Plant lights

Fulci

Fulci

Member
I just purchased two light bulbs that look like floodlights and they have a blue coating over them. The box says they are for growing plants. When I turned them on, they created alot of heat on my hand. I looked this light up and it seems it is an incandesent bulb. People say that it is the worst light for growing any plant. Why would manufacturers make this product and say it is designed for growing plants? Or am I wrong? I will only be growing 2 plants max.
 
Kookiemonsta

Kookiemonsta

Active Member
Lighting is one of, if the most, important aspect of success.

Dont half ass it.

Return them and do a bit of research on lighting. Spend a bit of $$ dont go cheap.
 
Cow Tea

Cow Tea

Active Member
It's a horrible scam. Technically any light can grow it, but at different rates. Cfl are good for cheap grows. Look at actual wattage, not equivilant wattage.
 
curseofnoob

curseofnoob

Active Member
in the beggining i bought bulbs what you have. and then i noticed that those bulbs didnt work. then i searched topics about lighting. and i got informations about bulbs. usually 4-5 types of bulbs work fine.
1-HPS (high pressure sodium) (electric bill high)
2-MH (metal halide) ( electric bill high)
3-CFL (compact fluorescent) (low-medium bill)
4-FL (fluorescent tubes) (low-medium bill)

you need 1x45w CFL for each plant
45 watt produces ~2750 lumens. and 1 plant needs at least 3000 lumen. so you need an extra bulb which is 23w. in total you want 1x45w + 1x23w. which means 2750 lumen + 1250 lumen = 4000 lumen is fine

in vegetation period you want : 6500 k (daylight - white )
in flowering period you want : 2700k (warm white - yellowish) (not painted bulb!) just read the information on the box of the bulbs and you will see 6500 k or 2700k is written on it.
 
Kookiemonsta

Kookiemonsta

Active Member
curseofnoob said:
in the beggining i bought bulbs what you have. and then i noticed that those bulbs didnt work. then i searched topics about lighting. and i got informations about bulbs. usually 4-5 types of bulbs work fine.
1-HPS (high pressure sodium) (electric bill high)
2-MH (metal halide) ( electric bill high)
3-CFL (compact fluorescent) (low-medium bill)
4-FL (fluorescent tubes) (low-medium bill)

you need 1x45w CFL for each plant
45 watt produces ~2750 lumens. and 1 plant needs at least 3000 lumen. so you need an extra bulb which is 23w. in total you want 1x45w + 1x23w. which means 2750 lumen + 1250 lumen = 4000 lumen is fine

in vegetation period you want : 6500 k (daylight - white )
in flowering period you want : 2700k (warm white - yellowish) (not painted bulb!) just read the information on the box of the bulbs and you will see 6500 k or 2700k is written on it.
Click to expand...
3k per square ft....
Your plant is really only going to take up 1 square foot??
I would reccomend more then a 45 and 23 per plant
 
curseofnoob

curseofnoob

Active Member
we use meter for measuring it. so 0,50 m x 1 m x 2 m cabinette they are in.
i have 3x45w for 3 plant and 1x30 w 2700k CFL as well. and they are growing as hell.
BUT ! they are in 9th day of flowering and they have not got much flowers. but growing fast
 
Fulci

Fulci

Member
Yeah, I know a little about lighting but I knew nothing about those bullshit lights. I have those spiral cfl light bulbs so would 2 on each be enough? I think they are 40 watts each.
 
Fulci

Fulci

Member
Could I use the cfl's for all of the plant's life? The seeds have germinated but didn't sprout yet. I did the wet paper towel technique but I planted them right when they cracked (not when they have the long string like you see in those youtube vids.)
 
stonerbeans

stonerbeans

Member
Fulci said:
Could I use the cfl's for all of the plant's life? The seeds have germinated but didn't sprout yet. I did the wet paper towel technique but I planted them right when they cracked (not when they have the long string like you see in those youtube vids.)
Click to expand...
CFLs are enough to support plant life, Thats it in my opinion. Im still on my first grow and the first half of it was done with CFLs, then switched to a 400w HPS about 2 to 3 weeks ago. The plants have grown incredibly since the new light. If your looking for any quality in bud and to finish this harvest before 2012, get like a 100w or 250w HPS. You WONT regret it. You should check out my little grow in my signature. Could help you out a bit.
 
iron joint

iron joint

Active Member
curseofnoob said:
in the beggining i bought bulbs what you have. and then i noticed that those bulbs didnt work. then i searched topics about lighting. and i got informations about bulbs. usually 4-5 types of bulbs work fine.
1-HPS (high pressure sodium) (electric bill high)
2-MH (metal halide) ( electric bill high)
3-CFL (compact fluorescent) (low-medium bill)
4-FL (fluorescent tubes) (low-medium bill)
Click to expand...
i wouldnt say your electric bill is any higher with the HID lights, if anything its going to be lower. If you need to put up like 150W of CFL's for you plants to grow your better off putting up a 150W HPS/MH. Same electric bill....more lumens. Its the initial cost thats higher, not the electric bill.
 
P

prop 215 patient

Member
You get what you pay for! Inadequate lights grow weak and sparse flowers. Although HID lights are hot and expensive, their performance is well worth the price. Have you considered using a small 150 watt HID with ample ventilation? A small setup should not add more to your electric bill than you could reasonably counterbalance through frugality. Im sure you have your reasons for using inferior lighting, but remember... you get what you pay for!
 
P

prop 215 patient

Member
Word, but CFLs work best for clones and seedlings. Just imagine how dense the buds under CFLs would be if you flowered with a HPS. Theres no comparison when it comes to 12/12 with HPS man.
 
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