ChicagoJoe's 1st Grow - SCROG - 150W - Suggestions Welcome

ChicagoJoe

420 Member
This is my first attempt at an indoor grow. Over last summer, we had a few seeds sprout outside from some bag seed. Not sure of the strain, but the one we kept indicates indica with short internodes and big fat leaves. The plant budded strong, but got a little budrot in Sept, so we harvested early and left the lowest part of the plant to re-veg.

The plant was in the garage under a florescent light during sept and oct and finally started sprouting new branches in late oct. I figured I needed to keep the plant going, so I started building a grow cabinet.

Steel Cabinet dimensions 6' X 3' X 18", 4.5 sq ft footprint, 27 cubic foot volume.

Lighted by a Sun Systems 150W HPS, which gives me about 33W/sqft. I remoted the ballast. It is currently on the top shelf, but I'm planning on moving it out of the cabinet. I'd like to bump to up to a 250W with a digital Lumatek ballast giving me 55W/sqft and silence.

Currently potted in a rectangular planter, 24" X 12" X 10" with a soil mix. This is the same planter and soil that it was in this summer. Garden is on 24hr photo period and has an oscillating fan blowing. The light is kept withing 6-8 inches from the top of the plant. Temps are about 78 degrees F. Humidity about 70%.

I'd like to move this plant out of the current planter and into a grow bucket with a watering system.
Any suggestions/guidelines to follow?


I need to add a ventilation system and carbon filter because it's a strong smell producer. I will probably make the filter and buy the fan.
Do I need a large cfm fan with a dimmer to handle my small space? I've done some research on fans, but I'd like to get one of the quietest ones.
Any suggestions?


I made a mistake yesterday. I was trying to light seal the room around the doors and in doing so, blocked the passive air exchange. The humidity this morning was over 90% and the walls were wet and dripping inside the garden. So I removed the seal around the door, correcting the problem, but now still need to light seal the space and add the air exchange and filter items.

The plant responds well to LST and I plan on running it into a screen for a SCROG. Pictures coming soon showing the plant, garden and LST.

Code:
COSTS - ITEM
____________________
free  - cabinet
 100  - 150 W HPS light
  20  - fan
  30  - wire, nuts-n-bolts, tape
  15  - reflective insulation
 
Hey good luck on your grow
 
Here's 3 from last week
1b9.JPG


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1a11.JPG


And 4 from this week:
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2a5.JPG


2b4.JPG


2c2.JPG
 
JoeC - thanks, it's only 1 plant though

vape - thanks, but I have nothing to do with lovie or the bears :(

SO I have plans to get some work done on the cab this week while Im off work. I plan on installing an intake fan, a diy carbon scrubber, the screen and reflective material on the sides and back.

Plans also include setting up a grow bucket watering system on a timer.

I have a couple of questions if anyone wants to chime in:

what is the light dispersion pattern on my 150w HPS bulb and reflector. Its a sun system 150. Says 16000 lumens, but at what height?

I keep my lights about 6-8 inches from the tops of the plant, but as the screen fills out, I will need to raise the light to reach the entire screen. maybe I'll just use the middle 18"x18" of the screen and leaves the ends bare.
 
I started out with one plant as well... :)
I just don't see the need for a dozen plants at once when it's for my wife and I...
We have a couple going now but I think that's because we have the grower's bug...
It is a lotta fun...
 
Pics to come.
I made and installed a diy carbon filter and it works at removing the smell. I already see improvements that need to be made.
Reflective material installed.
Net installed.
 
Closeup of the mess of branches supplying nutrients to the growing tops. I did some pruning in here.
20091227_006.JPG

Bushy plant. Recycled screen. DIY carbon filter.
20091227_002.JPG

Lots of tops thru the screen. A few more almost there, I'm going to start budding next week.
20091227_004.JPG
 
Nice set up and a bushy bushy plant there. How did you go about making your carbon filter as this is my next step and need to determine if the savings are worth diy or should I just buy one.

I'll be following along.:popcorn::peace:
 
wow, sorry bassbong. I could have sworn I replied to this with a detailed desc of the filter. It must have not posted or something.

I made a simple filter out of a larger aluminum can with top and bottom removed. I taped on some screen on one end and covered the same end with panty hose and taped them on. Added about 1 inch of carbon from the pet store. Added a small computer fan on top blowing air thru the carbon. Not the most efficient design, but it totally works.
 
I find myself in the garden way too often. I can't seem to help myself though. I'm so curious about how the scrog is doing and always checking on the air flow (fine), humidity (40s), temps(82), tops (15), cutting sites (6 big, 6 small), percentage of screen filled (58%), light height (6 inches), etc etc.

Temps have been consistently between 80-84 when the cab is closed. The little wally-mart gauge I got for $8 show the current temp/humidity and the high/low for each for the day.
Humidity changed depending on watering. It is usually below 45. Once, I light sealed the room and the humidity jumped to 90 and the walls were visibly wet the next morning. I fixed that problem.

I water by hand because I have not set up a watering system yet. plus I do not want to transplant this lady because she is ready to bud. The other day I came home from work and didn't get to the plants until about 9 and night. At that point they had not been hand watered in just over 24 hours. The leaves were all droopy and the humidity was down to the low 20s. About 90 minutes after watering, the leaves were all perked up and happy.

The plant usually gets watered twice a day, between 1/4 and 1/2 gallon. Gets a big shot of nutes once a week and gets a weaker shot 1/2 way thru the week.

I've taken lots of vegetation off to promote air circulation. It has helped get light to the sucker shoots that I will take as cuttings before switching to 12/12.

So that's it for now. no pics today.
 
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