1st Time Indoor Grow! Limited Closet Space. PLease Help!

B

bunn420

Active Member
I am thinking about trying my first indoor grow and need some advice. I have grown outdoors successfully before, but i did not do anything special. Stuck the seed in some dirt, watered daily and let nature do its thing. This time i want to bring it inside so its in a more controlled environment free from bugs and and inconsistent weather.

-I NEED HELP FIGURING OUT THE BEST WAY TO GROW IN MY INDOOR SPACE.

-I AM ONLY TRYING TO GROW 1 OR 2 PLANTS MAX AT A TIME

Seasoned growers please try to keep it simple. Im not trying to build anything crazy serious and I am very good at DIY.

So This Is My Situation


-I have a closet space that i want to use for this grow. I would like to use a grow tent (36x20x64) so i can keep it contained (with hopes to control air flow, air temp, odors and light). This size tent will fit perfectly in the space that i have to use. I have no experience with grow tents and dont know much about them (just what i have read on retail websites).

-These are my questions


-Are grow tents good? (pros/cons)

-If grow tents are not good, what are some better alternatives?

-How much light do i need? What kind of light? (remember 1 or 2 plants max)

-What is the ideal temperature range for indoor growing? How important is temperature control?

-Best way to ventilate space and control temp?
 
GidgetGrows

GidgetGrows

Well-Known Member
You can probably use an 150 or 400 watt HPS/MH light.
Grow tents are good, they have their own walls and ceiling and usually good ventilation and holes already for fans.
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
I use the lightwave t5's in veg, they come in convinient sizes like 2 foot and 4 foot with two or four bulbs, i only veg in a small closet maybe 5/6 plants all at different stages and weeklong intervals. I like the unit a lot and just a small pc fan and ventilation to the outside air is enough in my part of the world, i will leave you the link for the lightwave unit. I love my flouros for the heat they give off which is much less than a hps and mh and a bit safer but felt like i would get better results of a hps in flowering, for veg up to twelve inchs these things rock - Here is the link-

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Propagation-23/Propagation-T5-Lights-154/Maxibright-T5-1158.asp

Just plug and grow in any closet. Keeps it simple and i dont even line the closet with mylar, might evev get a small solar powered fan and ditch the pc fan.

As for grow tents id go for a bud box, sturdy, good price, many sizes and just got to fit an inline fan for ventilation, a fan for circulation and a light.

My space is limited and i have done the best i can, found that doing one grow at a time dose not yeild me as much as a plant every two weeks, i harvest one and plant one, obviously this requires a veg room and a flowering room but the small plants take up less space leaving room for the bigger plants rather than just trying to squash a lot of big plants into a small space.
 
T

tiny1

Member
bunn420 said:
I am thinking about trying my first indoor grow and need some advice. I have grown outdoors successfully before, but i did not do anything special. Stuck the seed in some dirt, watered daily and let nature do its thing. This time i want to bring it inside so its in a more controlled environment free from bugs and and inconsistent weather.

-I NEED HELP FIGURING OUT THE BEST WAY TO GROW IN MY INDOOR SPACE.

-I AM ONLY TRYING TO GROW 1 OR 2 PLANTS MAX AT A TIME

Seasoned growers please try to keep it simple. Im not trying to build anything crazy serious and I am very good at DIY.

So This Is My Situation


-I have a closet space that i want to use for this grow. I would like to use a grow tent (36x20x64) so i can keep it contained (with hopes to control air flow, air temp, odors and light). This size tent will fit perfectly in the space that i have to use. I have no experience with grow tents and dont know much about them (just what i have read on retail websites).

-These are my questions


-Are grow tents good? (pros/cons)

-If grow tents are not good, what are some better alternatives?

-How much light do i need? What kind of light? (remember 1 or 2 plants max)

-What is the ideal temperature range for indoor growing? How important is temperature control?

