Setting up Grow and Cab for Blackstar 240w

[SweetLeafFarmer]

Hey guys, I am looking for a lot of advice on my new grow I am setting up. I have previously grown with a 600w MH/HPS setup but different conditions are forcing me to do something on a smaller scale. I purchased a 240w Blackstar from Gotham Hydro last night and am waiting impatiently for it to come . I have a metal locker I have been considering using. The locker is 46"x22x18... makes me claustrophobic just thinking about it. The light measures 15.75" x 8.375, so its going to be a tight fit. For this setup will I need in/out exhaust or will a circulating fan be alright with opening the door of cab periodically? Now on to the grow... I was thinking about scrogging 2 or 3 plants in 1-2 gal pots. I am wondering if I would be better of doing a SOG with a bunch of tiny square 4x4 pots or something. I plan on getting clones and vegging for about a week probably. Suggestions for any of this are appreciated. Sorry for such a long post, I promise i will make a journal though. Thanks RIU

 

[Kaptain Kron]

Sog is great as long as It really doesn't shoot many laterals if it's gonna pop laterals best bet is lst or supercrop but if you wanna do it the best way do a scrog. Check my thread in my sig for what a super cropped blue dream looks like under a h150 and blackstar 240. It's an average yielder in a 3 gallon pot looks like I'll easily pull an ounce per gallon of medium.

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

So you would scrog one plant only?

 

[Kaptain Kron]

Under a 240 panel yes. Also you may want to consider possibly running some cfls to help boost blue spectrum of that panel in veg I generally veg under a t5 in my mother room and lately I have been pulling mothers training em down and flowering them. I haven't done an extended veg with this panel often. The times I did I believe it performed up to par for what I needed. Just watch it if it seems like its not stacking enough in veg just add some blue. I don't think that will be an issue though. 95% sure

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

Alright, I think I will scrog one or maaybe two plants. I dont think im going to use the locker anymore, going to buy a cabinet from Lowes and convert it to a grow cab. I'm surprised no on else has chimed in yet. I think i will add supplemental cfl. I've been looking at the grow cabs from companies that are like $1500 and trying to figure out where they route their ducting. Anybody have any input on the best way to duct a cab (rear, top, bottom, etc?) and how to block the light from coming through the duct holes. Sorry for all the questions.. before I just ran a 4x4 tent and didnt have to worry about any of this.

 

[Endur0xX]

there is no restore or thriftstore around where you live? you might have better luck there for a cab... much cheaper especially knowing that you are gonna ruin the furniture to hang your stuff around inside. if you want to keep it cheap and are not worry about smell, you can have just holes at the top on the back panel and get the fans only at the bottom of it with a good air intake...so really good airflow around your plants at the bottom and the heat gets out on it's own.

 

[puffenuff]

I have no grow cabinet experience, but just to chime in...I'd go thrift store for sure, you can actually find some nice furniture there sometimes. or if you just like building things, lowes and diy. not sure how much you're trying to build yourself. Just a thought, but top sides (or just the top) for ducts could offer better air flow since cabinets are usually up against a wall. Like I said, I've never actually built a cabinet before or really thought about how I'd design one until now...

 

[Kaptain Kron]

Yes works good like that I prefer active exhaust though as I want the hot air movin out faster than the cold. I would just go to home depot and get some 2x3s and panda film. Make a cab mount computer fans with a baffle on the outside like u see on house vents sometimes looks kinda like /| the straight up and down line bein the fan the other bein a shield so to speak for light. I'd run 2 exhaust fans and an passive intake or go active on all of em. Use computer fans and a hard drive power supply. Flow more han enough air for you man. I ran two 120s per side in my desk active intake and exhaust. Perfecike that so ur plants move a lot and air flows out way quick

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

I appreciate the help guys, I will take the advice and go to a thrift store and see if I can find something cheap that will suit my needs. Thanks Kron for the baffle idea I know exactly what you're talking about. Will gonzo bags or a bucket of ona gel be enough to mask the smell?

 

[Kaptain Kron]

Probably It depends how bad it needs to be masked I dont run anything but I'm only runnin one at a time right now but I would say you won't produce enough to worry about a severe smell. Only the garage smells for me and not outside or anywhere else in the house. Ona should more than cover It I'd think

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

Alright, just waiting on a bunch of stuff to come in the mail over the next few days. I'll start a journal when I start setting everything up. I'm thinking of getting like 4 or 5 clones and throwing them right into flower sog style .. shouldn't have height issues with indicas if I flower them when i get them. What do you guys think i would get a bigger yield out of?

 

[Kaptain Kron]

If u get plants that shoot a straight top cola and don't go over 14 15 inches u will be ok honestly though I'd veg and train for a few weeks to a month sog not super efficient IMO because they still get so tall that with four crammed in there your gonna have some penetration issues. IMO scrog always for led or super crop the shit out of it

 

[Jogro]

To address your original question and add a few comments:

No, a circulating fan inside your closed cabinet and occasionally opening the door won't be enough. Even if the overall temperature were still in an acceptable range for growing (which is doubtful), without external air being vented inside, your plants would be starved of C02 and wouldn't grow well. Increased humidity inside a non-vented cab can also promote mold and bud rot. You will need to vent fresh air in, and stale air out.

