Hello people, first post in a long while, although these last few months I've done A LOT of research on grow room design/setup, good seed-banks to start with, grow lights etc... I've got the science of it down pretty solid, even made a day by day grow journal in a little notebook I purchased so I can keep all information about my grow and use it to make my next one better. And, this is a big and, I find that in 80% (at least) of these online grow discussions that most questions asked by beginners is met with a reply that includes "It's called search duhh". I've used search till I've about memorized almost every result on the first 3 pages of over about 30 search keywords. So I've used it. I am now stumped and somewhat low on money and would really appreciate any advice or suggestions here. Set-up: A basement washroom with a built in 6' fan 430CFM and about 12sqr feet or so of usable space, "fenced" in with plywood walls about 4ft tall. The walls of the grow area were painted flat white, as this is what i found to be the most effective/cost in reflectivity and maximizing your lighting. I will be growing 3 plants, finishing in 5 gallon smartpots. The 3 are all Holy Grail Kush by DNA Genetics(didn't spare costs with genetics, I want fire.) I am using pro-mix 60%, 15% Perlite, 10% Vermiculite, 1tbls dolomite lime per gallon, blood and bone meal, and the rest earthworm castings. Using light nutes mid-end of veg growth, then using canna nutes for flowering. Lighting: 600W Digital ballast hps/mh bulb using the mh for 1 month veg(including germ) then 8-9 weeks 12/12 with hps Question is: The ceiling cannot be used for a multitude of reasons to hang the light and its hood, I've thought of building a fixture to hang it from out of wood or pvc but to be honest i dont have the tools to really make that a viable option. Any idea's on how i can hand my light without using a ceiling or grow tent at all.
Are the grow room walls high enough to put a closet rod? You can get them at any hardware store in either metal/chrome or wooden. They fit into closet rod hangers that usually are in the same area as the closet rods. I used wire shelving at first while the plants were small. These are like restaurant metro shelves only they are around $70 USD in Kmart, Target, etc. Just make sure you leave enough space between your highest shelf and your lowest shelf so that you will have some grow room. Here's a picture from my grow room, I am using it for my smaller plants: View attachment 118213 I also use wire shelves mounted to wall studs, don't know if that's a option for you.
I would just buy a light stand. $35 for the stand, $15 for extensions should put it about 50" in height without spending more money only to have to rig stuff up. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-JS10059-4-Feet-Start-Plants/dp/B002OU8TLG/ref=pd_sim_lg_3
2x4's are your best bet. Cheapest and strongest. All u need is a saw (chainsaw, handsaw, circular saw, hacksaw, anything to cut it with) That and a couple of nails your good. Everybody's got a hammer somewhere. If your not down for that, u could also try metal from homedepot/lowes. The kind with holes already drilled into it. Its angle metal. Something like this, but its not super cheap. It just allows you to do the work without any tools for the most part. here's another light rack options also
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I've decided to go with the 2x4 route, just use a saw hammer and nails to get her built nice and sturdy. Seeds should be here soon, so excited to start this grow!
Just got a bunch of 12' 2x4's, going to cut them to size and nail them together this weekend, I'll post the completed set-up when it's done.