# Fluro lights for flowering



## Marlboro (Aug 31, 2006)

Ok so let me get this straite using fluro lights during the flowering phase is not enough light for it to contiue right? Im not growing a lot just a couple of plants and im trying to figure out if i should buy a hps light for the flowering stage if im not planning to grow a lot of plants then do i really need to buy a better light source? Is using fluros for the whole process not sufficient enough for the plant to grow and yield enough? I need to get this straitened out, During the seedling and starting and vegetative phase i can use fluros but when im tryin to flower them i should use hps or mh lights correct?


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## German Gigalo (Aug 31, 2006)

Floro's and/or CFL's can be used for veging, and actually give good results. MH is a more intense light within the same color spectrum range...for veg stage. In other words, MH will give better yeilds, supposedly. HPS is needed for flowering to due its color spectrum and intensity. However there are a few members on here who claim to have completed an entire grow with floro / cfl's with medocre results. Hope this clears it up for you.

-What kind of setup are you planning anyways?

-GG


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## Marlboro (Aug 31, 2006)

Thanks german for actually replying back with a straight forward answer and not telling me to go research it. Im planning to do whatever i have to make the right setup right now i currently have 2 fluros purchased from home depot for the seedlings. MY plants have just broke the soil and are now reaching for the lights. I wanted to know if there were other ways of making the plants flower without having to use hps and or mh during the veg phase. Im not trying to grow a high yield return but only for personal since it is only my first time. But I am thinking about making my own enclosed hydro hut cuz currently i am growing out of my closet and if i am successful with this project i would like to continue to grow a couple plants for personal use.


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## German Gigalo (Aug 31, 2006)

Its not the lights that induce flowering, it the light cycle. Once your plant is mature, between 4-8 weeks (depending on if you started from seed or clone), you would switch to 12 /12 light cycle. This will make the plant "think" it is the end of summer and now its time to flower (or pollenate if male ). You can flower a plant with any descent light source, you will just get varied results depending on type of light. The HPS is the choice of light for flowering because of its orange-red spectrum, just like the fall sun.

-GG


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## W Ã¯ l l (Aug 31, 2006)

2100K CFLs are currently available...shouldnt be too much longer before they can be had all over the place, instead of just the few sites here and there over in Germany and the UK.


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## W Ã¯ l l (Aug 31, 2006)




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## GreenThumb (Sep 1, 2006)

G G is right but it should also be mentioned that once you go to HPS for your flowering cycle you'll be running into heat issues in your closet.


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## German Gigalo (Sep 1, 2006)

> G G is right but it should also be mentioned that once you go to HPS for your flowering cycle you'll be running into heat issues in your closet.


 
It is true that a HID set up will release more heat, but it is the hoods of these light fixtures that can save the day and actually make it cooler. Heres how: by running floro's and CFL's the emit less heat however "if" they do not have a ventalated hood the heat just dispearses in the immediate area. However with the HID w/ ventalated hood with glass (and you have a dryer tube that sucks the heat out) you can actually have cooler temps. So you see its not the added heat that is the problem, its the *length* of time that the heat stays in the given area.

I had floro's and cfl's in my set up. Temps sat at 85-90% Kept the same fans and attached a HPS setup. Attached the hood to the exhaust fan. Now I sit at 75-80%.

-From the looks of Will's pics, those CFL's seem to sitting in a hood....maybe ventalated.

-GG


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## Stoney Bud (Sep 1, 2006)

Marlboro said:
			
		

> Thanks for actually replying back with a straight forward answer and not telling me to go research it.


I think you misunderstood what I meant in your first post when I directed you to a grow guide. That suggestion was as straitforward as they come.


