Thread: Can i use a red spec cfl bulb for vegatative growth?

Hey all just about to buy myself a £40 red spec bulb for a cfl stealth grow and i dont really feel like spending another £40 on a blue spec bulb, so i was wondering if i use red spec all through the growth of an autoflowering plant would that affect the plant? If so how much and in what way?

Many thanks in advance

dont spend 40$ for a bulb..your only doing pc box grow..use normal household cfls..23w bulbs here in ireland are staying under 4euro so im quit sure its pretty much same down in states..i dont know your measurments but 23w 6500k gives out around 1000-1100 lumens and 20w 2700k gives around 1150-1300lumens depends of the make..
if you have a thread here with your growbox displayd with measurments just give me a link and ill tell you whats the cheapest bulbs you can use to get max yeld..

Hey the box is 18inches high by 9inches wide by about 18inches deep. Oh and im in the UK not US and i would also like to add that im buying a box now as have sold the one i was building and am now buying one that comes with a blue spec 45w bulb and a red spec 45w bulb.

lmao go to B&Q and buy a cheap locker with 3 drawers.id say you get one bout 15sterling and then the lights and a cheap timer.cos your geting more space and prob paying less all together..tho thats just what i think..i find that buying these pc growboxes is total waste of money but its up da you =) anyways when eva ya get everithing set up then post some pics as well..i wanna see what do ya end up doing =)

I would do as you suggested but space and security are REAL issuses for where i plan to grow. Also im not after huge grows just want one or two polar express/cream caramel plants to smoke on the weekends in regards to the 45w bulbs do you think they'll work well in the space? Also do you know much about autoflowering plants? Ive read that u dont need to bother with blue spec lights as autoflowers dont go through a veg stage while ive also read they need blue for awhile and then red for the rest of there life

you do need 6500k for a while tho you can mix and mach..one of my mates is using 5 23w cfls 2700k and 15 22w 6500k first couple of weeks depends what his growing and later 15 and 5 just changes the bulbs..theres so many different ways you can grow and mix bulbs that im geting confused miself here allready..i dont spend much time here anymore cos its way to quiet here tho other forums i saw a man growng 2 plants with blue light what doesnt give any light spectrum at all what plants need..he only got like 10 grams or something like that tho he proved the poiint...

id go 6500 for a while and then swap around to 2700 or use your 45w 2700 and just add 2-3 6500 on da sides..
whats the lumen output on these 45w bulbs anyways?

I have no idea of the lumens...also only one space for a bulb hence the reason i was going to get a beast of a 250w cfl producing over 10000 lumens

It doesn't matter what spectrum you use as long as you keep your light cycle at 18-6, although it is much more benificial to use 6500k or 5000k. 2300k is best for flowering, but like I said it doesn't matter aas long as you keep a Veg light cycle.

Originally Posted by killfrenzi

It doesn't matter what spectrum you use as long as you keep your light cycle at 18-6, although it is much more benificial to use 6500k or 5000k. 2300k is best for flowering, but like I said it doesn't matter aas long as you keep a Veg light cycle.

Ahh many thanks for the clear information, however ive now found a 125w dual spectrum bulb for £25...good job

Compact Florescent Lights

CFLs is short for "Compact Florescent Lights". These lights are commonly sold at home improvement stores, and even in grocery stores. Many people don't realize that they actually provide a spectrum of light that your cannabis plants can use to grow!
You will need about two 40w(150w incandescent equivalent) CFLs per plant to start. These lights are easily found at stores such as Home Depot and Walmart, or that can be purchased online. You can get lower or higher wattage bulbs, but I like bulbs close to the 40w range because they produce a lot of light, but are still a small, manageable size. By the time the plants are flowering, you may need to get more lights per each plant to fill in any 'shadowed areas' up to maybe two or three more lights per plant. Basically, when you're deciding how many lights to get, you want to focus on making sure the plant has 'full coverage' more than you really care about a certain number of lights or watts. If the plant is brightly lit wherever there are green leaves, then you're good. If there are any 'shadowed' areas, then you know that your plant needs more lights.
It's optimal to use 'daylight' (6500k) colored bulbs for the vegetative stage and 'soft white' (2500k) colored bulbs for flowering (though you can use either kind during either stage and your plant will come out fine). I like to use a mix to make sure my plants get a full spectrum of light.

Thanks for the info

should buy a soft white 250 watt cfl for veg stage