Opinions and suggestions for current setup

I'm a first time grower and I'm using CFLs and bag seeds because I'm really poor. I've been researching the art of growing for the last couple of weeks, and have tried to be as in depth as possible.

I've got 2x 100w 6200K, and 1x 150w 2700K right now. I need that to last me about another week or two before I can afford to add on to my light setup. I've got fertilizer, extra soil, and 3x 8" pots for future use already.

Give me some suggestions to either make my current setup more efficient, or keep any purchase suggestions in a budget of $20 if you can. I've got 6 more weeks of college left, and THEN I'll hopefully be able to devote much more capital to my grow op.

Thanks in advance!





^^That's the light setup with the old reflector on it. The square one from the first picture is current.



^^This is a shot of how cramped everything is in my closet. I'm using the complete surface area of the top of my dresser for this, hanging the light by the cord, from the shelves above. This was before I put aluminum foil on the foam core walls.



^^Made an accordion door for convenience.



^^ And that's my biggest sprout so far. They're 2 days old (germinated for an additional 2 days beforehand in paper towel).



So what do you guys think? Any suggestions for what to do next within a $20 budget?

I'm digging your set up
and diggig your pictures


a lot of people don't like to use foil, cause they say it can cause hot spots.. I personally think foil is ok for the poor man grow.. especially with cfls

MAke sure your cups have holes so the water can drain..

when you do get money.. you should invest in GOOD soail and a pH kit...

check this out - pH Water - See More Buds

cheers

Couple ladies looking for SeeMOre Around here. VV

Garden Knowm--
Thanks! The cups are vented, and that's why they're elevated on the little boxes of clay, just to ensure they can drain. The 4" fan in the corner does a remarkable job of keeping the lights cooled way down... I'm almost afraid it might be too cool right where the plants are! I'll pick up some litmus tests today, but what would you suggest for soil? Right now I'm using Miracle Gro standard "Potting Mix". I heard the moisture control was better, but I'm not sure what the best (and cost efficient) pre-mixed soil out there is.

Also, I'll be out of town for a week starting next Saturday, and my roommate doesn't know about my grow (for safety and because he would oppose it). I know I can get one of my friends to go water them sometime in the middle of the week, but I know it would arouse suspicion if someone just came strolling in every day to "check on something for me". Is there a cheap way to set up an irrigation system to make sure my plants stay watered? Or will it be necessary? It took about 5 days for the soil to get dry since the last time I watered them, but I know as they get bigger so does their need for water. Let me know what you would do in that situation, because I don't want to be set back 2 weeks by having my plants die and having to start over.

Thanks again!

Edit: I notice most people attach their images instead of including them in the posts. Would you guys rather me use your space to host my pictures or just have huge pictures in my posts? I could use thumbnails that link to my hosting if that would be preferable, as well.

looks alright to me m8... i see your resticted to a cupboard and i bet you wish you had more space to grow in..

im using a 14 x 5 grow room just now and we have 4 widow and 4 afghans in there at the moment.....

Dude, you're growing in an apartment with a roommate who is not cool with it and you're leaving town for a week. That's about a 7 on a risk meter of 10. Depending on where you are, I'll remind you this could be considered an illegal activity.

These babies are going get bigger and smellier. I hope you have confidence that your roommate won't narc you out or if something happens and maintenance has to get to your closet (water pipe burst, etc.) that someone can quickly cover your tracks (ass).

I'm not trying to talk you out of growing - I'm saying are you sure your present conditions are optimal. LEO lives for these scenarios.

atavistic --
I *think* I understand the risks. The roomie would object to the grow simply because it's illegal. He doesn't have any personal problems with weed, I just know he'd grumble all the time about me making sure to be careful and all that, or just get sketched out and ask me to get rid of it. Plus, he's used to the weed smells coming from my room (and the apartment under us) 24/7 anyway, so scent shouldn't be a problem. He's quite a pushover, and would never involve the cops in anything. We've lived there for over 2 years now and never had maintenance come in without us having to tell them 3 or 4 times that we have a clog or something, so unannounced drop-ins don't happen often at my complex.

I've taped up the cracks around the door to limit light spill as much as possible, and I'm going to add angled reflectors to the top edges of my grow box, to keep more light from getting out of the top. Electric usage is 98w plus a little 1000rpm fan. As far as I know, I'm doing everything right to keep a low profile. I'm always up for suggestions, though, so ANY advice on keeping me and my buds safer and healthier is more than welcome, and I appreciate your concern!

And at the time I get back in town, they'll be 3 weeks old. How fast do they start to produce an aroma?

I'll post a journal today and link to it from here if anyone wants to keep tabs on how good a job I'm doing!

You'll get a green smell around week 5 or 6, then the heavy stuff kicks in a few weeks into flower. You'll need an ionizer/activated charcoal then. Your clothes will have to leave the closet unless you want to smell like Joe Weed. My first grow - 4 plants - in a 3,000 sq ft house with some ventilation (not great) had the whole place smelling like the Cheech and Chong Theme Park. You may get used to it - visitors will notice immediately.

Just be careful. Search out and read some 'busted' stories here. They touch on misplaced trust, unexpected occurrances and just plain bad luck. No one expected to get caught. In your situation, you've got some elements that add risk - you've got to be dead serious about managing that risk and not adding any more to the equation.

You're babes will spend the next week getting established - especially roots. No ferts, DON'T OVERWATER! Otherwise, welcome to the club! Keep us posted.

Alright, I just got my journal up, and it's updated with more pics from today. If you all are interested, hop on over:

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/57489-bag-o-schwag-first-grow.html

Thanks for the help!