Newbie - Building first grow box - some questions

[Monksbane]

I am attempting to build my first ever grow box. I am no DYI expert although I know the basics and my way around basic tools. I have a few questions I am wanting elaboration on so let me tell you what I am wanting before I ask them to make things easier.

I am wanting a simple grow box, nothing fancy and the cheaper the better. I have about $500 bucks to blow although if possible I'd like to spend less than that. I am growing solely for my own, and my girlfriends, personal use, so I don't need multiple plants nor huge yields, although good yields are never bad!

I am thinking of going to goodwill and getting a 2-4 foot dresser or cabinet of some sort to mod into my grow box. Now I know generally what I need to do to make it functional but I am more so concerned with the "fine tuning." Although this is my first box and I will probably make a more advanced one down the line as I get more advanced; I am wanting it to be a good box to start with regardless. So here are a few questions.

1a)Lights: I know CFLs are not preferred by most "advanced" growers due to their potential to yeild less when compared to LED and T5 lighting systems. How much would LEDs and T5 systems cost compared to CFLs?

1b) What is the yield difference between these three light systems? Would going CFL not be a big issue yeild wise considering I don't need large yeilds as it is for personal, medical use?

1c) I see a lot of talk about blue and red spectrums for lights during specific stages of the plant's life. Is this speaking about full spectrum colors from the lights themselves (ie "white" lights with good color spectrums) or would you want to put in actual blue lights and red lights during the appropriate stages?

2) Fans: Can you use PC fans for ventilation and what is a good speed/power for such fans? Would I need more than 2 fans?

3) Odor Elimination: What is an easy but effective filtration system to set up? I was thinking of just cutting a hole, placing an exhaust via PVC pipe on the outside. Would I just stick a "carbon scrubber" at the end of the exhaust externally or would it be internally so that it hits the filter first then goes out the exhaust (as opposed to going through the exhaust and then hitting then filter)?

4) Hydroponic System: Should I bother with Hydroponics given this is my first grow box and grow attempt?

5) Is this really all I need: a box 2-4 feet high for 1 (possibly 2 at most) plant. A fan at the bottom blowing air in, one up top by the lights blowing air out. An exhaust/odor filtration setup. Lights and mylar?

6) Height Restriction: How do you make sure your plant wont overgrow and potentially bend/hurt itself or grow to the top and hit the lights?

7) Plant Specific: How does one actually get buds without seeds and a lot of sticks? I am not as caught up on the actual growing process quite yet so I am unsure how people get no sticks or seeds in their bud when they harvest.

Thanks you for any and all help!!!

 

[Gelite]

Read, read, read, and oh yeah, read some more. Try watching some grow videos on YouTube. Jorge Servantes is a decent one if you can stand his voice. High Times has a good one as well. Just start from the ground up, build u a working knowledge base then you will have a plan before you even realize it you've answered all your questions. Good luck

 

[AfricanGrower]

It's not that no one wants to answer your questions, as I have just joined and have experienced the most hlp on here than any other related forums; it is just that the specific topics you need help with have been thoroughly discussed everywhere on the forum. The search tool on the top right is very helpful!

Since its somewhat difficult to use the search tool if you haven't been apart of forum board communities before then all of your questions can be answered here: https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/how-grow-marijuana-everything-you-need-know.81264/

Other than that I completely agree with with Gelite, reading is key to knowledge, and for some who cant stare at a page for to long you could try some of the video suggestions posted in the above post. But everything you need to answer ever single one of your questions, PLUS so much more is in the article above.

Good Luck and happy growing

 

[TanR]

Hi Monksbane,

Welcome to 420 Magazine and the community of members that gathers here!

You ask some insightful questions and ones that definately need to be addressed before you undertake your first grow. The responses you have recieved, believe it or not, are very good ones. AfricanGrower and Gelite are right that most everything your asking has been addressed repeatedly in various locations on this site.

However there are a few of your questions that probably are better served with interaction and I'd like to try to help. In regards to size of box, you mention that your efforts would only be in support of you and your girlfriend. We can kind of "back into" the ideal size of the box based on your usage needs. How much do you and your girl (and maybe occasionally some friends?) smoke? Per month or week? Keeping in mind that it will probably take a first time grower around 120-140 days to get a plant from seed to harvest (maybe 90 if starting with a clone), we can begin to figure out how big to grow your plants once we know how much you want/need and thus how big the box needs to be. Also plan on a plant doubling if not tripling in size during the budding period. So a 12 inch plant, when flipped to a 12/12 light schedule could end up 24-36 inches tall at harvest.

