Ive read loads of threads etc about growing and im thinking of giving it ago the lights im thinking of using is 2x Fluorescent T5 49w Daylight bulbs one vertical and one horizontal in a normal plastic housing, are these any good for growing a few plats to start with? the main problem i have is ventilation in my built in wardrobe, the part im goin to use is 4ft 2inches length, 1ft 6.5inches depth and 2ft 3inches heighti s this any good?. as i live with my dad and in a rented place i cannot make holes in the door i though about using some smalish fans would this help with ventalation? also going to use a HEPA Compact Air Purifier for the smell but would this work? and line the walls with reflective foil. sorry about so many questions its just i have never done this before. any help would be appreciated thanks.
You need 50 watts per plant in veg and 100 watts per plant during flower period. You would probably do best to have both lights horizontal since you have such a short space, all you're going to care about is the buds on the top canopy. Have you read about LST (low stress training)? This is a must do if you have a space under 3 feet, it will creat an even canopy across the top and allow you to control the height of the plant. A hepa filter will do nothing at all for the smell, you need a carbon filter which will only reduce the smell - anyone in the room will still smell it (your dad) but it be noticable outside your apartment. Do not use foil for reflection, it causes hotspots and doesn't actually reflect that much light... paiting cardboard or the actual wall with flat white will give you better reflection then anything. For ventilation look into getting inline van to attach to vent house then bend around in order to your box light tight. Remember that during flower period not a crack of light can get into the box.
hi, what type of carbon filter set-up would i need? but also i carnt have ducting going along my walls so is there another way of ventillation? with out making holes in my door. as a thought would a fan and a dehumidifier help with the smell? also im thinking of using computer fans to help with ventillation, would 4 fans running at 57.0 cfm each be any good? thanks again
well the good carbon filters are expensive to buy and maintain. You can buy carbon filter fabric at home depot to put over fans and vent outlets, but it only reduces the smell, not elimantes. I think the cheapest way for a small grow is to just cover it up with the plug in air scent machines that release throughout the day. For ventilation setup.. the main questions is, will the cabinet be near a window and will you be able to have the grow lights on at night when the temps are cool? Computer are ok to use in the grow box for circulation and to blow on the plants, but for intake and exhause you're going to need something more powerful, probably an inline fan. Also.. I'm not really clear on whether your trying to make this a stealth grow so your dad won't find it or if you're just worried about neighbors?
the carbon filter fabric sounds a good idea so i think i will try that, as for ventilation there is a 10ft gap between my wardrobe and window, but this is open all the time. I can run the lights at night this wont be a problem. as for an inline fan this is where the problem comes as i cant have 10ft of ducting or pipe going along my wall as this will be very noticeable, is there another way around this? and my dad knows im going to start growing so its just really hiding it from the neighbours and any people that visit.
Click here For the carbon fabric I'm talking about. From the dimensions you have it looks like your box is pretty long and you can put flexible 4 inch ducting (home depot) and bend them back and forth and spray paint the inside black so light doesn't reflect out or into your box. Then put whatever fan you can get a hold of at the beginning of the tube for intake and exhaust. Have the tube holes coming out the back or side (wherever it's not noticeable). See the pic for what I'm talking about.
ok i will try this, do you know where can i get some 3ft 100w fluorescent bulbs and the correct housing/fitting for them? if not some thing similar and cheap. thanks
I would recommend getting cfl's (the spiral bulbs) instead of tubes. I think the 26w daylight cfls from walmart are the best price per watt. You can get power strips and some outlet to socket converters (less then $1) to hook the cfl's up. Tubes tend to spread the light out too much over space where the light isn't need. CFL's are a much more concentrated light source so your plants will like them more.
are these the bulb you are talking about? Walmart.com: GE Energy Smart CFL Light Bulb: 26 Watt, 6-Pk: Decor as they dont say what the color temperature. also i carnt find the power strips and outlet to socket converters you are on about. thanks
In that link, the packaging says "general purpose" so I think they are most likely more flower spectrum bulbs. It doesn't look like they have the daylight online, but every walmart I've been to has them in the store. They are in a clear plastic 3 pack with blue labeling and will say daylight (I think around $7). If a bulb doesn't say daylight or list the color temp(6000+ for veg), assume it's a flowering color temp bulb. Here is the converter I'm talking about .. Again I know for sure they have these at walmart By power strip I mean this - you might even already have one.
hi i have found these bulbs here and think these are the ones. the problem in having at the moment is i live in the u.k and most places dont post to u.k so im looking into other ways to get products sent to me, also looking for the same products like the carbon filters in uk shops. do you have any ideas of how i can get product from walmart etc sent to me. thanks
Yes those bulbs are fine, for some reason it doesn't seem like the spiral cfls are as popular in the UK. Click here or here for carbon filter fabric. Click here for UK product finder
i have nearly everything i would need except the best and safest place to get seeds? also what do i plant them in? and what other nutrients would they need. also do you know a website with a helpful and detailed grow guide. thanks
here and Dr Chronic are both reliable sites for seads. Soil and nutes depends on if you have a hydro shop near you, youre buying online, or buying at a local garden store.
hi, i have just done a quick search and i will be going to buy soil etc from a hydroponics shop. what type of soil do i need, what nutes do i need also what other extra things like C02 tablets (if needed) would i need. basically i need a shopping list of things to go and get. also what would be the best sead to start off with? thanks
There are a ton of nutes that will work, I use foxfarms soil and nutes because they are organic and seem to do well.. your hydro shop should have them. The soil is called ocean forest by fox farms, and you can also get some perlite to mix in the soil so that is doesn't get too compacted. Also get some dolomite lime to mix into your soil, this acts as a ph buffer. I don't know what your budget it like, you can get by with just having 1 nute for veg and 1 for flower or you can get a bunch of micro nutes that will help your plant more. For just basic nutes you can get FF Grow big for veg and Tiger bloom for flower. Click here for the fox farms nute chart. You can see they also have solubles which are the micronutes I was talking about that aren't necessary but will help out if you want to spend the money. Also you can get an aquarium air pump to put in your water jug and that will remove the chlorine and add air to the water that the plants like.
thanks, i have also looked around on the net to find a detailed indoor grow guide but carn't seem to find one. i need to know every detail like soil/nutes amount then when to water etc. could you possible give me a link to one. thanks
Well depending on your how your plant does the amount of nutes and timing will change but you start with 1/4 dose veg nute at 3 weeks old then use 1/2 does veg nute until the plant has 12 nodes, then switch light cycles and start using flower nutes. click on the link in my last post for the fox farms nute schedule