What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Hey Gents & Ladies!!

Just trying to get some great advice, so this is a good way to get people talking and maybe discover more information or an epic growbox build, so...:

What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Rules:

- These would be clones I'd buy from the dispensary (Maybe 2 - 4 clones max. Probably 2.. This is just for me and I'm a light smoker.

- Stealth is not a concern.

- The smell isn't really a concern, but if it could be masked, that'd be nice!

- I have access to online purchases, or local purchases from home depot, garden centers, headshops etc.


Thanks beforehand, for any information or advice!! Cheers!

Coming from someone who grows cheap and isn't a huge smoker I'm hoping I can help you.
First, find a nice spot for your grow. This could be a closet, unused cabinet, or even an empty garbage can, be creative. You could always look into the whole tent thing as well or put your carpentry skills to the test but your best bet is to find something that you have on hand that's free so you can spend your money on souping this grow box up. I picked a cabinet which is working just fine, space is tight and wish I had something bigger but it is what it is.
Next big thing would be lighting. I personally use CFLs, they arent the best but they get the job done for me. CFLs result in fluffier bud which may not be an issue for you since youre a light smoker like me. If you could find an LED or HID for around $100 that may be more worth it for you, you will get better results with either of those. Feel free to spend most of your money on a good lighting set up, its worth it.
Once you make that big decision, the next biggest one is growing medium. Soil is going to be the cheapest route if you get something of decent quality that way you won't need to spend so much on tons of nutrients. Just two, one for veg and one for flower. $20 will get you plenty of quality soil, I'm enjoying fox farms. Throw in another $20 for some nutrients.
Now comes all the accessories like fans, reflective materials, thermometers, among other things I can't think of right now. Size and number of the fans will vary depending on your grow box. Having one extracting and another blowing on the plants seems to be enough. At the most it'll be around $30 for fans. For reflective material, I personally like how an all white grow box looks but for better reflectiveness some emergency blankets for like $3 will suffice. This time around I just used white foam board for everything but if it wouldnt have raised any suspicions I would have actually just spray painted the walls of the cab. $10 for reflectivity. Just bought a thermometer that reads humidity as well and records the daily high/lows for $8, totally worth it. Then of course there's other little things like pots and a screen, if scrogging.
For smell I found this product called Bad Air Sponge, its sold in Bed bath and Beyond. It works pretty well, doesnt clear up the smell 100% but enough to not compromise the grow. I think its about $10 for a block of it.
All in all I've spent probably just over $100 by just sticking to the bare essentials and being able to just use stuff that I have on hand.
That's pretty much a summary, I'm sure I've missed some stuff, of how I have everything set up but its fine for someone who doesn't need ounces upon ounces of weed constantly. That's how I have set up a cheap grow and that's how I would do it again except maybe with a lighting upgrade.

4x4 tent 100$
diy ebb&flow table 100$
8x t5 100$

I started out with a homemade cabinet. It worked but was a pain in the ass. Should have just started with the Secret Jardin tents I have now.
Those tents are great. I ended up buying two over the years. I have a 4X4 and a 3X3. I use the 3X3 mostly as my BlackStar Chrome 270 lights it up pretty nice without any supplemental lighting.

I grow only from seed and usually auto's. 5-8 weeks in on one grow I'll germinated another seed. The LED works pretty damn good for one plant but trying to squeeze two full flowering plants under it equals two kinda shitty plants so I stagger them into a perpetual grow. Auto's mean I can just run one light schedule all the time.

The outer edges of the tent receive enough light for the a seedling and early veg. Once I chop the mature plant I slide the younger one directly under the light and the cycle continues. I got 92 grams trimmed and dried off the last run. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

In my tent I only have the light, a small fan, and a timer. I use 5 gallon smart pots and I germinate the seed in the soil in the 5 gallon smart pot. Other than nutes and a PH meter that's about all I need to grow great smoke.

If I were going to buy a LED now I'd look at Area 51 and probably the XGS-190. My BlackStar is a few years old now but still works great. When it's time to upgrade I'll probably go with an Area 51.

Build your own tent. Mine is PVC and reflectix from homedepot. Get a good exhaust fan and filter combo. Get a oscillating fan for inside the tent.