-Best way to ventilate space and control temp?
Click to expand...
I have a 40 x 40 x 75 inch tent. works great.
You have 5 square feet a bit over 5 feet high. I would do a two plant screen of green.
I'd get a 250 HPS and a 250 MH conversion bulb. You might do better with 2 150s, but the light from a 150 doesn't penetrate the canopy very well. Plus, two reflectors are hard to ventilate without a hassle.
I like a 6" Cool Tube reflector ducted to a fan to create a negative pressure environment to keep things cool. Negative pressure is basically pulling the hot air out high in the tent, and let cool ambient air in from the vents built low in the tent. It has the added advantage of cooling your bulbs, since the duct pull the air through the Cool Tube, allowing them to be placed closer to the plants without fear of burning. Ideally, keep the temps in the 70s. High temps create stress.
The idea of the screen of green, is to fill the entire width and length of your space with budding sites, maximizing your yield.
1) Install your tent. assemble the light with the MH conversion bulb in the reflector.
2) Hang the light in the center, high in the tent, so it is out of the way. Attach the 6 inch flex duct to the reflector, and attach the other end to the fan.
exhaust the fan to a filter, or outside.
3) Fill two 5 gallon buckets with your soil mix. Plant your starts/sprouts.
4) Lower the light but keep it a little high. New darlins are easy to burn. Set the timer for an 18 hour day. 24 hour cycles cause the plants to stretch. No nutes for a few days until they get established. Then start the veggie nutes.
5) When your plants get up a bit, install your screen, cut just larger than your floor size. I use chicken wire. Some folks use fishnet, or nylon twine for a trellis. Initially, I hang the screen about a foot above the buckets, but a bit higher wouldn't hurt. Train the plants to grow through the screen by pulling them back down gently and repositioning them. A new bud site will grow from each internode. Continue pulling down and training until the screen is full, then turn the lights back to 12/12. Change the bulb to the HPS, administer the first of your flower nutes, and flower the recommended number of days for your strain. Inspect the crystals until they are the shade you want. Harvesting when the crystals are clear, decreases yield and potency. When they turn milky, you get the up, energy buzz. When amber, narcotic couch lock. When they reach full color, you have a head/body combo buzz. Done properly, this could yield 8 oz's every 3 1/2 -4 months.
I hope that wasn't too complicated, but there is a wealth of info on this site about screen of green. I'll help any way I can. Good Luck.
 
B

bunn420

Active Member
tiny1 said:
I have a 40 x 40 x 75 inch tent. works great.
You have 5 square feet a bit over 5 feet high. I would do a two plant screen of green.
I'd get a 250 HPS and a 250 MH conversion bulb. You might do better with 2 150s, but the light from a 150 doesn't penetrate the canopy very well. Plus, two reflectors are hard to ventilate without a hassle.
I like a 6" Cool Tube reflector ducted to a fan to create a negative pressure environment to keep things cool. Negative pressure is basically pulling the hot air out high in the tent, and let cool ambient air in from the vents built low in the tent. It has the added advantage of cooling your bulbs, since the duct pull the air through the Cool Tube, allowing them to be placed closer to the plants without fear of burning. Ideally, keep the temps in the 70s. High temps create stress.
The idea of the screen of green, is to fill the entire width and length of your space with budding sites, maximizing your yield.
1) Install your tent. assemble the light with the MH conversion bulb in the reflector.
2) Hang the light in the center, high in the tent, so it is out of the way. Attach the 6 inch flex duct to the reflector, and attach the other end to the fan.
exhaust the fan to a filter, or outside.
3) Fill two 5 gallon buckets with your soil mix. Plant your starts/sprouts.
4) Lower the light but keep it a little high. New darlins are easy to burn. Set the timer for an 18 hour day. 24 hour cycles cause the plants to stretch. No nutes for a few days until they get established. Then start the veggie nutes.
5) When your plants get up a bit, install your screen, cut just larger than your floor size. I use chicken wire. Some folks use fishnet, or nylon twine for a trellis. Initially, I hang the screen about a foot above the buckets, but a bit higher wouldn't hurt. Train the plants to grow through the screen by pulling them back down gently and repositioning them. A new bud site will grow from each internode. Continue pulling down and training until the screen is full, then turn the lights back to 12/12. Change the bulb to the HPS, administer the first of your flower nutes, and flower the recommended number of days for your strain. Inspect the crystals until they are the shade you want. Harvesting when the crystals are clear, decreases yield and potency. When they turn milky, you get the up, energy buzz. When amber, narcotic couch lock. When they reach full color, you have a head/body combo buzz. Done properly, this could yield 8 oz's every 3 1/2 -4 months.
I hope that wasn't too complicated, but there is a wealth of info on this site about screen of green. I'll help any way I can. Good Luck.
Click to expand...
Just so i Understand. Remember this is my first attempt at this so i got a lot of questions, so any help is appreciated.

