First Timer- Indoors

[adamti91]

Had grown a few years back outdoors, with mixed results. Germinated, sexed the plants, and planted 6 females with miracle grow in the ground. Good sun and good drainage (summer in the northeast, good warmth too). Plants were about 8" when me and my friend both left for a few days on vacation (plants were outdoors so we had been checking on them every other day or so, more often if it hadn't rained and we needed to water them). We came back, they were gone! Bitten clean off, probably a deer (one stoned out deer ). Now this summer we are looking to do the same, obviously buy some thin mesh fencing to throw on top of the plants so no animals eat them. In the meantime, before we plant this spring, I am looking to set up a closet bubbler in my (VERY small) closet at home. Space is tight, so I need to get a system installed with enough room to close the door. I want to make a hydro bubbler, but I am worried that the energy drain will be apparent on the electric bill. Also, is there a way to not have you plants smell as much when you grow indoors (obviously no skunk weed... probably getting some decent strain, not sure maybe Diesel or White Widow hopefully)? Thanks!

[SmknVTEC]

Energy drain will depend on the size of light you use mostly. Smell can be combated with a carbon scrubber or an ozone generatore.

[adamti91]

OK, a little update. The closet I want to grow in is 22" by 37". There is a brick wall on one side (old chimney that is no longer used). There is one shelf on top with various things that can't be taken out (but there is a good 8 feet of growing room vertically, and I doubt I will let my plants ever get that big). The closet doors are pretty typical folding doors (hinge in the middle, slide together on one side), with slotted vents all up and down both doors. Now, the questions...

a) Could I possibly remove a brick from the old chimney and hook up a carbon filter to the opening? Would that remove all smells from the plant (I really can't be caught with this).

b) Is the closet space even big enough?

c) Should I cover the vents in the doors to prevent the smell from getting out (probably staple heavy duty garbage bags over the slits in the doors) if I have the vent going through the chimney?

d) Will I want to build a growbox or just grow in the closet itself, I'm thinking a growbox (I want to grow hydro... homemade bubbler probably).

Thanks...

[SmknVTEC]

Hey man,

I am not a grow room design guru but, if you get say a 256 cfm fan and hook the carbon scrubber to the end of that, it will suck all the odor out and through the filter which will then kill smell.

If the suck is strong enough it should prevent the smells from exiting out the vents in the doors. However light will leak through those vents so something to block light would be good.

If the closet doors don't have a way to be locked then a grow box with a lock would be a good idea. If you can get locks on the closet doors just use the whole closet because a box could take up valuable space. Your length and width is pretty narrow but, a couple of plants in 1-2 gallon pots could be done.

You might want to run by some of these questions to the guys over in "grow room design setup" section.

[adamti91]

Alright, thanks man. My friend had a similar set up in his room and it worked out well, until he didn't come home one night and left his light on, dried out the plants . Yeah, I'll just copy this post over there, thanks.

[adamti91]

Oh and did you mean that I should hook the filter and the fan up to the chimney or would I not have to with the fan? Not sure about the noise from a fan, but also not sure if air would circulate through the chimney well without a fan.

[SmknVTEC]

I really don't know man. I just wanted to answer some of your questions and get you started. I am sorry that this is not really my area. Better go over to the design room setup area and see what they say.

[adamti91]

Alright, I'm pretty sure that until they get to be a decent size I am going to grow them in a Rubbermaid box on the bottom of my closet with a light inside and a fan leading into a carbon filter. Not sure what I'll do once they outgrow the box, maybe cut the bottom out and stack it on top of another? When will I be able to tell what sex they are, before they outgrow the first box or not? I'm going to LST the plant, will this make the final height lower? I think it will...

[SmknVTEC]

Yes, LST will keep it lower. Sex will be determined by itself at around week for or so of veg or when you flip them to 12/12. Sexual maturity is identified by alternating nodes usually at 12 inches tall.