Looking to grow. Needing Help :)

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by II Poodle II, Jul 4, 2012.

  1. Hi, i've been thinking about growing for quite a while now, and after the research and whatnot. i think its time to give it a go. Looking for the most cheap and easiest way to do so. Not a lot of variety out where i live. just either a single or 2 plant CFL grow. Its in a closet/ wardrobe.

    This is what the wardrobe looks like. It will be emptied obviously. shelf/bookcase sits infront most the time. probably will just buy a door handle with lock.
    very rough measurements.

    3ft wide
    9ft tall (6ft to shelf - 3ft to roof)
    1.5ft deep

    [​IMG]

    another look from the other wardrobe.

    [​IMG]

    i just need some help with a few things

    .1 I'm in aus. so i don't have all the same stores. i have bunnings and big w and so on
    .2 lighting. It is a bit confusing. what CFL bulbs to get is all good. but the placement it a bit confusing.
    .3 Airflow.. Should i have some sort of air pumping through the grow area? as its in my room i dont want it to stink.
    .4 Reflectors. do i need these and what can i use?

    Thanks.
     
  2. You should get a 250watt HID lamp with a small can fan. You need to have air exchange meaning that new air needs to be brought in and old air gets exausted out. The best way for you to do this and help with smell is you would attach a Small can filter to one end of the light reflector then have a can fan pulling the air through the filter into the light and then exhausting out of the closet. If your planting from seed that you randomly got I would use the seeds you don't care about first. Put them into a cup of room temp water for like 2 days and you will see the seeds sprout a taproot. Place the taproot into a rooting cube of some sort and keep it in a humidity dome which you can get from any garden store usually. I would practice this before using the seeds you want to grow. Its simple to pick up Ive done it like 4 or 5 times and Im at pretty much 100% success rate for seeds popping. Once you do that plant like 6 seeds then grow them untill you can sex them. Should end up with at least one or two females. You could even plant like 20 seeds and see which ones are growing the best and keep those because those are the ones with superior genetics usually. For a reflector you could just get one in a package deal with a 250 watt hid lamp. Cover those walls with Mylar and you will have yourself a good little grow chamber!
     
  3. If you want I can make a list of simple things you will need to get a harvest you can be proud of
     
  4. I agree dont use only cfls.. even just a 150 watt hps plus some cfls for side lighting would be better
     
  5. You will just get denser more quality nugs with an HID light. a 250 watt doesnt produce much light and it is perfect for 2 or 3 plants. Throw some CFLs in there on the side for a more complete spectrum and you will have some nice buds for sure! Chances are if its your first time your problem isn't going to be lighting. Your deff gonna need a PH testing kit and it would be good to know the hardness of the water where you live which you can use a PPM pen to figure out I think there are ones out there for 60-100- its a very important part of your garden. Also a temp/hydrometer is crucial!
     
  6. Im using cfl's because they are cheap. im just going with the cheapest option. just to get a couple of plants for personal use. could i have a list of the most cheap way to grow. in just a small space
     

  7. Growing indoors in enclosed spaces requires a well thought out balanced solution for the best result. The goal, as always, is to produce the most bud with the least amount of money spent. However, it has been my experience that most people that start growing do not continue to grow. They try once or twice, get discouraged, and quit. So...

    You can go the CFL route if you are unsure if you will be growing long term so you can try growing out. CFLs, though, are really NOT cheaper than HD lighting. If you figure out the amount of CFLs you would need to use to provide as much lumens as, say a 400 watt HD light, the HD light is cheaper. This is why most growers use them.

    So, your lighting options would be:

    CFLs - remember that you not only need the bulbs but the sockets, metal boxes the attache to, bmx cable (safest way). It all adds up. I have seen some growers buy those multiple socket strips you see above bathroom mirrors and use those. You could find these used.

    T5 fluorescent - This could be a good option. Lower on heat that HD and you can buy tubes that are especially for veg or flower. Look for cheaper fixtures at Home Depot. I use a six tube fixture for vegging 4 plants and it works great. At HD for around $70.

    HD lighting - Most lumens for the buck. Generates more heat that flouros. Very easy to find used 400W fixtures as they are used for outside lighting. Best to use MH for veg, HPS for flower. I would not go under a 400W. If you buy new, get a dimmable electronic ballast and a 600W bulb and hood. Best bang for the buck and very flexible for the future.

    If you do decided to go with CFLs try to hang them above and around your plant(s). Use something like a "trouble light" cord from some of them so you can place your CFLs close to the tops and sides of your plants. The more light you get to the more branches of your plant the more bud you will produce.

    Your big enemy in your grow is going to be heat. You will need to figure out how to keep the air moving through your closet to provide needed CO2 and remove heat. HD lighting produces more heat than fluorescent lighting does which is another factor to consider.

    Yes, you will need some type of carbon filter to run your exhaust air through. These can be made very easily and inexpensively. Just search on here, there are a lot of plans. You will be able to use an inexpensive duct fan from Home Depot. Do not fall for the sales pitches for the very expensive fans from grow shops. The duct fans work well, are quiet, and inexpensive. You only have a little over 40 cf to exhaust. You usually want to completely exchange the air in your grow space every 3 min. - ANY duct fan that HD sells, even the 4" will be able to do this without a problem.

    If the interior walls of your closet are painted white, you really don't need any reflectors.
     
