ZeroG

Hi folks, this is my first post here at HC. I am new to cultivating; I would like to describe my setup in detail and ask questions along the way. Please excuse any newbie questions; I have probably either read the answers and forgotten, or read contradictory answers and become skeptical. Ive been reading grow guides and threads daily for about the last 3 weeks. Signing up to HC with a valid email is the biggest risk I have taken, and I am unwilling to order anything via the internet at this time, and have no special gardening stores at my disposal. I have at my desposal 1 Lowe's and 2 Walmarts.
I live with two other guys that can't know what I'm up to, so that puts my grow room in my closet. Even worse, I must keep this from my non-smoking, religious girlfriend for the time being. Please, no comments! I can make them up on my own. The point is, this must be an invisible grow space. My idea is to frame up some U-Haul boxes (the likes of which have already been in my closet for years) which appear to be duct-taped shut.
I am building a grow space by putting frames inside 2 U-Haul boxes, then joining them, to the effect of stacked boxes in a closet; the bottom box is 18x18x24 inches high, the top is 18x18x16 inches high; that's 2.25 square feet and 3'4" of height. One side of the bottom box is a door; it closes on magnets. If the construction goes as well as it has been, the setup will be fairly invisible. The vents will be in the back corner of the closet. The 1x2s used along all corners makes the area effectively 15x15" at top and bottom. I will have an input fan from radio shack at the bottom, with a zig zag entrance to the fan to stop light from exiting, same for exhaust on top, but with no fan. Unfortunately this takes up precious space but oh well. The noise must be kept to a minimum, of course.
As for lighting: Much contradictory info here. Right now I'm thinking two square 8" 39-watt 2780 lumen flos from Walmart. (It will not be hard to reconsile this with the 15x15" parameter mentioned above; a hinge in the "reflector" I attach them to might do it). That gives around 2500 lumes/sq.foot, as recommended by high times and some other places, and it is much lower than that recommended by some other places. I'm concerned about heat so I doubt I can go higher. An HPS seems unsuitable for me and I refuse to get one at this early stage in my career. One day! (I understand they (Son Agro) are the best, though.) I have a 65 watt flo floodlight from Walmart but that bastard kicks off the heat; unacceptable. I welcome lighting input which can be obtained frow my two stores with low heat and close proximity to the plants.
Right now I have 5 plants 6 days after emergence, about 1-1.5" tall, in 14 ounce styro cups, under one 39-watt mentioned above, in a small 12"x13"x15" (height approximated) box. (They were started in a square minigreenhouse peat pellet thing which we're all familiar with. I have learned that, once transfered to a grow room, peat pellets dry at an astounding rate.) This is my temporary box and may become my veg. chamber if this whole shebang gets pulled off once. For both boxes, I am concerned about space limitations and the 1 gallon of medium per foot of growth recommendation. This seems like a lot to me, but I don't disagree. Please advise regarding a minimum recommendation of soil-based medium for a 1.5-2' tall plant. I am currently using Schultz potting soil, vermiculite, and perlite in a 3-1-1 mixture. I think it may need more soil; the soil is extremely airy, drains extremely well; of course, the potting soil already has at least some perlite in it. The bottom 1/4" of the 14-ounce cup is perlite for extra drainage. Please advise. The box is lined with dull-side-out heavy duty aluminum foil. The main boxes will be painted flat white. The light is movable and is kept closer than 2". It had a cardboard back I attached which of course has aluminum foil. It is not curved.
I fertilized them once with miracle grow 8-7-6 at full strength two days ago, upon transplanting to the cups from the peat pellets; I realize this may have been too much; I wonder. Other waterings have been distilled water. I'm not clear on the terminology, so I'll describe. The plants originally had "baby leaves", then came two leaves across from each other (which are growing a lot) and right above them are two other leaves, rotated 45 degrees. On some plants I can see a next set. I am starting to see so yellow tips on some of the leaves; has me worried. Temp in the box ranges from 80-90.
My main concern is the smell from the plants during flowering; I read that it may eventually get so bad as to shut my operation down. I am considering Walmart style purifiers with the fan speed control and ion generator. I starting a program of burning incense which my roommates like and that **** will burn your nose, it's so strong. I leave my computer on to mask the slight noise on the fan. A fish tank is another idea. I try and grow hot peppers in a cheap greenhouse thing and fail; the roommates seem to like this and I think they will enjoy it if I succeed. This is in case I accidentally leave out a 25 million pound bag of fertilizer; I will have a chance of blaming it on the peppers.
Thank you all for your posts; I love to read them but sometimes forget what I read or become confused with contradictory info. Please respond with ideas, but keep in mind heat will be a problem with me and my desire to reduce fan noise. BTW, I plan on having 2-3 plants to maturity. I consider bending them over or training alond a screen. I am shying away from topping. I will flower a 6-8". Thanks again folks!!

smokinrav

Welcome ZeroG. Isnt that 65watt light a grow-n-show? If so, its just an incandescent with a blue covering on the glass. Wont do much else but put out heat. You need to look into Compact florescents for that space. Theyre expensive, like $30 per, but put out a pretty good amount of lumens for a floro and heat is more acceptable. There are threads all over about it. Check the lighting forum and/or do a Search for twister, compact floro, Lights of america, Florex. Or just go check out your Lowes. Theyll be all over the floro section. Good luck

Smokin

adderpuff

Hi Ya
Wicked soundin mini room by the sounds of it jus dont use any inscents sticks or the like cos the plants will absorb it the ion genny is much better, Good Luck
Adder.

one

this is good because i am already an avid gardener so... i can have plenty of plants in my room without weird thoughts... yay man i can't wait to grow i jsut need to get more lights....
one

born042079

Go to lowes and pick up 4 of the 150w circular floros that screw into regular fixtures. DO NOT get anything shy of 150w. Add to your cart 4 shop "clamp lamps". Take them home and take pretty much every thing apart. Go to this thread and check out how Gimmick rigged it all up so that the heat from the floro balasts is not in the grow container:

http://www.hempcultivation.com/420/s...3&pagenumber=8

Here are the bulbs that are attached to those ballasts:

http://www.hempcultivation.com/420/s...3&pagenumber=6

It is a brilliant little Idea to keep light in and heat out. The 4 bulbs will give you about 10,000 lumens alone. That should be plenty of light for your small grow.

Peace,

Born420

homeless420

Yo your stealth room sounds tight and like everyone else said you got everything else covered xcept the lights. And since lights are the most important part of growing besides the seeds/clones whatever get some gooooood ones!
Peace out sorry about all your nonsmokin pests.

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homeless