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what is a cfl grow light

by Dr. Jules Miller Sr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) grow lights are in inexpensive option for use in small indoor gardens. CFL grow bulbs can have a distinctive spiral shape or resemble a series of vertical tubes.

Can I use CFL bulbs to grow plants?

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a good source of supplemental light for growing plants in low-light conditions or for providing extra light to increase the day length and encourage blooming. CFL bulbs provide the light wavelengths that plant need for growth and produce much less heat than conventional fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.

What is the best light bulb for growing plants?

  • BEST OVERALL: Hytekgro LED Grow Light 45W Panel (2 Pack)
  • BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: GE Grow LED Light Bulb, BR30 Bulb Shape
  • BEST FOR HOUSEPLANTS: Ankace Grow Light, 3 Head Timing, 5 Dimmable Levels
  • BEST EXPANDABLE: 2022 New SPIDER FARMER SF-1000 LED Grow Light
  • BEST TABLETOP: LBW Grow Light with Stand, LBW Full Spectrum 150W LED

More items...

What is a growing light bulb?

Red light waves are essential for spurring plants to flower and growing fruit indoors. Shop for LED bulbs and fixtures that are specifically designed for growing plants. They're usually labeled “grow lights” because they're created to produce a high number of red light waves.

What is led grow lamp?

LED Grow Lights . LED grow lights are energy-efficient lights used by indoor and greenhouse farmers and Cannabis growers too. Used as either a sole light source (indoor) or supplementary (greenhouses), LEDs help plants grow using full-spectrum lighting at a lower cost than traditional HPS lamps (1).

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Is CFL better than LED?

LEDs are more efficient than even CFLs: A 16.5-watt LED bulb is equivalent to a 20-watt CFL and a 75-watt incandescent. A report from the DOE states that LED adoption saved consumers $14.7 billion in 2018.

What is the difference between LED and CFL lights?

LED bulbs refer to artificial lighting devices that use tiny solid-state semiconductors to produce light. On the other hand, CFL bulbs connote the lighting device that uses electrical discharge to induce the gases present in the tube, that releases UV light, that affects the phosphor to produce bright visible light.

Do CFL grow lights work?

CFL (Fluorescent) Bulbs CFL grow lights have been an excellent choice for growing indoor plants for decades. Even if you're not an avid indoor gardener you will recognize the spiral CFLs you see in stores. The T5 tubes are another type of fluorescent that is popular for plants.

Is CFL brighter than LED?

Are LED lights brighter than or equal to Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs? The trick is to understand the technology. In short, LED and CFL as technologies do not have a difference in brightness intrinsically. Brightness is determined by lumens.

Can I replace a CFL bulb with an LED bulb?

Most importantly, are they interchangeable? Yes, LED and CFL lightbulbs are interchangeable because they can be used in the same fixtures. No alterations are required and you can quickly and easily switch between the two different types of lightbulb.

How far should CFL lights be from plants?

4-6 inchesTry to keep your lights anywhere from 4-6 inches away from the surface of your plants.

Can I use CFL for flowering?

Best CFL Bulbs For Flowering Growth. 40 Watt individual CFL bulb. 2700K temperature, greatly suited for flowering plants. The Satco Lumens 40WT 2700K bulb is a great option if you want to set up some individual low power bulbs for blooming phase.

What is the best light bulb to grow plants?

When growing most houseplants, use light bulbs between 4000 and 6000 Kelvin, as the bulb's color temperature will borrow from a full spectrum of colors—cools and warms. With these lights, you can actually mimic the growth you would get in a greenhouse or outdoors.

What is a 40 watt LED bulb equivalent to?

Product Description. Energy Saving :This kind of energy efficient LED bulbs are a perfect replacement for standard 40 watts incandescent household bulbs,but they only use 5 watts – an energy savings of up to 80%.

Which is Safer CFL or LED bulbs?

LEDs are extremely long-lasting, with lifespans up to 10 times the length of a CFL bulb. They're also highly durable and run without any heat build up. There is no mercury inside, making them safer than CFLs in that regard, and they utilize less energy than a CFL.

What is LED equivalent to 60w?

approximately 800 lumensFor example, a 60-watt incandescent light bulb gives approximately 800 lumens; therefore, to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a LED bulb of the same brightness, one should purchase a LED bulb that also gives 800 lumens. A 60-watt incandescent light bulb can be replaced with a 10-watt LED. E.

Why are LED lights better?

The light-emitting diode (LED) is today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technology. Quality LED light bulbs last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality than other types of lighting.

What CFL light is best for growing? Can you grow plants with a regular light bulb?

