What's Your Feelings on Fluorescent Lighting

[I Want Buds]

I've never used them and all I've heard is bad. What do some of you who have had experience think about using fluorescent lighting for only 1 or 2 train wreck plants in my closet?

 

[zipflip]

if fluorescents you mean cfl's ya can check my grows in my signature. i use all cfl's in my grows so far

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

Wanna see a fight start do ya? lol
For smaller grows. CFLs are better. You use about 9x the Red in a 2700 CFL than you would an HPS. You might draw more lumens from a HPS. But the lumens are pretty meaningless for small grows. It becomes more about hitting the right targets of light as hard as you can.

From Ed Rosenthal:
"As you mentioned, you have several lighting systems to choose from, including compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Among HPS lamps you have a choice between a single 100-watt lamp which uses a total of about 120-watts and emits about 8,800 lumens(73 lumens per watt) or a 150-watt lamp, which uses about 180 watts and emits almost double that-15,800 lumens (87 lumens per watt).
A 42-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) emits about 2700 lumens(64 lumens per watt). Four CFLs use 168 watts and emit 10,800 lumens. Other size CFLs have a similar efficiency.
However, that is only part of the story. Plants use mostly red and blue light. Yellow and green light is of little use to them, so light that is emitted in these spectrums is wasted energy. Most of the light emitted by HPS lamps is in the yellow spectrum. Only a small amount of the emitted light is is in the orange or red spectrums, which plants use efficiently. Warm white fluorescents (2700 Kelvin) emit a greater portion in the red and orange sectors.
Although fluorescents produce only about 75% of the light per watt that the HPS does, the amount of light usable by the plant is equal or probably higher with the fluorescents. You may wish to experiment to see if adding a single cool white CFL to replace one warm white results in shorter, stouter stems and more vigorous growth. The reasoning is that warm whites don't emit much blue light, which the plants use for photosynthesis and to regulate their growth. The cool white bulb supplies the blue light.
My call for your unit would be to use several (three to five) CFLs with a total input of between 120-160 watts. Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents."

 

[dirtyolsouth]

As I mentioned in your other post, if you can't go with some really decent ventilation there isn't another option imho... There seems to be only three sensible options...

1. Grow with HID lighting and strong ventilation
2. Grow with fluorescent lighting and modest ventilation
3. Don't grow!

MANY people do nice grows with fluoros... Plenty of examples are all around this forum... Don't beat yourself up over it if you can't or are unable to run a fairly noisy fan and duct work out of your grow space... just go with the fluoros... If you use a nice bank or two of T5 tubes and keep them close to your gals I'm sure you'd get some really decent smoke and some dank odors... A carbon filter can also be ran within your bedroom with a fan that continuously cycles and scrubs the air within the room through the filter.

Good Luck!

 

[Killuminati420]

i guess T5s are nice...well see soon

 

[I Want Buds]

Well if I decide to go fluorescent, could you lay out for me what items I need to buy to get it ready? I've mentioned before, this is my first indoor grow, so I know pretty much nothing. It will be in a closet in my bedroom. Anywhere else and my beast dogs would get to it.

The closets measurements: H-6ft, W-2.5ft, L-7ft

I've got 2 seeds. That's it.

Any help appreciated.

I Want Buds

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Well if I decide to go fluorescent, could you lay out for me what items I need to buy to get it ready? I've mentioned before, this is my first indoor grow, so I know pretty much nothing. It will be in a closet in my bedroom. Anywhere else and my beast dogs would get to it.

The closets measurements: H-6ft, W-2.5ft, L-7ft

I've got 2 seeds. That's it.

Any help appreciated.

I Want Buds

For that space I'd get a four foot long T5 fixture with 8 bulbs if you can swing it. You can buy it with either blue spectrum (grow) or red spectrum (bloom) bulbs and I'd suggest you go with maybe 6 blue and 2 red to start with. While your seedling grows you can hopefully have a few extra dollars to pick up maybe 4 more red bulbs and when you switch to 12/12 you can swap out your bulbs so you end up with 6 red (bloom) bulbs and 2 blue. There are some T5 fixtures that are more pricey than others.

