Starting with 12 plants, and expanding. Need hydro set-up suggestions

[Kevin3]

Hey everyone!

I just recently became a legal caregiver in my state. Right now I have one patient which enables me to grow 12 plants. Since it's hard to get new patients without for them to test, I am starting small with plans to expand. The maximum that I will be able to expand to is 60 plants.

My reasons for wanting to be a caregiver in the first place started with a desire to help the legalization of marijuana; by supporting these new laws and following them. After a few hundred hours of reading, and realizing just how much time and effort goes into a garden, money had to be added to my list of goals. My current plan is to have a few plants of very high quality, which I will use to supply my patients, and try a high yielding strain as well, which I will sell to dispensaries.

So, what I've come up with so far:

My Veg chamber is a 2'x4'x4' area, with a 2' 4 bulb HO-t5 fixture and 6500k bulbs. Rated for around 8000 lumens. I also have a 26w 2700k CFL in each corner to have dual spectrum lighting.

My flower chamber is a Secred Jardin DR120, which is 4'x4'x6.5'. By the time my current plants are flowering, I will have a 400w HPS, along with 12 x 42 watt CFL's, being a mixture of 2700k and 6500k. Again, near the corners/sides of the tent. I will have a Can-33 filter and 6" inline fan for exaust, using the flaps near the bottom as passive intakes.

I followed Roseman's Deep Water Culture tutorial more or less. CFL Light Tutorial and ended up with a few totes of different sizes. I would like to start 2~ new plants from seed or clone every 2 weeks (for now), to have a perpetual grow. After my first harvest, I hope to greatly increase my # of allowed plants by getting new patients. When it gets to that point, I may be able to arrange a clean basement as a grow area, rather than adding more tents or spending a few thousand on one of the INTense line tents from SJ.

Now... looking to the future, what is a good, and/or most common type of hydroponic system for a garden of up to 60 plants. While I enjoy the Deep Water Culture system so far; having that many separate totes, pumps, and plants that close together seems like it will be WAY too much work with a larger garden.

I'm comfortable with DIY for the most part, and have plenty of tools to be able to rig electrical, irrigation, etc.

-It seems to me that an ebb'n'flow system would be slightly less work than a bunch of Deep Water Culture systems. Being able to use a LARGE resevoir for all of the buckets/pots. I guess the modular nature of this system is what makes it first place for my future plans (increasing the system 12 plants at a time until the max).

-I've looked at hempy buckets which seem like they would be very easy to move around and arrange without all that irrigation and pumps. But would take more work watering them all by hand (unless I rig a system with automatic watering/feeding)

-NFT? All I know is i've seen really long white square pipes with tons of holes for plants. Add a pipe, get another 10~ plant sites. no clue if this is right for my goals or not though.

I would really like a system that is good for a perpatual grow, moving a few plants from veg to flowering at a time, rather than doing huge grows all at once. Any elaboration on my current ideas, or even something I didn't mention are welcome.

Thanks for taking the time to read

 

[Kevin3]

Bump. Still need help on this

 

[SnowBender]

With 60 id be looking at flood and drain tables for simplicity or either ebb/gro buckets or hempy with drippers or shrubblers, if you dont mind the plumbing. main flood table drawback is the amount (and weight) of water needed to flood 4x8 tables. i often see one 300 gallon rez per two 4x8 tables with alternating pumps.

 

[TorturedSoul]

My reasons for wanting to be a caregiver in the first place started with a desire to help the legalization of marijuana; by supporting these new laws and following them. After a few hundred hours of reading, and realizing just how much time and effort goes into a garden, money had to be added to my list of goals. My current plan is to have a few plants of very high quality, which I will use to supply my patients, and try a high yielding strain as well, which I will sell to dispensaries.

I hope that the compensation that you're planning to receive reflects your actual expenses, and that if you must count your labor as an expense, that you do not inflate it.

That size grow area can easily handle the light from a 1000-watt HPS. That'll give you 62.5 watts per square foot. That is not on the high end of the scale as far as light goes. Go with an air-cooled hood for it that draws air from outside the tent. Then if/when you decide to add supplemental CO2, you can do so without sending it out of the tent as fast as you put it in. If you absolutely cannot remove the heat then you could go with a 600-watt one, but that seriously hurts your illumination over a 16 square foot area.

