Hey folks , I'm looking to start my own grow setup in a little closet that I own which is completely devoid of anything. It's measurements are 83x45x16in. It has removable hanging beams which can support lights (fuqqin' awesome coincidence). The closet is located in my room, which is on the second floor of an apartment complex. The problem is I have no idea what I should purchase. The guides I've seen for closet grows are fairly complicated and beyond my expertise. Does anyone have any suggestions for a cost-efficient setup that will grow a fair number of plants. I need helping selecting lights, ventilation, and a growing aparatus... I do not yet understand how the compatibility between these things work. Also, will smell be a problem? It's okay if my room gets a little danky but I don't want to alert my whole apartment complex. Cheers Here's a pic of my closet..
Well I would definitely need to know how much you're willing to spend, but i'll try to outline something for you. I just recently put together a closet cab a little smaller than your dimensions and yielded 1.5oz, so I have a little experience in small cab setups. It's not the easiest of things though. You're gonna need some black and white poly like this http://htgsupply.com/Category-Black-and-White-Poly It's similar to what grow tents are made from. Extremely effective at reflecting light inside and blocking any light from escaping the closet. Plus, it's pretty cheap. Lighting in that space is tricky, especially since you cant make holes to vent out hot air. An HPS bulb would probably run too hot for that space if the air isn't being vented directly out of the closet somehow. I use a 200w CFL for flowering, and it works decently for small space growing. The buds do lack in comparison to HPS grown weed though. Personally, I think your best bet would be a good LED setup, such as the 200w one from California Lightworks. They're low heat, do not require a ballast, energy efficient, and grow buds of HPS quality. Very pricey though so expect to pay up the ass for one. As for ventilation. I feel like most bigger inline fans would be too loud for a small apartment complex. I use a small 100 cfm inline fan with a Can 2600 carbon filter and it works great for covering smell. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VenTech-4-6-8-Inch-Duct-Booster-Inline-Blower-Fan-/181241936549 http://www.discount-hydro.com/brands/Can%252dFilters.html You will need something to cover the smell. If it's a pungent strain it will seep through your door, and then you're setting yourself up to get robbed. Only problem ive been facing lately is my temps running too high. Not sure how to fix it yet. Might be something you'd run into down the line also with a small setup.
I gotta tell you man, my setup is simple, low-tech and so far is getting the job done. Check my journal out to see for yourself. I'm running a Sun System 150 watt HPS in a bookshelf I've lined with mylar with passive venting from holes I've cut strategically in my box. The plants are in some roughly 2-gallon containers I had laying around because I didn't feel like waiting for my smart pots to arrive and they're growing in Espoma Organic Potting Mix. That's my set up. For me smell isn't an issue necessarily, but you're likely going to need some kind of air filtration system to keep your odors to a minimum. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't over think it too much and get a little creative and you'll be able to pull it off. It doesn't have to look like a laboratory setup in there, it just has to grow your plants and do it well. You've got a nice sized space, don't sweat all the tiniest details - start with what you know you need and then adjust and improve it little by little as necessary.
@[member="skinny ninja"] Hey dude, thanks for the advice. Here's what I was thinking per your suggestion regarding the LED. I'm willing to spend around 500-600 bucks for the whole setup. Have a few questions regarding the fan. 1) where would I place it in relation to my closet 2) do you attach the carbon filter to the fan? 3) I don't see the 2600 carbon filter in the link you posted. Would you recommend any specific filters listed on the website. @[member="AutoAntix"] I respect your philosophy. I just have never grown anything in my life..nada..not even a carrot..so the notion of ventilation and reflective lighting is very unfamiliar to me. I will definitely try to wing it in a intelligent way with some good guidance from you kind folks! Wanna be able to grow the dank shit ima tokin rn :]
Have you thought much about what kind of plants you're going to want to be growing? For a beginner there isn't much easier than some good autoflowering genetics.
@[member="AutoAntix"] I was thinking about heading to my local dispensary and asking them about any recommended strains that are good for beginners. Can I probably get the autoflowerers from there? Also, do you have any idea how I could install a fan in my setup without having to tear down or cut through anything?! Thanks again.
My best advice is to hold off on buying anything for now and do a little more research. Look into grow journals done in micro and closet setups. If you just go all in without knowing anything of what you're doing, then you're only going to end up frustrated and wishing you didn't spend all that money on grow equipment. Trust me. It's worth the time to gain some knowledge beforehand.
It's a coincidence that a closet has beams to hang things on???? Haha just fucking with you good luck on the grow man