Phil Williamson wrote:

I don't even know where my local harzardous waste facility is, they all go
in the garbage. Although efficient they do get really hot, the 25 watt and
above with burn your finger and melt plastic if left on so be careful.
They
are usually available in soft white (more blue color), warm white (terrible
yellow color), and daylight. Use the daylight bulbs for best results on
your plants.

and

You do need to have the cf bulbs kinda close since the light will diffuse
and become lost rather than being concentrated on the plants. They now
have
42watt cf bulbs available, they're massive but pump out tons of light. I
recommend the daylight bulbs for plants tho.


Contact your local dump, or wherever your garbage goes. They should be able
to tell you where you can dispose of CFs and other hazardous waste. Our
local hazardous waste facility is on site at the local dump. These bulbs
contain mercury and should not just be thrown in the garbage.

Yes, the bulbs will get hot, but not as hot as an incandescent with the same
light output. Around here the "daylight" bulbs are quite expensive. (4-5
times the price of a regular CF) My vote goes for the whitest light you can
find within a reasonable price range. I mean, if price were not an issue,
I'd go for metal halides. My plants do great under the lights I have, which
are not rated as "daylight" bulbs, but produce a white light. Plants need
light in the blue spectrum so they are not leggy, and in the red/orange
spectrum to flower, so the whiter the light, the better.

As for how far away to put the bulbs. Mine are not right on top of the
plants (read inches away), however the lights are on a stand lamp pointed
down, directly at the plants. Some plants are within a foot of the light,
others are three feet away. The plants are doing great. Granted, light does
diffuse the farther away it is, that is why I have a stand lamp, and am not
relying on the light in the middle of the ceiling under a cover.