New Ambitious Grower

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

I'm going to start my first grow in a box 3 feet tall an 2x2 in width with mylar walls, ventilation, and a 50 watt hps light just one plant to start in soil using air pots. I want high yields and really really HIGH highs I plan on topping and scroging my plant for higher yields.I've done a decent amount of research and have PLENTY more to do... but what I need help with especially from the pros is well... any advice at all but more importantly what strain to grow I plan on buying seeds from Nirvana or Attitude.

Let me say that I've been smoking heavily for a little under a year and I live on the east coast of the us... great weed is harder to come by for me... as of now I've been smoking bubble gum kush and blue dream. blue dream was better to me but I want to grow weed that takes me above and beyond Very above and beyond.

Based on what I've written here what do you guys think I should grow ?

EDIT: I'm also going to keep an extremely detailed journal of this grow and pics daily
EDIT: I'm now using 400watts worth of cfls.

 

[Vindicated]

three feet tall box and big yields.... hmm, idk, doesn't really go hand and hand, but I would say try some auto flowers or a short indica strain like White Rhino. Pretty dense buds and big yields for the size. I'm not a fan of the light setup. I think you could do better with CFLs and you wouldn't have to worry about heat issues. I also prefer white walls to shitty mylar. Mylar is slightly better if done right, but most people seem to be using emergency blankets which bounce the light all over the place. White flat walls will do better then a shotty mylar job and will be easier to sterilize when your ready for your next grow.

 

[max316420]

skunk #1............

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

three feet tall box and big yields.... hmm, idk, doesn't really go hand and hand, but I would say try some auto flowers or a short indica strain like White Rhino. Pretty dense buds and big yields for the size. I'm not a fan of the light setup. I think you could do better with CFLs and you wouldn't have to worry about heat issues. I also prefer white walls to shitty mylar. Mylar is slightly better if done right, but most people seem to be using emergency blankets which bounce the light all over the place. White flat walls will do better then a shotty mylar job and will be easier to sterilize when your ready for your next grow.

thanks vindicated i was going to use cfls but im trying to make the electricity bill as low as possible and i feel as if i would have to use like 4 or more cfls to get a decent grow and yes i have considered the heat advantage as well how many cfls and at what wattage would you suggest.

and this is the mylar i was thinking of:
http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Grow-room-Products-20/-Sheeting-331/Diamond-Grow-Reflective-Sheeting-855.asp

it would cover all of the surface area within the box... and yes good point with the sterilization

and so far i guess white rhino and skunk are at the top of the list

 

[Billy Piper]

I use just one cfl bulb to veg 4 plants.
Its a 250w with a reflector and it does the same job as my 400 hid.
In flower i dont rate cfl though and i use the 400 for that.

 

[Livetowin]

thanks vindicated i was going to use cfls but im trying to make the electricity bill as low as possible

I added 1700watts to my house and started turning off my computers regularly etc and my bill only went up a couple dollars. I don't cfl growers need to worry about using LESS bulbs.....you are not going to be very happy with yield and quality.

Make sure to sue reflectors on the bulbs that are above the plants adnd hang some for side lighting without reflectors.

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

I use just one cfl bulb to veg 4 plants.
Its a 250w with a reflector and it does the same job as my 400 hid.
In flower i dont rate cfl though and i use the 400 for that.

I added 1700watts to my house and started turning off my computers regularly etc and my bill only went up a couple dollars. I don't cfl growers need to worry about using LESS bulbs.....you are not going to be very happy with yield and quality.

Make sure to sue reflectors on the bulbs that are above the plants adnd hang some for side lighting without reflectors.

Thanks guys, and yes Billy I've seen a trend where people tend to use cfls for the germination and vegetation periods then switching to a warmer light(more orange) spectrum for flowering. Which makes sense to me.

Livetowin thanks for that wattage bit I'll take that into consideration and yes I should be more concerned with MORE bulbs with a cfl grow... to be honest I'm still up in the air as to my lights for one plant I'm starting to think 4-6 40ish watt clfs and 1 or 2 higher watt cfls with extenders for optimal positioning as well as less heat than the HPS for less watering and easier plant maintenance. Btw your reflector and side bulb advice is something I have considered from reading other threads I will be doing that if I were to use cfls.

From what I understand fluorescent lights have a little bit of color from the majority of the light spectrum all though not as much in certain colours of the spectrum such as metal halide or hps. Also from what I understand they produce very little heat compared to HID's and can be placed closer to the plant for optimal lumen efficiency... and with proper ingenuity cfl bulbs can be placed all around the plant or wherever for desired results.

Although at the beginning of this thread I mentioned I would be using a 50 watt hps I am strongly considering a cfl grow.The 50 watt hps is actually my buddies idea who im growing with we're both growing the same strain in a grow box at our houses in our own way, then seeing which one is better. We plan to compare notes and methods after to improve our techniques until we can grow bigger. thanks for the help guys it would be greatly appreciated if more would give their advice or opinions on my setup and suggested strain.

 

[ROBSTERB]

if your building your own box i would allow 3 foot for the plant then atleast another foot for the bulb and shade, so a 4 foot box will be better. good luck

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

if your building your own box i would allow 3 foot for the plant then atleast another foot for the bulb and shade, so a 4 foot box will be better. good luck

Thank you I could easily produce a box that is 4 feet tall and will do so maybe even taller now that I think about it. It will be going in my closet so I can build it up to the ceiling if I want.

