Anyone have any tips or comments I'm gonna start to grow in my closet with a 400 watt hps light and fox farm soil. I'm wondering which way I should germinate and which way is the fastest and most succeeding. And is it okay if I use tap water? I also wanna know the lighting schedule for begging of growth And what temperature is the best for growing?
I'm a rookie, but heres what I got: I use the paper towel method and am 3 for 3 with ordered beans. When I was younger I fucked around and germinated in paper towels to throw them in random places around town, and some didnt germinate. But using the paper towel method in an airtight tupperware container on top of a laptop charger or game console power brick or some where that heats up nicely is how I do it. Dont use tap water, use bottled water. Safer, cleaner, and doesn't have bad minerals and salts that tap does. Just make sure waters not cold. Do you have the 400 watter already? Have you tested temperature and humidity yet? What kind of fan(s) do you have? Beginning of growth or vegetative period is 18 hours on, 6 off. Some people use 20 on and 4 off, and 24-0 schedules. All work fine, but to save on electric and extra heat: use 18-6 and make your schedule work with the outdoor temps. Like run the lights from 3pm-9am or 4pm to 10am or similar so the lights on when its colder outside. For flowering you need 12 hours on 12 hours off no exceptions and NO light leaks. Plants will double if not triple their height by harvest when you switch from 18-6 to 12-12 so keep that in mind with height and sizes. -Kushed
I'm not really sure what fan to use since I'm doing it in a closet. Thanks man your being really helpful
You have to have some sort of cooling system for a 400w HID. You'll need a way to move the lamp's heat out of the closet.
You need to get the ventilation running, which means a 4" or 6" (whichever size your light flange is) $90-150 inline fan is needed. Its is impossible to cool a 400 watter without a fan. The fans are usually pretty loud. And ventilating a closet is a pain in the ass unless you are completely able to cut 4" or 6" holes in the door or in the ceiling or one of the walls. That is necessary, especially with a large MH or HPS. Matter of fact, I was first starting off on this site trying to grow in my closet but the ventilation parts a pain. For security purposes, I couldn't cut any holes anywhere, so I made a little dresser with the 250 watter instead. If prices don't matter for you, then buy the known brand fans like Vortex or Hydrofarm. Kushed
No way. Need an inline. I know how you feel. Do you have the 400 watter already?? Get a fan like this: 6" INCH INLINE FAN SCRUBBER vortex hydroponics hps grow | eBay
What nutes did you get? What size flange does your 400 watter have? My 250 watter is hard to keep cool enough for my girls in the past weather, so a 400 watter needs all the ventilation it can get. You definitely need to drill some holes with a circle hole saw to keep the closet running cool and safe temps. I have the EAP 4" 200cfm fan, and it gets the job done but my window air conditioner is running almost 24-7 to help keep within suitable temps, I know a lot of stuff needed to maintain a steady suitable surrounding for some maryjane plants to live nicely and produce good smoke. I sent you the EAP 6" fan link, and its one of the cheapest on eBay I believe, comes with a 5 year warranty. Check out ebay or craigslist for other prices and whatnot. You need the flange size before looking into fans. Send me a link of the light you ordered. -Kushed
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...220766&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1139wt_922 Yeah I think I'll make some holes if it'll be that hard. What else you think I need?