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## I_H8_MY_X (Sep 17, 2006)

I have used fluro from the begining and now in my 2nd week of flowering, I am using 6 four foot plant fluros (pinkish colour) and 2 four foot natural day light fluros and 4 two foot plant fluros for a total of 16400 lumins per foot in a 2x4 space..here is my pic


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## CaptainViper (Sep 27, 2006)

Hey Mallboro, You can flower w/CFL's. The wife and I have Been fooling around with CFL's for a couple of years now, The main problems we've had was "wispy" Buds  But after saving-up, and working more than a few over-time Hrs. , We finaly bought a 105W CFL w/ hood from our local HyDro Store.  WOW, what a differance!! A couple of months Later I bought My Wife a 175W MH /with ballast and hood for her Birth-day. Truely a Gift that " Keeps on Giving"  Watch the Heat/ Temp., and Remember Lumes = bigger Buds. You also want to Read as much as you can about Growing , Let me Suggest " The Sea of Green " By Hans. Keep reading about Grows Here, This is a wonderful Site, Full of Wise and Very Nice People.  Check-out My "Grow Journel" for some Idea of how our " Closet Victory Garden" is set-up, And Our Girls! We are realy getting some NICE N.L.5 x Skunk #1 Buds, Not Airy anymore        Let Us know How It's Going, Maybe start Your own" Grow Journel" Most of us are more than happy to try to Help.        CaptainViper.      P.S. Here's a Few pic's Of Some of the " Girls".The first 3 pic's Are under The MH. w/ the N.L.xSkunks, the last 2 are under the 105W CFL. Trippy Lighting effect from the MH.


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## the colonel (Nov 29, 2008)

it is so awesome to look up info as i progress through my journey with the bachelor extra closet factory--i am learning as i go and always looking for tips and sage advice-thanks to all-the colonel


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## la9 (Nov 30, 2008)

You should always use HPS to flower, it gives the best results hands down.

Also you can get a 150 watt HPS for $20, so you'd spend more trying to grow with flouro. Unless you are in Europe, the the $20 light doesn' work there.


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## st00ner (Nov 30, 2008)

I am flowering with a combination of T8 fluro tubes:

4 2700K 40W 3150 Lumens
4 5750K 40W 2150 Lumens
2 6700K 40W 3150 Lumens

5 CFL's
2700K 23W 1700 Lumens

Getting to the lower branches and stem no problem...

Not sure how good the bud will be, but the light hits all parts of the plants, penatriting even the lower levels. I think the bud is going to be good they have grown fast with around 4000 lumens per square foot


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 30, 2008)

Okay, here is the bottom line on CFLs and HPS.  Watt for watt and lumen for lumen CFLs are hotter, cost more to purchase initially, cost more to run (electrical costs), and will yield a fraction of the bud that a HPS will.  This is not supposition on someone's part, these are the facts.

For example, St00ner is running 400W fluoro tubes putting out 8450 lumens and 115W of CFLs putting out 1700 lumens for a total of 515W and 10150 lumens.  I am running a dual 150W HPS that is a total of 300W putting out 30000 lumens.  Two 150W HPS can be purchased for a little over $50.  I am growing in a 2 x 2 x 4' space.  The space is being kept cool with a computer fan.  I anticipate over 5 ozs from this grow.

While fluoros work well for vegging, they actually cost more and produce less than HPS for flowering.


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## Waspfire (Nov 30, 2008)

i suggest  u go read lighting 101 in the lights thread seems u  have no clue about cfls but i always see u bashing ppl on here when thye say they use them there choice.Also i have seen cfl buds that make ir hps buds look stupid so dont tell me its all about hps its about the grower
and u have mad eme loose my temper many time sbefore with ur negative comments time for break from marpassion we loose tbg and get somone who is irght and everyoen else is wrong


