Computer case setup in progress.

[norcaliwood]

2 of those little PC fans will recirclate that air fast. Your going cfl's rite? I use to d a cardboard box that was like 2X2X4H and they cooled a 150 HPS course thats alot more cubic ft. You do kow they have 50, and 75 watt MH lites rite? Just a thought. I love the doggie bag. Hey fit's the plan rite? Love it.

[StonyGeoff]

Originally Posted by greenblood

I'm keeping this box in my bedroom right now but I think I am putting it in the utility closet once it's going. I'll do a little cleanup and put some other items in there too, for camouflage.

For the smell I was thinking of getting ONA gel. I've heard nothing but great reviews and since I will have such a small plant I probably don't need much more. Some smell will be allowable, too, as I pretty much smell up the place all day long anyway. The need for stealth here is just b/c the wife might not approve, at least until she sees the final product. A taste might change her mind! Maybe then I'll graduate to a decent sized solution!

Of course I agree MH for grow, HPS for flower...that info is everywhere...but I've been following Mesrone's grow (HERE) and the link goes to a page where he discusses how he's going to use both lights during his flowering stage. He's read somewhere (I'm looking for it) that using MH to flower yields 5-10% less but increases potency. Sounds interesting, at least.

Gold!

Ah yes I gotcha now mate, it definitely sounds interesting.


PS - I love the heatshrink over the screw idea.

[Stealthy1]

Way to think outside the box(for the inside of the box)
Im totally stealing that magnet idea although im not going to apply it in the same way youve inspired an idea.
Im going to put steel flat stock in the sides of my cabinet and glue epoxy magnets to some 1" pvc pipe that the lights mount on basically making a rail to slide the lights up or down.
Also the dog food bag is priceless lol

But I have to add that I had a similar situation with my wife not about growing though. It didnt end too well as she was hurt that I kept something from her...you have been warned lol.

[greenblood]

I like your idea about using the mags on PVC! And thanks for the warning! She's a smart girl, she's just against it b/c of the risk vs. reward, and never minds when I spend money on it. It's my own frugal nature that sickens me whenever I pay 20 or more per gram. Still, she's right...possession of less than 25 grams is just a violation in NY, it doesn't even count as a criminal offense.

[StonyGeoff]

Cannabis prices are outrageous - she'll come around

Paying for it is just wrong.

[WheeloFortune]

sup green blood.

love the grow box dude, ma props for those brave enough to DIY.

I lived in park slope for a few years, but unless you grew up in NYC or make 6 figures that city can be a tough place to take. (i moved home because my mom had a stroke and needed my help, not the city lol.)

ok, back to bud.

i think your best bet would be a small scrog or semi-scrog using LST. The thing about you box being so small is that you're going to have to deal with stretch. if I were you, I would only veg for a week at most. go right to 12/12 and LST or use a screen for the first few weeks while she tries to stretch. then let her turn up against gravity for the last 5-6 weeks. this way you can control height throughout the grow. the main thing you want to avoid is the plant growing into the light as it would burn the bud (and prob vaporize the thc, lol)

I like the 4 cfl's, should be plenty of light IMO. how much space do they take up?

as far as the dirt goes, I've heard some good things about FF ocean forest, but ive also read it can be kinda strong and burn the plants a little so you should cut it 2 parts to one with FF light warrior. personally, I used an organic dirt from a company called harvest moon. no matter what you use make sure it contains mycrorhizzae first and foremost. then i like to look how much poop is in it. poop is good.

the problem with poop (and organic dirt) is that it doesn't drain well and retains a ton of moisture. perlite at home depot is cheap. i would cut the dirt with as much as 25-50% perlite. this will let your roots breathe and get fresh water more often.

for your box i would use a 12"x6"x3" (LxWxH) pot and grow maybe 2 plants. mary jane prefers a deep root structure as opposed to a long shallow one, but it will adapt. i think instead of scrog, you should jst LST (low stress technique) by tying a piece of yarn to the top of the pant and then trying her down to one of the expansion slots or a bracket or something. this way you could do it on an as needed basis. either way would do you good though.

ok, so thats the box. . . but whats the info on the plants? do you know the strain? is it from seed or clone?

looking good bro, +reps to all DIYers

[WheeloFortune]

couple things i forgot.

forget MH, your space is too small.

also just thought i'd mention, the magnets are a cool idea, hopefully it won't burn out your bulbs early. those cfl's have little built in ballasts who might not appreciate the magnetic field. they're cheap though so no worries. it prob wont do anything noticeable anyways. but i like how you can move them around. . . will allow great bulb placement throughout the grow.

