My first grow...absolute beginner.

[MisterZ]

My wife and I just started our first grow, which is done in a closet in our house. We've never grown plants of any kind, and we are completely dumb when it comes to anything green. I'm germinating some seeds from my personal collection now and starting them this weekend.

Can you guys read my game plan and make sure I'm stacking the odds in my favor to get good plants?

I am using three 75 watt flourescent bulbs from Walmart, I attached them to the bottom of a shelf which I can move up or down in the closet (the first picture is with the lights at 4', the others at about 7'. As you can see from the pictures, the walls have been painted white and it's a fairly small room (7' deep, 3' wide and 8' tall). I am planting the seeds in soil that's designed for palm and dry-climate plants. I chose that because it had perlite and sand in it, and because it was fast-draining and enriched with Miracle-Gro. I don't know if this soil is good, but this time of year where I live I haven't found really good soil anywhere. I also will be using one small desk fan, hanging with the lights and blowing across the plants.

Is there anything I'm missing with this closet? I think the light and ventilation should be sufficient. What about my soil?

And I will be updating this as we go along and any tips along the way (the only things I know are from the guides here and a book that I have) would be really appreciated.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Hello and welcome..Thanks for shreing...My concern is the lights and the lumes they put out...This will be okay for Veg for a bit but not enough for flower...and i dont see any intake r exhaust..we need freash air comeing in and the heat taken out...your on your way...and My want to have this moved to the Grow Journal section..The soil is Miracle grow and wont need any nutes for a while remember that okay...be sure to allow the soil to dry completely b4 watering or feeding again...and ya may wanna remove that carpet so ya can reinstall later..it will get stained...hope this helps..Ill fallow along best I can..take care and be safe

 

[FA$TCA$H]

:ciao: welcome to MP. looks like ya been readin, thats good:aok:, lotsa good help here GL $

 

[Locked]

My wife and I just started our first grow, which is done in a closet in our house. We've never grown plants of any kind, and we are completely dumb when it comes to anything green. I'm germinating some seeds from my personal collection now and starting them this weekend.

Can you guys read my game plan and make sure I'm stacking the odds in my favor to get good plants?

I am using three 75 watt flourescent bulbs from Walmart, I attached them to the bottom of a shelf which I can move up or down in the closet (the first picture is with the lights at 4', the others at about 7'. As you can see from the pictures, the walls have been painted white and it's a fairly small room (7' deep, 3' wide and 8' tall). I am planting the seeds in soil that's designed for palm and dry-climate plants. I chose that because it had perlite and sand in it, and because it was fast-draining and enriched with Miracle-Gro. I don't know if this soil is good, but this time of year where I live I haven't found really good soil anywhere. I also will be using one small desk fan, hanging with the lights and blowing across the plants.

Is there anything I'm missing with this closet? I think the light and ventilation should be sufficient. What about my soil?

And I will be updating this as we go along and any tips along the way (the only things I know are from the guides here and a book that I have) would be really appreciated.

Howdy...your grow space is 21 sqr feet so you will need 63,000 lumens for veg and 105,000 lumens for flowering....your lights will not be sufficient.

Second thing is your soil...you don't want to go with anything that has ferts already in it especially Miracle Grow with their time release nutes. They do make a really great soil for seedlings and seeds that has no time release nutes in it and is very gentle. It is at Home Depot and Lowes near me.

You will also need to deal with ventilation both intake and exhaust...you hve to change the air inside the grow space in order for your plants to be healthy...

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

My wife and I just started our first grow, which is done in a closet in our house. We've never grown plants of any kind, and we are completely dumb when it comes to anything green. I'm germinating some seeds from my personal collection now and starting them this weekend.

Can you guys read my game plan and make sure I'm stacking the odds in my favor to get good plants?

I am using three 75 watt flourescent bulbs from Walmart, I attached them to the bottom of a shelf which I can move up or down in the closet (the first picture is with the lights at 4', the others at about 7'. As you can see from the pictures, the walls have been painted white and it's a fairly small room (7' deep, 3' wide and 8' tall). I am planting the seeds in soil that's designed for palm and dry-climate plants. I chose that because it had perlite and sand in it, and because it was fast-draining and enriched with Miracle-Gro. I don't know if this soil is good, but this time of year where I live I haven't found really good soil anywhere. I also will be using one small desk fan, hanging with the lights and blowing across the plants.

Is there anything I'm missing with this closet? I think the light and ventilation should be sufficient. What about my soil?

