Have exp with Greenhouse, but new to closet.

S

Sheenyboy

New Member
Hello and first of all let me say WOW this site and its members are awesome.

Ok here we go. I have experience growing plants and farming. I worked at a Commercial Nursery for a few summers and I grew up on a farm, so I am not exactly new to the growing scene and I have grown herb a couple of times over the years, but really only a plant or 2 at a time. Currently Michigan has passed their version of a Medical Marijuana Law for terminally ill and severe pain patients. A fact of which I am very grateful. Opiates have ruled my life for 13+ yrs and I want/need/demand/deserve a change from Pharmaceutical Slavery.

That being said I have decided to become my own "Caregiver" and grow my own medicine due to the costs that are being charged by the posts I have read, Up to 500 an oz for medication. The basic math says I can build an awesome system for myself. The trouble is I have never grown in an enclosed space such as a closet.

I believe I have the ability and the basic knowledge of "Gardening". I currently have 2 types of lighting available and I need to know which is considered the best/most appropriate.

My first choice of light to use is a 1000W HPS with both veg and flower bulbs (color spectrum appropriate) The unit has its own built in timer and I can easily mount it in the space.

My second choice of light set up is using fluorescent tube lighting. Basically I was considering setting them up to emit from above, behind, left, right, and in each corner to create a "light box".

I have read hundreds of posts since this opportunity has arisen for me, but everyone states that there way is the best. However I almost never hear anything about results.

I am in the experimentation stage, starting with seeds planted in soil, I will experiment with Hydro once I have the bugs worked out. Also the process will become much easier as I will be receiving clones in the not so distant future. The seeds I am using are all 1 strain, but it is unknown to me. I am germinating 30 seeds and hope to be able to cultivate around 9-12 female plants.

I have a lot of what I need to get the room ready and will be filling in the gaps this weekend and next. Although I am studying setups to make sure I incorporate the proper, useful/productive equipment and material.

I would greatly appreciate any help with ideas and suggestions. I am lucky to have the choice of lighting at my disposal, a hurdle that usually involves the biggest cost in an old fashioned dirt grow. I know that my expectations need to be modified from past results, as I am growing in a new environment and replicating what Mother Nature does is not an easy task.

I believe that I will be using LST to maximize the yield of bud from this run, but will not be devastated if this should be changed. I will also be running a few plants just as they were intended, in soil growing skyward (LOL at least toward the ceiling).

I am also considering doing a video and blog concerning my process and its results. When I reach a satisfactory level of continuous supply I would like to be able to provide services to other patients that cannot afford the setup or the going rate currently being charged. I would love to be able to get up to the maximum 60 plants that the state will allow for the 5 of us, but I need to be able to start from scratch and make it work for me first.

Sorry this post has gotten so long, but I am really impressed with everything I have read in the posts, and I would love to receive the mentoring that I have scene here on this site. Anyway enough rambling and back to my first question.

If u had both options in your hands HPS and CFL which would be best for optimal results?

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration, and of course your patience.
 
How large is your grow space? I am using a combination of HPS lights and T5's. It seems to be working very well on my first grow. Heat from 1000watt lights can be tough to deal with in a small space. 600watt lights are more efficient watt/lumen output. Two 600's would be better at covering that many plants than one 1000. 30 plants to start is a lot for your first grow. I started 20 hoping to finish 10-12. I am down to 10 and in a 4x8 grow space it is packed tight. Figure on a 50% loss to males and weak genetics. I feel I got lucky with my grow. I really should have started 10 seeds and hope to finish 5-6. In early veg the plants are very easy to care for. When you get into flower they require more attention and care. If your space is tight you will have to move plants every time you water and feed. Not to mention light penetration will become an issue as they fill out. Best advice I can give is to start small, keep it simple, and read as much as you can. It really has become a fun hobby for me. I am harvesting my first plant tonight.
 
I agree with Screwnuts... for the best results, it's a good idea to start out with the CFL lights until the seedlings get a few good sets of serrated leaf sets, then move them under the HPS light and get as close to them as you can (1000w light will likely need about 2 feet or more from the plant tops depending on your grow-room and light ventilation). I use a cooltube light which allows me to blow air across it continuously to keep the temps down. I vent my tent from the inside out using a carbon filter that sucks the air in, cleans it and pushes it through the light and out the top of the tent.

