An Idea To Increase the Grow Height In My Room

[AWyattMann]

Hey all,

I'm designing a new grow room in a house after taking a break for a few years. I'm an experienced grower though I don't know the terminology that other people use. I would like some input on a simple design idea that I'm sure someone must have tried before. The problem I want to solve is the basic height limitations in a standard 8' tall room.

Let me explain how I've grown before and what the problem I want to solve is.

In the past I've done a fairly straight forward set up. From floor to ceiling I'd have: 1.) Lights hanging from the ceiling. 2.) The plants, resting on a platform that is supported by metal saw horses. 3.) The water, held in a large plastic bin under the plants, situated on the floor.

The picture shows the plants and lights but not the plastic bin of water. Again, it was pretty straight forward. The water was pumped up to the plants. Gravity brought

it back down. A great system but with a big problem. At almost a combined height of 4', the lights and the water take up half of my room's growing height.

Would it be possible to have the plants rest directly on the floor and move the water reservoir to the basement? I imagine two water reservoirs, one on the floor next to the plants and a second one in the basement. The first reservoir sits next to the plants and would pump water to the plants but the water would drain to the basement through a central tube and hole that is cut into the floor. In the basement directly underneath this would be the second reservoir where the water would collect. Once the plants are done being watered, a strong pump would pump the water from the basement up through a second tube to the first reservoir in the grow room.

It seems simple. It seems like it would solve what to me has always been a big problem - the grow space is limited in an 8' tall room. Usually life is not simple though. Has this been tried before?

Problems? I know I'd need a really strong pump to raise gallons of water up from the basement to the grow room. I'm not so sure I like the idea of drilling holes in the floor of my house either.

Has anyone ever tried this? If so, is it worth the trouble?

 

[Old Salt]

Yes you can. Consider putting the containers on a low plant stand on a drip tray. Pump the drip trays into the reservoir in your grow room. You'd only lose an inch or two (25 - 50mm) of your height.

 

[Blew Hiller]

How far are those lights from the plants when in use?

 

[KingJoe83]

Best I got is your hanging cords try to fold them in half that would give you bit more head space .

E24800D8-6CF7-4B98-B3BF-80FD2BE9BC9B.jpeg

• KingJoe83
• Sep 24, 2018

Light shot

The front light you can see I folded the cords or if you can hang Rachet hangers to each four corners of lights then you can go right up ? Make sure you leave at least 6-8 inches from top of lights to top of roof or tent space . So fans can work properly.

9C2B545E-9ECA-4144-A2BA-21469B777FAD.png

• KingJoe83
• Mar 17, 2018
• helpingastranger

How I measure space and how big a plant can get before I should flip I guess .

Tent info

 

[George Mc]

Do you see those thin little wires that clip onto the light? Unhook the light and set it on a table and take up the slack on those thin little tables with a cable clamp that you can get at Home Depot for a dollar. That will get you another few inches of height.

 

[Sctanley007]

Best I got is your hanging cords try to fold them in half that would give you bit more head space .

E24800D8-6CF7-4B98-B3BF-80FD2BE9BC9B.jpeg

• KingJoe83
• Sep 24, 2018

Light shot

The front light you can see I folded the cords or if you can hang Rachet hangers to each four corners of lights then you can go right up ? Make sure you leave at least 6-8 inches from top of lights to top of roof or tent space . So fans can work properly.

9C2B545E-9ECA-4144-A2BA-21469B777FAD.png

• KingJoe83
• Mar 17, 2018
• helpingastranger

How I measure space and how big a plant can get before I should flip I guess .

Tent info

Exactly what I do...double up the wire.

 

[Old Salt]

I use small chains instead of the hangers. This lets me hang the light 3" (76m) from the top of the tent. My light is an LED, so I can claim about an extra 20" (50cm) for the plants over KingJoe83's illustration.

 

[AWyattMann]

Yes you can. Consider putting the containers on a low plant stand on a drip tray. Pump the drip trays into the reservoir in your grow room. You'd only lose an inch or two (25 - 50mm) of your height.

Old Salt,

Thanks. Do you mean that I should skip with the holes in the floor and just collect the return water under the plants? Won't it overflow before the water is pumped back into the main reservoir?

Have you ever seen either your idea or mine in real life? A picture would be great too. This is such a common problem. There has to be a solution along these lines.

Thanks

 

[Old Salt]

I haven't automated that yet. There are schematics on the 'net for this.

I use a pump to feed/water my coco grow. This is my post regarding the automatic feed system.

 

[AWyattMann]

Thanks for the input ! I jusy read your grow journal too. Right now I miss growing and your enthusiasm is catching!

I've always grown using hydroponics and it's very interesting to me to see a different set up. How much water do you need to store in your reservoir?

It's intersting to read about your problems with water too. Everyone has a different situation.

 

[Old Salt]

Coco is a drain to waste hydroponics system rather than one where the nutrient solution is recycled. It's a batch of nutrients rather than an actual reservoir. For four plants I mix from 1 liter for seedlings to 18 liters for final weeks of vegetation through harvest. I hand water until it gets difficult to get through the branches, then use an automated watering system. I start with a shot glass per day and increase to 2 cups or 500ml twice a day. I'll give them more if I don't get enough run off. The batches last from a week for seedlings, to 4-1/2 days for later stages of growth. This reduces my water usage to about 1/3 of what's required for a DWC system.

 

[AWyattMann]

I didn't use a DWC system. I used 6" rockwool cubes and watered each with its own little tube. The water would drain to recycle of course.

It's funny because I know a lot about growing MY way but not so much about the 624 other ways of growing. A healthy plant is a healthy plant no matter how it's grown.