How much CFL?

[audix2359]

I'm in the planning stages of what I think will become a very nice room. This will be my first grow and I'll be starting from seed. For my initial veg/flower area, I've got a 37" x 43" area (about 11.5 sq ft). I'm purchasing a 400W HPS lamp and a MH conversion bulb. I figure I'll take 3-5 plants to flower in this area. Given the lighting, does that sound about right?

My real question is about my stage 2 plan which is to utilize a 15" x 43" (4.5 sq ft) area to veg clones. This will allow me to have a constant flow of veg and flowering going on.

For the stage 2 area, I'm considering just using CFL's for the clones and for vegatative growth. However, I will still have that MH conversion bulb that won't really be used anymore so I suppose I could just by another 400W HPS system and plug that bulb into it. So, if I went the CFL route, what kind of bulbs and how many am I looking at? Also, would the MH conversion bulb option be better?

Edit: Also, how many degrees do you think the 400W HPS will raise my area (assuming there is no ventilation)? If anyone has a guess that'll help me plan out my ventilation. I want to avoid thinking that I have enough only to find out 1/2 way into my grow that I don't!

 

[Homemadegravity]

I say use your MH bulb for the veg stage. If you have it use it man. MH bulbs are very ok for your veg stage. It does a bunch of nice things for your plants. I use CFL's for about the 1st week or 2 and then blast them with an 250w MH bulb and then finish them off with a hps. But if you have the MH bulb use that instead of cfl's you will be much much happier.IMO.
Sorry I forgot you will need ventilation for a 400w bulb. Your temps in that space will go through the roof. Well maybe not really super hot but it will get to warm for your plants.

 

[Firepower]

If i understood you correctly you are going to flowering straight from clones so you really have no use for that MH bulb. Now if youre looking for a constant personal supply then this setup will be more than enuff.
If i had your setup i would take 1/3 of your flowering room and divided with panda film and use that for avegging satate, use that for a month or 2 on plants and you will have some bushy plants at harvest instead of multiple short colas.. that little vegging time will get you bigger and longer stems, probably double the yield compared to going straight to flowering.
I didnt hear you mention a mother plant so where were you going to get clones for? if you were cloning from a flowering plant the process will take at least 2-3 weeks longer.. and not always successful since you have that much more time for things to go wrong.. hope this helps good luck..

 

[audix2359]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies.

Basically, my 1st grow will be from seed; I don't have clones right now but I've got a few strains of seed on the way. I'm planning on planting about 1/2 the seed now under MH lighting and switching to the HPS lamp during flowering. At some point along the process, I'll clip the best girls for clones and start my cloning room (the one that's going to be 4.5 sq ft).

Also, I'm definitely planning on ventilation and maybe using some additional cooling the room like a personal AC. I saw one today that you can put ice or cold packs into and it blows air over it for $50.00. If necessary, I'll either buy it or just rig something like that myself.

So, for the smaller clone/veg room that I'll build out later, getting another HPS lamp and using my MH conversion bulb would be the route to go?

 

[Firepower]

I would think so, specially since you are using MH conversion bulbs you can either have 2 MH going or 1 HPS and 1 MH or 2 HPS, it just gives you so many more options... let us know which way you go..