Hi newbie here

I have about 200$ to spend on grow equipment, what would be the most efficient way to use it?

#1, Get a heavy duty power strip grounded,

step 2 Get these socket things that plug directly into the electrical socket that you can screw a lightbulb right into. 3 - 4

Step 3, Get a programmable timer.

Step 4 step 5, Buy 3 y Sockets

step 5 buy 6 26 watt CFL 6.500k spectrum lights,

Step 6 Get a plant pot 3 - 5 gallons

step 7 get miracle grow moisture control soil

step 8 Get miracle grow plant food for veg and flowering stage

step 9 set this up, Set the lights up paralel to the wall so the light bulbs go directly across the top of your plants.

i'm a little high can't think of the building procedure

Probably spend 40-50 on some good seeds. If you go through attitude you can get some freebies so you could get 2 - 3 seeds for around 30 bucks. Get feminized seeds so you don't wind up putting any money into a plant you'll wind up tossing. You need to figure out how many plants you want to grow as well as the space available. If you have 200 to start but plan on putting more money into it you need to take that into consideration. I'd imagine you could grow 2-4 plants with 150 dollars left for equipment. Don't try to save on the most essential things. Good soil like Fox Farm can go a long way compared to MG. I got a bag for 6 dollars that filled 6 pots for my plants to go through vegging. Get some decent nutrients as well, I'd go with the Fox Farm Trio, or just Grow Big and Tiger Bloom with your budget. Walmart has 2 packs of 23w 6500k cfls for $8. Before spending a bunch of money on power strips and electrical to lightbulb socket converters, you may want to look into hardwiring a vanity light. You can get a 3 light bar for 8 dollars or a 6 light bar for 13 at lowes.

Before going any further you should decide how much space you have to set up

or start with a clone instead of seeds. Have some $$ left for when stuff goes wrong. The first one is bascally a grow class.

Oh and welcome..read, read, read..tons of info here. Look at the stickies.

ok... before people start with ungodly amounts of CFL's... you can buy a 200watt 6500k CFL from menards for 30$. its in the form of a halogen lamp setup except a flourecent bulb. JUST FOUND THAT OUT... so without spending 100's of dollars on individual bulbs... you can buy 2 of those an be set for vegging.


Go to the light bulb section, then walk down to the shop lights... you'll see a blue setup that looks like a halogen... but is with a CFL bulb.

tonyeltigre said:

ok... before people start with ungodly amounts of CFL's... you can buy a 200watt 6500k CFL from menards for 30$. its in the form of a halogen lamp setup except a flourecent bulb. JUST FOUND THAT OUT... so without spending 100's of dollars on individual bulbs... you can buy 2 of those an be set for vegging.


Go to the light bulb section, then walk down to the shop lights... you'll see a blue setup that looks like a halogen... but is with a CFL bulb.

Click to expand...

thats what I did. bought an ungodly ammount of cfls. now Im spending more money upgrading my bulbs. live and learn

before you purchase 1 single 200W CFL bulb consider the following. CFLS are most effective 2-3 inches away, Garden Gnowm made this known with his book. That 200W is gonna give you one dense bud at the top nearest to it and very tiny not very dense lower buds, and thats only if you reflect the light with mylar. Having the smaller bulbs gives you movement advantage. With 10 bulbs equaling the same 200ws you can move em around alot easier and get a better grow. But i mean if you want less weed suit yourself

26w CFL bulbs are 4 for around $10 and they are the best lumen/watt ratio than any other wattage CFL. IDK where u spend $100s of dollars on CFLs . Even cheaper. go to homedepot go to the light section and they sell 3,4 or 5 socket vanity fixtures for $11,$14, and $16 and then put the Y splitters in those all the electrical work is done. get some 2700k and 6500k for a mixed spectrum. get a tent or cab where u can grow in so u can control the humity, etc. BUTTTT if u have the room $200 on ebay can get a complete MH/HPS light and a tent which is reall all u need but soil and nutes and tht will def be the most effiecnt way to go. unless ur more of a DIY kinda guy. GOOD LUCK THO

$16- home depot light fixture
$8- 4x Y-socket splitter
$20- 2 packs of 4 26w CFLs (1 of each spectrum) veg= more 6500k flower= more 2700k
$2- extension cordto splice and connect to fixture
0$ to $5- piece of wood if u have laying around to attach too and hang
$5- chains and hooks
anddd $3- mylar emergency blanket from walmart ur gunnna need to concentrate tht light

total= $59 BOOM! 208w fixture

and screw tht mircale grow...go with happy frog im sure u can get a 50lb bag for around $20..just cut it w 1/4 perlite and ur golden