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View Full Version : Possible indoor grow, looking for critism =D



homegrow1967
10-27-2008, 06:12 PM
Hey guys, I have been reading on these forums for about 2 or 3 weeks, and I have been inspired to start my own indoor grow. I know pics are a MUST and much appreciated on here, so I will be posting some for sure when I get everything together.

Potential materials include:

Grow Box: 4'x4'x5or6' tall dimensions. Made from 1/4" plywood and 2x4s. I will be air sealing with caulk and the door will be weather-stripped. The inside walls will be painted with a few coats of flat white, humidity-resistant paint. On the floor will be about a 1" layer of thick styrofoam, covered with some sort of thick, black plastic that will be stapled flush with the wall about 1' or so up the wall.

Lighting: I will be constructing 2 fixtures containing (3) 27w CFLs apiece as soon as I have time. The 2 boards containing the lights will be attached to another small piece of plywood which will be vertically adjustable and painted white. So a total of (6) 27w 6500k CFLs for veg, or (6) ??w 2700k CFLs for flowering. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas for a better lighting set-up, (that DOES NOT contain a HID fixture) feel free to type away. How many CFLs do you thing I would need for this room?

Ventilation: This is where I need some help. I will be venting out the same hole that the dryer uses to exhaust, taking all the air and putting it outside, but I will be using filters and what not for smell. I was going to use ducting and a 6" in-line fan from Home Depot rated at 160cfm for exhausting out the top of the box. For intake, I will be doing a passive set up that will contain (2) 2-4" holes in the bottom back of the box with 90 degree PVC elbow joints, with something like SteelWool for a filter to keep out dust and what not. Of course their will be a small oscillating fan inside as well. Does this sound like adequate ventilation to you guys?

Medium and Nutrients I have some potting soil and fertilizer already, BUT I am open to suggestion. Just keep in mind I'm on a tight budget.
The soil I have atm I just bought from Walmart and is based for leafy house plants. I will come back and put the exact N-P-K for it since I am not at home right now, but I do know its is something like a 12-4-8or6%. I did good flush of the soil in a few pots i have germinated seeds in right now, just to keep from shocking the plants with too much nute. I know the basics for fertilizers and soils, like more N for veg and more P for flowering, but that is about it other than not adding too much to start with and bringing the food on lightly. The fertilizer I have is Miracle-Grow and is something like 24-8-12, also built for leafy indoor plants. It is the water-soluble blue, crystalline powder type. I haven't got anything for flowering yet, but I will get some bloom complex. I am really, really sketchy on Nutes and vitamin/mineral stuff, so PLEASE help a brother out.

I will leave it at this for now, just to get some suggestions on the most important parts, but I will be moving this to the Grow Log forum when it all gets going. And yes, I WILL be sticking with it. I have a very decent digital camera that I will be posting ALOT of pics with.

Thank you guys so much for the inspiration and any help/tips you can offer.

KEEP IT 4:20 FRIENDLY

homegrow1967
10-27-2008, 06:45 PM
Pics soon, I promise. :rasta:

stinkyattic
10-27-2008, 07:35 PM
Black plastic- Get panda film instead and use it white side up.
Exhaust- dryer vents are usually 4"; unless you are running a rather small light like a 400HPS you may want to consider alternate arrangements like a 6" duct with a filter so you can use the heat to heat your house in the winter if you are in a cold weather area. Either way, smell control is a must.
Soil and nutes- you may already have scorched the seedlings with that dirt. Unless it was labelled for seedlings, potting mix from box stores is usually not right. Also MG sucks goat nads and you should head over to a specialty garden center or nursery and poke around to see what else is available, or order pot ferts online if there's no gorw shop nearby. Skimping on dirt and ferts causes headaches for months. Trust me!
Keep us posted and good luck!

homegrow1967
10-27-2008, 11:15 PM
Thanks 4 the input. I feared that i would scorch the seedlings with that pre-mix soil. I have some more seedlings germed and ready. Do u think i could flush the soil a couple of times with distilled water and restart? Would the flushing solve the problem and make it safe for a couple of weeks till transplant time?