On venting, IMO, you want to vent air out from the TOP of the cabinet, since hot air rises, and that's where the hottest and most humid air will be inside your cabinet. So you want your fan on TOP of the cabinet, blowing air OUT. Conversely, you want the fresh air coming in from the bottom of the cabinet, since that's where the coolest air is.

To reduce light exposure and visibility, I think having the vent holes on the back of the cab is a good idea.

Depending on the size of the cabinet, how hot it gets, how powerful your fan is, and its internal complexity, you may be able to get away with just one fan on top and just a hole on the bottom for air to come in ("passive intake").

Obviously, you want the cab to be light tight. Nothing gives away a "stealth" cabinet as much as bright light leaking from the seams!

There are multiple ways to go about this, but they all come down to making sure the cracks around the doors are sealed off, and that there isn't a direct path from the lights to the ventilation entrance/exit holes. One way to accomplish the latter is by using pieces of ducting bent at 90 degrees, with the insides painted black for your air intake/exit. Other forms of baffling are possible, and they don't necessarily have to be complex. For example, you could put a box with a hole in the bottom over the bottom vent hole. The box top prevents light from getting out, and the open bottom lets air in, etc.

In terms of what's going to be your best yield, cabinet growing is its own "thing". Rather than try to generalize what "might" happen, realistically it will probably take a trial and error using your particular light setup and strains to figure out what works best for you.

One of the most important things in growing inside of small closed spaces is controlling height. If you're running short compact strains and/or have a good amount of overhead space then this may not be as much of an issue, but if you want to run a stretchy sativa, then you'll need to one or more than one of the various training techniques to reduce overall plant height. I'd assume coming into this that you will probably want to top your plants and/or tie the tops down or otherwise train them to maximize yield.

For short non-branchy strains (only), if you have access to lots of clones, and if you don't mind potting and maintaining a large number of them (including possible increased legal exposure from numbers), then you can have excellent results with a "sea of green" type setup.

SCROG will get you most of the way there with fewer plants, but it takes longer to get the plants trained through the screen. Increased work in doing the training is partly offset by decreased number of plants you have to maintain.

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

Well THANKS for all the info!! I ordered (2) 120mm pc fans last night, now I'm wondering if i should use 2 for exhaust or 1 for intake and 1 for exhaust. The cab i think i will be using is 37 inches high. I will be getting indica clones since sativas won't be as bushy and compact. Light comes tomorrow I can't fricken wait .

 

[Kaptain Kron]

One intake one exhaust the intake being active will move ur branches around and strengthen plants. Scrog or super crop is the way to go with LEDs it's a different style of growing. Lighter medium is needed because of less heat and transpiration and all kinds of stuff. Do not run more than 4-6 plants under that light or u will not be in the happy spot of footprint. Keep in mind 10-12 inches minimum distance to canopy u won't burn closer but u won't get best spectrum mixing. Also use he most reflective material possible. If your trying to put drawer covers back on say a cab of drawers use velcro so it looks Legit but really is your cab. I love furniture conversions they are funn. In your space anything remotely hybrid will need to be Scroged or super cropped to fit. There are not a lot of strains that will work for your environment your going to need indica Dom or almost 100% pure and even then I can tell u u will have trouble with an sog style setup. You will yield more off less plants and a lil more veg well worth it

 

[HoodDro]

just got the same light but using the secret jardin dr60tent. No light leaks, and very easy to set up ventilation... all you would need is a 4"inline with carbon filter. Ive seen some combo deals for around 150.

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

Just got my light today. Ya i know HoodDro, i have a 6"inline fan and charcoal filter but thats overkill for this and will also not be stealth which is what i need at the moment. Kaptain, thanks for all your help. I am going to run a oscillating 6" fan inside, should i still run one pc fan intake and one exhaust or passive intake with oscillating fan and 2 exhaust? Sorry for all the questions. I decided to build my own cab, went to lowes today and got some 2x2's and MDF. I'm going to line the inside with reflective mylar. I'll scrog i guess haha..i'm just being impatient with the veg time involved but i think my yield will be so much better if i let it fill a screen. My cab is going to be soooo small i'm nervous. 21" wide, 19" deep, and 4 feet high. I don't even know if I'm thinking logically with such a small space....

 

[Endur0xX]

You won't regret vegging longer, these plants veg for about 55 days... The only downside is the longer it takes you to harvest, more times for things to go wrong!! Also, if you want a decent harvest without having so many plants, you gotta veg at least 30 days anyway, so what's another 20! I was impatient too and I almost got rid of the screen but man when they started to fill it, it was fast. I recommend not doing what I did though Next time each container will have their individual screen so that I can move my plants around and care for them!! Right now it's next to impossible to care for the one in the corner (blue mystic) hehe.

 

[Endur0xX]

If you were building a rigid grow space, then you can use the 6'' to give fresh air to your plants. What I mean is that you must have your room well sealed, you put the 6'' fan at the top, and drill small holes around the unit or just at the back, a few holes at the very bottom, and more at canopy level. start with less holes than too many and start with smaller holes too. The back pressure will consistently feed your plants fresh air. this way you can get away with only 1 small oscillating fan (or not at all but still recommend the 1 fan)

 

[SweetLeafFarmer]

whoever suggested using mdf for the cab..... i dont know what to say. This shit is impossible to cut. Im about to trash the whole idea and use something else.