I would like to start growing indoor in an apartment. Been wanting to grow my own almost since I started smoking. I plan to use the closet in my bed room. It is about 60x60x200cm (only gonna use about 160cm for the actual grow room). I don't plan to grow more than 1-2 plants at a time. Based on this, from what I have gather online, I should get atleast a 200 watt bulb.. So I have been looking at a pure light 250W CLF duel spectre bulb. Would getting 2x125W bulbs be a better choice? With a better light coverage by using two bulbs, would you not expect a bigger yield? And what about color, should I go for the duel spectre bulbs, or would a flower bulb give a bigger yield? After I have bought the bulbs, dirt, hygrometer, timer, E40 socket and possible nutrients, I won't have any money left not earmarked for food; so I was hoping that I might be able to get through one grow without expensive ventilation; just using a couble of cheap desk fans I already own. I always keep both my bed room and living room door closed. I plan to keep an ona odor neutralizer in the living room. Is there anyone with experience in doing cheap apartment grows, with just ona gel for neutralizing? Do you think I have any chance of pulling this off, without the plants being smelled from the stairwell? I can chain smoke in my living room, without it being smelled in the stairwell; I would preffer doing it this way, instead of having to go weed free until I have collected the funds to buy the exhaust vent and carbon filter.
I have in total $200 free to use this month. The 250W bulb cost $81. The 125W bulbs cost $50 each. All the other items I need / mentioned (that is including the price of nutrients) comes to $90.
Growing has it's risks but it's always riskier when you live in a place that's not your own, plus having neighbors right there in the same building. Keep it extremely small and we'll hidden. Don't mess around with smell control. High quality carbon filter like phresh brand carbon filters. All it takes is an emergcy, say a broken water pipe in the house or something when youre not home and the landlord is coming in. You will be amazed how much 1 plant can smell. Plus it's nothing like smoking. The smell stays constant and doesn't go away
I would get the 250w light My first grow was with one 200w cfl and 4 t5's in a 2x3x3 ft grow tent, when I flowered I could barely smell it out side of the room my tent was in. My yeild was 55g dry weight, my set up was very similar to yours. I was very limited with 3ft of head space
To compare to my setup, did you go without exhaust vent and filter in that grow tent? I also agree with the both of you, that the risk is higher when growing in an apartment; if I had the money in my budget I would not start growing without the exhaust vent / filter. I currently use most of my free money on weed, but I would like to be self sufficient. The $200 is what I have left from my last birthday, and I will be using that to get the lights and everything else; leaving me without the exhaust vent and filter. So in that regard I have two options: Grow once without exhaust vent and filter. Then for next time, when have extra money that I didn't spend on buying weed, I can use that money for the vent and filter. Quit weed until I have the funds to buy the exhaust vent and filter. I really preffer option 1. I was going to ask about the lights anyway, so I am hoping that there will be some members of the forum that has done a micro grow without filters and / or have experience with how well ona gel works.
I didn't use any venting besides opening up a vent flap and had a couple small fans in my tent. For my first grow was on a very tight budget like yours with CFLs and no exhaust fan and I was happy with it. But inevitably ended up upgrading my whole set up
I grow 2 plants in my closet. Have for a long long time. I use over $1000 in lights. But if I was starting all over on a budget I would buy a 1000w double ended hps for close to $200. Your first main limit is your breaker. Make sure your light is dimmable down to 600w. No, in the long run cfl will cost you way more in every way, quality, electricity, yield. I run no fan in the winter. A cheap one will suffice. A can fan is better for much more money down the line but controls odor. Start with autos in a closet on 24/0 and you will not need to light proof the closet and that will make it much more ventilated. I also highly recommend hempy buckets for care free closet growing. Too many pests forced me out of soil/organics. Very cheap, the cheapest way to get started and the way I grow now with unlimited budget.
ha ha Risk? Set up a grow tent in your bedroom and see who you are fooling. Those things are huge and noisey. No, stick to the closet, so much better. I have my lights and fan on the wall switch and I can just hit the switch and everything is off and looks just like a normal bedroom if anybody walks in.
nobody suggested for him to by a grow tent. I was simply explaining my first grow set up ?? And a tent that's 2x3x3 is very easy to hide in a room btw(i speak from experience) Also can you explain how a tent is noisey with out a exhaust vent?
