I'm ready to start growing. If someone can stand me on my own two feet I will start buying everything. I'm someone can tell me what I need. Here is my enviroment: Outside shed, 6 feet by 6 feet. It is all light proofed. I am going to buy a 400 watt, or maybe a 600 watt Hps and run 4-6 plants under it. Can someone just help me with my equipment? How many fans do I need to run? The shed has 2 windows should I use one as ventilation? What devices should I buy? (temperature and pH) If anyone can answer these, or anything else they think I would need to purchase. Thanks a lot guys. P.s I don't really have a spending limit. I'd like to keep it under 600 though...
I think you need to consider temp management inside that shed before building out a grow space in there. I assume the shed is not insulated and does not have heat and air conditioning, in which case you will have wide temp fluctuations, within each day and across the seasons. You're in Florida -- an uninsulated shed will be an oven from April through October at least, and yet it could be too cold at night the other months of the year. Tackle that issue first.
i would suggest insulating the walls and putting up interior walls and an ac unit and having a controlled heater for the night time. your going to have a lot of trouble regulating temp in there if not. not to mention humidity, what about the electrical, extension cords wont cut it for the lights, ballast, fans, ac, heater, humidifier, dehumidifier anything electrical you may need. i would worry about that before worrying what to buy. provided you can do that i would suggest >Sunspot 6 HID reflector >Sun Leaves "Luma" 3.0 >6 or 8 inch inline fan but keeping it under 600 for these things will be hard take a a look at my blog my room has cost roughly $2000.00
So many nay sayers. My proposal is that you frame the structure with 2x4, and since you are not needing rigidity for the structure itself you can space your 2x4 centers at 4 foot intervals. Then simply buy those silver exterior insulating roof panels and line the entire shed, roof, walls, door with this stuff. Super easy install, solves reflection issue. No mylar needed..no painting... Then buy one small 5000 btu ac (60.00 walmart) and one or two 20.00 1500 watt heaters (they are all 1500 watt max, on a 110-120v line) . This takes care of temp control....don't listen to the dumb witted who have zillions to spend... Next for circulating ventilation buy two-three oscillating fans at walmart. Figure out a wall mount method and attach one at head heigh to blow down. One at waste height to blow slighty down and then one on the floor blowing slighty up. For exhaust and intake ventilation you can use cheap flexible dryer vent 4 or 6 inch aluminum flexible ducting (6.00 for 25 feet) and then simply take a 6 inch fan from walmart and connect the hose to the face and back of the fan using metal tape...note flow direction. The fan becomes incased in the tape and the ducts are relatively airtight, put another in near extraction point and attach to ventilation points, which can be made along the lenght of the pipe. Finally as to extension cord...wrong again...you can make an extension cord as needed with the right gauge wire, or even using a RV cord and distributing into a GOOD power switch/strip. Remember a typical 30 amp circuit can power 1500 watts per line or 3000 watts total. Heater is 1500 max..low setting is around 1100, 600 watt hps is 600watts, 4 / 65 watt cfl are 260 watts, the ac is 1500 watts. The fans are 65 watts each....It can be done..done well...with good results. I buy my hps for 99.00 with 2 bulbs and reflectors, with a remote ballast and very well wired...long cord from ballast....so never say never.... Good luck
A total of 2 others have replied. And I'd say that Budworthy and I are realists, not nay-sayers. Neither of us said it couldn't be done, but we did both point to some of the same general overriding, practical issues that must be dealt with first. So that would have to be Budworthy and me. I can't speak for Budworthy, but I don't have zillions, and I didn't advocate spending zillions. Dole out advice on this forum but cut out the insults. -rep
right i did point out practical issues, don't hate because I researched and saved money for 6 months prior to beginning my journey as a grower. I wanted the best I could afford, and by no means do I advocate "having" to spend a lot of money but I do know that it has cost me a lot of money. I bought my seeds, didn't use bag seed like a lot of people, I bought nutes, supplies, tools, equipment and the WHOLE nine yards from the bottom up. I had major humidity issues which caused me to need a large humidifier, heater, fan etc. The equipment I listed as a suggestion to buy cost $800 as a package deal but keep in mind that I have a 1000w ballast, two 1000w bulbs a MH, and an HPS one for veg one for bloom, I have an 8 inch fan more than I need clearly but for a $23 price difference worth it. The question was could anyone SUGGEST anything i should purchase which is what i did, never did i say he HAD to spend the money PLUS there was the statement of "i don't really have a spending limit" SO i gave the knowledge of the equipment I have and suggested it because I am having an extremely successful first grow! There is nothing wrong with going cheaper, having a large cfl grow etc.. I know plenty who have had great success with those as well. PLEASE DON'T HATE FOR MY SUGGESTION THAT WAS ASKED FOR!!
OH and the likely hood of an extension cord being damaged from a house to an outside building in the long run is VERY likely you never know, that was just a suggestion so that the lights and things don't go out while he is not there and his grow be F-ed up!!
Thanks for the help guys, despite the arguments. However what kind of device do I need to test the soil?
Oh btw I'm not using that shed anymore. I have a much bigger shed in my backyard that has an AC already in it and it is under plenty of shade. Temperature in there is around 80-85 at the hottest time of the day without the AC on. I just want to buy my supplies. (Thermometers etc.)
nobody said he could never do it... Also, don't hate on the people that know more than you on grasscity. especially on your SECOND post. Here's a list of supplies that you need. + Thermometer, and Humidity (usually in one piece-together) + Ph tester + Ph up/down + nutes-I personally recommend Fox Farm, but there are many others that are great too + light timer That's all I can think of off the top of my head as far as supplies. unless you mean lights, pots, soil etc. -rep Renaissance Man +rep to budworthy and toastybiz(nevermind for toasty. it wont let me give you more..)
Here are some pictures of supplies i have that I recommend because of pure convenience, lol The thermometer tells humidity and temp got it at walmart for 19.00 The timer came from lowes for 17.00 The fan came from the dollar store for 15.00 The digital PH i recommend if your not good with color chart of the ph liquid, it was 85.00 but the best purchase i have made but the ph up/down kit was 8.00 and if your good with colors then get it by all means( i am just partiallly color blind) The moisture meter was 7.00 at lowes and has taken guess work out of watering **One piece of advice DONT GET MIRACLE GROW!! please please please!! been there done that, fox farms is SO much better!**
Yea definitly get foxfarm if you're goin with soil. And don't skimp on the ph meter get a good one because if u keep growin as a hobby you'll probly eventually move to hydro, and you're gonna definitly need it then. Also they combo meters that measure ph, ppm, temp and all, a bit more expensive but it takes alot of the guess work out diagnosing problems. Oh and make sure u get calibration solutions for whatever meter u decide to get too. I live in the deep south too and u will want to get a dehumidifier if your a/c doesn't have one built into it. Might want to get some floros for starting your seeds. U can go to lowes and get some cfl's or the t12 tubes or whatever u have the dough for. R u gonna use that hps for veg and flower?
+1 for Fox Farm. I figure Ill show you what I did... My Plants with miracle grow... My plants after 4 days in Fox Farm Ocean Forest and some lst... NOTE: The yellow and dead leaves are from the Miracle grow soil.
haha thanks so much. The soil also does not drain well and isn't airy at all. I'm glad I got it all worked out though... It is a great before and after though. I have had to link those pics a lot.