We have reviewed the best CFL lights on the market so that you can check them out again. If you feel the lights don't meet your requirements, you a...

Can you use CFL bulbs to grow plants? How many CFLs do I need for two plants?

CFL bulbs are designed to provide all the wavelengths of light needed for your plants to grow without the levels of heat generated from incandescen...

How many lumens does a CFL plant need?

It is advisable to give your plants as many lumens as possible except for plants susceptible to photoinhibition, but 10000 lux is enough for most p...

Are CFL bulbs better than LED? Do CFL bulbs get hot?

You may wonder if CFL is better than LED, so let’s get into their performance and see which one trumps the other. We'll be considering the lifespan...

How do you make a cheap CFL grow light fixture?

Interested in making your cheap CFL grow light fixture? Then watch this video below.

Can you grow with LED and CFL together?

You can grow with both LED and CFL. It is often recommended that you mix different types of lights of varying temperatures to help improve the grow...

How Close Should my CFL Lights be to the Plants?

CFL light positioning depends on the growth stage of the plants and how much light it needs. However, you can place them as close as possible to gi...

How Long Should I Turn on the Lights For?

As we mentioned earlier, this also depends on the plants. You can leave the lights on for an extended period. However, it is advisable to leave the...

How much light do you need for a vertical garden?

Purchase a timer to ensure that your indoor vertical garden gets at least 12 to 14 hours of artificial light every day. It’s a small investment to make to ensure the best results. But, don’t be tempted to leave the lights on all night. Your plants need at least six hours of “rest” every day in the darkness to grow at their best.

Do CFLs add heat to air conditioning?

If you only have a few plants indoors and can dedicate a fixture for each one, you’ll find them efficient and affordable. They also won’t add any heat load to your air conditioning system during the summer. If you’re slowly adding on to an indoor garden, purchasing and installing an additional CFL grow light each time you add on another plant might be a judicious choice for expanding on a budget. This is particularly true if you don’t mind the appearance of many shop lights in your home.

What color are CFLs?from growweedeasy.com

When you’re buying CFLs, they come in different “color spectrums.” Some CFLs appear more orange/yellow, some are almost blue, and others almost look like bright white daylight on a sunny day.

What does CFL stand for in marijuana?from growweedeasy.com

CFL stands for “compact fluorescent light ” and even though these lights can be found at any hardware or grocery store, they actually give off a really great light spectrum for growing marijuana.

Why are CFLs more effective than big CFLs?from growweedeasy.com

Because the penetration of CFLs is poor, many smaller CFLs is more effective than a few big CFLs because they can be spread in an array around the plant.

What CFL color is best for cannabis?from growweedeasy.com

Color Spectrum – Not That Important. There are bulbs with different CFL color spectrums and it’s generally recommended to get “daylight” (6500k) CFLs for the cannabis vegetative and “soft white” (2700k) CFLs for the flowering stage.

How to increase cannabis yields under CFLs?from growweedeasy.com

Besides basic plant care, the best way you can increase cannabis yields under CFLs in the vegetative stage is to train your plants to grow short and wide so they’re best able to best take advantage of the CFL’s great light spectrum in the flowering stage . Plant training will dramatically increase your yields!

How to get more flowers from CFLs?from growweedeasy.com

Give Buds Intense Light – In the flowering stage, make sure that buds get direct access to intense light & keep CFLs as close to buds as possible without burning them (this will dramatically increase yields with CFLs). Pay close attention to making sure bulbs are close but not too close in the flowering stage.

How does cannabis grow?from growweedeasy.com

Your job is to give the plant light, water and nutrients, just like any other plant. In the vegetative stage the plant grows only stems and leaves (vegetative growth) while it gets bigger. In the flowering stage, the plant eventually stops growing new stems and leaves and starts growing buds. Only female cannabis plants make buds, while male plants make pollen sacs and need to be thrown away immediately. When buds are “ripe” it’s time for harvest.

What Are CFL Lights?

CFL is an acronym for compact fluorescent lighting.

CFL Light Bulbs For Growing Weed

Using CFL bulbs for plants and producing marijuana on your own doesn’t have to be complicated. CFL lights are the most beginner-friendly setup. They are also the best choice for small spaces. Beginners shouldn’t grow too much for their first experience, meaning CFL lighting is a win-win for cannabis growing for beginners.

How To Grow With CFL

Growing cannabis with CFL lights is simple to set up and maintain. Each plant will require around 80 watts of light, although more can be better. Since CFL light bulbs for plant growth don’t produce enough light exposure beyond around 12 inches, the lights will have to be adjustable with height to account for plant growth.

