4north9
Active Member
Hi everyone,
I have learned so much from lurking on this site in the last few months, so thanks to everyone who posts what they know.
This is my first attempt at growing, and I'm looking for any feedback/critique/advice on my grow room set up and answers to some questions. I appreciate your assistance!
The Room
The grow room itself is a small self-contained room in my basement measuring 3' wide by 6' deep. The back 3', however, are unusable as there is a sump pump mounted in the floor with a flush pipe rising up 15” and then branching out and up a wall. The room is located underneath the stairs to my front door, so the back 3' also slopes down at a 45 degree angle to meet the back wall. It has concrete block foundation walls on three sides, and a thick steel door makes up the 4th wall. The ceiling is poured concrete and I have about 7' of headroom before the ceiling starts to slope.
This room is ideal as this is a stealth set up. No significant modifications had to be made to my basement which is good as I'm hiding the room from a roommate and other people who have been in my house many times and would otherwise ask about renovations. No light penetrates the door frame. It is, however, and unfortunate and awkward shape and size.
The Set Up
I started off by painting the concrete walls and ceiling with Armor Coat masonry paint. This paint is flat white and allegedly controls dust and moisture and is mildew resistant (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/PaintStains/SpecialtyPaints/PRD~0489715P/Armor%252BCoat%252BAcrylic%252BLatex%252BMasonry%252BPaint.jsp?locale=en). I changed the door knob on the room to one that locks with a key. The knob looks just like the one I removed.
I then boxed in the sump pump to create a clean workspace and counter top using white melamine. I installed a shelf above the sump box for supplies. The top of the sump box (under the shelf) may become a future veg/clone box. The front panel of the box is removable with 4 screws if I need to access the pump for any reason.
I tapped into the duct work for my house and brought in a 4” fresh air line into the room (top right of room) and connected the duct to a diffuser. I rented a hammer drill and 4” masonry core bit to get through the concrete block walls with a clean cut. This provides a constant feed of air into the room (that is currently being air conditioned by my central HVAC system).
I then drilled an exhaust hole to vent this room to the exterior of my house (top left of room). On the outside, the hole is in an inconspicuous place and connects to a back-draft preventing exhaust cap (http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=902889&Ntt=902889&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber).
Connected to the exhaust duct is a 100 CFM bathroom exhaust fan (http://www.airkinglimited.com/specsheets/BFQ110Spec.pdf). All the new duct work was insulated with expanding foam. The exhaust fan was mounted with a carpet backing to the block walls to prevent vibration. At this time, there is no odor control in the room. I will evaluate later on when things get more fragrant. I did, however, add a furnace filter air freshener that makes the whole house smell nice.
Lighting is, at the moment, a fluorescent fixture with two 40w tubes (GE Ecolux Plant and Aquarium). I also have a CFL with a 20w grow bulb in it (Ottlite Natural Supplement Plant Bulb). The 4' tubes are temporary until my 400w MH/HPS is delivered. After that, it's moving back to being a utility light. The CFL may be joined by others for the small veg/clone box at a later date. The 4' tubes are sitting on ceiling hooks and chains. The new MH/HPS will have yoyos.
I have an oscillating tower fan blowing on the seedlings on the “breeze” setting. The lights are on an 18/6 timer along with the exhaust fan. I am planning on getting another timer for the exhaust to turn it on and off in 30 minuter intervals.
The room shares its electrical circuit with three basement incandescent lights. The sump pump is also on this circuit.
The Crop
The seedlings are Kali Mist. My soil mix is 5 parts good quality organic potting soil, 5 parts perlite, 2 parts organic farmyard compost (1-2-1). The babies were paper towel germinated and sprouted on May 21 and 23. They are about 2" tall.
The seedlings are currently on a small rolling cart that will be removed once they are transplanted into 3gal pots and the new lights are installed and can be lowered to the floor. Sitting with the seedling pots is the probe to the min-max thermometer/hygrometer.
The Cost
Supplies and the drill rental to build my room cost $345, new equipment cost $400 and grow supplies and seeds cost $200. All in, I spent $1000 for the full first grow set up.
The Questions
Once my 400w MH/HPS light arrives, am I at risk of overloading my circuit if the sump pump turns on? I have no idea what load the pump might put on the circuit (and I don't know any of the details about the pump – it is not readily accessible without a huge production). Other items on this circuit include the fans = 125w, all the basement lights = 180w, and landscape lighting (same circuit) = 315w. I could run an extension cord from outside the grow room through the fresh air duct to bring another circuit into the room for the ballast of the new light, but I'd prefer to keep the room self-contained if possible.
I don't ever plan on having a huge number of plants in this room (floor space once the rolling shelf comes out is limited to 9 square feet), so I'm not sure if I will need to worry about odor control. I currently have two seedlings, if both these make it to harvest will they create enough stink where my exhaust fan vents that anyone would notice?
After paper towel germinating my seedlings and plating in 6' pots, the sprouts emerged on May 21 and May 23. The soil was not enriched with fertilizer but does have compost in it. When should I begin to add nutrients? My nutrients are General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow and FloraNova Bloom.
When should I move the seedlings to the larger pots?
I have learned so much from lurking on this site in the last few months, so thanks to everyone who posts what they know.