My suggestion for your first grow would be to stay away from any hydro and go with soil. It's more forgiving of errors and far less initial setup cost.

Ventilation is one of those "there's a million ways to do it" sort of topics and is ultimately very dependent on the type of lights used. The one guiding principal of using a scrubber is to pull air through the scrubber and then exhaust it, rather than trying to blow air from inside the box out through the scrubber.

Another questions to consider regarding scrubbers/ventilation is "how stealthy does your grow need to be"? One or two plants just don't put off so much smell as to completely rule out air fresheners as an option. I use ONA gel for 3 plants very effectively.

I think LED's have come a long way in the last couple years but remain pretty expensive compared to T5's or CFL's. T5's and LED's will run a little cooler than comparable wattage in CFL's. Yeild differences depend greatly on the grower, conditions, plants grown, and nutrients used and can't be boiled down to just the lights. However, one very limiting factor in the yeild equation is light penetration/distribution. Lot's of bud sites lower on the plant or in the interior of the plant won't get the necessary light if the light can't reach them.

As to the color of lights. That is a reference to the color spectrum expressed as the Kelvin rating. Look at a light bulb package and you'll see a number like 6500K or 2700K. Those are the Kelvin ratings. You want something as close to 6500K as possible for vegitative growth and as close to 2700K as possible during the bloom/bud period. You won't need red or blue "colored" light bulbs.

Seeds come from male cannabis plants so the goal is to grow only female plants. Sticks are simply trimmed off at harvest/cure time.

I know I haven't answered all your questions, but hopefully have provided some assistance.

Be well and congrats on planning your first grow. Oh and again - to

 

[Growingnow]

So many questions and so many awnsers to give, but first if you are just growing for the two of you how many grams do you and her go through a week. Then take that and multiply it by 10 to give you a basic on which to start from. With that choose which light you want to use I prefer HPS but with these lamps there are a fair amount of heat to deal with so a t5 and compact combo may be best for you. Then you can design you grow box around the size lamp that you choose. I would go with a sunshine mix style for the first couple or even better for a perpetual grow look at running a 2L style. A small chamber to keep mother a growth chamber for the clones and a flowering chamber. If I was going that small I would build it as a single cabinet out of 1 x 2 and some plywood wouldn't be stealth but you store it where that's not a problem.

 

[grannyT]

Hi folks, I am new at this , have only grown one plant to end up seeing that it was a male after taking care of it all through the veg. stage... like preflower stage,
I started getting interested in growing since this past April...everyone is totally right ....read, read, read and read some more, and watch, watch, watch a lot of you tube...

 

[jcool09]

I am attempting to build my first ever grow box. I am no DYI expert although I know the basics and my way around basic tools. I have a few questions I am wanting elaboration on so let me tell you what I am wanting before I ask them to make things easier.

I am wanting a simple grow box, nothing fancy and the cheaper the better. I have about $500 bucks to blow although if possible I'd like to spend less than that. I am growing solely for my own, and my girlfriends, personal use, so I don't need multiple plants nor huge yields, although good yields are never bad!

I am thinking of going to goodwill and getting a 2-4 foot dresser or cabinet of some sort to mod into my grow box. Now I know generally what I need to do to make it functional but I am more so concerned with the "fine tuning." Although this is my first box and I will probably make a more advanced one down the line as I get more advanced; I am wanting it to be a good box to start with regardless. So here are a few questions.

I went the cabinet route a few years ago and ultimately moved to a Secret Jardin tent. There are many benefits to using a tent if you want to be stealthy while having a completely reflective interior that is light proof and allows for excellent odor control when vented properly. IMO you can't go wrong with this 2x2x5 dr60 for a little more than $121. DarkRoom II DR60 24" x 24" x 64" DR224 : HydroGalaxy.com

1a)Lights: I know CFLs are not preferred by most "advanced" growers due to their potential to yeild less when compared to LED and T5 lighting systems. How much would LEDs and T5 systems cost compared to CFLs?

LEDs are the most expensive, CFLs would be the least expensive. In the tent above I would recommend looking into a 250W dual-mode digital ballast that can run both MH and HPS bulbs with a vented hood. The vented hood is key in a confined space as it allows you to use the air you want to exchange from inside the tent to cool the bulb and eliminate the major source of heat.

1b) What is the yield difference between these three light systems? Would going CFL not be a big issue yeild wise considering I don't need large yeilds as it is for personal, medical use?

The difference I have seen is in the bud density. The traditional HID lights and newer LED systems will allow for heavier buds while CFL / fluorescent buds will be more airy. Potency is about the same IMO.

