Help Me Improve My CFL vegging area.

[RobMarley420]

Hello ICmag.

I'm just finishing up my first indoor grow and I've got some seedlings started for my second grow. I'm flowering under a 600watt HPS and I just set up my veg area yesterday with 8 - 26watt CFLs (6500K, 1610 lumens).

I'm looking for any tips or advice on how to improve my vegging area. I'm trying to figure out the best way to veg with CFLs.

This is what my current set-up looks like.

8 - 26watt CFL's over 8 plants. 1 CFL directly over each plant. The lights are 6500k and give off 1610 lumens.

Is this going to be enough light? 208 watts of CFL's for 8 plants? 12,880 lumens total.

Should I move the seedlings under the 600watt HPS when its on for flowering? Or would they grow better just left under the CFL's?

Should I arrange my lights/plants differently? Should I have them all clustered together as close as possible?

 

[Vincent VanGrow]

Looks like a pretty good start there, boss. Get some sort of reflectors for those bulbs if you can because your losing a lot of light with just bare bulbs. Even a cheesy desk coil type lamp is better that bare bulbs. Also, make your box as reflective as possible, with flat white paint, if your on a budget, or you can use mylar or some other material made for that, but it's a bit more money. CFL's will put out a little bit of heat, especially as the number of bulbs you use increases.

 

[Vincent VanGrow]

Oh and btw, don't move the seedlings under the 600w until they are good and strong, i.e. at least 4-6 sets of leaves, or 8-12" tall. That's just what works for me and my strain, YMMV, and so will others, but error on the side of caution.