 

[ROBSTERB]

i grow white rhino in a space thats only 4 foot tall with a 600hps, so white rhino will do fine in your box, also its a good yeilder and a good heavy smoke

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

i grow white rhino in a space thats only 4 foot tall with a 600hps, so white rhino will do fine in your box, also its a good yeilder and a good heavy smoke

Well that's 2 for white rhino but I wont be using a 600W HPS though. Thanks Rob.

 

[TheCannabist]

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/12115-cfl-lumens-watt-chart-find.html

There's some info about cfl's, they probably will be better for you because you have so little space meaning heat would be a serious issue. You need to read up on how exactly you're gona set up your lighting. take into account the importants of lumens rather than watts and the colour spectrum. you can get plenty of cfl bulbs with a redder spectrum suitable for flowering, as well as blue spectrum for vegging. I would say use plenty of bulbs/watts seeing as cfls do not have a very good lumen to watt ratio compared HID lighting.

Also, for your set up autoflowers would definitely be better, but again you gotta do the reading. Have a look at lowryder seeds, it's really important that when selecting an autoflower strain you pick one that has the lowryder #1 or #2 genetics, or at least that's what I read. Furthermore autos have different preferences/priorities to ordinary cannabis plants, for example the size of the root base and pot is far more important for flowering than the light cycle. I imagine there are many more examples which I know nothing of so I advise you have a good search around the web.

Can't think of anything else to say, hope that was of some help!

Happy Growing,

The Cannabist

 

[TheCannabist]

Personally I like the sound of diesel ryder for a small space like that, could maybe even fit 2 in.

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/12115-cfl-lumens-watt-chart-find.html

There's some info about cfl's, they probably will be better for you because you have so little space meaning heat would be a serious issue. You need to read up on how exactly you're gona set up your lighting. take into account the importants of lumens rather than watts and the colour spectrum. you can get plenty of cfl bulbs with a redder spectrum suitable for flowering, as well as blue spectrum for vegging. I would say use plenty of bulbs/watts seeing as cfls do not have a very good lumen to watt ratio compared HID lighting.

Also, for your set up autoflowers would definitely be better, but again you gotta do the reading. Have a look at lowryder seeds, it's really important that when selecting an autoflower strain you pick one that has the lowryder #1 or #2 genetics, or at least that's what I read. Furthermore autos have different preferences/priorities to ordinary cannabis plants, for example the size of the root base and pot is far more important for flowering than the light cycle. I imagine there are many more examples which I know nothing of so I advise you have a good search around the web.

Can't think of anything else to say, hope that was of some help!

Happy Growing,

The Cannabist

Thank you Cannabist great info I have looked into lumens vs watts and such for different phases and will be looking into it more as well as using that thread much appreciated. As for autoflowers I have looked into them and I found many LowRyders I also saw a Northern Lights autoflower as well.

http://www.nirvanashop.com/us/autoflower-marijuana-strains-1/northern-light-feminized-autoflower-seeds.html
It has decent reviews.

 

[TheCannabist]

No worries, glad I could help! glad to see your taking the right things into consideration. When I was talking about Lowryder Seeds, that is the name of a seed Co. also known as Joint Doctor. I read a review saying that it's a very good place to get auto seeds from, but I am sure there are plenty of other good options.

http://www.pickandmixseeds.co.uk/collections/lowryder-cannabis-seeds

Take It Easy,

TC

 

[Vindicated]

I had a White Rhino strain growing under a 125 watt CFL for a few months. She grew to a little over three feet and was as hardy as they come. As long as you keep your plant under four feet during flower, you can get away with a single 125 watt CFL. If you plan on growing a few plants, get a second bulb, it's only $50 more dollars. The mogul adapter is under $20. A hood is the most expensive part, but because your growing in a small 3x3 box, it's not really critical to have one.

 

[Billy Piper]

Hey Purp.
The cfl i use for vegging is the blue spectrum.
Out of pure curiosity i have just removed the hid from my grow tent and replaced it with a 250w red spectrum cfl.
This is the first time i have ever flowered with cfl so watch this space!
My temps are always better with cfl and i always keep the lamp a cpl inches from the canopy.

 

[ROBSTERB]

Hey Purp.
The cfl i use for vegging is the blue spectrum.
Out of pure curiosity i have just removed the hid from my grow tent and replaced it with a 250w red spectrum cfl.
This is the first time i have ever flowered with cfl so watch this space!
My temps are always better with cfl and i always keep the lamp a cpl inches from the canopy.

well done billy, youve got more balls than me to swap you hid like that for cfl, what size hps was it? 250 hps for a 250 cfl? let me know how it turns out. thanks

 

[Mr.PurpSkurp]

Thanks all I've decided on 6 40w 6500k cfls for veg and swapping to 6 40w 2700k cfls for flowering im also putting in a co2 bag.

 

[TheCannabist]

I'm interested to see how this grow turns out and I think that CO2 bag was a good decision, especially in a grow space like yours. Come to any decisions about strain(s) yet?

TC