  8. You should just go with a small HID. Its not much more expensive then the cfls your gonna buy to get good buds. Look up scottyballs scrog grow. If you have like 400 to throw at it you could get enough to last a year im talking like 10 ounces off one plant. You would have about 80$ for the waterfarm, 200 for the light, ballast and hood, then you would just have to get ventilation and maybe a carbon filter. You could make your moneys worth easy!
     
  9. Oh yeah and the nutrient is just flora nova bloom which is super easy cause its just one nute. Great for beginners
     
  10. Okay. Looking into what im doing, i think i might just make a small grow box for the couple of plants to grow in. Going out looking for CFL's tomorrow and sockets.

    Seeings its a small box. Anyone know what dimensions i should build it?

    What specs should i be looking for with the lights to start growing.
     

  11. 5600k or 6500k for veg, 2700k for flower. Always go by actual wattage, not fictional "equivalent" wattage. Home depot has 5600k bulbs 4/$12, 2700k 6/$12.

    That being said, if everything goes well, you can expect about 1/4 gram per watt (under good conditions). Let's say you go with (8) 26w bulbs, bare sockets, and extension cord you're looking at about $50 for both veg/flower, just for your bulbs and hardware, then you have to build a rig to hold it all.

    Considering that cfls don't penetrate very far, the most efficient use of them IMO, is a scrog grow. It's easier to train your plant to meet your lighting than it is to manipulate your lighting to meet your plant. What I'd do is slap together a 2x2 cfl rig... pvc, wood, wire, whatever, as long as it's rigid and can be raised up and down. Then I'd secure my sockets and wiring to the rig, and build a 2x2 screen with 2" squares to go under your rig. There's a wiring tutorial in my first blog if you're interested in that route, and a 2x2 screen in my growbox link.

    If you're going to cut corners in a critical area like lighting and you don't make up for it with proper techniques, then you will be disappointed. Just throwing a bunch of cfls in a box and hoping for the best is a waste of time and money, imo.
     
  12. Im looking to build something like your grow box.
    Im really interested in yours also.
    Some links would be great.
     

  13. I built mine on the fly, it's all in my head. Took me a while to figure out the logistics but I kept a photo record. If you're interested shoot me a pm and I'll send you a step by step with pics.
     
  14. #14 II Poodle II, Jul 11, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 12, 2012
  15. I wouldn't use them. Cool white is 4000-4500k, not an ideal spectrum for any stage of growth (unless you're going for a range of spectrums, like some growers do, but not for your entire setup). Look for 26w daylight (5600-6500k) for veg, and warm white/soft white (2700-3000k) for flowering. Here's a handy chart that explains the spectrums... CFL Color Types

    As it is, cfl is inefficient when compared to HID, so when using them it's important to get your spectrums right, keep them a short distance from your tops (blowing a fan on your bulbs will keep them cool and allow you to get them closer without burning your tops), and train your plants to grow short and wide to expose as many tops to as much light as you can.

    Cheers!! :bongin:
     
  16. Im telling ya man you would be so much better off getting a HID light, you can find deals like 75$ for the ballast and light and reflector.
     
  17. I completely agree, watt for watt HPS will yield double that of CFL. If you're getting a high-velocity fan + carbon filter anyway (for odor control) then you might as well go HPS.

    However, if your cooling and odor control budget is $20-$30 then cfl is the way to go.
     
  18. what im most concerned about is the heat and also power consumption. I'm looking for the best way to grow and not pay on power.

    Is the power consumption very high on HID lights?


    Something exciting. My ol' man used to grow back in the day before he passed and I decided to dig out all the shit. Check the photos to see what i found.

    Believe these are Metal Halide lights. found 9.

    Also 3 ballasts, a 240v exhaust fan, 2 light sockets, heat and grow table and i think 2 Metal Halide lights in 'Batwing' Reflectors.

    Whats the rough prices on all these?


    Another question. I found a bottle of Ph UP and a bottle of Ph DOWN, made by 'Irelands' There very old bottles but are they still usable?
     

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  19. Well, here's what I would do....

    Since you've got a few HID's I'd skip cfl completely. I understand that your electric bill is a concern and I can't really comment on that, everybody has different setups and pays different prices for electric. I can say that whatever you invest in your grow will be returned to you tenfold in top-shelf sensimilla. That being said, those cfls are perfect for vegging. 6500k, and they appear to be 105w actual? (I just glanced at them quick)

    I assume that this is going to be for personal use, but I don't know how much you go through. What I do know is that it sucks running out of weed when you put so much time and work into growing. Personally, I'd do exactly what I'm doing right now... 400w veg/flower box, 250w veg/flower box. Maybe using the cfls for veg and the HID for flower (2-stage setup) would be ideal for you?

    Those are magnetic ballasts, no? You can get HPS conversion bulbs here pretty cheap. I've seen them go for 2x-3x that price. MH for veg, HPS for flower.

    That same website (greentrees hydro) has vent fans and carbon filters at good prices too. I like to keep my grow temps at 74f, which requires an a/c during summer months. Either way you'll have to get serious about cooling if you go with HID. My 5000k btu window a/c cost me $89, about the same as a good vent fan and it keeps my temps much lower. Then I use a small bathroom fan from home depot ($25) to exchange fresh air, which can be fitted with a carbon filter if you get the 4" model.

    You should start with your harvest and choose a light that will produce what you want in dried weight, then choose a ventilation system that will support your light. Forgetting all other considerations, how much do you need to grow to support yourself? How much dried pot do you want at a time?
     

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