One of the least expensive brands are the Sunblaze fixtures and their 4 foot, 8-tube T5 is $269. The other brands go for closer to $429 and the bulbs that you use in them are the same. T5 fixtures/bulbs come in two lengths: 24" and 48". There are fixtures available that hold anywhere from one to eight T5 tubes. Each 48" tube is rated at 5000 lumens of available light so an 8 tube fixture has 40,000 lumens which is pretty respectable. Some of the better 400w HPS bulbs like Hortilux have 55,000 lumens so you'd be in the ballpark with an 8 tube T5 fixture. The thing to remember is you need to keep your plants as close to the bulbs as they can get without touching to take advantage of those lumens as they don't penetrate the canopy like HID lighting does. Check into SCROG grows and training techniques so that you can keep your T5 fixture close to your plants.

Although fluoros are sometimes more expensive to get into than some HID lighting you really need to figure the feasability and cost of powerful ventilation into the equation for an accurate estimate. A 400 HPS would also require a $200 fan, ductwork and possibly an A/C unit in the bedroom. With a T5 fixture you can get away with blowing air into a closet for minimal ventilation but you'll do much better if you can have at least some type of air exchange going on with ducts but you won't need as powerful of an inline fan. You're also a lot less likely to require A/C with a T5 fixture if you can keep your home relatively cool with the existing air conditioning.

Peace!

 

[smokingjoe]

I can't wait till the T5 units become as cheap as the current batten varieties.

Flouros are great for mums and clone growth.

 

[no1toker]

ive got a t5 growing northen lights x chesse and was bit sceptical to start with but the results are looking good so far! it takes longer from start 2 finish but im pleased with the results so far im about 4 weeks into flower now, buts are looking gd and the plants are strong and healthy. the added bonus is u can keep the light as close to the plants as you like mine have even been growing around the bulbs without burning! will try post some pics later for you fellas.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Hey I Want Buds...

I highly suggest that you get some bagseeds and practice getting your germination and sprouting chops together before you give it a go with your two high quality seeds. I'd sure hate to see you have your seeds not go for you when all it takes is a little practice to get you and your grow environment up and ready for the real deal. Even if you had just bought 30 quality seeds I'd suggest doing this but since you only have two... it's all the more useful for you to do a test run with bagseed.

ive got a t5 growing northen lights x chesse and was bit sceptical to start with but the results are looking good so far! it takes longer from start 2 finish but im pleased with the results so far im about 4 weeks into flower now, buts are looking gd and the plants are strong and healthy. the added bonus is u can keep the light as close to the plants as you like mine have even been growing around the bulbs without burning! will try post some pics later for you fellas.

That sounds great #1... I use a 6 bulb, 48" T5 fixture for a side fill light in my closet grow. I don't know if you ever get any scorched leaves or buds from touching the T5's but I was getting burned leaves so I picked up a 17" x 48" piece of plexiglass to put right over the fixture and it works great for a barrier...

Peace!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Just this statement makes me distrust anything else that Ed has said in the quote above: "Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents." ...

You closet is too large to be using CFLs, IMO (I am running a 1000W HPS in a 3 x 6.5' space). Since you only want a couple of plants, section your closet off so you have a space about 2.5 x 2--you are going to need something absolutely light tight to flower, so I imagine that you will need to build something to do that anyway. If you are going to use fluoros, I encourage you to look at T5s--they will give you the best lumen/watt ratio and do a decent job. You can get 2' T5s that put out 5000 lumens. Four 2' tubes would give you 20000 lumens--close to the 5000 lumens that you want.

 

[mrkingford]

I paid $159.00 for my sunblaze 4ft. 4tube T5 including the bulbs.
IT WORKS GREAT.

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

I have to roll with THG on this one. 3x3 or smaller and CFLs are great.
Being 7 foot long. You need muscle more than just trying to hit the target colors.
Id cut it off and make the space small as possible.

 

[I Want Buds]

What would be the best way to box the area off. Build a wooden box or something and cover the inside with Mylar?

 

[Caretaker]

I had a space like yours in the beggining. You can fit 4 4ft tube fixtures for the top. With those 8 bulbs it can give you about 24,000 lumens if you use the right bulb to start. Add in about 8 cfls on the side. 2 on each of the shorter sides and 4 on the longer wall without the door. The 4-pack of 23 watts at walmart is $8. Those 8 give you 12800 lumens. Together you have 36,000 lumens pushing 504 watts. You need to get 2.5X that many lumens to flower how its suggested. Its a nasty job having that many bulbs. A 600watter would do perfect. Cut a couple lawns or whatever, The light pays for itself in 4 months.