What i've found works well, is to start the seedlings in those starter-puck things under CFLs (so you can put the light up close - 1-2 inches from the seedling) and once they have a few sets of serrated leaves, transplant them into 6" pots (soil) and tuck in any stretching length that may happen initially. I tuck in seedlings about a half inch from the bottom cotelydon (seedling's first leaves) which gives them more strength to start. Once under the big light, you should also get a small fan blowing across them to keep them moving and build stem strength.

I agree that a modest start of about 10 plants is a good place to start - maybe look into getting some feminized seeds online and your female/male ratio will be much better.

Let me know if you need any other help!

Oh, one last thing... I have 2 or 3 journals for grows i've done, let me know if you want any links to them - this will give you an idea of what kind of results i've had using the above method(s). =)
 
Thank you for the advice. My grow space is approximately 6'x6' and I have up to 60" from floor to shelves, and about 31" from table top to shelves. The ceiling in the room is 8'.

I am washing the walls in the room with a 10% Bleach solution before placing a reflective material on the walls. I am also covering the floor and the walls with a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from getting into the walls and floor. I have had to deal with molds and such at previous homes and refuse to have any at this one. I can say that because this one is finally mine.

I am building an ONA and forced air from a stove hood to deal with odor control, which I have picked up and discussed on the following forum: Roseman's DIY Odor Control Bucket

Do I still need to use the pesticide?

As to the germination of so many seeds.. I am doing this many because I have absolutely no Idea of how old they are or what strain. I am hoping for 12, but honestly I will be expecting some sort of trouble at some point and will of course be killing off all the male plants. I would be ecstatic if more than 10 actually survive this first run.

As to the combination use of lights, can I set up the CFL on the ceiling and use the shelf that runs around 2 walls of the room as a separate area for seedling stage. I will of course be using Jiffy Pucks in tray with lid.(I have the ability to stage around 4 trays in the space available, but will only need to use 1. After the pucks and seedlings are moved to 4" pots should they then go under the HPS light, or do I wait until I transplant into the 2 gallon pots?

I am in the process of getting a PH meter, digital thermometer and an oscillating fan for strengthening plants and cooling. I will be pulling heat out of room through a vent in door with 4 small high speed fans pulling air from the ONA system into the outer room. I do plan to control these fans with a thermostat, but do not yet now where the optimal placement will be. In a greenhouse we set them at the farthest point from the heater/furnace. Return air will be pulled into the grow room through passive transfer via a vent in the bottom of the door.

The next question I have is soil composition. There are many schools of thought on this so I have decided to try the 2 most suggested. I will be putting 1/2 of the seedlings into hand mixed soil/sand/worm casting/pearlite & Pre Mix (12-6-6) mixture. The other 1/2 of the successful seeds will be in Miracle Grow. I will test both soils PH and bring it to between 6.3 and 7. I will also ensure that the water is between a PH of 6.3 and 6.8.

Now I know that this will probably garner some indignation, but I want to test this out for myself. I fully expect to get better results with the hand made mixture vs the Miracle Grow, but want to see for myself.

I am not 100% sure of the nutrient brands that I will use for the veg and flower stages, but I do know that I will be utilizing Liquid Seaweed when watering.

Does this plan sound reasonable, or am I way off base? Anyone have suggestions on which nutrient & additives to use?

Would it be feasible to use CO2 in this space, I have the equipment needed to run the system and am doing more research on its benefits vs problems.

I have also heard it said that some type of rooting hormone should be used when in the seedling stage. Any ideas?

Well that is enough for the moment. I really do appreciate the advise and help as I tweak things out. I am really interested in finding out what works and what does not. I will start taking pics when the seeds are ready to transfer into pucks. I will also post pics of the room setup, so that I can get pointers and tips.

Again thank you for your time and consideration

:yummy:​
 
Whatever you decide on for soil, do not use any soil with time release nutes. You will battle that demon your entire grow. If you use soil containing time release nutes you will not be able to use the feeding schedule nute manufacturer's publish. Not saying that type of soil won't work but you will be in a constant battle of over/under feeding.
 
Thank you for the tip about the soil. I completely did not think about that when I was planning the test.

