4th week with two CFL'S

  • Thread starter AlphaCanna
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AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

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My plant seems to be doing way better with these two cfl lights than anyone else that I've been reading about, I'm just very curious to know if i should wait another month to harvest my plant or when is it that i actually start to see signs of the plant being ready to be harvested.

P.S.
I'm at work so as soon as i get home I'll take some pics for you guys to see.
 
burn4me

burn4me

1,779
263
If its only week 4 you got at least 4 more weeks id say. Maybe more depending on strain. Couple things to check for. New pistol growth. They still packing on weight. Trichomes coloring. Do a little more digging and reading for some more knowledge and info. Patients is a virtue and pulling now means all work down the drain. Good luck and definitely post some pics and strain info.
 
AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

46
18
If its only week 4 you got at least 4 more weeks id say. Maybe more depending on strain. Couple things to check for. New pistol growth. They still packing on weight. Trichomes coloring. Do a little more digging and reading for some more knowledge and info. Patients is a virtue and pulling now means all work down the drain. Good luck and definitely post some pics and strain info.
 
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AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

46
18
I don't have a single idea of what strain it could be, but the bud i smoked that it came from was fire, dealers don't usually tell you what strain it is in Jersey, sadly :(
 
Ambre

Ambre

150
63
You definitely have at least 4 more weeks before your plants will be ready to harvest. Check the harvesting sub-forum under this forum - browse the forum for info on what to look for to determine when your plants will be ready. Burn4me mentioned the basics - without knowing the strain, you will need to keep an eye on pistil formation and the color of the trichomes.

You will probably need to add additional lights as the plant grows. What spectrum (color) are your lights? Are they the soft/warm white (yellow color) or cool/daylight spectrum (blue color)? For flowering you want the warm color lights - flowering plants need the yellow/red spectrum.
 
AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

46
18
You definitely have at least 4 more weeks before your plants will be ready to harvest. Check the harvesting sub-forum under this forum - browse the forum for info on what to look for to determine when your plants will be ready. Burn4me mentioned the basics - without knowing the strain, you will need to keep an eye on pistil formation and the color of the trichomes.

You will probably need to add additional lights as the plant grows. What spectrum (color) are your lights? Are they the soft/warm white (yellow color) or cool/daylight spectrum (blue color)? For flowering you want the warm color lights - flowering plants need the yellow/red spectrum.

My lights are both warm color and cool so it can get both, I'm thinking of adding at least 4 more lights but i have no idea how to connect them lol. Idk if you want my nute info, but i feed it nutes every three days and its a mix of 20-10-20 fertilizer with peat lite i think. Those forums did help, but honestly i wouldn't be able to tell the trichomes unless i had a jewellers loupe right?
 
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Ambre

Ambre

150
63
I start off flowering under a mix of warm & cool lights. This helps reduce stretch during the start of flowering (especially useful if you are growing sativas or mixes). I change one bulb over to warm at a time until I have all warm bulbs in by the 3rd week of flowering (for plants that take around 8 weeks to flower) or the 4th to 5th week (for plants with longer flowering time).

What kind of socket do you have your lights in? Can you post a photo of the lights? Wiring lights is pretty easy to do, but you need to have some basic knowledge about electricity so you can be safe (not overload your circuits, for example). If you are interested, I can post photos & directions for wiring waterproof light sockets together.

The trichs may not be easily visible individually, but on most plants, you can tell the difference from the "shine" they give off when they start turning amber. I have a small microscope with a built-in battery flashlight that I use to check trichs. It's from Radio Shack and was only $10.99. Remove the spaces from the URL below to link to it.
radioshack. com /product/index.jsp? productId=2179604
 
AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

46
18
I start off flowering under a mix of warm & cool lights. This helps reduce stretch during the start of flowering (especially useful if you are growing sativas or mixes). I change one bulb over to warm at a time until I have all warm bulbs in by the 3rd week of flowering (for plants that take around 8 weeks to flower) or the 4th to 5th week (for plants with longer flowering time).

What kind of socket do you have your lights in? Can you post a photo of the lights? Wiring lights is pretty easy to do, but you need to have some basic knowledge about electricity so you can be safe (not overload your circuits, for example). If you are interested, I can post photos & directions for wiring waterproof light sockets together.

