being unable to afford it).

This is all for the first grow. The one I already began, I mean. I might move up later, and knowing that "it can be better than this" will be a big reason to keep saving a little extra here and there, but I won't be able to afford something like that for at least a few months. A CFL is all that is in my budget. I have good soil already at the house, luckily. A cabinet I can do, have some not in use, but also can make one if they seem not worthy with some supplies I have around from previous projects before times got bad.

Just wondering the absolute bear minimum to keep these sprouts alive, grow them up, and worry about flowering if and when they survive a few weeks, then it will be worth getting ready for the next step, for now, just the bare minimum is key for me. It's not all up to me, I need to prove it will work to someone else before I can even think of budgeting besides what I already set aside when I can. Thanks!

edit: too cold for me to put them outside here, and probably too risky for theft with my neighbors unfortunately. But I will get a cabinet going, line it with some white material or foil since cfl isn't very hot. So, CFL in a box it is!

But, you said warm light? I thought I need cool white light for pre-flowering times? I was seeing that the cold light is less red, and the warm light is more red, which is for veg then flower, respectively? Is that backwards?

No offense, but this: Everything I say is a LIE. Except that... kinda makes me weary about your post, and that you have deliberately told me the opposite? I hope you understand, maybe that's your legal disclaimer, but it seems to me a newbie that you're giving disinformation/sabotage? Please don't be offended, I just want to be sure?

edit: read through your post again, seems legit, just a disclaimer, except I am still confused about warm vs cool light. What, is it, warm light for seedling, cool light for veg, warm light for flower? Or can I do cool white from now until later? I don't even know how long it takes/how fast I can flower or how long that takes. I am imagining 2 months I can pick and dry some buds, but likely takes somewhere closer to 4? I'm not even sure what I have, I think it's lemon diesel. I will find out what it was. Ah, first timing, is so confusing.
 
D

Datruegamer

Member
Look Bro i like your effort in putting together your question,,, but to be honest i only read a little of your thead(very medicated right now:bigjoint:),,,AND to the point i see what your saying my room has been the same way and i totally agree that if the sun is shining right nice in your window and you have a little night stand then yes sunlight is wayyyy better than cfl's and i know its cold out now but if its above 65F crack your window and let that outside breeze come on in. In my case i move my plant as the sun turns arouns my room on a rolly chiar. And since you have more than one plant why not experiment. A+ for effort...nuff said
 
B

Brian.

Member
That is very encouraging! thank you so much for sharing your way and that it can work! I will indeed do one in a box and one in the room! haha awesome!
 
GenePerfect

GenePerfect

Active Member
i use a warm fluro for propergation and early stages. then i use hps after roots show. if i was not using hps, i would use a mis of warm and cool to grow, not sure how or what would be best for flower, always used hps. anyway sorry for the confusion, sincerely hope all goes well. and it depends ona lot of things to be able to tell how long itl take to get smoko. usually in a hydro setup, 2-4 months. outdoors usually longer and any other type of light will be somewere in between. flower normally is 8wks, up to 14 for some sativas, of course some take longer, but there not commonly cultivated. so id say ur strain, if it is a hybrid indica then probably for you 8-9 weeks. i personally think you will find the plant will grow wl under light, but try flower by the window with the sun, might be a bit better kick. btw red spectrums in grow is good, so is a lot of different spectrums, however red in flower is essential.
 
B

Brian.

Member
Sounds good, I will go for one of the sprouts in the window, and one 42w or two 26w with as much info as I can find about it here. I'll wing it with the window baby, and start light on the main squeeze and make sure I let everyone know how it goes and how either performs: Super low budget single or double CFL setup VS daylight. Should be pretty interesting and useful info. ill hold off on the other 3 bagseed and try to find some more in the next bag of googies until I see which works better.

I know a proper setup with better planning + finances is going to be superb and preferred, however with my limitations, others could certainly benefit from what I find with these ones - will keep you guys posted if interested, and look forward to any tips anyone can drop on me (perhaps ideas for home-made nutes, maybe banana peels or potassium? stuff like that?)
 
GenePerfect

GenePerfect

Active Member
cheap nutes... natral as it gets, worms... also, co2 can be produced be decomposing plant matter. so as an effort, or more of an experinemt keep your vegg peelings, fruit and other stuff like that, you can compost things like this, probably the cheaer way to get good plant nutrition. hope this helps
 
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