$0 Grow-MY FIRST GROW!!!

hello everyone i'm new to the site and growing and had some extra bag seeds laying around so i thought, hmmm, what could i produce with things i already had around the house. so i set out looking for anything i could use, i searched my, my mother in law's, my parent's and grandparent's house to find anything i could use for my setup. here's what i found/am using and here is how it it going...

old fishtank-$0
old fishtank light w/bulb cfl ?? watts-$0
some old chinese soup containers-$0
some of grandpa's scott's potting soil-$0
some lamps-$0
grandpa's plant food-$0
pair of 120w phillips reflectoragro lights-$0
some old styrofoam cups-$0
a couple of extension cords-$0
some latex gloves-$0
tap water (boiled then sat out overnight)-$0
some wire hangers-$0
a plastic retangular bowl-$0
a couple of old paper gatorade cups-$0
a roll of electrical tape-$0
a roll of aluminum foil-$0

so far thats... $0.00!!!!

i have about 10-15 bag seeds germinating and so far only 1 has sprouted a taproot. i took the styrofoam cups and shredded it into small peices to help the soil flow. filled up 1 of the chinese food soup containers with the soil and styrofoam mix, then poked a few holes in the bottom section of the container with a nail to help flow. i put the first germinated seed into the container filled w/ soil and poured the boiled tapped water (after it cool down of course) over it until it started to drizzle out of the bottom holes, then placed it into the fishtank (which i had previously lined the 2 sides and back glass with the shiny side out of aluminum foil and secured w/ electrical tape). i then got a couple wire hangers and made 2 supports going across the top of the tank to hold the lights up, electrical taped them down pretty good. then i made 2 wires to hold up the fishtank light, hooked on one end (to go into the mounting spots on the light) and wrapped the other end around the 2 support wires, it now leans at a slight angle but it my opinion it looks like it's aiming right for the plant. next i sat the reflectoragro light/lamp on top of the 2 support wires, it did ''rest'' on top of the wires but i didn't feel it was safe enough. so, i made two more cross sections going across the 2 supports. the extra support are hooked at both ends for the reflectoragro then kinda ran the supports right over the lip of the lamp to hold it securely in place. pics do a better job of explaining how i did it and i will keep this thread updated as much as possible with any progress or new info, please no critisism i know this is a ghetto ass, cheap way to do it but i was thinking about how far i could go without spending a dime. so if you have any questions, concerns, comments, or requests either post it or shoot me a pm. let me know what you guys think. ^ or v???

PICS:
front of setup
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2024.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2037.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
supports
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2027.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2039.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
other side of supports
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2028.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2038.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
cfl light hooks
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2030.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
extra stuff (food, containers, soil ect)
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2031.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2041.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
brand new case of plant food. thanks gramps!
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2034.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
scotts potting soil
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2036-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
miracle gro
<img src="http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/mcfarlandmeister1977/garden/100_2040.jpg" border="0" alt="" />

thanks for looking!!!

are you ready to grow 4-5 foot plants?

good luck! i guess any yield will put you in the "black"!

billy bob- not yet, i only really think i will let if get 3-3.5 ft if it goes that far.

email- what is "in the black"? thank you.

to all- don't worry, i'm not cheap for no reason. when tax return comes around i'll be buying a 400w hps ballast and bulb setup from htg. i will also be purchasing the mh conversion bulb. i also am looking into buying the cmh bulb to compare grows with. i'll be buying seeds from somewhere online. i am looking for a short growing in height and time, with medium to high yeilds. any have any suggestions? i will also be building my own aeroponics setup off of filthyflecthes diy post. i will start a new thread when i have started this process. thanks for the comments guys.

PICS:
front of setup


1 side of the supports


other side of supports


fishtank light supports

the extras

miracle gro

scotts premium potting soil

new container of plant food thanks gramps!