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## andy52 (Nov 30, 2008)

i fully agree with THG,listen to her.i'm telling you it seems this issue comes up every week or so.there is no scrimping on money when it comes to the end product.it all goes back to if you want crappy buds or big solid buds.it takes the same amount of time to grow either.i personally choose to give my ladies all they need.the lights pay for themselves.i now use 400 watters to flower with.i do use cfls to veg only.i bought 2 1000 watters for my future grow area.i learned awhile back to have everything you need to make a full grow,start to finish,before you ever pop a seed.its so much easier.
  try the fluros and see what you come out with.then throw some HPS on the next grow and compare.no comparision.i do not care what anyone says.facts are facts.period.  jmo


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 30, 2008)

flaboy420 said:
			
		

> i suggest  u go read lighting 101 in the lights thread seems u  have no clue about cfls but i always see u bashing ppl on here when thye say they use them there choice.Also i have seen cfl buds that make ir hps buds look stupid so dont tell me its all about hps its about the grower
> and u have mad eme loose my temper many time sbefore with ur negative comments time for break from marpassion we loose tbg and get somone who is irght and everyoen else is wrong



I am not bashing on people (although you are bashing on me).  These are the simple facts regarding CFLs.  All experienced growers will tell you the same thing.  All I am trying to do is to educate people on CFLs and HPS.  When HPSs were expensive and everyone could not afford them, CFLs made sense.  But what with HPS being inexpensive and readily available, they are the better choice for flowering and *they are less expensive*.

While a part of what you can get depends on the grower, you still cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  The best grower in the world still needs the right equipment and good genetics.  Go talk to Slowmo77--he grew with CFLs for years--he will tell you the same thing...

Now, go load a bowl and mellow out.  Trying to help someone get more bud for less money should not be viewed as negative.


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## Thorn (Nov 30, 2008)

i never knew you were a mod hemp!

CFLs are great when you don't have anything else. I know this is an old thread but German Gigalo lol you think some people on here that have grown with cfl have had MEDOCRE (as you put it) results?? Oh dear... All you need to do is look at CFL Buds and other threads to see that you can do a darn fine job with them in flowering!


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## st00ner (Nov 30, 2008)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Okay, here is the bottom line on CFLs and HPS.  Watt for watt and lumen for lumen CFLs are hotter, cost more to purchase initially, cost more to run (electrical costs), and will yield a fraction of the bud that a HPS will.  This is not supposition on someone's part, these are the facts.
> 
> For example, St00ner is running 400W fluoro tubes putting out 8450 lumens and 115W of CFLs putting out 1700 lumens for a total of 515W and 10150 lumens.  I am running a dual 150W HPS that is a total of 300W putting out 30000 lumens.  Two 150W HPS can be purchased for a little over $50.  I am growing in a 2 x 2 x 4' space.  The space is being kept cool with a computer fan.  I anticipate over 5 ozs from this grow.
> 
> While fluoros work well for vegging, they actually cost more and produce less than HPS for flowering.



I only recommend fluros for Vegging and flowering ONLY if you have space limitations and cannot use any HID.

HPS kicks its *** in terms of energy used per lumen.

Lower powered HPS are about as effecient as CFLS, so having an array of them in a small area is still pointless IMO. CFL's and Fluro for small areas and HPS and MH for big.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 30, 2008)

Thorn said:
			
		

> ... I know this is an old thread but ...



LOL--It certainly is.  I didn't even notice how old it was  before I posted.


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## mondo99 (Jun 3, 2009)

my bro used flourescents blue spec for veg, and at the hydo shop they sold high out put red spec for flowering his crop came out perfect!!!


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## CoolAsAFan (Jun 3, 2009)

my t-5's run at 432w and throw 40,000 lumens and are technically considered cfl's. in an enclosed setup roughly the size of the light (18" x 48"), thats 6,666 L/ft2. but an even canopy is a must as light penetration doesnt even compare to HID.


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## Growin_4_It (Jun 21, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Two 150W HPS can be purchased for a little over $50. I am growing in a 2 x 2 x 4' space. The space is being kept cool with a computer fan. I anticipate over 5 ozs from this grow.


 

I cannot find lights for that cheap..... do you know where can I go for this deal???  :hubba:


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