1c) I see a lot of talk about blue and red spectrums for lights during specific stages of the plant's life. Is this speaking about full spectrum colors from the lights themselves (ie "white" lights with good color spectrums) or would you want to put in actual blue lights and red lights during the appropriate stages?

Blue/white lights are used for vegetative growth. Examples would be 6500K fluorescents or Metal Halide HID. Lights with more of a red spectrum are for flowering. Examples are 4000K fluorescents or High Pressure Sodium HID.

2) Fans: Can you use PC fans for ventilation and what is a good speed/power for such fans? Would I need more than 2 fans?

You can use PC fans but they are not very efficient. I use them inside the grow area to move air around but they are not sufficient for exhaust purposes. Inline duct fans are much better as they can move hundreds of CFM through your grow space which is important to keep temperatures under control. I have used many types of fans but this one is the bomb- S&P TD-Silent Series Inline Fan. For 4 or 5 inch round duct - 203/108 cfm (high/low). It was pricey at $154 but it is QUIET while moving over 200 CFM. This may not mean anything to you now but after you grow in a confined space for a while you will become familiar with heat issues and will look for solutions. IT IS WORTH THE $$$$.

3) Odor Elimination: What is an easy but effective filtration system to set up? I was thinking of just cutting a hole, placing an exhaust via PVC pipe on the outside. Would I just stick a "carbon scrubber" at the end of the exhaust externally or would it be internally so that it hits the filter first then goes out the exhaust (as opposed to going through the exhaust and then hitting then filter)?

I use a small carbon filter inside my tent. The filter is hanging at the top of the tent. The stinky warmer air is drawn in, purified, then drawn through my vented hood, out through the S&P inline fan, up to the attic, through another "duct booster" inline fan (can be found at Home Depot) and then out the eave vent at the edge of the roof.

4) Hydroponic System: Should I bother with Hydroponics given this is my first grow box and grow attempt?

Hydro is complicated in a confined space as you have to watch the water temperatures. The benefit I gain from hydro is that I can setup my system and let it run for a week unattended while I travel for business.

5) Is this really all I need: a box 2-4 feet high for 1 (possibly 2 at most) plant. A fan at the bottom blowing air in, one up top by the lights blowing air out. An exhaust/odor filtration setup. Lights and mylar?

No

6) Height Restriction: How do you make sure your plant wont overgrow and potentially bend/hurt itself or grow to the top and hit the lights?

I used to pinch the tops and trim leaves but that seems to slow down the plant growth. Now I only use supercropping which is basically pinching then bending over the stems of stalks that have grown too high. The irony is that this process actually increases the vigor of the section of the plant that you SC. Its like nature responds to the trauma by making that part of the plant stronger.

7) Plant Specific: How does one actually get buds without seeds and a lot of sticks? I am not as caught up on the actual growing process quite yet so I am unsure how people get no sticks or seeds in their bud when they harvest.

Grow with feminized seeds to eliminate male plants that would produce seeds in your female buds. It is impossible to get buds w/o sticks in them- at some point the flower will attach to a stem. The key is to grow bushy dense buds with a high flower to stem ratio. I have become an advocate for auto-flower varieties as these do not require a change in the lighting schedule (18/6 or 20/4 for the duration of the grow) which allows you to have plants at various stages of development and "normal" plants in vegetative growth in the same environment as your autoflowering plants are budding. Much more flexibility and quicker turnaround time between harvests.

Thanks you for any and all help!!!

Best of luck to you!

 

[stayhigh410]

My 1st gro also, step (1) computer, step (2) youtube step (3) the right nutes everything else will fall in place Good luck!!

 

[Tweaktion]

My 1st gro also, step (1) computer, step (2) youtube step (3) the right nutes everything else will fall in place Good luck!!

very very classy of you, hope it goes very very well.
its so simple it just might work.

 

[Ascended Master Kief]

I love yer idea of a cabinet/wardrobe/dresser thing from GW or other thrift stores. Why it never dawned on me before, I don't know. Myself, been looking at Ikea and stuff, but GW is the better option, I think. As for your other questions, here's a few link that may help:

How to Grow Marijuana Everything You Need to Know

It's how I've been learning! Good luck, and good weed! That's another thing, cannabis is sort of a weed. KISS works. That is, Keep It Simple Stupid. Cannabis, like most other lifeforms and plants, will thrive, as long as you're nice to it, and "listen" to it. Be gentle when bending or tying back the plants, but don't worry too much about "mistakes." But most importantly, keep it simple. Good water, good ventilation, good lighting, good nutes, good climate=plant will grow itself.

 

[AfricanGrower]

Good advice there Ascended! The K.I.S.S. principle works for most things in life unknowingly !