Im doing something similar, just using stuff I found around my house, and I'm under 100 for everything so far. That way theres a profit even if its a small yeild. Id sugest that you use white printer paper instead of aluminium foil as a reflective surface, aluminium foil is known to cause heat spots and can burn your plants, and because it is "Crinkly" it doesnt provide a great surface for reflecting.

billybob- lol yeah, i'm ready 10, 5-10ft trees to all grow out of chinese food soup containers w/ 120w. can't wait!!!
email468-what does "in the black" mean? being a positive crop? if that's what you mean then yeah, that's sort of what i was shooting for. can't have a negative crop if you didn't spend a dime on it.
covert-see i've heard that multiple times but then heard of others using it and not having any problems. i also used aluminum foil since i had it in the house. i steal a couple sheets of computer paper from work tomorrow to keep the $0 legit.

will 120w be enough for 1-4 plants? if not will 240w? cause i have 2 of the 120w reflectoragro bulbs and lamps ready but i'm only using one since it's only 1 plant, so far.
in new news i asked an old lady for her desk fan this morning at work, and she gave it to me! :0 so that's another item i yet again escaped from paying for, lol. i have pics but i cant figure out how to post them, they are on my photobucket but do i copy and paste the img code or html? i also will be getting a 2 in 1 humidity and temperature gauge, again for free. i love my job, sometimes...

first off, you need a gallon of container for every foot of growth u want. secondly you need at least 50 watts per plant. since your using cfls i would use 100+ watts per plant. i would probly have 4 43w cfls devoted to each plant at least especially if u want any plants over 3 1/2 feet IMO.

Hahahahahahahahaha. This is true redneck engineering!!!! Good luck man. But you are gonna have to spend money sometime. And thats for things like fert, extra bulbs, and something to keep the temp right. Just those kind of tools. But you can say you saved some $$$ though.

billybob-yeah i know thanks for the heads up though. appreciate it . i don't really know what cfl's are considered? these are in the shape of like flood lights if that tells you anything. they are 120w ea. i have 2 so thats 240w from just those 2 reflectoragro lamps, i also have a fishtank light i think is like 20-40w. i'll check soon. so i think this will be good enough for my $0 grow. if the plants get to anywhere need 2-2.5 ft w/ these lights i may devote some more lights to them. if not, they didn't deserve it. lol.
saynotodrugs-lol yeah i know, you know you like it! hahahah. but as for spending money, i know i will in the future but not w/ this grow. also i have miracle gro all purpose plant food and schults 20-30-20 as well. they better learn to love it. lol.
all-i know this is not the BEST way to grow these plants i'm just seeing how far they will go on all free shit. they are only mid seeds anyways... don't worry in about a month or two i will be starting my new grow.
heres a rundown:
1-2 400w bulbs and ballasts from htg w/ mh conversion bulbs
1-2 diy aeroponics aetup (using filthyfletch's method)
an entire closet devoted to it
mylar covering all walls
1-2 oscilating fans
lots of fert and nutes
temperature and humidity controls
good strain seeds
etc it will not be cheap but this is to just keep my mind going until my money comes in . yes, i will be starting a new thread for that grow.

!!!UPDATES!!!-i came home from work and after typing my last post i found two more seeds have sprouted taproots! so i had to blend up a couple fairly large chunks of styrofoam and mix in with some soil. then filled up two of the three extra chinese food containers and planted the seeds watered and placed in the tank w/the other seedling. 3 now and counting.

questions-
also anyone know whether to use the img code or html code to post pics from photobucket?
anyone know a good short growing (height) and considerably fast flowering w/ med to high yeilds of mid-high grade product?
let me know guys like i have said before, any help/input/props/opinions is very much appreciated but please keep all negative comments out of here. like i said I KNOW THIS IS THE CHEAP WAY OUT... THAT IS THE POINT!!! thanks again comment if you view it.