Here is where I am at up to this point:

Grow Room Material List
1) Room 6'x6'x8' with self on back and 1 side wall.
2) Plastic Sheeting for Vapor Barrier
3) Aluminum Foil for Reflective Surface
4) 1000W Sun System HPS Grow Light w/ Ballast & Timer
5) Misc HPS Bulbs
6) 10,000 Lumen Light Box
7) Aluminum Trays to hold seedlings
8) 36 count Jiffy Pro Green House w/Peat Pellets
9) 3" Jiffy Pots for Seedling Stage
10) Pet Potty Pads to absorb spills
11) 2 Sterile Spray Bottles for watering and feeding
12) S Hooks and Chain to suspend HPS Light
13) Digital Thermometer w/ Humidity Gauge
14) Digital Postage Scale for weighing Nutrients and Bud
15) 5 gal bucket w/ Lid for Odor Removal System
16) Oscillating Fan w/ stand for plant strengthening
17) 10" Circular Fan for Odor Removal System
18) ONA for Odor Control System
19) 4 24V Deep Cell Batteries for electric backup
20) Power Max Electric Inverter

I am starting by washing all the surfaces with a 10% Bleach solution to remove unwanted contaminants. I will be covering the walls and floor with plastic sheeting, overlapping the seams and sealing with packing tape, to prevent water damage and mold growth. The next step is to cover the walls and ceiling with Aluminum Foil, dull side out.

Now I am ready to begin setting up the room with the HPS Light, Grow Table (2'x6') and Work Table (2'x2'). The HPS light will be suspended by chain and S hooks to enable the light to be raised and lowered as needed. The Digital Thermostat will be wall mounted with it's probe located at plant level.

The Light Box will be used as Auxiliary Lighting and the Power Inverter will be used to draw electricity from a bank of 4 24V Deep Cell Batteries in the event of power failure. I will be building a solar cell system to charge the battery bank as needed.

The final part of the system is building the Odor Control System and an Oscillating Fan will be used for strengthening and ventilation.
I am setting up the room and will be operating it in a "Dry Run" for 24hrs so that accurate temperature and humidity changes can be recorded and solutions for any problems can be addressed.

Does anyone see anything that I have missed? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am taking Photographs and will have a gallery set up once I am ready.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and offer advice, any help is greatly appreciated.
:cheer:​
 
Ok, I hear U loud and clear and have treated the room to kill the bugs. I have also sealed the walls with 2.7 mil plastic. For now I am using the aluminum foil, mainly because it is already up. I will however look for a better surface. As an added deterrent to bugs we are using Riddex Plug In Insect Repeller in other rooms of the house.

So basically I have covered all the walls and floor with the plastic and hung the foil on the walls as well. I am getting ready to move in the tables and hang the HPS Light up.

I can already tell that there is going to be a need for good ventilation. The temperature in the room when I started was 68.5 F w/ 33% Humidity. With the room sealed the Temperature is now 71.3 W w/ 34% Humidity and that is before I have installed the HPS Light. Luckily I have the ability to move air across the ballast and I will be making a small form of a Swamp Cooler as long as the Humidity can maintain the proper Humidity.

In consideration of the foil causing hot spots that could burn the plants. Can I thought that because I will be boxing the plants in a frame and growing laterally rather than vertically. I have read several posts and blogs that this causes the plants to have a more productive flowering stage due to the fact that each node will be tied to the wire and exposed to the light. This will enable more flower growth, and thus a higher yield at the end.


What is the optimal Humidity for the Grow Room. I believe that the temperature range is best at between 70 F and 78 C. Can anyone clarify that for me?

Also I have tested the PH of my water and it reads 6.8. I have read that the best PH is slightly acidic and should be in the range of 6 - 7.

Much Thanks for the tip on the Spider Mites and the Hot Spots with the foil. I will be sure to remain diligent in managing both.

Well I need to get back to working on my set up. I can already see that this is going to be a new obsession with me. I enjoy the challenge of creating a bio-sphere for the purpose of plant cultivation. (Yes I know I am a GEEK, but at least I am not one that knows it all, at least not yet :)

:passitleft:​
 
Well I am certainly glad that I did a "dry run". Temp increased by 100% (123F). We are testing fans now and hope to have that under control. I will let you know. Seeds have started to germinate so I would like to be ready in the next 48 hrs to get them into the pucks.
 
Good Luck with your first grow... I am glad to see you have started a journal already that certainly is a HUGE step in the right direction. Get rid of the aluminum foil it is a fire hazard and replace with something else. I sterilize my bag soil before I use it to kill any bug eggs that may be hitching a free ride. Spider Mites and Fungus Gnats can be really hard to get rid of and could potentially ruin your first grow.
 
