Doing my studying before starting

[xaos]

I'm a total newbie, but i want to do my research before starting to grow. I've got a small space, 30"W x 48"H x 40"D. I believe I'm going to try and utilize ScrOG, CFL's, and maybe some minor hydro system(I've not yet decided on the growing medium, maybe you can help me with that). With the dimensions available to me, being more deep than wide, do you think there's enough space to have the flowering and veg chambers side-by-side, or do you think I'd need to have them front-and-back? I'm not looking for huge yields here, if I managed to average a few grams a week, I'd be more than content.

Thanks!

 

[Dirtyboy]

Start with soil its easier and cheaper.

 

[1888cb]

Yeah ....just get some pots and soil for now - you should be good for that amount of space.

 

[babyboi420]

i hate rock i love my soil easy and better i think

 

[Dr.GreenNutz]

If you want to go hydro you should try out coconut fibers. They can hold like up to 8 times thier wieght in water and still keep like 22% oxygen. Peolple are saying this shit is the bomb. Plus you can re-use it for like a year or some shit.

 

[Johnnyorganic]

First, I wish to applaud you for being willing to do your homework. The internet is full of grow guides. Many RIU members knock the GROW FAQ, but I found it to be quite comprehensive. There are a couple of well known grow books completely on line. If you have the money to invest, you can't go wrong with a book like Buds for Less, written by one of our esteemed moderators. It's an excellent resource for a new grower.

https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/40884-buds-less-cfl-book.html

I can't help you with hydro. Soil is too easy for me to even consider anything else. There are so many variables you do not need to fuck with just by using soil. I will go along with Dirtyboy, 1888cb, and babyboi420, and encourage you to use soil.

Good luck and good growing.

 

[Twistyman]

As Johnny said (Hi guy)... good you're asking..I'd start with soil..grow a plant or two to see if you CAN, very basic set up,if it goes well then tweak up your operation...... Luck..

+rep for asking.

 

[kiddcuruption]

yea start with soil and a simple set up that way you can improve it as you learn and as it grows. most likely youll find youself looking into improving you equipment and grow all the time its easy to find great enjoyment in growing cannabis
good luck

 

[Weed Demon]

If you do use soil get a good recipe for the mixture. I f'd up and used too much peat moss and now every 3 - 4 days the pots are so dry that the soil pulls away from the sides and when I water it runs right out.

Takes me forever to water 13 plants cause I gotta fuck with the dirt.

I have only grown in dirt. I am on my third round and am now starting some White Widow and Chrystal. You can bet they are goin in the dirt!

 

[xaos]

Thanks for the replies so far... I think dirt may just be the way to start out after this advice...

I was wondering- Are there cheap thermometers out there that will log(to a pc preferrably) temperatures? Is there a similar product for measuring soil saturation? I'm probably going well in over my head here with those two, but if there's a cheap option, I might just pick them up.


Also, once again, what do you folks think of my concerns about space with the area available to me? Is it too much to ask to have two chambers side by side within a 30-inch width(including the partition and mylar/etc?)

Thanks again!

Edit- I'll probably have to include runners within that width too, to allow myself better access to the deeper portions of the chambers. I haven't even started, and it just feels so cramped!

 

[kiddcuruption]

if you can make sure theres no light leaks and good vent. you can do it nice just depends what you put into it. the same for the plant to the more you give to it the more you get back, like lighting, airflow,co2, etc! but you can keep it simple too! i got a simple set up diy most of it im sure youll get it going good!
+rep 4 u kind sir

 

[xaos]

if you can make sure theres no light leaks and good vent. you can do it nice just depends what you put into it. the same for the plant to the more you give to it the more you get back, like lighting, airflow,co2, etc! but you can keep it simple too! i got a simple set up diy most of it im sure youll get it going good!
+rep 4 u kind sir

Ah, I almost forgot about the ventilation issue- If I vent to the outside, which i think is the only way to do it with my situation, I'm probably looking at 30 feet or more of ductwork. Is that at all doable?

 

[Weed Demon]

Thanks for the replies so far... I think dirt may just be the way to start out after this advice...

.....

Also, once again, what do you folks think of my concerns about space with the area available to me? Is it too much to ask to have two chambers side by side within a 30-inch width(including the partition and mylar/etc?)

Thanks again!

Edit- I'll probably have to include runners within that width too, to allow myself better access to the deeper portions of the chambers. I haven't even started, and it just feels so cramped!

Space is a major concern for you with those dimensions. Trying to get two 12" wide x40" deep chambers working well will take some serious planning. have you given any thought to possibly going with an auto flowering strain?

You could keep the light at the same 20/4 interval and run a humidity dome for seedlings right next to your flowering plants.

 

[xaos]

have you given any thought to possibly going with an auto flowering strain?

Honestly, never even heard of them before ... I think I might be able to fit it all in there though. Call it 15" for the flowering chamber, and 14" for the mom chamber.