NFT is doable, but for a beginning grower it can be disastrous in that if you have a severe problem you can lose your crop. A different method would seem to be best.

If/when you decide to max out at 60 plants, you'll in all likelihood want to go with a lot more light in your vegetative area as well.

 

[ol hippy]

Have you ever finished a grow of even 1 or 2 plants ? If not how do you plan on growing a dozen plants ! You should try a grow of 2 plants and see how things go ! You don't want to waste your time and money starting off with a grow of a dozen plants ! If I just assumed you were going to start with 12 I'm sorry but thats what I think you were going to do ...Set up your tent get your lighting and other things ready then just do a 2 plant grow to work out all the bugs ! Thinking ahead to a 60 plant grow !! Whew thats a lot of work you will need some help !! Good luck wish you the best !!

 

[Kevin3]

Thanks for the replies guys!

SnowBender: I've kind of been looking at the 12-site ebb'n'gro system (or plans to DIY it). Is that the type of system you listed second? Uses a 55 gal res, control bucket, and 2 gal double pots for the plants. Starts off with 12 sites and can expand to 48 or so before needing an additional res + control bucket.

TorturedSoul: For compensation, I will be providing my patients their medicine at the bare minimum to cover costs of electricity, ferts, and to recover the cost of equipment over time. But plan to produce as much as possible within my 12 plant limit, sell the overages to dispensaries in order to give my patients an even better deal. I know I wont get rich from doing this and following the law, but like helping people out

ol hippy: I'm actually in the middle of my first grow now. I picked up some feminized Northern Light and Jock Horror Autoflowers from Nirvana in order to have my first harvest come asap, so that my current patient can get away from the outrageous prices at dispensaries around here. I started 2 plants at a time, and started more every 2 weeks since; kind of a perpetual grow. It is definitely a learning experience, but even when running into problems, i love it so far. At first i ran into some problems with my horrendous well water (around 300 ppm x_x) which seemed to cause nute lockup, followed by some deficiencies (as you can see in the lower fan leaves). I've since switched to some culligan RO water that I have refillable containers from walmart at 30~ cents per gallon. In time, i'll hopefully get an RO system of my own.

My first 2 girls. Thank goodness they're resilient plants!

2 weeks younger than the first. Tried to get a little closer up with this pic.

Wanting to try out my new tote with fancy adjustable drip emitters, and feeling a bit more confident in my water, feeding, and set-up. I went with 6 at once!

That leaves 2 more plants that I will start this weekend, bringing my current total to 12. My tent is all set up, as soon as i decide on a larger container for my first 2 girls, and finalize plans on what type of light I want.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I meant to ask this earlier but forgot: If you're maxed out on patients, can you legally sell to dispensaries? Since they're supposed to have patients for their meds - on the books at least - wouldn't you be technically growing for patients that were over your limit (and assigned to another caregiver)?

I guess it depends on what state you're in and how it's law reads.

 

[ol hippy]

Yeah Kevin I know what you mean 60 bucks for an 1/8th oz thats what the top shelf is here give or take 5 bucks !! Its nice to be able to give a 1/4 to someone who could never afford to buy it at disp prices! their eyes light up ! I'm workin on getting a small perpetual grow going to keep me and mine happy !

 

[Kevin3]

TorturedSoul: In my state, there are gray areas in the law to be honest. I've talked to a few owners of the dispensaries, and a couple of lawyers who are pretty comfortable with the laws. Heres what I've gathered so far.

Dispensaries aren't specifically mentioned in the laws. It has, more or less, come down to the city/township if they want to allow a dispensary to operate there or not. Some cities have made new zoning laws for this.
My state also accepts patient cards from any other medical marijauana state. A visiting patient is not expected to register a caregiver or bring their own medicine over state lines, and thats part of where dispensaries come in.
Since its illegal to sell marijuana anywhere in the country, we already know that a patient-caregiver relationship is usually just reimbursement for the labor and costs, not for the medicine itself. I'm really not too sure the wording used for dispensaries transactions. But I do know that I'll be setting aside lawyer fees just incase.