[greenblood]

I removed some of the electric tape to uncover holes in the bottom of the case, and I switched the large fan from intake to exhaust. The small fan is still intake and will give a gentle breeze.



I found a clear plastic shoe box at a dollar store that was pretty close to the dimensions I need for a container, so I cut it up a bit and put some drain holes in the bottom. I also had to cut around a corner to allow it to fit around the large fan.



Here's my little mac grow box, just about ready to go!






Ok. As far as the plants, well, I have some random bagseed and a seed from a batch of Nevin's Haze that I've started germinating with the PT method on thursday night. Since this is a small budget grow where I've had fun messing around with an old Mac, I'm not planning on using good seeds for the first time. That said, I am enjoying cruising around and looking for inexpensive strains that sound interesting and adaptable to small spaces. I hope to finish a somewhat larger box within the next month and so I am keeping my eye out for something good.

And as far as the dirt, well, I think if these random seeds germinate soon I will go ahead and use some soil we got not too long ago from a grocery store. Again, this is budget friendly right now...but I am still interested in finding some better soil soon. The thing is, I'd rather purchase with cash and I haven't found a good store yet either.

The soil I have is "New Era" Outdoor plant potting soil. It has time-release nutes listed as .14-.21-.14, and I'll post the ingredients a little later. I noticed that it did not specifically state mycrorhizzae as an ingredient though.

I am looking forward to starting a grow journal soon and moving this outta the setup forum! Wish me luck!

[WheeloFortune]

i like it bro, make sure to post a link in this thread when you start your journal. that we we can all link over.

[StonyGeoff]

What kind of soil is that? It looks delicious

[Tokensmoke10]

Originally Posted by greenblood

The soil I have is "New Era" Outdoor plant potting soil. It has time-release nutes listed as .14-.21-.14, and I'll post the ingredients a little later. I noticed that it did not specifically state mycrorhizzae as an ingredient though.

I am looking forward to starting a grow journal soon and moving this outta the setup forum! Wish me luck!

I wouldn't use anything with time-release nutes in it. Those kinds of ferts and soils are too unpredictable at when they release the nutes, sometimes it can be too strong for young plants or too weak for growing and flowering plants. If that's all you have then it'll def work but will just require a little more paying attention to in order to recognize any signs of too much or too little of any ferts.
But that's just my 2 cents
Im just here to help man and am interested in your grow man! I too am growing in a DIY Pc case and would love to see someone whose doing pretty much the same thing as me comment about my grow

Tokensmoke10's DIY PC Grow

Not trying to steal your thread of coarse!

Good luck man!

[Mister O]

Looking very good bro

So what are the temps looking like now?

Looking foward to seeing you grow something in there

[greenblood]

thanks guys...

yeah I am also a little concerned about the soil, I don't have a ph tester either...

I'm having trouble finding (and finding time to find) a gardening store nearby with a good selection. I think I'm going to try and head to the flower district and maybe I'll get lucky there.

The temps are at 86 now with all of the dog food mylar. They were significantly lower when I removed one wall's mylar panel. Do you think that's a good way to go? Or is 86 worth the extra reflected light?

I've got the case in it's storage spot, and I covered it with a slightly larger cardboard printer box in order to block light. I have a small utility closet which has our hot water heater and our furnace in it, as well as our cat's litter box and a few other items like tools and mop/broom/dustpan, etc. My case is in a back corner where it's not easily seen. As for noise, with the door closed you cannot hear anything from inside the closet. With any other background noise and the closet door open, it is difficult to hear anything. With the rest of the home silent and the door open, you can hear the fans but it is right next to the water heater and is hopefully disguised as a slow furnace fan or something. Of course, with the furnace going, it drowns my little fans out completely.

It's been 5.5 days since I put a few beans in some paper towels. Am I starting to see a little change around a few edges, or is it just me? Starting to doubt the healthiness and wondering if I'm checking them too often (twice a day)...but mostly just excited to even be doing this part. I'm sure I'll get a few going before I know it.

Thanks for watching!

[didimauw]

hey man, i know how u feel being excited and all, i check on mine 3 or 4 times a day lol. show us the plants! show us the plants! lol

[mesrone.]

GReat greenblood!
That pc case looks so cool. I would love to try one of those later. Im experimenting in my grow with one plant. Budinacup. A very small compact plant, seems like you could throw about 4 in there of budinacup. Its in week 3 of flowering and is only about 6 inches tall. SO how many do you plan on trying to do in the shoe box?
+reps

oh as far as strains go that would cater to that small space.
think about one of the autoflower strains. there are a couple of those journals floating around here. KWsmoke has one actually.
But lowrider or roadrunner. i know lowrider does not get very big, and if you kept in a small pot, then it would be even smaller.?