wet bar aka grow cab up and runing {need help}

[Anti]

When using CFL's, they need to be placed about 2-3" away from the plant (there is a narrow sweet spot), put the bulb too far away and ur plants won't even grow!

I know you're just trying to help, but this is misinformation.

My cabinet has lights at a fixed height of 23" above the ground.

Here are some pics of my plants. The first two sets of plants were flipped into 12/12 between 2" and 6" tall. They did not grow to their full potential. Hence, 6"+ is the new rule. The Dr.'s "sweet spot" is referring to finding the perfect height at which to induce flowering, that way the plants will grow all the way up to the lights and then STOP, thus maximizing the potential of that individual plant's harvest within it's own footprint. (No lateral branching, just one "bud stick"):

​

These last three pics are of plants that reached the 23" tall point. (the one on the right is the same as the one on the left. It's the same plant after revegging. Say "high" to mama.) Clearly, they grow just fine. When my plants go into the flowering chamber, their average size is 6". They're in 6" pots, so that means that when they begin the flowering cycle, they are about 12" tall. That means that the CFLs are at least eleven inches away! My plants are basically sticks of weed (ala dr. bud) that grow fantastic, frosty, sticky buds all the way to the base of the plant. So the lights are only 2"-3" away from the plant tops in the last weeks of their lives.

I humbly disagree.

 

[pufferfish]

I know you're just trying to help, but this is misinformation.

My cabinet has lights at a fixed height of 23" above the ground.

Here are some pics of my plants. The first two sets of plants were flipped into 12/12 between 2" and 6" tall. They did not grow to their full potential. Hence, 6"+ is the new rule. The Dr.'s "sweet spot" is referring to finding the perfect height at which to induce flowering, that way the plants will grow all the way up to the lights and then STOP, thus maximizing the potential of that individual plant's harvest within it's own footprint. (No lateral branching, just one "bud stick"):

​

These last three pics are of plants that reached the 23" tall point. (the one on the right is the same as the one on the left. It's the same plant after revegging. Say "high" to mama.) Clearly, they grow just fine. When my plants go into the flowering chamber, their average size is 6". They're in 6" pots, so that means that when they begin the flowering cycle, they are about 12" tall. That means that the CFLs are at least eleven inches away! My plants are basically sticks of weed (ala dr. bud) that grow fantastic, frosty, sticky buds all the way to the base of the plant. So the lights are only 2"-3" away from the plant tops in the last weeks of their lives.

I humbly disagree.

now thats what im talkin bout ...good info anti

 

[Sir_Nugget]

I think the thing is, yes you are getting nice plants under cfl's regardless of height, but you end up using twice the watts... a single 42 watt cfl isnt cheap either.. It seems wiser to go with a 150 or 250.. way easier to hit the 1 gpw mark using hps

 

[Anti]

I think the thing is, yes you are getting nice plants under cfl's regardless of height, but you end up using twice the watts... a single 42 watt cfl isnt cheap either.. It seems wiser to go with a 150 or 250.. way easier to hit the 1 gpw mark using hps

I buy my 42w CFLs at places like Target, Home Depot, Lowe's etc for about $9 each. 6x9= $54 and no ballast to buy, no extensive wiring to do. Plus I get 6 points of light instead of one. Plus I can exhaust my entire cabinet with only 3 120mm PC fans, instead of having to buy more expensive fan setups with the HPS.

As it is, I'm running 252w per chamber, two chambers (504w total.) The impact to my electric bill is less than $20 a month. Negligible. (Keep in mind that one side is 18/6 and one side is 12/12. The cab is only using 504w for 12 hours a day. Then it's using 252w for 6 more hours.. then it's completely off for 6 hours.

504w x 12 = 6048
252w x 06 = 1512
-----------------
.................7560 (or 7.5 kw/h per day)

7.56 x 31 days = 234.36 kw/h per month

New York has the HIGHEST kw/h cost in the US with an average Kw/H cost of $0.1484 (14.84 cents per kw/h)

This means that to run MY cab in New York (which is CONSIDERABLY higher than where I live! More than double!) it would cost about $34.77 a month.*

*keep in mind that this does not break down the kw into peak and non-peak. I calculated this using PEAK hours. Since my cab runs afternoon-night, more than half of its running hours are actually on non-peak time, and thus even CHEAPER than the math I have just shown! But even if you were running ENTIRELY during peak, in the HIGHEST cost energy market in the USA (New York) you'd be looking at $35 a month!

Also, I don't have to worry about being watched at the local hydro store... I don't have to GO there. (Or order online.)

I pay cash at the self-checkout.

There are reasons for everything. Do the math and you will begin to understand my reasons.

If I were less interested in the stealth aspect, I'd probably be running a bigger room with 2-3 400w HIDs, but I need something that can be sitting out in plain sight that even if the Landlord drops by unexpectedly, won't be an issue.

 

[pufferfish]

ok its day 39 not much chang...very lil smell ...no crystals yet...buds getin a lil biger.thinkin bout feedin em next watering...c ya

 

[Sir_Nugget]

1 or 2 more weeks and those will be done

 

[Anti]

ok its day 39 not much chang...very lil smell ...no crystals yet...buds getin a lil biger.thinkin bout feedin em next watering...c ya

Not sure exactly what your soil composition is or what you're feeding them...

I keep my plants in much smaller containers than you're using. My containers are cut down to hold a volume of about 17 oz of liquid. Because of this, I have to water every other day.

When I water, I almost ALWAYS feed. I do not go multiple waterings without feedings. Maybe once or twice in a given plant's life cycle, I stop feeding for one watering. At the very end of their life cycle, I stop feeding for the last two waterings.

(Lots of people say flushing for two weeks is a must.... I say the jury is still out on this idea.)

Here's last night's graduating class of Feb:

(These went 68 days.)

​

 

[pufferfish]

anti the msm needs no feeding ...http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=23970 if you can come to my 2nd grow c99bx1...in my sig

 

[pufferfish]

cam not working....day 47 i c micro crystals