to me the amount of space you have and being so close to neighbors (plus a landlord that can stop in) just doesn't make the total grow worth the hassle and risk. why don't you find an outdoor location? Even if you are in the city there has got to be a place you could go with a short drive. The risk would be less and you could grow larger plants with little expense
There are two reason why I have choosen CLF: LED's was way to expensive HPS gets hot and I have no exhaust vent. I plan to keep the closet cracked open when the lights are on, and hang a desk fan near the top to blow air out. Do you believe this is enough to keep the temperature low, when using a 400W HPS? In either case, the HPS would cost double that of the CLF, since I also need to get ballast. I live in a cooperative. I don't have a landlord, since I own my apartment. We do have a caretaker, but he wont come to an apartment without an appointment.
You can get a decent 300watt (actual 135watt) LED on Ebay or Amazon for under $75..You would not regret it..Light is the food for the plants..not the nutes..I have a few Meizhis..Great bang for the $$..Factor in the time you will spend..get what works, even the 1st time so you won't be disappointed later.. MEIZHI Reflector 300W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Hydroponics Indoor Plant Lamp | eBay
I don't own a car and I would prefer to do it indoor, so I have full control and access to the plants. I don't have perfect control now, since I lack the vent and filter, which I would get before my second growth. I just need to grow for personal use and as a hobby. I have absolutely no idea where I would go to find an isolated place to grow outdoor. I live in a town with 55k people. Even in my home town where I lived til I was 25, I have no idea where I could have gone to find a isolated place, that other people would not likely find. If you have a cool idea, I might go drop a few seeds outside. But without doing much gardening. That is like a 4th of the price for similar sized units that I can get locally. I am actually very exited about being able to order such a unit from the UK for the same price as a 250W CLF. But before I go and change my plans from CLF. My closet is 2m in total. I have got my hands on some Special Queen #1 from Royal Queen Seeds, cheapest I could find, didn't want to spend a lot on a good seed, if I end up accidently killing the plant. This plant should be about 90-140cm tall indoor. I know I can force flowering early, when it is about 50cm; that should only make the plant grow around 100cm tall. Will the grow space be fine with a strain that tall or will I get in trouble with the light distance? With losing about 50cm from the LED hanging from the ceiling, 40cm from the distance to the plant, and another 25cm from the flower pot.
Your the 1st one I have recommended these lights to that actually figured the heights needed..Congrats!!! I modified the hangers and reduced the needed headroom by about 12" (used picture hanging wire). I also train heavily as follows: top at the 5th node, Supercrop, and LST. Growing Indicas (shorter but bushier) helps as well. I flower some plants in a 3x3x6 foot tent (the Indicas, and Sativa leaning or unknown strains in a spare Bath Tub with ten ft high ceilings..) I think I mentioned the Meizhi 300's temps too..I think they were about 85D F at the Fan air exhaust, and a lil over 90 D F at the Light's face. I keep the temps at the canopy between 75-80 D F. and RH at 50% in Veg. Exhaust is needed for the plants and any light you use. Plants need constant air refreshment and movement to prevent mold.
I would never grow with CFL's in 2018. LEDs are way too cheap that significantly outperform cfls. If I were you I would pick up a 4 pack of qb132 boards and buy 2 drivers for now. That would be under your $200 budget. Get the other drivers later if you need them but even just 2 boards can grow you an 8oz+ crop. www.amazon.com/4x-QB132-Quantum-Boards-2700K/dp/B078P8ZD5P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515814262&sr=8-1&keywords=qb132+quantum+board https://www.arrow.com/en/products/lrs-75-36/mean-well-enterprises Driver for each board. No heatsink needed.
The other good option is the newer mars eco 49 light they just released. It has a removable lens so you can increase the output. They built it to replace the mars300 since it still sells so well. Buy Mars ECO LED grow Light,Mars ECO LED grow Light online,Mars ECO LED grow Light for sale
yeah that's probably a better closet light, I know for $200 you can get all the hid light you will need, never sure about led until I try it, I know I need 400w led, probably 600w hid. A $400 160w led was a waste for me and so was the 200w cfl. What I like about those qb boards is almost zero vertical height.