Woah woah woah!!! Dont use miracle grow!!!!!!!! That is just like the rule!!!! You know, the rule. I never used it because of the PH. Never saw for myself but i have alwase been told it has a very high PH. I dont know first hand but you might wonna make another thread about that and get other opinions first before you use that stuff.

well i haven't used it yet but i will start a new thread on that and is it me or did 2 or 3 of my previously NOT THERE post just show up with my attempts at putting pics up. sorry guys i'm a little new at this. will be posting pics later of the new seedlings in there new home w/ some added features... lol. thanks for helping out by the way guys. really appreciate it!

so whas the purpose of the foam cups mixed with soil?


please dont tell me you are trying to mimic perlite...

get rid of all that tin foil. It doesnt do anything for the plants besides burn them. If u want the light to reflect of the fish tank get plain old white spray paint and spray the sides of the tank. White is the best for light reflecting. The tin foil could kill the plants eventually

loud blunts-yes it is mimicing perlite. in my eyes at least. is it me or when you buy the soil at Home Depot it already has styrofoam balls in it to help the water flow? i was trying to do that... baked and looking for anything free i found some at my mom's house and took 'em. also let's please keep it positive, instead of "please don't tell me you are trying to mimic perlite..." try "the styrofoam will not do as good a job at helping water flow as _____." or " the styrofoam is not even needed. your plant's do not benefit from it but you could try ______."(much like Type 1 Diabetic states w/ another concern in the very next post) just trying to stay positive during the $0 grow, i'm already catching enough shit and they haven't even broke through the soil yet. thanks for your input though.
type 1 diabetic-ok so now that's 2 for no foil... i think i might be taking the foil down tomorrow before work and replacing it w/ computer paper from work as i heard this will work as well. is there any downfall to mounting the paper on the outside of the tank instead of the inside? is clear glass like glass mirrors as it "sucks light in" (or so i have read in a couple threads on this site) instead of reflecting it? good news is my entire closet's interior was painted matte white before i moved in. i'll go search gramp's for some white spray paint, does it have to be matte or will gloss or semi gloss work as well? also will i have to primer the tank before spraying to ensure the paint will stick and not chip into my plants? thanks for the input it is appreciated and will remedy this issue tomorrow.

questions-the electrical tape isn't holding as well as i'd hoped... who woulda thought right? lol. any way what would you guys suggest i use to replace the tape? i need something that is fairly heat resistant and water proof and will last a while. i was thinking some kind of caulking? silicon likw what seals the fishtank which still is not showing any signs of wear or melting yet. i know my dad has some in his garage.

will be posting pics a little later tonight as soon as i upload them on the comp. thanks and keep the info/comments coming!

not negative. but what i live by: you go cheap, you grow cheap.

Everyone is going to get all antsy about this and that, but i think this is great. Don't you spend a fuckin' dime, dude!

im not trying to knock him or anything. i have respect for him for making this happend with 0 money. i spent way to much on my setup. but i have it how i like it and it works and my girls are happy and they produce. thats all im saying. if you want to produce quality nug, you have to provide quality conditions for the whole life cycle of the cannabis plant. thats just my 2 cents. GROW IT!

billybob-thanks for all your advice, i appreciate it and know this will no be a huge yeild or high quality bud thats why i did it with these extra bag seeds instead of throwing them away. and i will go all out on my next grow, i'm thinking a seaofgreen misty plant's with lots of clones to take the place of there fallen (or harvested) brethren er, sisteren. lol. thanks again for all your info and if i knew how to rep i would!
crdbrdnrollersk8-thank you! i really needed that...i won't i promise, even if it does compromise* the quality a little... so what it's middies anyway lol. i think it will make me happier to say i grew some ok middies without spending a dime! then saying i grew some awesome middies but spent all my money on the setup... thanks for the kind words it is really appreciated.

new pics will be up momentarily...

the little scale on the top right box of each post is how u rep. anyways i really hope u get some good shit goin bro! i'll be followin ur thread. but im convinced you will spend money at some point lol. good luck