hey guys, i have a plant that was dropped in my lap , and it was very sick as you can see in the pics, but i got it healthy again. i need to move it out of the house now, and threw together some stuff i had layin around, these cabinet are in my shop which can get cold at night, so my question is really about the lights and ventilation. I want 3-4 plants. 1) In the big box, which will be my flower box, there will be a small heater, which is very safe, and will keep it a good temp, already tested. the wardrobe on the other hand, is too small to put a heater in, so i was thinking i could run ducting out of the big box, and into the bottom of the wardrobe, and have a small pc fan for outgoin air towards the top of the wardrobe. i dont think the big box will need intake, because the is a 2 inch hole the wires come through in the back. i could put more intake but the air will be cold so.... How does this sound for an idea? the plant has been in my closet, with nothing but a fan and crack under the door.. 2) What kinda lights would be good for this setup? I was thinking of using t-5 in both boxes, 2ft 4tubes per compartment on the wardrobe and int he big box for flowers, i was thinking 4t-5 across the top and 2 tubes for side lighting on both sides of box. these t-5 tubes will be High out put of 5k lumens per bulb. also 6500k for the wardrobe and 3200k for the flower box. i can always add a cpl cfls if need be. Also I was reading about carbon filters, what type of store will have these, and can i use them with a CP outtake fan? thanks for reading , PLEASE comment on this , needs to be out in 3 weeks so need input on setup asap. thanks guys
Hey man your idea looks great. For carbon filters go to the grow room design setup section and I believe one of the stickys talks about how to build your own carbon scrubber from shit from Home Depot. If you are not handy [like me] I believe the online hydro stores sell them.
yeah. Air flow is a primary consideration. I like the box and cabinet and t-5's. the connecting pipe should be wide to allow high airflow between them, also must have a mechanism to prevent light from entering your 12/12 while 18/6 lights are still on. seal the cable inlet holes your chambers should be sealed to prevent bugs dust and smells from easily going in or out. add insulation around your chambers if possible to keep the cold out and maximize your heater efficiency. you need a centifugal extraction fan connected to a carbon filter to remove stale air and encourage the intake of fresh air. the air in your chambers should be fully changed every hour, or your plants will grow slowly. for intake you can add a fan of lesser or equal strength to the extraction fan.
i recommend investing in lights for flowering, and using cfl's and t8 tubes with veg. if you're buying t-5's for efficiency if it fits in your flower box get the 4 foot or an HID, i don't know, maybe a 400 or two 250's would work in the space.
I posted this back here after looking at the photo. you need to make sure your lights work for the space you have allocated. dimensions? distance from plant? consider size of plants. while looking at which lights might work in the space, you might realize the type of lighting is more important than the space you have, and get a more ideal space such as a pre-designed tent. your estimate for two 2 foot four bulb lights works with the dresser space you have, I just thought if your gonna get appropriate lights, investment is almost more important for utilization during flower than veg. also consider, if you are growing with seeds vegetating plants can adapt rather well at lower temperatures e.g. range of 65-75 f and grow even as low as 60 (I think). your heat source should be most effective at bloom. instead of grow chamber. 1 more thing, you must have full air circulation as your system, although you can leave the door open this is less effective. the shelf in your dresser won't work, in that case.
I posted this back here after looking at the photo. you need to make sure your lights work for the space you have allocated. dimensions? distance from plant? consider size of plants. while looking at which lights might work in the space, you might realize the type of lighting is more important than the space you have, and get a more ideal space such as a pre-designed tent. your estimate for two 2 foot four bulb lights works with the dresser space you have, I just thought if your gonna get appropriate lights, investment is almost more important for utilization during flower than veg. also consider, if you are growing with seeds vegetating plants can adapt rather well at lower temperatures e.g. range of 65-75 f and grow even as low as 60 (I think). your heat source should be most effective at bloom. instead of grow chamber. 1 more thing, you must have full air circulation as your system, although you can leave the door open this is less effective. the shelf in your dresser won't work, in this case.
thanks for the replies guys! the reason i wanted to go with t-5 is because i can t really battle the heat in this case. I want the heater to be the only thing putting off heat basically, because it is thermostat controlled. I had my plant in there once and the temp stayed between 7-at night and 80 in the day, with just the 4 ft shop light in there. The t-5 lights have small hood dims, so i should be able to get two-2light 4ft bulbs on top and probably go with 2 t-5 bulbs on the back wall for side lights, and a cpl cfls where needed, I got this idea from looking around the web on there dims. I see this as being my only option, until I can build me a room out there, that can handle 400watt bulb, with the right vent and heat. Also With the t-5 i can move them fairly easy to get them close to the plants as possible. As for the wardrobe, the shelf does not come all the way to the front, against the doors so there is a gap that should pull air very easily from bottom to top. I really appreciate your feedback, and i am trying to make an effort at doing this right with what i can afford right now. 1) do you think the light setup would be good? I know there are better options, but as i mentioned, probably not going to happen for awhile. 2) Do you think that my buds will be somewhat dense? i have seen pics of cfls flowers and they look real good. 3) what do you think about the ventilation setup? I know it could be better, but i really dont want to have TOO much intake, as this air can be real cold. So i was thinking if i had a big enough outake fan that this would draw fresh air from the hole i have for the cords in the back, and the 1/8 inch gap between a spot on the door. which will help transfer heat from big box through vent tube between them into the lil box. 4) Is it better to have the temp colder or hotter if i have too? thanks alot ! greatly thankful. Peace
1] for lights I would s ay yes, looks ok. However please give us the total watts of lights and dimenstions of the the grow room to be sure. 2] bud density depends on so many things such as strain, size of pots finished in, and lights. 3] again, depends on wattage of lights, grow room dimentions and will the room be air conditioned? 4] As long as you keep temps between 55 degrees and 85 degrees they will grow. 70-80 degrees is perfect.