The trichs may not be easily visible individually, but on most plants, you can tell the difference from the "shine" they give off when they start turning amber. I have a small microscope with a built-in battery flashlight that I use to check trichs. It's from Radio Shack and was only $10.99. Remove the spaces from the URL below to link to it.
radioshack. com /product/index.jsp? productId=2179604

Wow man, your amazing, please do help me with the wiring for the lights, i really want to incorporate it into this because my plant is looking real nice right now, but those extra lights will definitely help me. I have one that i wired up, but it'll help if someone who knows about it can show me. The other light is just a regular light with the reflector. I also have two more sockets for the light bulb but i have no idea what to with them.
 
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Ambre

Ambre

150
63
LightSocket Waterproof
I use these sockets (from Casa DePot) for the bulbs. The socket is inside of a solid rubber outer case and is waterproof. The wires are pre-stripped. You will also need a power cord, some wire nuts, a wire stripper, and electric tape.

For the power cord, I use a cheap extension cord and cut off the end with the sockets. Separate the two wires that make the cord and strip off about 3/4" of the insulation on both parts of the cord. On most cords, one side will be smooth and the other will have ridges. It doesn't matter which side of the cord you attach to the white or black wire on the socket, but if you are daisy-chaining lights, you want to be consistent. I always put the side with the ridges on the black wire.

Put the stripped end of the ribbed side of the wire together with the end of the black wire on the socket. Twist the two wires together, then screw on a wire nut. To waterproof the connection, wrap the nut & at least 1/2" of the wire tightly in electric tape, making sure to overlap the turns of the tape and completely cover the opening in the wire nut. Repeat with the other wire. That is all there is to making a one-light setup, you are ready to plug it in.

If you want to daisy-chain lights, you will need one power cord and a piece of the same type of cord without a plug. If your extension cord is long enough, you can cut off a piece of the cord to use to hook lights together. Separate & strip the wires on both ends of the cord that doesn't have a plug on it.

This time, twist the ribbed side of the power cord & the ribbed side of one end of the extra cord together with the black wire on the socket. Put on the wire nut & electric tape as before. Repeat for the white cord. This gives you 3 cords hooked together.

Then take the extra cord (that doesn't have the plug on it) and attach the ribbed side of the wire to the black wire of the next socket, then repeat for the white cord.

I dangle the lights down in any area that looks like it needs more light. It's not good to hang the bulb by the power cord, so I tie a piece of string (or twist one end of a long twist-tie) on to the bulb and use that to hang the bulb. This way, you aren't putting stress on the electric connections.

If you need more light in a spot and don't want to add more sockets, you can use a "Y" socket adapter to put 2 bulbs into one socket. This weighs a lot more than using just 1 bulb, so be sure to hang it securely and safely.

While the socket itself is waterproof, you still need to be very careful if you spray your plants with anything. Pull the sockets up out of the garden - any water that can get inside the socket (between the bulb & the socket) can still cause a short or worse.

I will get some photos illustrating the wiring this afternoon while I'm working on my garden. I may post it as a separate topic in the "Growroom Design & Setup" forum where it will be easier for others to find.

To remove the reflector from the light you are currently using, unplug it (for safety) and take the bulb out of the socket. Hold the socket and unscrew the reflector (turn it counter-clockwise just like unscrewing anything else). Once the reflector comes loose, put your bulb back in the socket, plug it back in, and you are in business.
 
AlphaCanna

AlphaCanna

46
18
View attachment 434974 I use these sockets (from Casa DePot) for the bulbs. The socket is inside of a solid rubber outer case and is waterproof. The wires are pre-stripped. You will also need a power cord, some wire nuts, a wire stripper, and electric tape.

For the power cord, I use a cheap extension cord and cut off the end with the sockets. Separate the two wires that make the cord and strip off about 3/4" of the insulation on both parts of the cord. On most cords, one side will be smooth and the other will have ridges. It doesn't matter which side of the cord you attach to the white or black wire on the socket, but if you are daisy-chaining lights, you want to be consistent. I always put the side with the ridges on the black wire.