That light from HTG doesnt have a flange on the hood. That hoods a bat wing style reflector pretty much, so keeping the closet cool might be a little harder but I'm sure its possible. You can also get a way better reflector with 6" flanges on HTG for the bulb. (If i were you and if you ordered recently, email HTG and try to get a better but still cheap reflector with flanges instead of the included batwing reflector for free, or ask if they can do a deal on a different one at least). They get many customers and should be happy to satisfy a new one. The Big bloom sounds good. Any veg nutes or anything? Soil and water should be all you need for UP TO 3 weeks, but some plants need their veg nutes sooner. Or you can start flowering after 3.5 weeks max in the FFOF and not have to worry much about veg nutes and just start the Bloom nutes. I know starting off is hard, even the first grow will be hard on you, the budget, and the electricity, but if its worth it its worth it. You decide. You already have stuff on the way, so be prepared to hang the light with nice long screws, not weak short ones, and run the light in the closet. You will know why you need a fan within 40 minutes of the light being on after looking at your thermometer. Do you have central cooling or a window AC near the closet? You'll need that too, in winter it will be easier, but even now its still hot. -Kushed
Im doing my first grow in a closet in a 4w x 2d x8h with a 400w from htg with the batwing reflector, and it is a royal pain to keep cool. I have two 2" passive intakes coming from under the house and one 4" intake connected directly to my home a/c duct underneath as well. For exhaust I have a 6" bathroom fan venting into the attic. I still have to leave my closet door open, and keep my thermostat at 71 in order to keep the closet below 80. I ended up getting the 6" 424 cfm inline fan from htg. I got it mounted last night, and have to find someone to take me to get a flange and tubing today, but I will let you know how much it improves things. After I get my carbon filter, my next purchase will definitely be a air cooled reflector.
What would the flanges do? Nope no veg nutes What should I get for that? Some fox farm nutes? So wait when I first plant I don't need to add nutes yet just water and soil for the first 3 weeks? Man I wish I had the vent in the closet it's on the other side of the room. I'll post some pick of my timer and let me know if it's good and also the pots I'm starting in
Would this be okay to Start in? I also found that plant food in my garage can I use it for anything? And the timer capacity is it good for 400 watt hps?
You need no veg nutes, only pHed water with the Ocean Forest soil, until about 2.5 to 3.5 weeks max then the soils micro nutrients are all eaten up and then the plants going to want more food than the soil can give it. Then you need either veg nutes if you're still vegging or flower/bloom nutes if you're now flowering by then. Read the back of the timer, it shows its max loads and whatnot. and all the technical bullshit of the model. You can use a solo party cup for the first maybe 3 weeks max, or a bigger wider container like a tupperware food container, or even something like you posted. Do you know the size of it? 1gal? 1.5 gal? Thats fine for veg if you're not planning on growing tall tall plants, but you're going to want to transplant into something more appropriate like a 3 gallon or a 5 gallon pot/bucket after about a month or so the plant doesn't get rood bound and so the plant doesn't stall and stay small. Thats a pretty nice reflector above, with the flange on both sides so you can pull air in through one side and out the other via aluminum ducting and an inline fan. Flanges are the edges that pop out and enable you to clamp and duct tape them down tightly. You shoulda made a thread first and asked around on how to ventilate your closet. Post some pictures of your closet area. I would have went with a 150 watter or 250 watter max with a closet grow. Hard to cool. If an attics above your closet, you're in luck, if you are comfortable with hole-sawing a circle hole in the ceiling and up to the attic. Some more people will tag along soon I think and let you know more than I can help you with, I haven't even finished my 1st grow yet, but know some stuff. Far less than others. I think you will need to get a new reflector,big inline fan, and start thinking about ventilating the closet. Heat rises so make the hole in the ceiling or a high corner. You worried about light leaks? That lights going to be fucking bright. What about smell? And I would def not use that plant feed, I'd use nothing from Miracle Grow. Ever. Maybe perlite or dolomite lime if they even make em. (You may want to add perlite and some dolomite lime to your FFOF, mine doesnt drain well and the pH is whacky and those 2 things help and can be found at a home depot, lowes, maybe even kmart n similar stores. Timer looks fine, 1750 watts is its max. Mines 2500 watts for $4 on ebay on one of the Daily Deals, got 2 thanks god because 1 was faulty. -Kushed
Alright so I'm good with nutes then . And so your saying that size is great for vegging? Until when would I move them from the party cup? Actually my closet is below the attic. So good idea to make a thread about my closet? Light leaks ? You make like the light escaping the closet? I'm not worried about smell cuz I'm only doing 2 or 3 plants