Is 50watt per sq foot a must?

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SmokeSomething

Member
Im going to be running about 35 watts per square foot... think this will be fine? I have approx 12, 27 watt cfls... i dont think ill be growin in the ENTIRE area... but the "Room" the plants will be in happens to be 9 quare feet ... I want to try some kind of scrog method, i assume ill only have 5-6 square feet actually used....

I dunno im just wondering if ill see respectable results with this amount of lighting.
 
bloomfields

bloomfields

Active Member
SmokeSomething said:
Im going to be running about 35 watts per square foot... think this will be fine? I have approx 12, 27 watt cfls... i dont think ill be growin in the ENTIRE area... but the "Room" the plants will be in happens to be 9 quare feet ... I want to try some kind of scrog method, i assume ill only have 5-6 square feet actually used....

I dunno im just wondering if ill see respectable results with this amount of lighting.
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The light set up you have described is sufficent for vegging but flowerings under cfl's would be dissapointing my friend - in the space u have described you could use a 250-400watt hid sodium the results would be much better - only talking from experience hope it is helpfull :)
 
S

SmokeSomething

Member
bloomfields said:
a 250-400watt hid sodium the results would be much better - only talking from experience hope it is helpfull :)
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Dont you have to wire those lights directly into the fuse box? this is not an option where i am ... I have 12, 6500k bulbs.. and 12, 2700k bulbs ... think i could do like all the 2700s, and 6 of the 6500s during flowering ? so 12 bulbs for veg, and 18 for flowering.

do cfls just totally blow for flowering? i was hoping for enough smoke to be self sufficient...
 
H

HerbalRemedy

Well-Known Member
It is true. HPS is the way to go when flowering....CFL will work don't get me wrong. I kept a steady supply for over a year using nothing but 6 GE 23 Watt Daylight CFL. When I decided to upgrade to HPS I was absolutely amazed at the jump in yield. Its not going to matter how many cfl you get, I really don't see where its going to change your results. I also had more of a heat problem when I was running 8 CFL compared to one 250 watt HPS bulb. If its all you got or all you can afford....Use it, don't be like me and think more bulbs equals more yield. It often led to more problems for me. You could grow an entire plant from start to finish with one CFL. Yield won't be that great. With experience you will learn what works and what doesn't. Keep on keeping on.
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
bloomfields said:
The light set up you have described is sufficent for vegging but flowerings under cfl's would be dissapointing my friend - in the space u have described you could use a 250-400watt hid sodium the results would be much better - only talking from experience hope it is helpfull :)
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why the f*** do ppl insist on dissin cfls, cfls are good enough if u have enough,as long as u have 3000 lumens per square foot ull be fine
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
HerbalRemedy said:
It is true. HPS is the way to go when flowering....CFL will work don't get me wrong. I kept a steady supply for over a year using nothing but 6 GE 23 Watt Daylight CFL. When I decided to upgrade to HPS I was absolutely amazed at the jump in yield. Its not going to matter how many cfl you get, I really don't see where its going to change your results. I also had more of a heat problem when I was running 8 CFL compared to one 250 watt HPS bulb. If its all you got or all you can afford....Use it, don't be like me and think more bulbs equals more yield. It often led to more problems for me. You could grow an entire plant from start to finish with one CFL. Yield won't be that great. With experience you will learn what works and what doesn't. Keep on keeping on.
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dude i run 14 cfls and no heat problem at all, u had to be doing some thing wrong
 
S

SmokeSomething

Member
Thanks for your input ... you seem to have already walked the path i am trying to go ... CFL first for simplicity and experience. then the upgrade...

My grow space runs about 50 degrees all day steady, so i was hoping for some heat from the lights, i also have a heater im going to set up on a timer (like go on every 3 hours for 20 minutes or whatever, ill figure it out... if i need it of course)... but you really think a 250 watt HPS will make that much of a difference? even if i surpass the wattage with cfls... damn ... I was hoping for about 6 ounces... should i give up on this dream lol ? I do plan on using a scrog technique to help maximize effects.