 

[NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer]

Wanna see a fight start do ya? lol
For smaller grows. CFLs are better. You use about 9x the Red in a 2700 CFL than you would an HPS. You might draw more lumens from a HPS. But the lumens are pretty meaningless for small grows. It becomes more about hitting the right targets of light as hard as you can.

From Ed Rosenthal:
"As you mentioned, you have several lighting systems to choose from, including compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Among HPS lamps you have a choice between a single 100-watt lamp which uses a total of about 120-watts and emits about 8,800 lumens(73 lumens per watt) or a 150-watt lamp, which uses about 180 watts and emits almost double that-15,800 lumens (87 lumens per watt).
A 42-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) emits about 2700 lumens(64 lumens per watt). Four CFLs use 168 watts and emit 10,800 lumens. Other size CFLs have a similar efficiency.
However, that is only part of the story. Plants use mostly red and blue light. Yellow and green light is of little use to them, so light that is emitted in these spectrums is wasted energy. Most of the light emitted by HPS lamps is in the yellow spectrum. Only a small amount of the emitted light is is in the orange or red spectrums, which plants use efficiently. Warm white fluorescents (2700 Kelvin) emit a greater portion in the red and orange sectors.
Although fluorescents produce only about 75% of the light per watt that the HPS does, the amount of light usable by the plant is equal or probably higher with the fluorescents. You may wish to experiment to see if adding a single cool white CFL to replace one warm white results in shorter, stouter stems and more vigorous growth. The reasoning is that warm whites don't emit much blue light, which the plants use for photosynthesis and to regulate their growth. The cool white bulb supplies the blue light.
My call for your unit would be to use several (three to five) CFLs with a total input of between 120-160 watts. Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents."

When was this written? It seems as if Ed is speaking about much older technology. The red spectrum output on HPS bulbs has increased greatly over the past decade. Yes they put out a lot of yellow, but also a ton of red and a decent amount of blue.

 

[PencilHead]

What would be the best way to box the area off. Build a wooden box or something and cover the inside with Mylar?

Both panda film and flat white paint are a lot easier to install and to maintain and are both considerably cheaper.

Mylar's nice for wrapping Christmas gifts, and I've seen some formal-wear tin-foil hats made from Mylar that were quite stylish (hxxp;vandalay.industries.foil.hat.kook.urge). JK, Mylar is more reflective but not really enough so to warrant the added expense.

 

[WeedHopper]

I would show you what yur girls can look like from start to finish under T5's,,but it shows I have these pics already on the forum which is not true,,cause I have no attachments. Maybe the Mods will fix it to where I can show you. PPL here have seen my T5 grows and can tell ya they look very nice. I had colas as big as beer bottles and very dence.
A lum is a lum as long as the color spec is right. 30,000 lums of T5 floras are as good as 30,000 lums of HPS,,,WITH the right Color Spectrum being used. HPS gives ya more Lums per watt though. I like T5's because they spread the lums out nice and equally. Keep them close to the canopy and you will love what ya see in the end.:hubba:

 

[I Want Buds]

Well I'm not sure if I have a way to get air curculation in my closet other than just blowing some fans. What I'm trying to do is just figure out the most efficient option for the limited area and moneys I have to work with.

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

When was this written? It seems as if Ed is speaking about much older technology. The red spectrum output on HPS bulbs has increased greatly over the past decade. Yes they put out a lot of yellow, but also a ton of red and a decent amount of blue.

Actually NYCD. Those big spikes are Orange and Yellow. The true Red plants use most is 660-680 (Red doesnt even start till 650). Which HPS is only hitting 15-20% on.
That looks kinda like 6500 temp. With it hitting in the middle so hard like that.
With CFLs. You can get that 6500, or slide the spikes down to the deep reds with 2700 CFLs.

If they made a 2700 styled HPS. It would be the greatest thing to ever happen to indoor growing. A 250watt would nearly equal a 1000watt HPS then. With it spiking at 80% for true red.

hxxp://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html (first sample I came across)