And I will be updating this as we go along and any tips along the way (the only things I know are from the guides here and a book that I have) would be really appreciated.

Unfortunately, I agree with Hampster all the way. Your lighting and ventilation are really not going to work at all and the Miracle Grow with nutrients will most likely kill your seedlings.

If you really want to stack the odds in your favor, this is, sadly, the facts. While fluorescents will work for veg, you are still going to need far more of them--63,000 lumens worth. If the 75W are putting out 5500 lumens, you need 11-1/2 tubes for vegging. For flowering, you really should use HPS lighting for a space that size. Two 600W HPS would do great. Now you need to cool your light, your space, and provide fresh air for the plants. I have a space very close in size that I have about $400 worth of fans and ducting cooling the light(s) and exchanging the air.

Seedlings not only do not need any nutrients the first 3-4 weeks of their lives, they will often die if planted in soil that contains nutrients. It would be a lot better to buy soil online if you do not have any available locally. Or consider a simple DWC hydro system.

You may find that you are better off starting with a smaller space or maybe 2 separate smaller spaces--one to veg and one for flowering. You can successfully veg with fluoros, but you really get more bang for your buck with HPS for flowering. Many people believe that fluoros are cheaper than HIDs. But, lumen for lumen, fluoros cost more to purchase initially, cost more to operate every single month, put out more heat, and produce significantly less bud.

The Resource section has some excellent info. http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9396

 

[MisterZ]

Thanks for all the fast replies. I was hoping that the lighting would be sufficient, but what I guess I will have to do is use the flouros for vegging and then switch to a hps light for flowering...and does the required lumens matter since the shelving also provides a "ceiling" which decreases the size of the grow area?

And where are the best places to buy these lights? I would guess online. Any sites that are recommended.

And as far as ventilation, I was told that just checking on the plants in a place that small would be sufficient, but I guess with a hotter light I would want to get more fans? What kind of fan would be good for something like this. I'm trying to work somewhat on the cheap.

So should I be good for vegging these plants with the flouros while I order some additional lighting? Thanks for the advice, guys.

By the way, this closet will probably hold 3-4 plants at a time.

 

[PencilHead]

If you live in even a semi-metroplitan area you should have a hydro/grow shop around. I live in a mid-sized tourist trap and we have 3 here. Yeah, I was totally shocked when I opened the phone book to see what was available and found 3 shops.

Take his advice with a grain of salt as he is a salesman, but your grow guy can set you up with the minimum start-up that you need. I went in, cash in pocket, told my guy what size room I had and left with enough to get me going on my first grow (note I said cash in pocket).

There are fans and other equipment that are made to work with the heat and other demands of your lighting system. Please don't use "found" crap and burn your wife's house down. And unless you're growing in a shoe box, a computer fan won't move squat for air.

Remember: This is a sport where one reaps what one sows, quite literally. Go as high-tech as you can afford--your returns will more than repay your expenditures first grow. I did it and I'm lazy, unmotivated and hard-headed--pulled an elbow and a half off my first grow in a 4.5'X8" room with 2-600watt HPS.

Luck and peace.

 

[MisterZ]

Great advice, I will be going for 2 600-watt hps then, since my room dimensions are about the same as yours. Researching online it looks like they are about $200/ea with the ballast included, is that about right?

And as far as intake and exhaust, there are no vents in this room so it is very stagnant. What types of fans are good or is there somewhere that I can purchase a system for a closet like this?

Any products that have been used and are recommended would be helpful. And if I swap the soil out to something nute-free, beef up the lights to hps, and get an acceptable exhaust, should I be ready to go?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Thanks for all the fast replies. I was hoping that the lighting would be sufficient, but what I guess I will have to do is use the flouros for vegging and then switch to a hps light for flowering...and does the required lumens matter since the shelving also provides a "ceiling" which decreases the size of the grow area?

And where are the best places to buy these lights? I would guess online. Any sites that are recommended.

And as far as ventilation, I was told that just checking on the plants in a place that small would be sufficient, but I guess with a hotter light I would want to get more fans? What kind of fan would be good for something like this. I'm trying to work somewhat on the cheap.

So should I be good for vegging these plants with the flouros while I order some additional lighting? Thanks for the advice, guys.

By the way, this closet will probably hold 3-4 plants at a time.

Lowering the ceiling only decreases the cubic footage, not the sq footage. If you are not going to light the entire space, you need to section off the space you plan to light. A space 3 x 4 should be good for 3-4 plants. Check out HTG Supply, E-Bay, or Craig's List for lights. If you decided to keep the space that large, you should plan on 2 600W lights.