Put the stripped end of the ribbed side of the wire together with the end of the black wire on the socket. Twist the two wires together, then screw on a wire nut. To waterproof the connection, wrap the nut & at least 1/2" of the wire tightly in electric tape, making sure to overlap the turns of the tape and completely cover the opening in the wire nut. Repeat with the other wire. That is all there is to making a one-light setup, you are ready to plug it in.

If you want to daisy-chain lights, you will need one power cord and a piece of the same type of cord without a plug. If your extension cord is long enough, you can cut off a piece of the cord to use to hook lights together. Separate & strip the wires on both ends of the cord that doesn't have a plug on it.

This time, twist the ribbed side of the power cord & the ribbed side of one end of the extra cord together with the black wire on the socket. Put on the wire nut & electric tape as before. Repeat for the white cord. This gives you 3 cords hooked together.

Then take the extra cord (that doesn't have the plug on it) and attach the ribbed side of the wire to the black wire of the next socket, then repeat for the white cord.

I dangle the lights down in any area that looks like it needs more light. It's not good to hang the bulb by the power cord, so I tie a piece of string (or twist one end of a long twist-tie) on to the bulb and use that to hang the bulb. This way, you aren't putting stress on the electric connections.

If you need more light in a spot and don't want to add more sockets, you can use a "Y" socket adapter to put 2 bulbs into one socket. This weighs a lot more than using just 1 bulb, so be sure to hang it securely and safely.

While the socket itself is waterproof, you still need to be very careful if you spray your plants with anything. Pull the sockets up out of the garden - any water that can get inside the socket (between the bulb & the socket) can still cause a short or worse.

I will get some photos illustrating the wiring this afternoon while I'm working on my garden. I may post it as a separate topic in the "Growroom Design & Setup" forum where it will be easier for others to find.

To remove the reflector from the light you are currently using, unplug it (for safety) and take the bulb out of the socket. Hold the socket and unscrew the reflector (turn it counter-clockwise just like unscrewing anything else). Once the reflector comes loose, put your bulb back in the socket, plug it back in, and you are in business.

You are a genie, now all i need is to get the extension cords and the socket, thank you so much for the help. can you possibly link the forumn page onto this? If not it's okay, I'll just look for it.
 
Ambre

Ambre

150
63
I think increasing the light at almost any stage of flowering will help. How far along are your plants?
 
Newtogrowing

Newtogrowing

2,241
263
Hello, I have a combination of cfl's, 4) 200 watt cfl's that use 55 watts each, with 3800 lumens each and 2700k each. Then I have 4) 100 watt cfl's that use 23 watts each, with 1600 lumens each and 6500k each. Then last I have 2) that use 23 watts and 1600 lumens each and 2700k each. Is it ok to use different light spectrums? The plant is almost 7 weeks old now. Its an autogrow. The space is 9 square feet. Is that enough light?. thanks
 
Apollo13

Apollo13

430
63
In my mind nobody in this thread has enough light. They will survive, probably even produce, but not like hps. I'd try for a 70 watt hps(or as big as heat will allow) at hd with what u al ready have. I had success with those running clone to flower. If using florescent, keep them short and small with the light close.

I really hope ur not flowering with 20-10-20.
 
Newtogrowing

Newtogrowing

2,241
263
what would you believe is good instead of 20-10-20. I'm new to this and want to learn.
 
Apollo13

Apollo13

430
63
If I was new, I'd look up Heisenberg tea, and buy super soil like happy frog. Buy a RO filter, water when top of pot dries out 1/2 inch deep. Progress from there. Can't start too simple. Taste and weight will be good. I don't believe in fertilizer with good dirt. Most new guys issues is water and nutrients. With this, no ph or anything but water. I like those fabric pots, or if hot go plastic pot, to retain water. I have winter bag pots and summer regular plastic pots. My advice.
 
Apollo13

Apollo13

430
63
Ewc tea continually digests organics into food. Making all the food ur plant needs. Why when people cut their lawn the grass doesn't build up and kill grass. Microbes digest it, breaking it down into usable nutrients for the living grass to eat. It also makes ur roots more effective at gathering food.
 
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