Ok, so I have started to flower my very first grow of three plants. I have learned A LOT from these forums, but I still consider myself a total noob in growing a REAL grow. So here goes. My MMJ has come through and I want to start learning a bit more about starting a serious grow op. I have several friends who also have MMJ and are asking me to grow for them. So, I was thinking about some sort of perpetual grow. I have some sort of clue (not much though) on how to start. Although I would like some advice on how to accomplish this. I was thinking of getting grow tents 2-3 of them (not sure on the size yet). one for vegging, one for flowering, and maybe one for a mother/clones. I was thinking about 4-5 plants in rotation at a time (If this is even possible). The bottom line is, I would like to pick your guys brains a bit on a setup that would allow me to do what I want here. I have not started buying any equipment yet. So everything is up in the air at the moment. I do have a budget and will probably buy just a couple things at a time. So please keep the high end equipment off the list, lol. I will be using some sort of grow tents for sure. I live in a 1 bedroom apt in cali with an empty dining room that I will be using for this. Any information you guys can throw at me would be great. If you guys have any questions I will be watching this thread a lot. So feel free. thanks ahead of time
I am not in an apartment complex it is a stand alone. Well there is two apartments and a friend of mine lives in the other one. No one else lives within about a block of the two apartments. To be honest the closest thing to me is a dispensary, lol. Its like a block down the road. I walked by it a million times and never noticed it was even there. I live by myself (my gf stays some nights) but other then that there is no one that could see or smell it. (i do plan to get some sort of scrubber either way though) So any advice on how to get something even kinda close that I want would be awesome. Hell if anyone knows something better to do would be great too. Anything to make it easier. I am willing however to put the work and time into it.
Well, it's not too bad if you compare it to putting one on the porch or out on the front lawn. In my opinion, complex or standalone isn't so much as an issue, but who has access, or even keys? Maintenance? Some apartments even turn over the keys to pest control, or other services that can't work around each tenant's schedule. It's your call, but in an apartment, I'd either have something hidden in a closet, or a stealthy box that literally blends in with the room, like a TV stand or something. Plus, having a medical card might not mean that your landlord is okay with growing weed in his building... so it only takes one visit to be a problem. If he is okay with it, that's different... but if other people come in for repairs, spraying, etc... I see a visible grow op being like leaving a Rolex & money clip full of hundreds out in the open. Some of those jobs are great for scoping out which places are worth robbing.
I rent it from a friends parents. They smoke themselves. No one has keys except me and them. I have lived here for about 6 years and not once have they even asked to come look inside. I have had more work done to the place then they have, lol. So none of those things are issues. Just assume its mine for the most part. So really I am pretty free to do as I please. I also told the people I rent from what I am doing and they are ok with it. So.... if anyone could throw me some advice on getting something started would be appreciated.
OK, I wont tell you you shouldnt do it, lol... here ya go. you must fist choose the following... soil or hydro? organic or non-organic? method of odor control? how many plants are you going to grow at a time? then you need to choose flowering lights, this will depend on how many plants you will grow and how tall you want them to get. I suggest HPS lights but watage will be determined by your needs. I suggest that instead of a grow tent you build a veg box with CFL tubes. It uses less electricity and makes plants bushy. you can chew on that for a while
haha, yeah I do appreciate the concern the others shown, just not really needed. I did take into consideration most of everything. I do have a slight level head. This is also not something I just thought about doing over night. I will probably do soil, organic (hydro just looks a lot more complicated) maybe some sort of can fan with an inline carbon filter. 4 plants minimum Lighting.. well I already have a 400w HPS that I am using for my practice grow. As far as cfl vegging I have thought about it, I really don't know much about it atm, but I have been reading this forum for a month or so now. I can look into that. Please keep the thoughts/ideas coming. The more I get the better off I will be in the end.
each chamber will need its own carbon filter and be enclosed for the odor control to be effective. that means if you have a flower chamber and a veg chamber you will need to account for 2 filters and exhaust fans. carbon filters are very effective. You can build your own for about 30 bucks. Your 400W light will grow 4 plants effectively. I have 8 plants under mine right now but i'm surely overdoing it. I think 6 is a conservative limit for a 400W. you should seriously look into the cfl veg chamber. I love mine. It uses just over 100W and covers a 3'x4' area. it's very efficient and i like how it makes the plants opposed to vegging under my 400W HPS.
Since you mentioned that i have been looking into a few things. The only site I have used and heard nothing but good things about is HTG. Something like this for vegging High Tech Garden Supply and something like this for flowering High Tech Garden Supply I am still thinking about fans and carbon filters. (not this exact one, but something similar) High Tech Garden Supply These are just examples of what I was thinking. I might use some or all of it or I might not use any of it. Just see how it goes first. Get some ideas on it all and grow from there, lol
I looked at those and for the price i think you'd be better off building your own chambers. you can get more space, more light, and it will cost less. carbon filters dont work by just being in the room, they need to exhaust the stinky air. this means you need one for each chamber or you need to vent your air to the same exhaust filter.
you have way to much confidence in my building skills. I couldn't even put a prefab desk together by myself. Much less build something like we are talking about. Not to mention i would like it to be portable in the event I ever did move into another place. As far as the items I listed are just "something" close to what i am thinking about. The fan/filters i know have to be mounted to exhaust air from inside out. As well as have intake fans/holes. So just assume I guess for now that i will use those tents. What size fan/carbon filter would you guys suggest? and Would the 400w light i do have be enough for say 4 plants? in the larger tent. I probably will use some sort of cfl t5 or something for the veg tent. Not sure just yet though. What size/type of intake fans (if any) should I use? I heard some say that you don't need intake fans so much if your exhaust fan is good enough to pull air in through intake holes/ports. I wanna do something like this. I have looked into so many ways and grows and I do think for where I live the previously posted items would be pretty ideal. Keep in mind that my building something = a no no, lol I am not that person.
what's the bump for? you have a plan now start working out the little things. we can't hold your hand through the entire process.
You should be able to get away with 2 grow tents. One for mom and clones. The other Veg/Flowering. It quick to change a timer setting. Since Mom and clones will both be on 18 to 20 hours light, they will be fine together. Just have to keep the clones partially shaded by the big mama as they dont like alot of direct light at first.