Need Help With My First Closet Set-up!

[Maddog357]

Hi all! New to the scene and am in need of some good ideas. I've recently decided to seriously go for it and start my first indoor garden. I have lots of ideas and been doing lots of research but I'm interested to get some ideas from the pros.

Heres what I'm working with. I have a closet 5'x2'x8 that I'm thinking of dividing into 2 or 3 light proof sections. Maybe 1 seedling/veg, 1 veg, 1 flower box or just 1 veg and 1 flower?

Lighting I have a few options and ideas. I was thinking of using compact florecents for veg 5500-6500k. How many? Recently I came across a good score of 400w Metal Halide fixtures and ballast. Thinking the MH will produce better. But wondering about heat and other issues in this small space? Which sounds better to you? For flowering I was looking at a 400w HPS fixture with remote ballast. Found a nice one for $119 sound good?

All of this will be done in soil unless someone can really sell me on the hydro. From my experince and research is much easier and low cost. And some of the best grass I've had has been soil growin. Hoping one of the buddys will come through with some quality clones for me. Also been entertaining the idea of ordering seeds? Any suggestions? If not I'll just start off with some bag seeds that I've saved from quality buds.

Well I could go on forever but I'll stop here. I'm interested to hear all that you have to offer. I plan to start growing in 2-3 weeks so all of your ideas and knowledge are appreciated. I plan to keep this going through out the grow. Hope you'll check in once in a while and let me know what you think.

 

[stratlogic]

Re: Need Help With My First Closet Set-up?!?!

I'm no pro but have some change to pitch in. First, I would recommend 2 light proof sections instead of three. A third is unnecessary I think since two of the three sections would be on the same lighting schedule. Both seedling and veg can be achieved in the same chamber reducing the need for extra lights/ventilation for each partition. Two birds with one stone if you will. From what it sounds like, you definitely have the room for three if you do decide to do it.

I've been sold of CFLs for vegging for some time now after I was forced to use them when my MH died on me. They are cheaper, have cooler temps (still put off heat though), and I noticed no decrease in productivity when compared to a MH. The only draw back is that the CFLs need to be real close to the plant at all times which requires periodic adjusting. No much of a con to me but one worth mentioning.

I bought a HPS refurb ballast for $99 online and put a Hortilux HPS bulb and it has worked out awesome for me. If you have the money, it could be worth buying a digital ballast for example that should run quieter, cooler and be more energy efficient. But if not, make do with what you can.

As far as soil/hydro goes, that's up to you to decide. Personally I prefer hydro because I think it's easier and low maintenance. Others say soil is easier and nobody is wrong. It's something you need to try first and see how it works for YOU before really knowing.

And welcome to the site.

 

[moe323]

Re: Need Help With My First Closet Set-up?!?!

just something that i found with my firs grow under CFL's and in soil. feeding them just seasol and molases is that they came out smelling awsome...but smoked like dirt. so thaqt changed te way i am now growing. so in my experence growing under CFL's and with soil turned out a crap grow.

 

[stratlogic]

Re: Need Help With My First Closet Set-up?!?!

just something that i found with my firs grow under CFL's and in soil. feeding them just seasol and molases is that they came out smelling awsome...but smoked like dirt. so thaqt changed te way i am now growing. so in my experence growing under CFL's and with soil turned out a crap grow.

That's a bummer about the smoke dude. But I wouldn't blame that solely on the use of CFLs and soil, especially on your first grow. Several growers here have had good luck using that combination.

 

[moe323]

Re: Need Help With My First Closet Set-up?!?!

yeah was a bummer about it coming ou like dirt. another thing was i got a crap yeild as wel. bt that as well could have been down to inexprence.

 

[stratlogic]

As a relatively new grower I have noticed that each time around it gets better than the last.

 

[Maddog357]

Hey thanks for the replys! Stratlogic I've read your treads before I posted and dig the set-up. You defenitly got me thinking about the hydro. I mean I was an irragation specialist in my past life so it should be right up my alley. I installed underground sprinklers for about 8 years so I defenitly have some ideas and resources. But I think I'm gonna go with the soil the first time around. On a budget for the first grow and want to keep it simple.

I've decided to go with 2 sections instead of 3. I think it'll will work out better that way and your right about the lighting cycle being the same. So whats the point of 3? I'll section the closet off horizontaly. The lower section for vegging and the upper for flowering. What would be a good heigth for vegging? That would leave the the rest of the heigth for flowering. I'm thinking 3' for veg and the other 5' for flowering.

