Magical mini-pyramid grow (lot's of pics)

[magicflame]

I've been fooling around all Sunday evening, trying to find a way to construct a hoist for the base of the plants. Since the lights are in a fixed position, it is the plants that will be moving up and down as the situation requires. It would also be handy to be able to lower all the plants when tending to them and then be easily able to raise them up to directly beneath the glass that isolates them from the heat of the lamps. My plan was to hook the platform up to pulleys at each corner, but the combination of the combined weight of the plants made this plan entirely unfeasible and it has been scrapped. I am now thinking of something along the lines of an electrical actuator that operates a small scissor-jack. This would however be departure from my initial idea of building a grow room totally from junk and leftover hardware I find around my workshop. If anyone can steer me in the direction of a workable method, I would be much obliged. It would need to provide great latitude in movement; from the very floor of the grow room to just beneath the glass; probably around three feet in total.

 

[NeoAnarchist]

dude, you should totally make the pully system, my gf's buddy did that, it was just a box in his room, he pulled a sting and the top came up and the plants came out from the bottom to the top. i bet it would be easier to care for them then having to bend over like that all the time just to get the plants out.

 

[tom__420]

You know that your plants will need total darkness once flowering comes, correct? You are going to have to get something to cover that window up

 

[magicflame]

I tried it this evening and had no success. The setup worked fine with just the platform alone, but with all the plants on, it was simply too difficult to raise. I could certainly improve the pulling power by setting up a block-and-tackle type of arrangement, but the mere fact that it is so heavy to move makes me uneasy as to the stability of the setup. I would hate to arrive one morning to a jumble of plants lying on the floor of my grow box, because of a pulley having been pulled from the wall!

 

[tahoe58]

picking up where ya left off ... good on ya .... my chair came with the move !! Thanks man!! Walking On@!~~~

 

[magicflame]

picking up where ya left off ... good on ya .... my chair came with the move !! Thanks man!! Walking On@!~~~

Oh hi Tahoe, nice too see ya buddy. How's your girl doing?

 

[tahoe58]

hey there ...she be growing up ....and growing up good. Of course it is never quick enuf .... but what the hay .... I am grateful for what she is giving me so far ..... thanks for asking!

Oh hi Tahoe, nice too see ya buddy. How's your girl doing?

 

[magicflame]

You know that your plants will need total darkness once flowering comes, correct? You are going to have to get something to cover that window up

It does have a blackout cover that goes on at night to prevent the neighbors from wondering if a UFO landed in my workshop! This cover will of course also be used when flowering. You seem to be very concerned with that rear window on my box; don't be, the plants love the extra light, even if it's only for half the day.

 

[magicflame]

hey there ...she be growing up ....and growing up good. Of course it is never quick enuf .... but what the hay .... I am grateful for what she is giving me so far ..... thanks for asking!

Yeah, I love how she has the shape of a classic chandelier. Classy!

 

[tahoe58]

hey thanks ... I've seen some other folk with similar structure ..... and I've read about the potential limitations as well as the benefits .... I thought I would give it a shot this time ..... as with most growers, we each have our individual constraints and desires ..... I like the idea of a single big honking cola and the other smaller ones as a radius out ..... there are soo many different ways this plant will grow and produce ..... its really quite astonishing ..... looking forward to watching your girls grow and swell ....

Yeah, I love how she has the shape of a classic chandelier. Classy!

 

[magicflame]

hey thanks ... I've seen some other folk with similar structure ..... and I've read about the potential limitations as well as the benefits .... I thought I would give it a shot this time ..... as with most growers, we each have our individual constraints and desires ..... I like the idea of a single big honking cola and the other smaller ones as a radius out ..... there are soo many different ways this plant will grow and produce ..... its really quite astonishing ..... looking forward to watching your girls grow and swell ....

