Petergreen's CFL Veg Cab - Herbies Auto THC Bomb

[MassMedMan]

Got my veg cab just about completed. Looking to have a spot to start some plants, test CFLs, and a clone area.

I got five Auto THC bomb beans from Herbie, this one is a test, Ill do the other four together probably this spring.

My box is in the same space as my grow tent. Sharing air, some resources.

My box is 2x2 and it's 4 feet tall

I have two computer fans on top, one sucking, one blowing, that is it for now but I'll probably get a small desk fan for inside. Powered from an old laptop power supply.

Heat pad, hygrommeter, and timer.

Lights: I jury rigged a cfl light bar from a surge protector.

Have: 4 x 23w 1600 lumen 5k bulbs
4 x 13w 860 lumen 65k bulbs
1 blue veg light I use to start my tomatoes

That might be too much light for one plant?

Only using about half the box: (sorry about the pic, need to rotate that)

Soaked in water Monday night, she sank and was put in rockwool eight hours later. This morning I noticed she is alive, day one:

Today when I get home she'll go in the box, and the lights will run 24/7 for two weeks.

I'll use the same soil mix I've used before. Got the recipe from Jorge Cervantes. She eventually go in 3 gallon smart pot -- by way of a cow pot. Work on the soil tonight.

And I'm off....

Any tips or suggestions always welcome!!

 

[MassMedMan]

Sloow going, getting temps right, saw a bug,, called exterminator

 

[Graytail]

Nice veg box design. I like the shelf that can move up with the plants and the overhead room for heat to gather.

That isn't too much light for a 2x2 area. I started with CFLs and ran six 23W over each plant - three plants in a 1.5x4 space. That was 414 watts over 6 sqft = 69W/sqft. You're running 144 watts over 4 sqft = 36W/sqft. If I were you, I'd plan on adding a vertical 23W in each corner about 30 days into it. By that time, your plant could be big enough to occupy the whole 2x2.

Nice!

Oh, hey, does that perforated panel pass air up to the top space? If so .. elegant! I might steal that idea if I ever build a veg cabinet.

[Edit] I recommend that you lower the light to 4 inches above the sprout and take the cover off so it doesn't get too hot. Seedlings are ready to rock when they sprout. They want light and air and space, and they don't need high humidity. Let 'er rip!

 

[MassMedMan]

Great info, thank you.

I started with a host of issues, mostly minor since the bean cracked, I guess. But I should have tested the box a few days before I put something live in there. Live and learn, great info from you helps. I'll make those changes, was worried about not enough humidity.

Went to check this morning and humidity gage thing said 99% --doh!!

I think I've finally got the temps in my grow area/space controlled, which will help this little project, but this project also adds a little heat to my overall space so I'm constantly learning, adjusting. I could do this full time.

Quick question -- I want to learn how to clone and was thinking this area would be my proving grounds, if you will. Do I want the clones in separate chambers or grow containers to keep them moist?

Going to make a few adjustments....

 

[MassMedMan]

Oh and the perforated panel was not a design feature of this. Originally this box was going to rest horizontally with 4' floro tubes (the reason for the silicone bead you see on the wall) That panel would have been the floor, box would have been raised, and that was my passive air intake.

I decided the T12s were a thing of the past with these little cfl things, so, I flipped it on end and redesigned.

I like building things, especially with items around the property/house. However, if I wasn't around here/this site, with all you cool people sharing the love -- I would have never evolved to that design.

So again, thank you all.

 

[Graytail]

Yes, with clones you want/need high humidity for several days, so they need to be under a dome with higher temps - warm/moist/tropical. And unlike seedlings, they can't have much light until they get roots established, so you have to keep them far from the lights. It's easy enough to do both in the same space by raising the light AND the seedling, leaving the domed cuttings a foot or more below. Once my seedlings grew a couple pairs of leaves I kept them within 2 inches of the lights and they always grew beautifully, with nice tight nodes.

Keep an eye on the rockwool. It should hold plenty of moisture, but that's what's important to the seedling right now - nice, moist, not wet, roots.

 

[David Bowman]

Thanks for sharing your grow with us.

I’m moving this to Completed Journals now.

Have you started a new grow you would like to share with us?

If so, please feel free to start a new journal here: Journals in Progress

Hope all is well in your world.

Love and respect from all of us here at 420 Magazine.