Hi everyone. I've been reading grow guides and past posts on the subject but haven't quite had all my questions answered. I hope somewhere here can help. The closet I plan to use is fairly large. Not having the exact measurements, I'd say 7 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and 5 feet deep. I figure I can probably grow (to flowering-after killing off any males) 2-3 plants comfortably in there without them running out of room. Would a 400 watt hps be overkill for just 3 plants? Too much heat for just a closet? I've read something about using one type of lighting for veg. growth and 1 type for flowering. If so, which is it? Also, I'm concerned about how to properly ventilate the closet. Someone mentioned getting a bathroom fan kit. I do rent the townhouse I live in so I am concerned with making any sort of "permanent" changes to the place and pissing off the landlord. Security isn't a problem, as he's never been here once in the two years I've lived here but I would like to get my security deposit back once I do move. I don't think I could even hook something like that up if I tried. I'd probably electrocute myself. So, does anyone have any "non-technical" ideas? I've thought about taking a few inches off the bottom of the door (I could replace it later for $20) and keeping a fan behind it, constantly blowing out air. Would that work? I think I even read somewhere that during dark periods, leaving the door open to bring in fresh air and carbon dioxide works, as well. Thoughts? Sorry for all the questions. I just so want my plants to turn out as best they can. Jeez, I'm this worried about them and I haven't even received my seed order yet! Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me here. This is by FAR the best grow forum I've been to!
hi your 400 W lamp could work, i used 600 W and had half the space, but the heat almost killed my "babies". The problem was probrably the outside temperature since it was about 35-40C outside. I've also heard of using 2 different lamps but the first was just for letting the seed's germinate. I let them grow on the window sill untill they were 3-5 inches tall. It worked. The idea about cutting out a piece of the door isn't that bad either, but i'd cut it out of the top since warm air rises. Or even better you cut two holes, one on top and the other at the bottom. The top should blow the warm air out and the bottom one blow fresh air inside. You should also choose the right ventilators, the air in the closet should be circulated about 2-4 times per day, so at your measurements a fan with a throughput of 50 cubic feet/hour should do it. Mine had 2400, so you'll have to experiment a bit The biggest problem could be the odor of the plant's while they are in bloom, sorry but can't help ya with that one. Try your local grow-shop for help with it, they usually have some neat equipment. e.g. watering systems, fertilizer etc.
Woody & A P D, Thanks for the advice! I think I've got my vent problem solved now, thanks to your help. The strong smell you guys brought up has me a little concerned, though. When you say strong, do you mean so strong people walking past my house can smell it even with all my windows and doors closed? Or strong enough they'd have to be IN the house? Or strong enough they'd have to be standing outside the room the plants were in? I know it's kinda an impossible question to answer not knowing the specifics of my location but in your experience, how strong of a smell are we talking? My biggest fear? The idiots next door get into another Friday night brawl and someone calls the police. The officer, upon stepping out of his cruiser, can smell my budding beauties and now I'm labeled a miscreant (at least offically hehe) by everyone once they read of my arrest over their morning coffee. Woody- those carbon filters you spoke of. How effective are they? With one, can my hope of remaining arrest free be sustained? Or should I just scratch my little closet-of-dreams until I live in a little more private area?
you could smell my plants as soon as you entered the house, but my nosy neighbors didn't notice anything, except the bright light shining out of the window . I told them i had a terrarium. They didn't ask again.