CFL Grow Light Coverage

As mentioned, the coverage of one CFL bulb will only produce enough light exposure to about 12 inches away from the bulb itself. This means that you’ll probably need multiple lights per plant to account for lateral growth.

How To Get Big Buds With CFL

To get big, productive buds when using fluorescent light bulbs for growing weed, you need the most light intensity that you can produce. This is the most important factor when flowering with CFL lights.

How Many CFL Lights For One Plant?

When setting up something like a small CFL closet grow, you might want as little light as possible. Each cannabis plant will require around 80 watts of light, with more being better. Using 2 40 watt CFL bulbs is sufficient for a mini CFL grow.

Ready To Start Your CFL Cannabis Grow?

Growing pot with CFL light bulbs is doable for complete beginners with access to a small growing space. While there are better options for larger cannabis growing rooms, CFLs may be the best choice for those who only want to grow a couple of ounces for themselves. What do you think? Have you used CFL bulbs to grow marijuana?

What is CFL grow light?

When Thomas Edison devised the classic incandescent lamp, it was one of the greatest inventions at that time. But today, these bulbs are no longer efficient ad that’s why CFLs were created to replace them.

Which CFL bulb is best for grow lights?

Philips is one of the leading lighting companies in the world. The Philips T2 Spiral CFL light bulb is one of the best CFL grow lights on the market.

How many watts does a Kor mini spiral light have?

If you have a slightly larger grow room and want to install several lamps to give your plants the much-needed light for growth, then you will like the Kor 13-watt mini-spiral CFL light. Featuring a pack of 4, these lights have 13 watts, which is equivalent to 60-watt incandescent bulbs but will less energy consumption.

What is a 60 watt CFL bulb?

The Apollo Horticulture 60-watt CFL grow light bulb is one of the most popular CFL lights on the market. Made by one of the powerhouses in grow room equipment, this bulb can be fully relied on in the entire plant’s growth stages. However, it is more suited for the vegetative and flowering phases of growth.

What color light is best for flowering plants?

With a full light color spectrum of 6500-k, this CFL light will be best suited for the vegetative and flowering phases of your growing plants. Nevertheless, you can still use this cool white daylight for all the growth phases of your plants.

How many lumens does a CFL light have?

Besides, these CFL lights produce brilliant 800 lumens, which are enough for most grow plants.

What is the best light bulb for a grow room?

Bottom line. Compact fluorescent lights are one of the most popular light bulbs on the market. These lights can be easily found in the office, at home, and even in grow rooms. This is because the lights are easy to find, affordable, easy to use, and they don’t produce a lot of heat. Also, the cost of maintaining CFL lamps is lower ...

What are CFL Lights?

Compact Fluorescent Lamps or CFL lights were created for energy conservation as they are a more energy-efficient option for the ordinary or regular incandescent lights. CFL lights have a spiral design, unlike conventional incandescent lights who have a long tube design. Most CFL lights have integrated ballasts which is not present in other conventional lights.

How long do CFL lights last?

CFL lights come in different wattage sizes. It ranges from 40-250 watts. As mentioned, CFL lights are best suited for small grow space or if you are growing a small number of cannabis plants. It comes also into main shapes, the spiral, and the “U” shape tubes.

What are the different CFL types for Growing Weed?

There are three different types of CFL lights for growing weed. These lights are categorized based on their color temperature.

How many Kelvins are in a CFL light?

These are CFL lights who are somewhere 2,700 or 3,000 Kelvins. It emits warm-colored light just like the natural light from the sun. This kind of light is needed during the budding and flowering stages of the plant’s growth cycle.

Why is it important to know that plants need different light exposure requirements during the different stages of their life cycle?

By doing so, you are exposing your plants to the right amount of light that it needs to grow healthily and produce quality buds.

Can you replace a CFL bulb?

As soon as your CFL lights are no longer working, make sure to replace them right away. There is no problem replacing your CFL lights as they are commercially available and easy to setup.

Do you need to adjust CFL lights for cannabis?

CFL lights are recommended to beginner cannabis growers as they are not complicated to use and also provide the ideal light spectrum to your cannabis plants thus there is no need to adjust the lighting from time to time.

Why use CFL bulbs?

Chose CFL bulbs for a cheap way to grow leafy vegetables or herbs. They can also work really well for starting seeds. CFLs are best when you don't have a lot of money to spend or you want a system you can gradually build. And leafy vegetables like spinach or lettuce don't need the high output that LEDs produce.

What is a good starter light?

A good starter light that is easy to hang and keep cool is any LED lamp from Golspark. You might want to check those out.

What type of bulbs are used for indoor plants?