1) This set up you laid out only calls for one fan? connected to one end of a 6" cooltube reflector? The fan then blows the air out the tube through some ducting and a filter. fresh air comes in simply through the vents.
2)How well will this control odors if i exhaust through a filter and have the bottom vents open?
3)You said "18 hour day" how many hours light/dark is this?
4)Screen of Green?
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
Good advice for the first grow is keep it simple, start with lower wattages and just simple lights, one 250watt hps is a good start with a ruck fan and tent, cosidor a starter kit from a grow shop but get the simplest one, you just want to set it up quick and grow. Don't try and take on too much with the tent, lights and ventilation, if you want short plants and a quick grow just top the plants after the third or fourth set of leaves and start flowering a week or two after. When i got my tent i just hung the lights, fan and plugged in and was growing in like 5 mins, same with the veg room, just had to hang my lightwave unit, took two mins and i had an instant veg room in my closet. What are you going to buy then? any ideas?
 
B

bunn420

Active Member
Kingrow1 said:
Good advice for the first grow is keep it simple, start with lower wattages and just simple lights, one 250watt hps is a good start with a ruck fan and tent, cosidor a starter kit from a grow shop but get the simplest one, you just want to set it up quick and grow. Don't try and take on too much with the tent, lights and ventilation, if you want short plants and a quick grow just top the plants after the third or fourth set of leaves and start flowering a week or two after. When i got my tent i just hung the lights, fan and plugged in and was growing in like 5 mins, same with the veg room, just had to hang my lightwave unit, took two mins and i had an instant veg room in my closet. What are you going to buy then? any ideas?
Click to expand...
I plan on keeping it simple just like you said. But i want to run a 400 MH/HPS from the start. To me it doesnt make sense to buy a 250 and then down the road upgrade to a 400 or greater. I like the design tiny1 described it seems simple enough, one duct fan, one cool tube, not to crazy. And after a lot of thought I dont think ventilation will be an issue. I want these plants maybe 2 feet tall max, and im not going to do a "screen of green" on my first grow. although i think the its a very interesting method of training, Im into bonsai already so im sure i could get the hang of that. and im second guessing buying a grow tent, it is starting to seem like one extra costly thing to buy. I bet i could find a nice large cabinet or storage locker on craigslist that i can easily modify for a fraction of the price. so my idea is: 1 large cabinet (about the same size a the tent), 400w MH/HPS in a 6in cool tube exhausted through a filter near the top, smaller size intake fan near the bottom. target temp range inside the cabinet 73-78 max. what do you think? simple enough no?
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
A 400w cooltube will still produce some heat, where will you vent to and intake from in the room?? If i wanted smaller two foot plants i would maybe go for topping or keep a very short veg time. A tent is an added expense, the best indoor and cheapest would be to do it in a room with the windows open and just a simple stand fan to blow off heat from the light but due to it being illegal to grow here i have to use a tent to keep in the light. Gonna be quite a large cabinet.
 
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