Also, one other thing I've heard about, but don't know the legal stance on it are compassion clubs. Medicated food and medicine itself is often shared at these clubs (with local police knowing about it). If a caregiver is looking for a new patient, and would like to let them try the medicine before sending the form in to the state: since the caregiver can legally posess/transport and the patient can legally partake and there is no selling of marijauana between the two... that would be acceptable from what I've been told.

ol hippy: I'm very excited to be able to help out my patient. Right now I only have the one, and hes a cool guy. Has a couple of kids, but lost his job recently. He gets very bad Migraines which most perscriptions havent helped as much as the natural stuff does So our arrangement was a set amount of Oz. per harvest for free, and the overages will take care of his cost. His fiancee is planning on making me her caregiver as well, at the end of august.

Another aspect of being a caregiver that I'm enjoying so far, is learning about their medical conditions, then hunting down the perfect strain for them! For my current patient and his migraines, i've been looking more towards the sativas. Harder to grow and dont yield as much. But the cerebral effect it gives really helps him out.
His fiancee, on the other hand, has muscle spasms. For her I plan on looking at indica dominant strains, and possibly even providing her with medicated food to calm her nerves down with the long lasting body high that can provide.

 

[Kevin3]

Forgot to mention, I think I've decided on a few plans!

I'll keep an eye out for a good deal on R & M Supply, Inc. - Ebb & Gro. Either complete or parts to DIY. I really like the modular nature of being able to add more sites very easily as I get more patients. Not TOO excited about having a single resevoir for nutes when I'd like to grow a few different strains at a time, but I'm sure they'll do fine!

For lighting, I think I'll start off with a 600w HPS in an air cooled hood along with quite a few (dozen or so) CFL's for dual spectrum and supplemental lighting to start inside of that tent.

Once I am able to grow more plants. I'll make the current 2'x4'x4' veg chamber, into the mom chamber. Make the tent into Veg. and then section off a part of the basement for flower (with some 1k lights, depending on actual sqft).

I think that will be great for now, with a system that will be easily expandable in the future. Thanks very much for your input guys. Maybe I'll start a journal once I get the ebb'n'grow up and running!

 

[ol hippy]

Kevin, Looks like you got your shit in order !! Hope it all goes according to your plans !! I'll be watching maybe I can learn a thing or two about ebb and flow ....

 

[PitViper]

can you fit a 4x4 tray in there? some tents will not....I can fit 28 1 gal pots in a 2x4.
thats 56.....I assume you cant have more than total 60 plants in any stage. flood table is the really the true winner...its cheap and simple. yes it weighs alot but all systems have weight....

 

[ol hippy]

Pit, In a setup like that do you veg for a very short time and go right to flower ? There sure ain't much room in that tray for growth !Thanks

 

[Kevin3]

Ooh, I kind of like that setup PitViper. I have exactly 45 1/2" from inside to inside of the bottom frame; and the walls of the tent are right around 48". So a 4x4 would go wall to wall almost perfectly (only if the legs arent on the very corners), but would cut off airflow from the passive intakes in the bottom . It looks like there are a couple inches of overhang on your frame for the tray, but the feet on the bottom of the legs may hit the bottom frame of the tent. Is the Tray size 2x4/4x4 or are those the dimensions of the frame?

Also, how tall do you let your plants get? I have 6 1/2' of vertical space. I'll have a 600w hps in an air cooled hood on adjustable light hangers in a couple of days. That will take up around a 1 1/2' for the light and distance from plants? looks like around 3' for the resevoir and table? leaves enough room for 2' plants. I wouldnt mind growing them short and/or doing some training on them to have more frequent harvests.

Bottom of tent, passive intake flaps.

Top of tent with carbon filter and fan. It's actually the back 1/2 in the picture, so there will be room for the light in front of it.

And the whole thing, with a quick PVC CFL frame i made before i had my veg chamber ready. That will be modified once my other light arrives to provide supplemental lighting around the perimeter.

Also, since i'm too poor to afford another inline fan for the hood right now. I may have to go Filter > Hood > Fan > Exhaust for the time being. The light is coming from HTG so I'm guessing I'll have it friday or monday.

 

[ol hippy]

Nice set up ! I like the way you boosted the support for your filter !! and the way the cords are laid out very neat ! Unfortunatly I waited till my plants were a bit big now I'm having a problem moving cords around !! See I learned something today ..thanks !