Growing Autoflowering Cannabis Using CFL

If you are looking for a cost-effective and efficient grow light for autoflowering cannabis then you should consider growing auto cannabis with CFL. Compact fluorescent light or CFL for short are commonly used in homes, businesses and many establishments. It is basically the same as fluorescent lighting but is small, compact and therefore can be used in many applications.

What Are CFL Lights and Why These Are Used in Many Grow Rooms

CFL lights are made from low pressure gas such as argon and a bit of mercury in a glass shell which is coated with phosphor. When electricity is supplied to the CFL, the mercury vapor become excited and this activity produces ultraviolet light which cases the inner coating of the bulb to fluoresce which creates light that the eyes can see. CFL lights are usually designed to fit electrical light receptacles in homes and offices. This kind of light is designed to be more energy efficient and to shine brighter than incandescent light bulbs.

Why CFL can Help you Grow your Autos

• CFL bulbs will shine brightly according to the wattage that you chose. You have a large number of bulbs designs, bulb hues and bulb wattages to choose from.
• CFL bulbs do not emit a lot of heat compared to high efficiency bulbs and lamps that large-scale growers use. Therefore you can use a number of these inside your grow room or grow space without worrying about increasing the temperature of your room.
• CFL bulbs will let you light up your grow room without emitting dangerous chemicals

Some lights used in indoor cannabis grow operations will not just light up the area but can also emit hazardous chemicals that could be detrimental to your plants.

• CFL bulbs is not hard to install

You don’t need a professional installer when installing CFL lights. All you need to do is to choose the deal location of our light source and determine the number of light sources you will need to cover your crops.

• CFL bulbs are cheaper than other lamps or bulbs

No doubt that CFL lights are cheaper than other light sources. These are also available everywhere. You can easily purchase a CFL bulb from a local hardware, home depot shop and even from supermarket aisles.

Some Important Tips in using CFL

Just like any other light source for cannabis growing you need to remember a few basic tips on how to efficiently use CFL lights.

1. Always check for the wattage or the actual compact fluorescent lamp wattage which is the real amount of watts that the CFL bulb will use to produce light. Bulbs available in the market usually have 13W to 200W and the highest would be 250W CFL bulbs. If you use 13W bulbs then you might need to use several bulbs and scatter these in your rom. But if you choose a 250W then a single bulb may be enough to light up your entire grow room.
2. Check for lumens. The lumen count is the amount of light that the CFL bulb can emit. Usually a CFL light bulb has a lumen to watt ratio of 50 to 80 compared to incandescent bulbs that only have 10. You need about 2000 to 5000 lumens per square foot of autoflowering plants. Take note that the lumens of CFL lights diminish quickly and therefore you may need to place the CFL light bulb near your plants (about 1 to 4 inches closer) or to use multiple bulbs around your plants placed very near each plant to maximize your plant’s growth and increase their yield.
3. Keep all your autos covered. Every plant must be able to get enough light. Remember, Autoflowering plants need all the light they can get to grow fast and to make it through harvest time without any stress at all.
4. Use light hoods to focus CFL lighting to your plants. Light hoods can be made of any reflective material and is easy to make. A hood will also be a good place to add ventilation units, ducts and a fan.
5. Use reflective material to improve CFL lighting reach. There are many kinds of reflective materials that are readily available wherever you are. You can use blankets, tents, panda covers, aluminum foil, canvas, white paint or Mylar. Mylar is currently the most popular since it can reflect almost 100% of the light to your plants and will not let light escape. Mylar comes in thin sheets and may easily tear but with good tape fasteners, you can easily place this on the walls of your grow room.
6. Watch out for plant stretching. A sign that your plants are not getting enough light is when you see signs of stretching. You will find plants eagerly reaching out to your light source just to get more light. If you notice this is happening then you might need to add more light or increase the wattage of your bulb.
7. Watch out for plant burn. Plant burn is when plants get too close to the light source and burn because of extreme heat. Even if CFLs need to be close to plants you still need to watch out for plant burn which is usually seen in the plants closest to the bulb. If this happens, gently remove the burned leaf or stem and then place the plant back in its previous place. Monitor all your plants closest to the light source.