This is my first attempt at growing, and I'm looking for any feedback/critique/advice on my grow room set up and answers to some questions. I appreciate your assistance!
The Room
The grow room itself is a small self-contained room in my basement measuring 3' wide by 6' deep. The back 3', however, are unusable as there is a sump pump mounted in the floor with a flush pipe rising up 15” and then branching out and up a wall. The room is located underneath the stairs to my front door, so the back 3' also slopes down at a 45 degree angle to meet the back wall. It has concrete block foundation walls on three sides, and a thick steel door makes up the 4th wall. The ceiling is poured concrete and I have about 7' of headroom before the ceiling starts to slope.
This room is ideal as this is a stealth set up. No significant modifications had to be made to my basement which is good as I'm hiding the room from a roommate and other people who have been in my house many times and would otherwise ask about renovations. No light penetrates the door frame. It is, however, and unfortunate and awkward shape and size.
The Set Up
I started off by painting the concrete walls and ceiling with Armor Coat masonry paint. This paint is flat white and allegedly controls dust and moisture and is mildew resistant (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/PaintStains/SpecialtyPaints/PRD~0489715P/Armor%252BCoat%252BAcrylic%252BLatex%252BMasonry%252BPaint.jsp?locale=en). I changed the door knob on the room to one that locks with a key. The knob looks just like the one I removed.
I then boxed in the sump pump to create a clean workspace and counter top using white melamine. I installed a shelf above the sump box for supplies. The top of the sump box (under the shelf) may become a future veg/clone box. The front panel of the box is removable with 4 screws if I need to access the pump for any reason.
I tapped into the duct work for my house and brought in a 4” fresh air line into the room (top right of room) and connected the duct to a diffuser. I rented a hammer drill and 4” masonry core bit to get through the concrete block walls with a clean cut. This provides a constant feed of air into the room (that is currently being air conditioned by my central HVAC system).
I then drilled an exhaust hole to vent this room to the exterior of my house (top left of room). On the outside, the hole is in an inconspicuous place and connects to a back-draft preventing exhaust cap (http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=902889&Ntt=902889&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber).
Connected to the exhaust duct is a 100 CFM bathroom exhaust fan (http://www.airkinglimited.com/specsheets/BFQ110Spec.pdf). All the new duct work was insulated with expanding foam. The exhaust fan was mounted with a carpet backing to the block walls to prevent vibration. At this time, there is no odor control in the room. I will evaluate later on when things get more fragrant. I did, however, add a furnace filter air freshener that makes the whole house smell nice.
Lighting is, at the moment, a fluorescent fixture with two 40w tubes (GE Ecolux Plant and Aquarium). I also have a CFL with a 20w grow bulb in it (Ottlite Natural Supplement Plant Bulb). The 4' tubes are temporary until my 400w MH/HPS is delivered. After that, it's moving back to being a utility light. The CFL may be joined by others for the small veg/clone box at a later date. The 4' tubes are sitting on ceiling hooks and chains. The new MH/HPS will have yoyos.
I have an oscillating tower fan blowing on the seedlings on the “breeze” setting. The lights are on an 18/6 timer along with the exhaust fan. I am planning on getting another timer for the exhaust to turn it on and off in 30 minuter intervals.
The room shares its electrical circuit with three basement incandescent lights. The sump pump is also on this circuit.
The Crop
The seedlings are Kali Mist. My soil mix is 5 parts good quality organic potting soil, 5 parts perlite, 2 parts organic farmyard compost (1-2-1). The babies were paper towel germinated and sprouted on May 21 and 23. They are about 2" tall.
The seedlings are currently on a small rolling cart that will be removed once they are transplanted into 3gal pots and the new lights are installed and can be lowered to the floor. Sitting with the seedling pots is the probe to the min-max thermometer/hygrometer.
The Cost
Supplies and the drill rental to build my room cost $345, new equipment cost $400 and grow supplies and seeds cost $200. All in, I spent $1000 for the full first grow set up.
The Questions
Once my 400w MH/HPS light arrives, am I at risk of overloading my circuit if the sump pump turns on? I have no idea what load the pump might put on the circuit (and I don't know any of the details about the pump – it is not readily accessible without a huge production). Other items on this circuit include the fans = 125w, all the basement lights = 180w, and landscape lighting (same circuit) = 315w. I could run an extension cord from outside the grow room through the fresh air duct to bring another circuit into the room for the ballast of the new light, but I'd prefer to keep the room self-contained if possible.
I don't ever plan on having a huge number of plants in this room (floor space once the rolling shelf comes out is limited to 9 square feet), so I'm not sure if I will need to worry about odor control. I currently have two seedlings, if both these make it to harvest will they create enough stink where my exhaust fan vents that anyone would notice?
After paper towel germinating my seedlings and plating in 6' pots, the sprouts emerged on May 21 and May 23. The soil was not enriched with fertilizer but does have compost in it. When should I begin to add nutrients? My nutrients are General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow and FloraNova Bloom.
When should I move the seedlings to the larger pots?
The plants have rebounded above the damage though, and I will probably cut off the damaged tissue when they get a bit bigger. I nuked the fuck out of the gnats though
.
so i'm leaving them where they are for a couple days more b4 chucking 'em out.