Trying to plan my grow set-up - Need some advice

[Dwight Monk]

They have a place that sells used house stuff? Here the Habitat for Humanity Restore has all kinds of used cabinets pretty cheap, then you just have to modify a box instead of building one. Can seem where I started and what I ended up with in my Anti Journal Journal linky in my sig. I have a small 3' box that I bought premade and then did my own thing and made a 4' and a 6' box. Can also see where I ran into temp problems in the Shed in Winter and ended up moving them into house....so I may just grow 9 months out of the year lol as power bill jumped a bit.

 

[Jackalope]

That's quite helpful and I had considered using HPS to help me out with warming the box. I am leaning towards LED for electrical costs and bulb longevity, not to mention it would be better for temps in the summer I think. Thoughts sir?


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Hearing lots of good things about LED. Never used them myself. Your right about summer temps. I have to shut down for 3 months in the heat of the summer. Growing on a budget takes a little more planning so your defiantly on the right track.

 

[Archiweedies]

Hearing lots of good things about LED. Never used them myself. Your right about summer temps. I have to shut down for 3 months in the heat of the summer. Growing on a budget takes a little more planning so your defiantly on the right track.

Thanks for this! I'm not excited about shutting down in the summer but that means I'll have to get good yield from now till then. Cheers


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[Fuzzy Duck]

Thanks for the response! When you say insulated are you saying the garage or the grow box? Insulating the garage is not an option unfortunately but insulating the box sure as hell is.

Trust me I wish I could insulate the damn garage. When I'm out there in the summer I can barely stand the heat most days.


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Well garage would be cool but if not an option the grow box should help to some extent & don't forget to insulate the floor as concrete gets pretty cold, plants don't like cold feet !

The only other issue i may ponder over is the intake air temperature as you have two extreme to deal with summer & winter.

It is practical to run the lights on period when in R/L night time due to lower temps etc as you can imagine summer day time temps would be way to HOT, HOT, HOT.

Winter suggestions - well with temps dropping to between 30 f to 50 F Mmm that will be your intake air during lights off, well that may stunt growth a little so a radiator perhaps an oil filled type with thermostat control might be of use just run it in lights off with a timer etc when winter is here. Not sure about best position whether inside grow box or out side just yet depending on how ya set up ventilation really ?

Summer suggestions - er i don't get temps in the regions of 110 f in my neck off the woods i'm afraid, but ye you could look portable AC units or window mounted ones & most of those are quite juicy on electric tho so perhaps not a good idea ?


Others wise i may go DIY slightly out off the box approach i'm not to sure if this has been done let alone i've not seen any thing like it yet, i'm not saying it can not be done tho !

A friend suggested an old car radiator as air flows through the radiator & cools the engine by means i can not express, i'm not one of those tec peeps.

But basically ya need a water rez tank, water cooler set up for recirculating an air tight box to house the radiator & points for intake / extraction... just have to plumb it together

 

[Archiweedies]

I'm Also in an uninsulated garage in an homemade box and it's doing brill even when temp outside are -6 it's still 23 in the box.

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Hey man I noticed you replied to my post about getting my grow going. Do you happen to have any pics or info you could share about your setup?

 

[bckush]

I'm able to control my temps with the fan speed controller but the lowest temps i've seen this year is 28F.....just remember to allow for more space between the lights and plants if your going to run led.

 

[Archiweedies]

I'm able to control my temps with the fan speed controller but the lowest temps i've seen this year is 28F.....just remember to allow for more space between the lights and plants if your going to run led.

Thanks for the advice BC! I can't thank you enough for helping me through PM's and letting me pick your brain .

Couple of shots of the cab I decided to sling together with the help of the insane amount of support here!

I'm not done with it obviously but it's getting there. I nearly finished the Sheetrock last night then I can tape and paint the seams.

I am at a crossroads on the cab. I plan to put plywood on the outside of the studs so that it will look like it belongs in the garage. Two questions: Flat white paint inside or something else? Reflectix is expensive!! Should I stuff some insulation or something in the void between Sheetrock and plywood while I have it exposed?


Sorry one more roadblock: Lights? The cab is 24 x 48 x 60. I had been leaning towards HPS in the winter and LED in the summer. 4 plants max
Thanks for looking y'all.

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[bckush]

Thanks for the advice BC! I can't thank you enough for helping me through PM's and letting me pick your brain .

Couple of shots of the cab I decided to sling together with the help of the insane amount of support here!

I'm not done with it obviously but it's getting there. I nearly finished the Sheetrock last night then I can tape and paint the seams.

I am at a crossroads on the cab. I plan to put plywood on the outside of the studs so that it will look like it belongs in the garage. Two questions: Flat white paint inside or something else? Reflectix is expensive!! Should I stuff some insulation or something in the void between Sheetrock and plywood while I have it exposed?

Thanks for looking y'all.

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How much was ithe reflectix and where did you look....I know everybody values money differently but....it cost me $16 at lowes in fl to do my whole cab with a piece or two left over. You could try to find mylar emergency blankets...there usually cheap.....see if you can find cheap windshield shades and use a couple of those....or there is always white paint. I would use white paint over aluminum foil.......just my opinion

I would make it so that you can remove the insulation in the summer....I have found that the Insulation keeps my cab about 8 degrees warmer....good for winter..bad for summer....make it removable.

The cab is looking great...in no time you will go from that....to this....