Whoever told you that just checking on the plants would provide enough ventilation is simply wrong (just as an aside, you should not be telling anyone about your grow--secrecy is the #1 rule). Your plants need a continual supply of fresh CO2 all the time the lights are on. I like to exchange the air in my room 3-4 times a minute (this is where cubic feet come in). You will need some kind oif intake--this can usually be passive. You are most likely going to have to air cool your light--this will take a "real" fan--a can, eclipse, vortex. You are also going to need an exhaust. This will also take a "real" fan. Sometimes the 2 can be combined. You can use the fan you have to circulate air around the space and help strengthen the stems.

You can veg with those lights, but put them close together, make your space smaller, and get the plants close to the light (a couple of inches) once they have a good root system. IMO, you should really think about a seperate veg and flowering space, since you have the room.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Great advice, I will be going for 2 600-watt hps then, since my room dimensions are about the same as yours. Researching online it looks like they are about $200/ea with the ballast included, is that about right?

And as far as intake and exhaust, there are no vents in this room so it is very stagnant. What types of fans are good or is there somewhere that I can purchase a system for a closet like this?

Any products that have been used and are recommended would be helpful. And if I swap the soil out to something nute-free, beef up the lights to hps, and get an acceptable exhaust, should I be ready to go?

I would be getting hoods that you can air cool. These will be more than $200/ea., but I do not believe that you will be able to cool the space otherwise. Also, if you can afford it, look at digital ballasts. Do you plan on vegging with the HPS?

If you have no vents in the room, you are going to have to make some. You need more than just exhaust. You need an intake or 2 and maybe more than 1 exhaust. I have 2 holes in my ceiling that vent through the attic to the outside. I have one vent in the side wall that vents to/from the outside and one that vents into/out of the master bathroom. I also have 2 holes that vent to/from the crawl space. How this is all run depends on the time of year. My ventilation runs different in the winter than in the summer. Correct ventilation can be one of the hardest things to set up. It is probably going to take a min of $1000 for lights, fans, ducting...

 

[MisterZ]

$1000 is gonna be more than I'm looking to spend, and I also want to avoid drilling any new exhaust fans for the closet. Are there any systems for ventilation that are self-contained?

This doesn't have to be an expensive grow, I'm really just looking for something basic. I will plan on vegging with those flouro lights closer together, and closing the area off a bit to lower the footage

 

[MisterZ]

Actually, the more I'm reading these replies the more I'm thinking that I would be better doing this in our basement. I'm just bad with anything engineering-wise. Are there any recommended videos on how to create a simple grow area in my basement? Or a completed kit that is easy to use? Something that would come with everything, I've seen cabinets for around a grand, are those a good buy?

My basement has a corner that is unused, I just have no idea how to enclose it and set up the exhaust. I'm in the Midwest so it will be cold over the next few months. There is no drop ceiling in there, and the ceiling is about 7'.

Would I be better to scrap this Jerry-rigged unventilated closet on the top floor and start from scrap in the basement?

I'm so frustrated with the setup. I need something easy and reliable. And I want good results, but I would take easiness and cheapness even if it sacrificed the quality of my harvest a little bit.

 

[cmd420]

I do mine in a basement...the best place to grow IMO....
The only consideration that differs for us is that I live in northern california where temps rarely dip below 50f...
That said, a basement is easiest to conceal....

usually concrete floors, so spills and drainage are waaaay easier...

light leaks and lighting in general is easy cuz it's below ground..total darkness when you need it

and blazing light that is completely underground..niiiice....

Temps are a lot easier to control in a safe way as opposed to in a shed or attic....

I use a corner of the basement for my veg room...could use for a 12/12 if I needed to ..I would just completely seal the room more with panda film...

Soooo..I built a frame from 2x4's and staple gunned panda film to make walls and BINGO..Black and light proof (see below*)from the outside and white and clean and reflective on the inside...easy peasy, lemon squeezy, homey....

I put in the big plywood door later (yes that's a copy of my medical papers taped to the door) and the room is perfect for me...

take a pic of your space and post it so we can see what you're workin with... then look around (up?) at possible ventilation options..

for my 12/12 room, I just get air from the basement/garage and for the echaust I ran some Hvac venting from the room and plug it into the exhaust for the heater...straight up and over the neighborhood....

again, don't get discouraged....

if you have a free corner of a basement, you could be sitting on an awesome potential grow room!

