First GrowOp, some noob ?'s...

Hey all, as the title states this will be my first grow-op and im very excited. I do have a few questions that i cant seem to find decent answers for. Please bear with me and sorry if i repeat any questions lol.

I'd like to start out by describing the area I will be using. Its a fairly decent size closet that measures around 33"x35"x9'. I plan on cutting some boards up and placing them along the floor and the walls (about a foot and a half tall), then lining that with plastic to keep the water from seeping through the floors (I live on the second floor).Does that sound like it will work? The only issue it might have is a collection of water right, and i dont want that to happen but I wont over water (or at least i hope not). I also planed on using all cfl's because im on a pretty tight budget. Which brings me to my questions, one, how many cfl's and what wattage am i looking for? two, can i go through all 3 stagesusing only cfl's? 3 approx how long will it take? Thanks in advance and sorry if their super noob questions.

Depends on how many plants you intend to grow

I grew just one with one 65 watter and added T9 (97 watts total)

you want 6500K for veg and 2700K for flower

you want a minimum of 50 watts or 3000 lumens per sq ft of space

hope that helps

ahh yes forgot that little tid bit, but i intend to grow around 4-5. thanks for the quick reply too!

go to the FAQ and read read read read read read.

you got one big ass closet, it'll take a mountain of CFL's. section one area off and work from there.

look up how to control the smell b/c weed smell is pungent, and it's gonna stink.

as for the pain in the ass with the water runoff, that's too much work, get a tupperware container and grow in there. you're gonna over water and over feed so don't even try to deny it now.

oh and you haven't found a decent answer for you're questions because you're not looking....

sorry, i do look theres just sooo much on the SAME topic haha. ill think ive found a decent answer an then bam, another one appears. but yea ill go take another look. plus idk if anyone noticed but the site was kinda fubared last night. leasrt for me lol

p.s. idk if you noticed but its 35 inches wide by 35 inches long and 9 feet tall. its not THAT big. i think you might have thought it was 35 FEET lol.

Here's a look at my flowering room. See the plastic trays under the buckets? That's the easiest way to keep from leaking water in the floor. Those things are cheap, and come in several different sizes. Walmart carries them, as well as Lowes, Menards, and Home Depot. If you want extra protection, cheap plastic tablecloths, or plastic painting dropcloths, both work well.

Yes, you can complete your grow from beginning to end using only CFL's. You'll need quite a few, if you plan on growing 4-5 plants at a time.

nope. 35 inches is almost 3x3 feet. that's 9 sqr feet. 3000x9 = 27,000 lumens. one 42 watt CFL bulb gives off 2400. you'll need at least 12-13 of those, which are the most readily available. if you think rigging up 13 cfl's ain't that hard, think again. it's more than 400 watts. it'll make a dent in your power bill. you'll have to deal with heat issues in flowering. you gotta think about ventilation and air circulation.

READ READ READ READ READ.

if you germ a seed now, it'll be 100x harder. you think a 3x3 is a small grow, people grow weed in pc cases. a 2 square foot room is enough to yield more than 80 grams in a few months, with a few cfl's...

a 3x3 grow can get very big, very stinky and very rewarding.

just do it right....

Please take the time and read before asking.

Its like the dreaded question, "HOW MUCH WILL I YIELD WITH 2 PLANTS?". Read read read!!!!

and if you didn't know, cuz you haven't read, the most efficient type of CFL is the 26 watt one. the bigger the CFL, the more inneficient it is, in terms of watts/lumens ratio.

so what's better, a bunch of 26 watt bulbs, or a few 65 watters???? depends, on how you're gonna wire them up.....

see, you're probably like, WTF is this guy talking about.... that's why going through the faqs is important, all of this information is in there.....

wow... well i feel dumb lol. all this time i was thinking you guys were talking about the 101 questions asked thread, then i glanced up and saw faqs lol. anyway thank you for that, my biggest problem thus far was figuring out lighting lol. im hoping to start growing in a week or two at most. just waitin for that pacheck i plan on starting a journal for plenty of reasons lol. im gonna need the help.

No reason to feel dumb, this forum is for new growers to learn, yes all the questions have been answered and yes some folks get bored/tired of re-answering them over and over, but it is kinda how the forum works and evolves (and generates more trafic)

Once you get your grow on and have some experience under your belt you will more clearly see these things and it will all make more sense

But in the end most folks here are here to help

sorry for being a hardass.

i am giving you some bits of info you'll find useful....

here's some more:

6500k = Daylight = veg

2700k= Soft White = flower

6500k is more of a bluish color; 2700k is more of a reddish color.

these two produce the most useful amount of light for plants. other cfl's, like 4000k aren't as efficient, stay away.

2700k bulbs get warmer than 6500k ones, and since you use more of these during flower, the box WILL get considerably warmer. some people like to keep it simple and use a 50/50 ratio for the whole thing. others are very particular and use only 6500k for veg, and only 2700 for flower. that's up to you.

check out the indoor growing section and build a grow box or cabinet. you'll be able to contain the light and smell.

ok yea, i been reading the faqs more and more so a lot is coming into place. i just need to figure out how to configure the room, so im gonna head over to the grow room threads and get some ideas. i am really excite about starting an am very grateful for the help, i have a feeling il be needing more in time lol.

ok, well ive almost figured out my setup and will upload some pics of the design soon. it will be my first so please be gentle haha. i feel like all ive been doing the past few days is just reading and research so hopefully ill do ok

ok all ive just uploaded some plans for my grow room and i would like to know what you all think. i tried taking a picture of the actual closet but i was using my phone and it has no flash so it wouldnt come out lol. im gonna buy a camera tomorrow hopefully so i will upload more of the actual area. any advice or knowledge will be greatly appreciated

p.s. the second pic is the design that seemorebuds designed i just made my own measurements so that it will fit in the area i have.

bump lookin for some thoughts

getting sad lol no replys

Looks ok from the drawing, be easier to tell you once it's going. One comment on the CFL's - you get most of the light output from the side of the bulb, not the end - so keep that in mind, when designing your light rack.

hm, thank you doe i did not kno that you get more output from the sides. plus im still debating wheather or not its an ideal grow area for me, i figure i can keep the mother separated and have a separate germ/clone station and then veg/flower in the other section to keep a continuous flow. just one question i have, how long can one keep a mother in veg state?