First grow

[Locked]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251338673063?nav=SEARCH&varId=550281125384 same thing just buy it now not auction. But all together it only produces 8000lmn while a 4ft² tent requires 12000 lmn my CFLs would cover that easy producing 12800 lmn. I would have to disagree with you, unless t5s are miracle fluorescents and cover more light than the website says. 4 t5s don't even come close to the CFLs I found. And for flwrn I'm gonna use the same kind of CFLs but its 2700k and produces 7000lmn per bulb

4 foot HO T5 bulbs produce 5000 lumens per bulb.

If your space was 36x36 you would need 27,000 lumens total for veg.

Same space would need 45,000 lumens total for veg.

Those two bulbs you are going to get will get you 12,800 lumens total. That is enough lumens for a 2x2 space. That is a pretty small grow space. Where do you plan to flower at? You won't be able to get by in a 2x2 space with 1 plant let alone more. I think veg will be tough with more than one. And putting that many lumens in a small space during flower will mean you will really need some good ventilation and exhaust.

 

[MrTooHigh]

Oh so the t5s are costly cuz their more efficient, not by lumens but by the heat they produce. But still like you said a 3'x3' would take 27000 lmn while the 4 ft t5s produce 5000 per bulb I'd need 6 bulbs not 4. That's going to cost a lot more. I plan on growing my plants no more than 1.5ft so to do that I'll flower at 8 in and use LST and/or HST for best results(most yield)I was thinking maybe scrog. I need some method that'll work (lights/tent combo) good for under $175. I'll worry about ventilation when I get to it, one step at a time. I wasn't joking I really am on a strict budget for this. I've seen people successfully grow a good amount on a budget on here, it can be done, it just needs to be explained how it was done. Shoot, some people even grow never even purchasing nutes and just using general potting soil. So how? How can they do this successfully basically feeding it water and light?

 

[Locked]

Oh so the t5s are costly cuz their more efficient, not by lumens but by the heat they produce. But still like you said a 3'x3' would take 27000 lmn while the 4 ft t5s produce 5000 per bulb I'd need 6 bulbs not 4. That's going to cost a lot more. I plan on growing my plants no more than 1.5ft so to do that I'll flower at 8 in and use LST and/or HST for best results(most yield)I was thinking maybe scrog. I need some method that'll work (lights/tent combo) good for under $175. I'll worry about ventilation when I get to it, one step at a time. I wasn't joking I really am on a strict budget for this. I've seen people successfully grow a good amount on a budget on here, it can be done, it just needs to be explained how it was done. Shoot, some people even grow never even purchasing nutes and just using general potting soil. So how? How can they do this successfully basically feeding it water and light?

HO T5's produce less heat and are pretty efficient. Another good thing about them is they can be brought right down on top of your plants because they don't produce lots of heat. The result is you can actually get by in veg with under 3000 lumens per square foot. I have 20,000 lumens in a space that needs 24,000. (2x4) and they plants till grow tight and bushy.

Yes growing on a tight budget can be done, it is not easy though as your techniques need to be on when growing in smaller spaces. Which typically successful small budget grows are. As far as getting by with just potting soil...not gonna happen. The best case scenario is making it through a grow with those MG time release nutrients in the soil. This does not work for most though. Those soils suck for growing MJ.

 

[MrTooHigh]

I have good organic soil anyways so I don't have to worry about that. So if I wanted to get a 32" x32" 63" how would I make that work with t5s? Should I try to find a slightly bigger tent or use 2ft lights?

 

[Locked]

If you are really limited on budget and space I would look at growing 1 plant that I knew would be female. This way you could get by with a smaller grow space, and that means less lumens needed, less heat etc. Some places sell by the bean. Maybe you could get a fem bean of a heavy leaning Indica that would stay small for you and be done in 7-8 weeks of flower? HO T5's for veg and Flower if the space was small enough. Or a small HPS? I just don't want to see you put all the effort in and be disappointed. This can be done on the cheap and you will get okay smoke. But even that has it's limits. Some basic things have to be met.

I started off thinking I could do this whole thing with 2 giant CFL bulbs and quickly realized that was not going to be the case.