I'm unsure of the exact amount of plants I want to grow still. Guess that depends on if I use seeds or clones. But I would like to get some kind of good cycle going where I'm harvesting bi-weekly or monthly. Simply by adding one or a few at a time the flower box I should be able to manage that? I'd like to hear how you might go about this with this space. More than likely I'll be stuck with bag seeds my first grow. So how many would you start with knowing I'll have to weed some out? I'm not greedy I would just like a steady flow.

For the lighting I'm defenitly going with the CFL's for vegging. Seems to be the way to go on a budget and in a small space. A few buddy's of mine are using these with great results! I'm sold on that. Intreseted to hear recomendations on watts, kelvin and lumens. I think I pretty much got the idea but I'd love to know whats working for you.

A buddy of mine is using a 150w HPS for flowering that he bought online for $25 bucks. You can find it on econolight.com under vapor tights. It worked great for him! He yielded a solid 6 ounces from 5 plants. And only used that light for half the flowering time. Prior to that he was using those T5 tube florecents. I was thinking of possibly buying 2 of these. What do you think?

Sorry for rambling on, just excited to hear some ideas and get this going. I want to do this the best I can with the budget and space I'm working with. Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas!

 

[Maddog357]

Bummer! I was hoping for some more input. O well. I've got everything figured out pretty much I guess? I'm sure when I start posting w/pics and come across issues some one will have some input! LOL! Anyways its coming soon guys and gals. Just waiting on a few more things. I'll post as soon as consruction is done and through the grow. Tommorow is day 1 of construction!

 

[stratlogic]

Without seeing your space you're working with, I would suggest partitioning vertically since heat rises up, you might have a lower chamber heating an upper. Just a suggestion. There's nothing wrong with bag seeds either. That's all I have ever grown. I'm not too thrilled at how easily you could get ripped off and not be able to do anything about it. One day I'm growing the Cannabis Cup winner Northern Lights x Haze hybrid I had once in Amsterdam. I'm getting off track here. If you can, I would spring for a 400w HPS instead of the 150w HPS despite the killer deal on it. Check out InsideSun.com. I got my 400w HPS ballast w/ light there for $100 and it is still going strong. Are you going to start a construction thread or wait and start a journal when things get growing? Either way, it's gonna be cool I'm sure.

 

[Bonehead]

when considering how much light is required, first consider the size of each room. If you take a 5' x 2' and divide it, you can firgue each separately. You need 60 watts per square foot. If you took 1.5' of the five for the mother plant it would be;
1.5' x 2 = 3 x 60 = 180.
So for the mother plant a 150w might do the trick. The other room would be;
4.5' x 2 = 9 x 60 = 540
The flower room could handle a 600w HPS
And if you really needed it, you could root clones any where. Don't feel you even have to use the mother room.
Hope this helps.


Common Sense Is Not All That Common

 

[Ncfinestbud]

if your looking for an easy growbox assembly here is something that i tried for my first grow, Whitmor White Clothes Closet Extra Wide : Target i mounted my 400w lamp to the rod that the hangars are supposed to go on and it works wonderful once i lined the upper half with reflective insulation. I fit four plants and a window box fan all in one half the size in the pic. the dimensions are made to fit in a closet so its nice. Also the material is breatable so i just keep mine zipped up with my box fan on level 2 and my ladies love it. Sure you could partition the middle off and fit two lamps in the bigger one like in the link. I would reccomend an exhaust box fan in that instance. But just for your economic concerns here are the cost of materials in my situation:

A portable closet 36"Wx24"deep" sorry i forget height but it fits in standard closet
$20 at target
a refurbed 400w hps/mh switchable with both bulbs
$100 on ebay
24" box fan
$10
timer
$15
extension cords---be sure to get large gauge and good quality
$25
technaflora nutes
$50
12 purple budha seeds from BC
$80

so for a grand total of $300 i have a nice amateur setup that my ladies love. the breatable material acts a little like an air filter as well for the fan but requires hand cleaning when it gets dirty.

my newbie few cents

 

[CDub]

Hi,

For your first grow keep it simple, but make sure you buy things that you can go pro with if you so choose.

I would recommend 1 room (you can always go to 2 later)

Go for a Sonlight Agro 600W HPS with the Sonlight balast (most efficient and quiet good for veg and bloom, good technology) This light is great new technology efficient and only need 1 bulb for all stages.

Use pots and a premix lightweight soil (Janeco Light mix)

Buy the range of Atami BCuzz products (A,B,P+K,Root stimulator,Bloom Stim etc.)

And just go for it! you will probably have a great harvest remeber its a weed! and next time an even better one. Get the system down pat and grab some clones when ur ready for round 2 setup ur second room with ur clones.

Good luck buddy, I just been through a very similar sitch.