Sorry...but i'm proud of what i have done so far......And it all thanks to the great people at

I'm here to help whenever you need

 

[bckush]

They have a place that sells used house stuff? Here the Habitat for Humanity Restore has all kinds of used cabinets pretty cheap, then you just have to modify a box instead of building one. Can seem where I started and what I ended up with in my Anti Journal Journal linky in my sig. I have a small 3' box that I bought premade and then did my own thing and made a 4' and a 6' box. Can also see where I ran into temp problems in the Shed in Winter and ended up moving them into house....so I may just grow 9 months out of the year lol as power bill jumped a bit.

Funny...I go to the same place here in my town...you can find all kinds cabs to modify and grow out of there.....I have even seen cabs that were previously used for that very purpose...lol...they kinda smelled funny to...lol I plan to buy a wardrobe or something for a future grow and thats where i am going to get it if I don't build it myself.

 

[Dwight Monk]

The emergency blanket didn't work for me, too hard to get it to go flat and just a royal pain (but that may just be my dexterity ). I went the auto windowshade route and seems to be working fine, though the material absorbs stuff I think so no idea if it will get dirty or absorb moisture, if I replace them I will probably just go Flat White Paint as I have heard it works fine. As if you don't get foil flat (or the emergency blankets) you can risk getting hot spots I have read (think like a magnifying glass and frying bugs when you was a kid). As around here the Mylar film is expensive and only comes in 25 foot rolls.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Funny...I go to the same place here in my town...you can find all kinds cabs to modify and grow out of there.....I have even seen cabs that were previously used for that very purpose...lol...they kinda smelled funny to...lol I plan to buy a wardrobe or something for a future grow and thats where i am going to get it if I don't build it myself.

Surprised they don't here too as a College town and legal now and all that, but the guy kinda looked at me funny when I said I was making a grow box

 

[uptheholler2]

Hey Arhiweedies! I have spoken about it before but I just completed my room in an unheated garage. My first one ended up around 10x10. If you can find them in your area I used structural insulated panels. They interlock and are held together with self taping. R14- 17 insulation value. Each panel is 22x 80 inches. I but mine now for around 6 bucks each. with a small radiant heater on the floor I am maintaining 70 deg night time temps with lows outside in the high 20s to mid 30s. I lined my walls with the SIPs and attached two upright 2x4s to the side walls on top of this I ran a 2x6 to suspend my light on. acrossed the 2x6 I laid 5 more 2x4s and placed more SIPs on top as my ceiling. I installed an exterior insulated door. Presto 2 afternoons and about 400 10x10 grow room. The panels are white and reflect light well. I have a 1200 watt led and a 1000 watt hps for light. I hope this helps you think outside the box. Best of luck in all you grow!

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[Amy Madragana]

I don't know what advice I can give you other than: go with your intuition and be sure to talk to your babies! Let them know you love them and will care for them. Give your plants lots of care and attention. Just go with your intuition. I've been growing for 3 years now and have had good luck with my grows. Right now, I'm growing about 16 wonderful babies!

 

[Amy Madragana]

OK, so I'm not trying to be condescending, really. I will say this: I'm not your ordinary gardener. I do not abide by 'rules' when it comes to growing. I use CFL and grow in Miracle-Gro and use Miracle-Gro blue plant food. I mix it stronger than recommended. I grow in my closet. But, I have had good results. Right now, I have one feminized seed, a "Spicy White Devil" and I am totally amazed at the huge crystals on her - she's into 10 weeks from seed. I'm also growing several other strains, but they do not compare to this one! I think it's GENETICS that matters. I've never seen anything like this, other than in photos from other growers. It's amazing! You can bet I'm going to be sure to include her in my genetics pool, as I'm working on creating a monster strain. Right now, I have Ms. Universe F2, Master Kush and Super Skunk growing... going to be interesting!

 

[Amy Madragana]

Once I get the strain I want - I will be more than happy to share my strain with whomever would like to try it. I will not charge anyone for the seeds, only for the postage. I want this to go out to the world so others can enjoy and receive relief from whatever ills they may have. My strain will be called: "Ms. Amy M". I name this after my Inner Child. Peace, Love, and Harmony to all here..

 

[Amy Madragana]

I will check out your blog, my friend. Peace, good vibes and may your grow be the best ever!

 

[425jesse]

Way to be Amy, I'm in

 

[Amy Madragana]

..this is so awesome! People here (so far) have been very kind. Kindred spirits? Yes, we ARE. We know and have seen the truth of what this awesome plant is. I love it here. So many happy vibes and serenity here. And no, I'm not some freaking 'new ager' crap. I am who I am. So is everyone else here. The harmony is awesome. Love it. I send out what vibes I can and wow, I get even more back. Thank you! May all OUR grows blossom into the hope and harmony of tomorrow! Peace, Ms. Amy M.

 

[uptheholler2]

Amy. Thats the best part of this website

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[Amy Madragana]

..so.. y'all wondering who/what I am? Well, I'm fixing to turn 60 in a few months. I'm a grandparent. I never was introduced to Cannabis until 5 years ago.. hahahha talk about a late 'bloomer' in life! But once I toked a few... man... this is so totally awesome. Cannabis opens up your mind to what EXISTENCE/the meaning of life is all about. I've toked Sativa; however, right now I have some Indica in the grow and I'm looking forward to seeing what Indica is... Trust me, I WILL keep y'all posted on what I learn!!