CFL (Fluorescent) Bulbs. CFL grow lights have been an excellent choice for growing indoor plants for decades. Even if you're not an avid indoor gardener you will recognize the spiral CFLs you see in stores. The T5 tubes are another type of fluorescent that is popular for plants.

How to get light back to plants?

Use a grow tent or white/reflective material around your plants to steer light back to your plant

Do grow lights need to be suspended?

Will you have a grow tent to keep the light in? A fan to keep the light cool? Or are you hoping to set this up on a spare table? Most grow lights need to be suspended by a rack. But there are stand-alone LED lamps that work really well for just a few small plants each.

Is LED better than CFL?

When LED Is Better Than CFL. Many growers will tell you that LEDs are always better than fluorescents if you can afford them. That's true as far as pure efficiency is concerned. But please be aware that not all LED grow lights are good enough quality to justify the higher price.

How to tell if a CFL is too close to a plant?

A good way to check if a CFL is too close to the plant is to use the “hand test.”. Put your hand where the plant is and leave it there for 30 seconds.

How to train a plant to grow flat under a CFL?

If you start early, you can train your plant to grow flat and wide under your CFL grow lights with only gentle bending and tying down. Here’s an example from above of LST (bending) plus tying down to keep a plant short: Think about bending any tall stems down and away from the center of the plant.

How to increase cannabis yields under CFLs?

Besides basic plant care, the best way you can increase cannabis yields under CFLs in the vegetative stage is to train your plants to grow short and wide so they’re best able to best take advantage of the CFL’s great light spectrum in the flowering stage . Plant training will dramatically increase your yields!

How does cannabis grow?

Your job is to give the plant light, water and nutrients, just like any other plant. In the vegetative stage the plant grows only stems and leaves (vegetative growth) while it gets bigger. In the flowering stage, the plant eventually stops growing new stems and leaves and starts growing buds. Only female cannabis plants make buds, while male plants make pollen sacs and need to be thrown away immediately. When buds are “ripe” it’s time for harvest.

How long does it take for a cannabis plant to make flowers?

About 2 weeks after the switch to 12/12, your plant will start making flowers. If it’s a female plant it will start making buds, but if it’s a male plant it will start making pollen sacs which growers don’t want. It’s important to remove male plants from the grow space right away because they can pollinate your female plant and give you seedy buds. Learn more about male and female cannabis plants.

How many hours of light do you need for a flowering plant?

In order to switch to the flowering stage you need to switch your CFLs to a 12/12 light schedule using a timer. This means that the plants should get 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark each day. It’s really important to make sure the plant doesn’t get any light during the dark period. Light leaks cause problems! Your grow space needs to be completely light proof in the flowering stage.

How to minimize light loss in marijuana grow space?

Use the power of reflection to minimize light loss in your marijuana grow space. Cover your walls with something reflective like flat white latex paint (which has 85-95% reflectivity) and/or utilize reflectors to aim more light where you want.

What happens if you use 5 CFL bulbs?

If you use 5+ CFL bulbs in a small space you increase your risk of fire or other accidents. More sockets… more plugs… more heat…. All things to consider.

How much space do CFLs need?

With CFLs, bulbs placed horizontally take up just a few inches, and plants can be kept just 2" away. That means CFLs only need about 5" of vertical space, giving you quite a few more inches for your plants to grow. There really aren't any other grow lights that need less space than CFLs. This is why CFLs are so popular for cupboard and PC grows.

How much electricity does a 150W grow light use?

A 150W HPS light draws about 160W of electricity to run. That's less than your average TV or desktop computer, and comes out to less than $5/month where I live even if you're running the grow light all the time.

How much does a 70 CFM bathroom fan cost?

Home depot and/or most home improvement stores sell 70 CFM bathroom fans, which exchanges air faster than a 150W HPS light can heat up your space (these fans cost around $35) . You would place the fan in your exhaust hole at the top of your grow space, and use the fan to pull all the hot air out through the exhaust.

How far away should I keep plants from a 150W reflector?

In a cool environment, I've seen growers keep the tops of plants just 3" away from the glass of a 150W reflector, but that's as close as you could possibly get, and would require that you use a good fan to vent out all the heat through an exhaust hole that goes outside.

How tall is a HPS light?

This HPS light is 7" tall. So if you consider that plants must be 3" (or more) away from the reflector, that means the light takes 10"+ of space, leaving you with less than 22" for your plants and their containers. It's quite a tight fit, but it can be done, especially with training techniques to keep your plants short.

Do CFLs run cool?

No matter which one you choose, you're going to need ventilation to control the heat in such a small grow space. CFLs run cool, but they'll still heat up a small space quickly.

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