*your entire room will likely not be completely light proof from the outside because you have to put in a door of some kind, but taping up the seams is huge...but again..it's in a basement, so I have a lot more leeway with respect to suspicious light escaping from this veg room

 

[Locked]

You can get a tent on ebay for 100 bucks with free shipping...they come with all the ports for venting already built in... I hve 2 tents and they were the best investment I hve made...hvy duty material...and the best part is they go up or come down in minutes...

 

[MisterZ]

I've decided to do it in the basement (picture below). There are two white walls, so I plan to build a couple short walls (5-6') on the other two sides and put mylar around the walls. I will have one large fan blowing up over the plants and out for ventilation. The guy at the hydroponic store I found said that it didn't have to be fully enclosed and that he just puts card tables up around the grow and lets it ventilate naturally.

I am going to get one 600w HPS and a 3x3 dwc hydroponic tub system. He said that was basically all I'd need to do it. He said to put 9 plants in the tub and put the bulb right over the middle of them, about 18-24" above the plants. But then again, we weren't necessarily talking about marijuana (but he did seem to understand what I was talking about).

1) Can the interior walls be shorter in the basement? Is it bad to have any of the lighting escape the room? It is completely dark in the basement during the day.

2) Do I need additional exhaust equipment other than a large fan and the shorter walls?

3) A tent is another couple hundred bucks. Is it a good investment? We have lots of space so no need to be stealth. What other benefits does the tent have? I saw they had vent holes in it, do you have to get additional exhaust equipment with those?

Below is the basement, there are 44" before we run into the hot water heater pipe.

Thanks again,

Mark

 

[Locked]

9 plants in a dwc is going to get unruly...especially if they bush out... I tried just 4 and was going crazy...also the thing I hated most about the dwc with multi net pots was 2 out of the 4 wound up male and by the time they showed all the roots in the dwc were tangled and there was no way to to just pull the males... I wound up just cutting them down and leaving their roots. You might want to consider cutting down the number of plants and maybe getting fem beans...

 

[cmd420]

That looks like a great space...no need for stealth in the basement, huh?

"1) Can the interior walls be shorter in the basement? Is it bad to have any of the lighting escape the room? It is completely dark in the basement during the day.

2) Do I need additional exhaust equipment other than a large fan and the shorter walls?


You want a nice clean reflective surface for the whole inside of the room...if some light leaks out it's not a big deal...in a basement

As far as the "shorter" walls, I am assuming that you are refering to having less clearance between the top of the plants and the lights?...

I don't know about tents, but I'm sure someone will elaborate...(Hamster Lewis's grow journal uses tents..check it out)

 

[Amateur Grower]

With the way you're willing to read and research, I have no doubt you'll have some fine plants-if not perfect the 1st time, surely so the 2nd.

There are so many ways you can go initially. I tried to balance cost with the right stuff. I got Mylar for $40 off the web and a 400W convertible ballast for $375 at a hydro shop and sprouted 8 seedlings under flouros, went to MH to veg them then HPS when I flowered. I figured that if I was going to do it, I wanted to try to do it at least halfway right. Heck, I believe the penalty for growing is the same for a great plant as it is a crappy one.

Your plants will probably get taller and most assuredly bushier than you think. The more plants the more quality light you'll need. If you go to HID lights, you'll have to get more air circulating than the fan you have is doing. I know that I would rather have 3 great plants than 5 average ones anyway.

This is the most important thing and you'll see it mentioned occasionally on here-TELL NO ONE ABOUT YOUR GROW. :doh:

AG

 

[legalize_freedom]

I'm in the mid-west, great lakes area, and my grow is in my basement. One thing you are going to want to watch is your relative humidity, it's not that big of deal in veg, but once buds set, you don't want to get mildew or mold. You may have to get yourself a de-humidifier, especially if you are going to try ventilating the way you are talking with just box fans. I would seriousely consider some different ventilation techniques. Light leaks are ok in the basement, as long as the light is not leaking in on your plants during their dark period. If your room is not sealed you will have to make sure no-one goes down in the basement for any reason during the dark period. Something to think about if your hot water heater, and furnace are down there, and need to be worked on. You'll get it worked out bud! At least your thinking it through before just germing some seeds, and then asking what to do in desperation. Get the thing up and running, get your temps, and RH in order, then plant the seeds. Your doing it right! Good Luck!

 

[MisterZ]

Yeah, the temp and the humidity are concerning me. I think a tent might be helpful in keeping it warm and dry enough. That would end up costing about the same as adding a dehumidifier and a space heater...