I do all of my veg under a hood using normal cree LED from home depot and some cfl for heat. i break the globe off the leds. Have never tried for flower but I think they would work better than cfl. I use a a51 for flower but that would blow your budget.

Get a good ph meter!

If I had 2-300 hundred to spend on a grow, I would save another 2-300 bucks first.
A good, solid grow costs right around 500 bucks for everything you need.
Go with a tent that you can get for around 150 bucks from Amazon for starters.

Wow, overwhelmed by the amount of responses. Thanks so much for the information. I'm gonna have to hold on to some extra cash and try not to let it burn a whole in my pocket. I figure if I bump up the price, I can get a nice tent, some better lighting (I'm still not sure on CFL vs LED vs HID... I'm not concerned about superbuds.. to be honest, I'm after flavor). Might look into a hydro setup. Perhaps Thanks a ton for the great reads. Cheers

I can build a pretty sweet aero setup for $50. that leaves $250 for a fan and lights so you can go big and get an HID … no tent though, you will need a closet or even just a corner of a room and a bit of diy.

Also that's a wicked cool avatar.

Chainfire said:

Hey Gents & Ladies!!

Just trying to get some great advice, so this is a good way to get people talking and maybe discover more information or an epic growbox build, so...:

What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Rules:

- These would be clones I'd buy from the dispensary (Maybe 2 - 4 clones max. Probably 2.. This is just for me and I'm a light smoker.

- Stealth is not a concern.

- The smell isn't really a concern, but if it could be masked, that'd be nice!

- I have access to online purchases, or local purchases from home depot, garden centers, headshops etc.


Thanks beforehand, for any information or advice!! Cheers!

Click to expand...

Well, with $130, I built a 8' x 8' x 8' grow room inside my 10' x 10' shack. It consists of 4'x8' Plywood Sheets (x10), 2"x4"x8' lumbers (x15), screws, door hinges, and a handful of joist angels and brackets. If you substitute the 2x4's with 2x3 or even 2x1 1/2, you'll save a buck each.

Here's is a where I draw in fresh air. It's just a cheap-o air filter for car, that I siliconed onto the wall.


In the winter, I leave it as is. During the summer, I place a diy dripping bottle of water on top of the filter to wet keep filter constantly wet, and when air gets pulled through, it cools the room. Works quite well. Here's how it looks from the other side.


By the door, I have another hole to bring in fresh air. It is yet again, another cheap-o air filter for car.


Here's how it looks on the other side.


The purpose for it was to connect the duct directly to the lamps during summer, in order to cool it down. Or during winter when it's not so hot, dragged and dropped to the opposite end of the room to increase a more even flow of fresh air.


Currently it's winter and less likely for the room to heat up to high 80's/90's so I disconnect the ducting from the hood.


As the inline fan (left, behind that blob of mylar) pulls air out, it gets sent to a T duct. Half of the air vents out and the other half return via the vent boot.


Here's the other side of the vent.


I close it during summer but leave it open during late fall all the way through early spring (when the weather is really cold) in an effort to maintain heat/temperature (less work for the heater & slightly lower bill). Some may disagree that "you can't and shouldn't recirculate air that's been exhausted from the room". I really don't care. It works for me. Besides, I'm already getting plenty of fresh air coming in. I consider this a self heating/some what a self cooling room and so far that's been the case. Anyway, the point of this is, to give you some sort of ideas about the grow room or "box" that you want to build.

And now a random picture.


I'm not growing all those in my space, especially not under a single 1K light. No way in hell. Hahaha. The two (left & right) in the 15 gallon are GDP x Purple Urkle. Training and prepping it for the scrog net. The one in the back 7 gallon Pineapple Express X Double Purple Doja is going to be given to my brother to be used as a mother. The 7 gallon in the front Purple Gorilla x (GDP x Purple Urkle), not sure what to do with it yet. The three in the 1 gallon (hidden between the 7 & 15 gal) Purple Mayhem, will be given to friends for breeding. The six 1 gallon in front, White Russian and Lemon OG Kush, Starting it for a friend. He can't grow for shit. I should just keep it. Hahaha. Well, good luck with your grow box.

