Hey gang, I'm posting my journal and design. This is my current box and a prototype design. I've already made plans to refine and upgrade the design to be cheaper, lighter, and easier to build. Intake and exhaust ports are lower and higher, respectively. I'm in the process of building a light tree out of the metal backing to an ikea bunk bed. 200 watts on the light tree and maybe another 200 or so from a hanging light. I've also build a vertical screen to train the plants through since I've got a lot of vertical space, but less horizontally. Other tweaks are a streamlined drip system and the additional of an inline computer fan pulling through a carbon scrubber. Still need to affix mylar to the interior. What I do have, is a intake and exhaust vent through the actual walls of my apartment. The closet shares two walls with my bedroom at the front and my bathroom at the back. So, to improve cooling and stealth, I hard mounted a vent with a direct connection to my intake and then one for the exhaust. I'll post the new and improved box in a separate thread but for the time being.... ...my prototype. It's a mix of Early Girl and Burrberry bagseed. About 30 seeds total, planted in two batches. I actually was able to sprout about 80 - 85 % of the seeds, but lost about six or seven simply because they weren't good seeds. I killed another six or seven by leaving them in the paper towel germinating for a day too long. Four or five died because I was sprouting them outside and they weren't getting enough light. I killed one AMAZING plant (3" tall) by forgetting to put the fan back and melting the little girl. Another couple died when a light fell down against them. One lost a leaf but still SEEMS okay. Long story short. I've learned a lot about Marijuana most people don't know. Enjoy the photos. I'd love comments and any tips people can offer. The only thing holding me back from upgrading the box right now is $$$$$.
you don't need mylar... not really I would take your plant out of there and paint the whole inside black... of all your plastic then after that dries... paint the whole thing white... crylon paint.... it will cost your five dollars... do this if you don't want part male plants.... or tape the whole inside with ducting tape(foil tape) do this now before your plants get too large to move sweet build... ill keep looking
Why no Mylar? Wouldn't it help me get more light out of the little space? Also, why would I get hermaphrodite plants if I don't?
Update: Found a box of lighting supplies and enough stuff to finish my improved box. Will do that this week and shoot some photos.
Mylar is awesome. Expensive and awesome. White paint will work. It might be easier to do in such a small space. But if you think you can make the Mylar work than go for it you have so much light escaping your grow area. Gotta get those light leaks under control. If you cab see the light threw your box light is getting in. Durring flower this causes stress and turns the plant into a hermie. A non usable plant, other than hash. So..... If that were my grow. I'd paint the whole inside black and then white. Simple and cheap. And if I have the extra cash. I'd spring for the Mylar.
Update: Made some tweaks to the lighting system. This box is only holding me over till I get the new ones in place. All the additional lighting equipment came from my apartment's trash room. Apparently someone had a DIY system themselves. Once the new boxes are in I'll be redoing the system with mylar. But, this'll do for the time being.
Can anyone help give me an assessment of what's going on? My leaves have begun to curve upwards towards the light, almost forming a concave shape. This might be in response to me repositioning the lights and changing containers. Some seedlings look retarded. Literally, like they have down syndrome (the poor girls). They're really stunted. Is this just bad genetics? It's a learner bag of EARLY GIRL bagseed. Rita was singed by a lamp that fell on her. One leave was crisped off but the others remained. Does she have a chance? Lisa's leaves have curved almost fifteen degrees, maybe twenty upward. Is this normal? Alice has a leaf deformity on the bottom and has also started to curl up towards the top. http://forum.grasscity.com/sick-plants-problems/686121-can-i-get-checkup.html
Hey foot good start . I had an issue with leaves curling Like yours the reason is heat stress what are temps inside ur cab? Ph? what kind of water u using u know the reg questions soil ect ect
Hey there...on the mylar, not sure the size of your box...but you can geta mylar emergency blanket for like 3$ at an camping/sporting goods store (or your works first aid kit..)..lol. If it's a small box, do that instead of spending 25$
Heat stress? Oh no! I don't have a thermometer yet but the air feels about the same as ambient. A cool 78F. But that's out of the fan. As you can see the lights are rather close, but not more than 3" away. Would the CFL's I have put out enough thermal energy to heat up the box like that? Right now I've got a 18" box fan sucking out the top just until I finish tweaking my exhaust system. Intake is from outside the room. PH? Lol, I have no earthly clue. Whatever LA kicks out of the faucet. Should I run my water through the Brita filter? Soil is Kellog Patio Plus organic. No additional nutrients. Thought about it but I've got several boxes that need mylar. Enough so that It'll be worth the extra money and effort to buy a roll. Thanks for the tip though.
UPDATE: Looks like the plants corrected themselves. Maybe heat stress? Maybe the sudden addition of light? The original box idea was pretty inefficient. Now I've got all 350W on the seedlings at all times so the sudden influx of photons must've shocked the girls. My buddy is watching the girls this weekend while I'm out of town. Are the going to stretch into the light by Monday? I've got 3" of space right now between the light and the leaves.
Great design I'm impressed it's your first design grow op. I read a few posts about these free Mylar bags you can get at pet stores. They just throw them out anyway they will probably just give em to ya. They ship fish etc in them. I've got a closetful of this shit use for everything. Might even wrap my car in it Seriously though good luck with ur grow. Stay safe. Oh and where does ur exhaust "exhaust" to. Does it simply recirculate or does it leave the property? Like dryer exhaust? Sorry if this doesn't make since I'm fucked up off of ambien right now! Lol
Thanks for the reply and the tips. It exhausts through the wall and into the bathroom. Likewise, the intake comes through a vent in the bedroom.
Hey gang, I was out of town for the weekend and haven't seen my girlies since Friday morning. Look how much they've grown!!!! It seems they were curling just because of the change of intensity of the light. Notice how Alice has balanced out? Marie has a little bit of crispiness on her leaves, think it'll affect her? Do you think the 1.9 gallon pots will be big enough? My next modification to the design is to build a 'wall' of lights along the grate. They'll be positioned on y-splitters as shown. I'll include a 'key' light up above. Oh, and checkout the baller pic of the CFL's. SOOOOOOOOO much sexier than HPS/MH.