Lighting Question for perpetual garden

My main grow room is a 600w HPS full spectrum cool tube, with a 200 cfl carbon filter and a 500 cfl fan, 3x3 grow tent. My question is, can I use fluorescent bulbs for the vegetation area, I guess I'm just gonna turn my closet into one. Anyways I'm wondering if you have enough wattage and the plants are close enough to the bulbs if this will be a good alternative to spending more money on a ballast and mh light set up.

I'm looking through lowes home improvement site and I've found these 60watt fluorescent bulbs. These are the bulbs right here <--link

I shelled out just over a grand for my main set up, I think I may trade in my grow tent for a 3x6. I initially went with a 4x4 but it wouldn't fit. Anyways I'm setting the veg station/cloning station in my closet and I don't want to feel like I'm skimping out with these fluorescent bulbs. I read somewhere that using fluorescent will make them lanky and longer than if I used an MH where they will be compact, is this true?

I'm running the 400 watt inda-gro lamps that produce around 93,000 lumens. check out their grow pictures on their site and you'll see what I mean the babies were at week two and started from cuttings. I saw those get started

those are expensive...I don't want to spend $400 on a fluorescent light, I could just buy another ballast and MH set up. I'm wanting to know if I can use those fluorescent bulbs that I linked in my first post.

...this is exactly what I do from clones to 6' mothers. I use the typical 40 watt, 4 foot shop lights for veg. I use one cool white bulb and one warm white bulb in each setup for full spectrum....works great and heat is never an issue.

just a suggestion. If you want more horsepower out of fluorescent lamp you go electrodeless and hit the UV and IR PAR spectrums for larger areas like 5 x 5. MH is only good for UV veg.

chazbolin said:

I'm running the 400 watt inda-gro lamps that produce around 93,000 lumens. check out their grow pictures on their site and you'll see what I mean the babies were at week two and started from cuttings. I saw those get started

Click to expand...

I wouldn't think 2 40 watts are enough, that is only what, 3200 lumens. Don't I want atleast 30k lumens... for a small closet area, I want my veg plants to be awesome.

And chaz, everything you are telling me to get is really expensive, those electrodeless bulbs are expensive.


Also in my original post I said the closet is going to be for veg/cloning but they will be on two different levels. I will have a lower wattage amount of fluorescent on the top shelf for cloning and then I want enough wattage/lumens in the bottom part of my closet for vegging. I need some help, how much fluorescent wattage do I need for vegging correctly.

help please

pionier 8 tube T5 systen a bad ass veg light, there 5200 lumin a tube x8= 49,000 lummins

For me i use 2 G.E. cfls 100 watts equivalent 5000k. per plant with good reflective area and and i see amazingly fast results. I find them for 6.99 in my local grocery store the package says sunshine on the side pretty clever if you ask me ive had them forever to!! just dont break them cuz we all know whats inside a cfl right?
Im seeing about 1.5 to 2 feet in about 2 weeks in soil x)

thanks LRgenius, I was looking for a cheap alternative, those look good. I wasn't sure if they would do that job but after looking it up and looking at everyones suggestions I don't see anything wrong with fluorescent.

Glad I could help a bit. good luck with your results and happy growing