Urgent! First Timer, Need help ASAP

[eLLisD]

Im a first time grower here and I decided to turn my closet in one of my spare bedrooms into a grow room. Since its my first time I only want to try 1-5 plants. For space I have about 29 in. of horizontal space and 60 in. of verticle space. My ceiling in my closet is an at angle so 60 in. is about in the middle. Anyways I will get the paint to convert my walls and prolly some visqueen plastic. Now here is my question. Will I be able to adequetely grow in a closet that size? Would fluorescents work fine for my first grow? ANd for soil I already have miracle grow on hand, should I stick with this or go get some organic soil. A response ASAP would be greatly apprectiated! TY!

 

[m420]

hey buddy,
I'm a month into my first indoor grow and i'm also in a closet. Sounds like you've got enough space for about four plants in there. I'd recumbent feminized seeds or clones to guarantee females. Also fluorescents are great but I think you should get stronger light if you could. If you can only get one light with a limited budged, I'd recommend a 250watt-400watt H.P.S. And start to flower when your girls are 12" tall. As far as soil, I'm using Fowfarm and it's working great. Also, I highly recommend organic nutes. Good luck.

 

[eLLisD]

Hey thanks a lot buddy. I was looking online at stores such as Home Depot, Sears, and Lowes to see what they had for lighting. I cant find any HPS. Should I go to the actual store myself or what would you recommend?

 

[ViRedd]

I'd recommend that you forget Home Depot and go to your nearest Hydro store ... look one up in the Yellow Pages. You'll need a bulb, ballast, hood, and timer. A 250 HPS bulb will get you some nice herb. It will be airy and the yield will be down a bit, but still good smoke. If your cabinet can stand the heat, a 430 HPS ballast and bulb will produce a lot better. Be sure to pay by cash and not a check or credit card.

Vi

 

[eLLisD]

Yea at home depot the HPS they had was only 70-100W HPS security light or something. It is only my first time growing, as long as fluorescents would still give me dank bud I dont care. Ive been to a few local gardening stores and cant find any organic soil. But miracle gro did come out with a new organic kind this year. Should I try it? Any suggestions? Thanks again.

 

[potroast]

The biggest problem in a closet is heat buildup. If you cannot exhaust the hot air to somewhere else, then you will have to use flourescents. Instead of using the typical shoplight, with T12 tubes, you should check out T5 tubes, they are the skinny ones. Casa de Pot has 4 foot T5 fixtures with 2,4, or 8 tubes. Or you could use compact flourescents.

Whatever soil that you buy will be fine.

 

[eLLisD]

I do live in ny and hydro stores are far away from my current location.

 

[eLLisD]

Hey potroast thanks for the advice. I guess ill go fluorescent for my first time. Would the plant and aquarium lights from wal-mart do much? Or should I go with the compacts since I hear those ar ethe best fluorescents?

 

[eLLisD]

How many should I buy and how many watts? Thanks!

 

[m420]

I have a 125 watt full spectrum compact fluorescent. It worked great for the first three weeks. If your only going to be using fluorescents than I would recomend 200watts. And make sure it's full spectrum (blue and red light emitted). Also, if you can leave your closet door open when the light is on, than heat shouldn't be too much of an issue. I have a small fan blowing at the light while mine is on. Also, if you don't live close to a store that sells what you need, I'd try maybe ordering it on line. Best of luck. Keep us posted.

 

[eLLisD]

Am I going to have to order this offline? Because I cant find 125W Compact Fluros. I can find 150W but that is before it is converted to like 40W. And I dont want those right?

 

[eLLisD]

Oh I forgot to say I can get a 100W Fluro flood light? I dont know if this will do any good but it was there

 

[m420]

The one that i have is from a company called hydrofarm. Sunleaves are also good. Also, you want a full spectrum grow or horticulture light. I'm not sure if a flood light is the same.

 

[chronic-man007]

hi i am using a 30watt compact flourescent and a 40watt cfl do u guys think that thats enough light for one plant

 

[ViRedd]

Idealy, you should shoot for 50 watts per square feet of growing space. Even more if you can keep the cabinet cool with proper ventilation.

Vi

 

[billymac]

Im a first time grower here and I decided to turn my closet in one of my spare bedrooms into a grow room. Since its my first time I only want to try 1-5 plants. For space I have about 29 in. of horizontal space and 60 in. of verticle space. My ceiling in my closet is an at angle so 60 in. is about in the middle. Anyways I will get the paint to convert my walls and prolly some visqueen plastic. Now here is my question. Will I be able to adequetely grow in a closet that size? Would fluorescents work fine for my first grow? ANd for soil I already have miracle grow on hand, should I stick with this or go get some organic soil. A response ASAP would be greatly apprectiated! TY!

I have a 400W.HPS in a 2x3 closet about 5ft. high in the bedroom of a mobile home, and it's all I can do to keep the temps. normal range. I run the bedroom a/c 24/7 and have and exhaust fan on top plus a desk fan blowing in, cant close doors with lite on, too hot. So, a good cfl would maybe do you better in a smaller space. I use Scotts soil, same as Mir.Gro. and works real good, but cheaper.

 

[Karloff]

I just wanted to say theres an online store that I've seen alot of people use on here who grow with flourescents and they all say it works well and they can get the lights right on top of the plants one user named Dr. Chronic has put up a tutorial on Flourescent lights and another user Roseman swears by them and suggests using the lights sold at Stealth hydro just google them here's Rosemans post https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/7897-stealth-hydro-bubbleponics-systems.html
He's very passionate about them and defends them to the end I'm going to order a set myself.