I built my 4x6x7 tent with 3/4" pvc and $0.50 fittings from Home Depot with a $35 roll of Panda Plastic.

I spent maybe $75-$85 on the whole set-up. It really depends on how fancy you want to go.

I have lots of space, light-proof, and a plastic bottom to catch any run-off, etc I experience. It works perfectly for what I need, but others may want something fancier or pre-built.

A tent is a very personal decision/purchase.

Chainfire said:

Hey Gents & Ladies!!

Just trying to get some great advice, so this is a good way to get people talking and maybe discover more information or an epic growbox build, so...:

What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Rules:

- These would be clones I'd buy from the dispensary (Maybe 2 - 4 clones max. Probably 2.. This is just for me and I'm a light smoker.

- Stealth is not a concern.

- The smell isn't really a concern, but if it could be masked, that'd be nice!

- I have access to online purchases, or local purchases from home depot, garden centers, headshops etc.


Thanks beforehand, for any information or advice!! Cheers!

Click to expand...

Not sure if it's "great advice", but my advice is to be careful of clones unless it's from a reputable source or grower. Don't automatically trust dispensary just because they are in the cannabis business. Sometimes they lie and will say whatever to get your money. At least some of these disp here in California do. The last thing you want is to walk into a room full of spidermites and/or other bugs/disease problem.

I'd invest the money into a penny stock and hope it comes out good. My setup for my first grow is at around $4,500.

Chainfire said:

Hey Gents & Ladies!!

Just trying to get some great advice, so this is a good way to get people talking and maybe discover more information or an epic growbox build, so...:

What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Rules:

- These would be clones I'd buy from the dispensary (Maybe 2 - 4 clones max. Probably 2.. This is just for me and I'm a light smoker.

- Stealth is not a concern.

- The smell isn't really a concern, but if it could be masked, that'd be nice!

- I have access to online purchases, or local purchases from home depot, garden centers, headshops etc.


Thanks beforehand, for any information or advice!! Cheers!

Click to expand...

get some fucking damn powerfull lights ....then build around them.

i wish i did ..lol.

Dr New New said:

I'd invest the money into a penny stock and hope it comes out good. My setup for my first grow is at around $4,500.

Click to expand...

Wait what? Seriously? That's quite the investment for a first anything, that would be like someone asking "What's a good computer for someone who's never had one before, and is on a budget?" and you responding "If you don't have $2500 for an iMac with a 5K Retina display you might as well pack up and go home" when the reality is that for MOST people a $350 HP will do everything they need it to do and more. My first grow cost me about $150-$200, and I'm glad I didn't spend more than that because knowing how little I knew I never woulda been able to use it to its full potential and I woulda been in debt and discouraged and never woulda have kept at it. I think $300 is completely reasonable for a first time DIY grow box.

Dr New New said:

I'd invest the money into a penny stock and hope it comes out good. My setup for my first grow is at around $4,500.

Click to expand...

Wow Mr. Doc. As Mr. Ace said, $4500 is a lot for a first time anything. Lucky I'm DIY'er and a patient cheap bastard, and will always seek out used item of a good product, for rock bottom dollars.

4 bamboo sticks some bubble wrap and roll off the old duck tape.....good to go.

Yup buy a big light and do what you can till your first c rop gets in just make sure what ever you get you can keep cool enough

also give the "doctor" a break

4500 to a doc is chump change lol and she picked up all her grow equipment in her leme guess snoody hybrid ill go lexus or acura lol

Chainfire said:

Hey Gents & Ladies!!

Just trying to get some great advice, so this is a good way to get people talking and maybe discover more information or an epic growbox build, so...:

What would YOU do if you had $200-300 to build a GrowBox?

Rules:

- These would be clones I'd buy from the dispensary (Maybe 2 - 4 clones max. Probably 2.. This is just for me and I'm a light smoker.

- Stealth is not a concern.

- The smell isn't really a concern, but if it could be masked, that'd be nice!

- I have access to online purchases, or local purchases from home depot, garden centers, headshops etc.


Thanks beforehand, for any information or advice!! Cheers!

Click to expand...

Buy a tent lol

Lol he said stealth is NOT a concern

ie buy a light a tent can literally be made for free lol

Good genetics help too