As am I, believe me. I have never even so much as seen a non wild-growing cannabis plant before, so you can imagine the suspense as I see every stage unfolding! I have one more day on a rather pressing contract, so I'll soon have the time to finish up some needed mods to the grow-box. I also want to make a decision as to which plants are my 9 best prospects to go into bigger pots and get ready for some serious vegging action. I haven't the foggiest idea what to do with the remaining 11 smaller plants. I'm considering either building a rooftop sun-powered box for them (I have a flat roof on the workshop), or alternatively build a separate CFL-box. The latter would be more drama, but gives me more time to bulk them up before they go outdoors into the garden for blooming. Not to mention the other 10 seedlings in the nursery (all growing way too tall for the nursery) I hate to throw anything away, much less these precious little plants. I promise the next grow will be neater, but I enjoyed seeing these little things sprout way too much to let up!

 

[tahoe58]

hey man. yea space and other considerations. and even when you go outdoors, other challenges, animals, and other pests etc. But I suppose all manageable to one degree or another. I find my solution through adjusting my expectations. It's so easy to get the plants going them growing out becomes more of a challenge, kinds like kids I guess. Or maybe just different challenges. Hope all finished up well for you with your contract and then you can focus on the important stuff .... hahahaha! Walking On!~

 

[magicflame]

I found some time to make some much needed adjustments to my grow box over the weekend. Let's hope my plants love me for these.


Some of you who have been following my thread will remember my attempts to find some method of raising and lowering the plant-base easily to facilitate easier access to them when watering etc. I have now given up on the idea and instead have now hinged the entire light-canopy. Now I can tend to the plants and clean the glass-shield all in one go! Also I'm sure you will agree that it is a much better way to see my little plants.

I had to McGyver a way to easily remove the top cover with the extractor fan for the heat from the lights. Now I simply lift it and the contact is broken; stopping the fan. This way I don't have to disconnect and reconnect the wires when I want to lift the lid.

Added the promised fans to stir the leaves a bit.

Also added bigger fans to the grow area and intake-holes in the floor.

Here are the plants I topped last week. They seem to be reacting by growing much more in the lower nodes. The early fem is now also starting to grow three pronged leaves again, so hopefully she is reverting back to veg OK.

New temporary home for the remaining small plants on the roof of my workshop. Hope they survive the night-time cold.

 

[NeoAnarchist]

plants are lookin a little stressed, what kinda nutes are u feeding them?

 

[magicflame]

Only fish-emulsion, but not very often. I suspect it is a combination of the extreme cold we've been experiencing as well as poor circulation; a situation that has now been rectified. If the cold continues, I might remove the glass-shield to allow some more of the heat from the lamps to reach the grow-box, but that's a last resort. Fortunately our Winters are short and seldom as cold as this last month has been.

 

[NeoAnarchist]

why dont u vent the heat into the box with a venting tube? then vent the air inside out of the box. that would help a little, then when u dont need it, u can simply take it off and plug the hole back. just an idea tho

 

[magicflame]

why dont u vent the heat into the box with a venting tube? then vent the air inside out of the box. that would help a little, then when u dont need it, u can simply take it off and plug the hole back. just an idea tho

I like your thinking. Using the very heat that might be the enemy in summer as my ally in Winter is inspired and it will only need one tiny fan to move the air. I'm thinking some 50mm pvc plumbing pipe and a large valve I happen to have lying around. Then it's a simple matter of opening the valve and starting the fan when heat is needed. For all of that, it seems our cold snap is over and even the little seedlings on the roof are no worse for wear after their first night outdoors!

 

[tahoe58]

great work .... more of the best in DIY .... they are hearty lil'buggers aren't they !!

 

[magicflame]

great work .... more of the best in DIY .... they are hearty lil'buggers aren't they !!

Thanks Tahoe. When are you harvesting btw? Must be getting close enough to taste now.

 

[robert 14617]

im on board, i want to see the cabinet and grow when its 100%. looking good so far+++