ok so implanning a grow this summer... i want to do it in my basement in a rubbermaid storage bin sorrta like this... http://www.allendaletruevalue.com/images/rubbermaid_storage_bin.jpg i was going to have 1 or 2 grow lights mounted to the top... anywhere from 4-8 plants in there... whatever i could fit... minus one for space... ive never grown shit before... and will definitnitly need help so let me just ask a few questions... 1. what is the name of the lights i need??? 2. can i build my own hydroponic set up?? 3. what exactly is a hydroponic set up?? 4. ive heard that using distilled water will make my plants female... how can i distill water??? 5. i heard that i need reflectors... so do i just staple tinfoil to the walls??? 6. what exactly is a carbon filter? and how does it work?? 7. i planned on having 2 fans at one side... to circulate air... i heard i needed that.. 8. can a plant be moved from inside to outside?? 9. will it be warm enough in my basement in the summer?? 10. how much will the lights and fixture cost? 11.how do i eliminate smell.. and 12.how do i stealth this box 13. is there any kind of automatic watering system?? that is cheap?? 14. how do i know if its male or female???
Christ.. this will take a minute 1. You will probably want a single High Intensity Discharge (HID) light like a High Pressure Sodium lamp, or better yet, combination of a Metal Halide Conversion Bulb and a High Pressure Sodium Bulb. The Metal Halide for "vegging" and the HPS for "flowering". There are many people who use CFL bulbs successfully for grows, but you want 6-8 plants, I'd go for the HID. 2. Yes, many people do. 3. It's a system for growing that utilizes no soil. You control the nutrients in the water that feeds your plants roots which, in your case, would hang down into the water from the pots above. 4. Not true. There is no guaranteed way or method to get females. Your best bet is to purchase "feminized" seeds from a seed bank, or get a clone. 5. Tin Foil is a major no-no. It will unevenly reflect light and create hotspots. Your best bet is to hang a mylar emergency blanket on the wall or get plain white mylar. As a last resort, consider painting your area FLAT WHITE. Not semi-gloss or glossy as you will get those hot spots. 6. A carbon filter is something that doesnt mask odor like many other products, it actually removes odor from the air, and is typically the BEST way to handle odor control for your grow. I personally use one myself, works GREAT. 7. Yes, you need fans for air circulation. They will help with temperature control, and they will force your plants to spend some time on stem growth without witch your plant would topple over and die. You NEED at least one fan. 8. It's not recommended, unless you are hardening it off to go outside permanently. 9. Who knows? How warm is your basement? Optimum grow temperatures for inside with standard co2 levels is 75-78 degrees F. 10. Depends on the kind of lighting setup you want. CFLs will be cheaper, but a 400 or 600 Watt HID setup including bulbs will run you $150-$200 or so. Maybe a little more. 11. Smell is removed with those carbon filters you asked about. 12. Seriously? What does "Stealth" mean? Look it up.. get creative! Build a cabinet that will blend in with your place and work out the details. 13. No. Some hydro setups have auto drips and stuff but you will want to keep a hawk eye on your grow if you are doing hydro. Your Ph can swing so wildly in a 12 hour period so as to kill or seriously harm your plants, especially as a first time grower. 14. It's called "sexing" -- when you get some plants and switch your lighting to 12 hours on, and 12 hours off, come back and ask that question. Seriously you should build yourself a nice big grow box that you can conceal as a freezer or a dresser or a closet or something and do a couple grows in soil before going to hydro. It's a LOT easier and you'll get much needed experience before spending money on hydroponic nutrients and Ph/EC meters, etc, etc. Good Luck! ~Experimentalist
ok .... .thanks man, u guys are helping me out a TON i knew i came to the right spot! im really just looking to get plants... no headies or anyhting... just learn what im doing... i doubt ill be able to get mylar... so ill get flat white and paint all the surfaces... floor and top too... ill build a carbon filter into a far side... and discuise it with another box... ill have 1 medium fan or 2 small ones going.... i was thinking about mouning a waterbottle with aquarium hosing... and a cupple very small holes to water the plants... just have it going... im not using any special stuff... im just going to put some seeds in paper towels (damp) and see if they germinate (thats correct right)?? and transPLANT them... QUESTIONS; 1. So both the lights will cost how much?? 2. what will the fixtures cost??? 3. how many will i need??? 4. will they work in the same fixture??? 5. so ill get a timer... and have it go on and off at intervals?? (well work that out later) 6. what exactly does a carbon filter look like... yno ill look it up... i see themm but i dont undetstnad how they would be mounted... 7. how long will these plants take to grow???? i only have a 2 month period to do this... 8. so i just water my plants with normal water??? no fertilizer or anything like that??? 9. are these lights bar lights??? my friend says he has those... and i want to do what hes doing only a tiny bit bigger so i germinate them... put them in the soil... continue to twater themm using the veg light) how long do i keep that light on for?? 10. if i wanted to could i switch to an outdoor grow at that point? i figured id set the pots up in differnt places around the island... where i live... maybe if i could... if i wanted to do an outoor grow... they would have to be watered and stuff right??? then when do i switch to the other light?