Let me start by saying that this Photo Journal/Blog is intended to be an aid for getting advice from experienced Growers and Educational purposes only. I have medical conditions that have qualified me for Michigan's Medical Marijuana Program and these plants are intended for my consumption in compliance with this program.

My experimentation in getting my room set up has gone through 2 phases. The initial phase was located in a smaller closet and was eventually scrapped because temperature was too hard to control in the small space. We quickly decided that a larger closet was a better idea, and the temperature gage proved this to be correct.

I have done extensive research in "Controlled Environment Growing" and I have a background in agricultural farming and Commercial Green House management. We decided to use Fox Farms Planting Soil and a 1000 watt Metal Halide lighting system with a ballast and automatic timer.

We tried to start with some seeds that we had accumulated, but soon discovered that the were just too old. After a bit of searching we were able to find a grower that was willing to sell us 10 Female Clones from his stock, but because these plants cam through a middleman we were unable to find out very much about the genetics other than it is a cross, and that it produces "purple bud".

We received the clones set in rock wool and we immediately planted them into 1.5 gallon pots in Fox Farm's Original Potting soil. Once all of the clones were planted into the soil I watered them in using 4 cups of water (this was the amount of water it took to start draining out into the water trays placed under them).

I placed the pots on absorbing pads in 2 rows of 5. The light is currently 36" above the tops of the plants and the temperature in the room was 83.3 F.

Below are pictures of what we have set up at this point. Each clone is photographed in the order of their individual number 1-10 and their height is recorded under each photograph. The "Grow" starts on Feb, 2nd 2010 and we will be updating the pictures and measurements throughout the growing process.

These are in the exact condition that they were received in. I notice some yellowing and burnt tips. I will be trimming them off once the plants have settled and shown some signs of growth. If anyone sees anything that should be addressed please feel free to leave a comment and I will look into it. I have to admit that I am excited by the prospect of taking these plants through to harvest. At some point toward the end of the vegetative stage we will be culling clones for our next harvest, thus enabling us to have good crop cycling.

Well that's all I have for now. I will be posting every week on Wednesdays, unless there is a problem or question that requires assistance. Until then roll on and enjoy, I know that is what I am going to do!!

 
One other small tip here - if possible, keep your ballasts 'outside' of the enclosed grow area. Doing so will bring down the temps in there quite a lot... but i'm sure you already knew that! =) Can't wait to see some pics!
 
Hey everyone,

Sorry for the space between posts. Life can catch up with you sometimes. Any who I am transplanting into 5 gallon pots tonite and I will take some pics and get them posted.

All plants are still alive, had 1 that stayed tiny, we thought it was gonna die, but it is still going.

Talk to you all soon.:peacetwo:
 
Ok here is the new information on the grow.

I have 10 plants that were started from clones. We believe that they are Purple Haze, or a closely related strain. The plants are 35 days old and have been transplanted twice, first in 9" pots and then into 5 gallon pots. We decided to transplant because the leaves were turning yellowish with brown spots. Which is a sure sign that the plants had become root bound, and was evidenced when we pulled the plants to repot.

As stated previously we are using Fox Farms potting soil as the growth medium. For the first 30 days we watered the plants with 2 cups of water every 48 hours. This was sufficient to cause the plants to drain into the trays. We also misted the plants 3 times a day with clear tap water.

Now that the plants are in the 5 gallon containers the water required to cause drainage has increased to 8 cups. We are continuing with the 48 hr watering schedule, but now we are adding Fox Farms Grow Big at the lowest concentration of 2 tsp per gallon of water every other watering. We are also still misting the plants 3 times per day.

The plants height is averaged at 30" and the stalks are larger on diameter than a pencil.

Please look at the pics and let me know what you think. Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.

:thumb:​

PS I will get better pictures next time, I am not much of a photographer:yummy:
 
Hey hey,

We will be photographing each plant today as we are getting ready to make adjustments to the grow room. It is also near to time to select clones for the next crop, prior to the beginning of flowering.

We are going to stagger the flowering stage so that we do not end up with too much happening at once.

We currently have 10 plants, 1 of which is stunted for some reason. We are planning to cull 2 clones from the nine plants that are at the same growth stage and the "runt" will be left alone for its entire cycle. I may possibly experiment with a "rejuvenation" harvest with the runt. There are just so many possibilities.

Does anyone have any suggestions for us? We are trying to avoid the most blatant problems that occur with indoor grows.

Any way looks for more pictures sometime tonight or tomorrow morning.
:hippy:​
 

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