 

[MrTooHigh]

Well I want to keep growing it out until I know the sexes of all plants. Then dispose of the ones I don't want. Could you take a look at my latest pictures. I have one play that still has not sprouted its true leaves and there's really no sign of anything coming in, should I just ditch the plant that would also cut down the space I need to grow. It has two white things ( extremely small, would only be able to see it in person and if you had good eyes) coming out the stem where the true leaves should be. Its the oldest plant that's why the lack of progression worries me. BTW I changed my light setup

(for a fuller spectrum) or should I switch back

 

[Locked]

Yeah I wouldn't carry that seedling any longer. It could make it but even if it did, from the looks of it it would take some time.
In veg you want to go with the bluer spectrum. The orange comes into play in flowering. Not sure it would hurt much to leave it but if you have another bluer bulb I would switch till flower.

 

[MrTooHigh]

Ok. Thanks yes I do have a bluer bulb I just wanted to see what you guys think I've heard people use a mixture but if its better to use straight daylight for veg and soft white for flwr then so be it lol

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Is it possible for you to build a small space out of wood? There are a whole lot of places that they just give packing crates away. They come in all different sizes. Like I mentioned before, start pouring over Craig's List, check out some garage sales, thrift stores, that kind of thing. You can find some good bargains. If you want to do this on a budget, you are going to have to be resourceful and be prepared to DIY some stuff.

T5s are more efficient lumen wise. Most CFLs put out 62-69 lumens per watt. T5s put out 92 lumens per watt. So more useable light for less wattage is more efficiency.

 

[MrTooHigh]

I have a LOT of plywood, just let me know how to make it. And t5s are good but not if you need a lot just to get the job done which I would for anything that's more than 4 sq ft.

Anyways look at my irrigation setup lolView attachment uploadfromtaptalk1399433036503.jpg BTW I bought a 4 pack of 23w 1600Lmn 6500k CFLs too

 

[MrTooHigh]

Those are the exact same pictur

 

[MrTooHigh]

View attachment uploadfromtaptalk1399505213776.jpgView attachment uploadfromtaptalk1399505222594.jpg

 

[MrTooHigh]

Is this okay?View attachment uploadfromtaptalk1399573413182.jpg The color of the stem is so dark

 

[Locked]

Doesn't look bad to me but that soil looks awful barky.

 

[MrTooHigh]

There's not much I can do about that. And fox farm is really expensive for soil, is there any cheaper alternatives that work good also? Or like I said I could sift out the bark

 

[Locked]

There's not much I can do about that.

You ultimately have control over the soil you use. Crappy soil will only lead to problems. As for nutrients, I use General Hydroponic. It is well priced and works great.

 

[MrTooHigh]

But when you have a budget it's hard to buy "top of the line" soil. I have organic soil with a good ratio of npk, as for nutes I'll have to but some

 

[Hackerman]

I use plain old Garden Magic top soil. About $4 for 50 pounds. I mix it with vermiculite and perlite.

Doesn't get much cheaper than that.

 

[MrTooHigh]

That's kinda what I have, so if I mix vermiculite it'll be better? There's already perlite in it

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

No, do not mix with vermiculite. Your soil is too dense and heavy as it is, adding vermiculite would make it hold more water. Just because soil has a good N-P-K ratio, does not make it good for growing. If you add anything it should be perlite. There have to be better soil choices out there though--that really looks to be almost all bark. A good soil is the basis for a good grow. I use an organic soil that I get from HD and amend it, but it is only available in the NW part of the US. It is $6 for 1.5 cubic feet. I am sure other stores have something similar.

"...And t5s are good but not if you need a lot just to get the job done which I would for anything that's more than 4 sq ft..." You have misconceptions about T5s. It is going to take you 50% more wattage if you are using CFLs over T5s. And when you get enough CFLs to do the job (scrimping on light results in little to no bud) you have a ton of them in your space. You need cords, thed bulbs themselves, reflectors--CFLs are not cheaper, they are not better, regardless of the size of your grow.

Like we have mentioned before, this is a hobby that does take some money. I understand being on a budget and all, but if you do not have the money for the minimum basicz, everything you do will be a waste of time energy and money. You NEED good soil and nutes, you NEED adequate light, you NEED ventilation. These are not optional things, these are the bare necessities we are trying to give you. We are not trying to discourage you, but you really do need to be aware of the realities of growing.