-------------

I've been working on an extremely thorough shopping list- It's still incomplete but I'd like to share it, in the hopes that some of you will notice some blatant omissions from the [close to] finished sections in the list:

---------------------------------
--electrical---------------------
---------------------------------
***FUSE BOX***
8' heavy gauge extension cord
lower gauge electrical wire
3 colored wire spools for fans
2 plug parts
1 timer
6 outlet parts(timer lights, nontimer lights, thermo, spares)
switches(fans, nontimer lights, timer lights)
electrical panel case
wire nuts, tape, etc


---------------------------------
--lighting-----------------------
---------------------------------
10 sockets
10 veg bulbs- 6500k or 5000k
6 flower bulbs- 2700k or 3000k
8 small pulleys
strong string- at least 100 feet
50ft x 50in 2mil mylar sheeting


---------------------------------
--planting-----------------------
---------------------------------
3 pots (one mom, two for flowering)
dirt (what kind?)
nutes (again, what kind?)
pH balancers? (havent done the reading this far yet as well)


---------------------------------
--airflow/air quality------------
---------------------------------
2 7cm 3-pin PC fans
2 rpm adjustors for fans
many feet of ducting
odor eliminators(no research yet on this one either)
intake baffle(will i need this? will odor escape even with some kind of odor elimination?)

---------------------------------
--structure----------------------
---------------------------------
various pieces of half-inch plywood-
-chamber wall
-cfl racks in both chambers
-"roof" to chambers, for partition to electrical area
-angled pieces in chambers to create "V" shape at pot's edges for maximum reflectivity onto bottom leaves
4 runners(computer desk keyboard runners come to mind)for access to rear portions of the grow)
---------------------------------
--miscellaneous------------------
---------------------------------
???

I'm fairly certain that I'll need some kind of fuse panel inside the electrical nonsense- it just frightens me to be doing so much electrical work and not have one... with this small a setup, do you think it'll be necessary?

Regarding the mylar- I intend on covering everything in the stuff... Will this be creating hotspots in, say, the corners of the chambers? Is it enough of a temperature change to worry about?

Lastly, I could use some good suggestions in the planting category... I've yet to research any of the specifics on soils, nutrients, pH, and the rest of it.

Thanks again!



edit: I'm going to update the first post, so I attract a few more people into the discussion
another edit: Apparently that's not possible... Why's that? :/

 

[xaos]

It's been a while, I've been a busy bee both with work and at home. I've managed to get some work done with the actual construction. Note: I'm not close to done yet, but felt I'd share some pics of what I've got so far.

First two pictures are of the incomplete light rack- Still missing seven bulbs, but it's fun so far... only having a Dremel tool available to cut those holes for each light was a real time consuming bitch. If all goes well and I feel (a) that I can afford the extra electric, and (b) that the plants need far more light, I'll be putting double the lights in there, inbetween those that already have holes.

The last picture is of my bootleg power center. Eventually that will reside atop the chamber that will hold vegging moms, and include a few more gizmos and gadgets, such as temperature monitoring, two fan controls(speed regulation and switches), and probably a few other things I'm forgetting right now.

It's been real fun so far, I wish I was closer to being ready to produce than I am I'd rather get it done right, than get it done shitty, and realise everything sucks halfway through a grow.

I leave you all with a question: What soils and or nutrients do you folks have the best luck with? I'd love to hear yer opinions, and why you think they work best.

 

[Dr.GreenNutz]

Fox farm soil and nutes work wonders

 

[xaos]

Fox farm soil and nutes work wonders

Thanks... Do you have any reccomendations on which fox farm products to use? There seems to be quite a lot of them there.


Another question- I was looking into ventilation and filtration, and was wondering what types of activated carbon to use? Granulated? Also, I've seem some fairly cheap deals on granulated carbon at the pet store... Even though they are for fishtank-use, is it possible to use them in a dry environment? Will I have to construct a filter for them, or are there cheap ones available to buy somewhere?

Thanks again!

 

[Dr.GreenNutz]

Right now Im using foxfarm grow big, big bloom, and tiger bloom. And they're already lookin waaaay nice

 

[xaos]

Right now Im using foxfarm grow big, big bloom, and tiger bloom.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

I've got other questions...

What kind of soil should I use?

Do I need a pH tester, and if so, what kind would you folks suggest? What kind of pH balancers should i get?

I'm a bit concerned with my plant pots too... I was thinking of getting 3x 6" diameter(or square?) for early vegging, and then 5x 12" diameter(again, would I be better off with square?) for late vegging, flowering, and the two mothers I'll end up having. Has anyone had any poor results with any specific planting pots? What should I look for when I purchase some?

Ugh, so many questions :/ Should I keep the mothers in smaller pots to make sure they don't overgrow? Or what can I do to ensure they're not going to go crazy in the limited space I have available? As a reminder, I'm probably going to have roughly an 18"w x 40"d x 3.5'h grow chamber, with a 12"w x 40"d x 3.5'h mother chamber.

 

[xaos]

Bleh, why doesn't editing a post always work?

Either way, I could also use some help as far as a suggestion on what kind of carbon filter to use... I think I've decided to just buy one online. Any suggestions what brands/websites I should purchase from? I'll have my own fans and cfm regulators.

Thanks again!