All in all.. its not worth adding more lights? I have already gotten my supply of lights because i knew cfls were all i was going to be able to work with, figure 12 and 12 was good.. maybe its overkill now that i have your input?
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
dude trust me the more cfls is better, now cfls will put out a bit of heat but not like wut oboy wuz saying, it does not put out more heat the hps
 
S

SmokeSomething

Member
Lol 3 posts in 1 thread in less than 5 minutes.. i see how people get 1000+ posts now lol... (just poking fun at you in a joking way... laugh cuz it is funny), just saying consolidate it makes it easier to get all the info at once.

Also.. since u seem to be experienced with cfls... is 6 ounces too much to expect?
 
bloomfields

bloomfields

Active Member
SmokeSomething said:
Im going to be running about 35 watts per square foot... think this will be fine? I have approx 12, 27 watt cfls... i dont think ill be growin in the ENTIRE area... but the "Room" the plants will be in happens to be 9 quare feet ... I want to try some kind of scrog method, i assume ill only have 5-6 square feet actually used....

I dunno im just wondering if ill see respectable results with this amount of lighting.
Click to expand...
dude, good luck flowering with cfl's but i no there a waste of time , in the end you save nothing , and just end up wishing you had listened, cfl = mini , hid = porsche lol , your trying to replicate the sun!!!!! cfl's will work , no doubt- but yeilds will be megre........... i wish you luck!!!
a 250w metal halide or even better a 250w sodium would give much better results is all im saying , not just quantity but quality to my friend :)


advice is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee , grow cheese talk cheese peace!!!!!!!
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
SmokeSomething said:
Lol 3 posts in 1 thread in less than 5 minutes.. i see how people get 1000+ posts now lol... (just poking fun at you in a joking way... laugh cuz it is funny), just saying consolidate it makes it easier to get all the info at once.

Also.. since u seem to be experienced with cfls... is 6 ounces too much to expect?
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lol naw its cuz i read post by post
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
bloomfields said:
dude, good luck flowering with cfl's but i no there a waste of time , in the end you save nothing , and just end up wishing you had listened, cfl = mini , hid = porsche lol , your trying to replicate the sun!!!!! cfl's will work , no doubt- but yeilds will be megre........... i wish you luck!!!
a 250w metal halide or even better a 250w sodium would give much better results is all im saying , not just quantity but quality to my friend :)


advice is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee , grow cheese talk cheese peace!!!!!!!
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he said he wants personal use so he does not need too much bud. if u do right u can get 2 oz off one plant.
 
whiterhyno420

whiterhyno420

Well-Known Member
SmokeSomething said:
Ill germ like 6 of them, so 1-4 females? .. and then use the SCROG technique ...

around 300 actual watts, grown in soil, as for nutes.. i have no real experience so im just gonna wing it with whatever looks right to me at the garden store.
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go to a hydroponic store get some fox farm
 
bloomfields

bloomfields

Active Member
whiterhyno420 said:
he said he wants personal use so he does not need too much bud. if u do right u can get 2 oz off one plant.
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i guess but the quality from a sodium bulb would by far improve his quality of smoke!! by the time u have plugged in all those cfl's he isnt really saving anything , also if you cant learn by other people mistakes then whats the point in forums :P , btw have you ever grown nirvana ice ??? any info would be cool :)
 
G

gangjababy

Well-Known Member
SmokeSomething said:
Dont you have to wire those lights directly into the fuse box? this is not an option where i am ... I have 12, 6500k bulbs.. and 12, 2700k bulbs ... think i could do like all the 2700s, and 6 of the 6500s during flowering ? so 12 bulbs for veg, and 18 for flowering.

do cfls just totally blow for flowering? i was hoping for enough smoke to be self sufficient...
Click to expand...
HPS/MH lights connect to a ballast which plugs into a wall
CFL's will work alright, if you set it up right. I got 3.5 ounces using 12 cfl's in a rubber maid coated with mylar as a reflector.
 
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