Any ideas? I didn't plan on this!

[Alyxaria]

I try not to post newbie questions in forums because I know everyone is busy with their own stuff and from what I saw here already, a lot of you are pretty advanced in your growing. But I basically have a dead line with this as my lease may be up within weeks of what I hoped to be the end of my grow cycle. I had planned on using an average sized closet to grow 2 plants. It was going to be a simple set up; flat white paint, adjustable grow light and 2 plants in soil. I did look into different strains to get a better idea on flowering times, how long to veg for, yield, basic things like that. Unfortunately, the closet I had planned to use is now home to my girlfriend's things so I'm left with the room next to my office and very little time to look into how to use the space. AND, I've been afflicted with a desire to use as much space as possible in the room because I see no reason to devote the whole thing to just 2 plants. I'd rather rent the room out and use the money to buy what I want to smoke and the snacks that I end up needing afterwards.
The room is probably 12x16 feet if not bigger with an angled ceiling. So I do realize I'm not going to be able to fill it with 500 plants but I'm also pretty sure it's big enough to hold more than 10. I'm hoping someone can tell me if starting with 20 - 30 with a loss expectancy of no more than 5 is a realistic if somewhat high for a beginning grower.
I haven't decided on lighting yet but I was thinking of using an extension cord with an adapter to put a light bulb in like I saw in another thread here. I can't do much as far as remodeling the room goes but I'm sure I could put a few hooks in the ceiling to run the cords over to adjust the height of the lights according to growth.
I'm still going to use soil. A decent hydro system will be too much of an investment for a single use before being torn down and moved. I saw something, probably in the same thread as the light idea but I could be wrong, about a mix from stores with a small amount of fertilizer already in it and I've pretty much decided on using something similar and adding more later when the plants need it.
As far as ventilation goes I know a small fan isn't going to cut it but with so much space in the room I don't know how big of an issue it's going to be. I assumed that opening the door when no one other than me would be here for a while and using a large fan to push air out of the room would allow air to flow in above the fan keeping the plants from being damaged (the fan is pretty strong) would get enough air flow to work moderately well. I'm not expecting heat to be an issue as the room is large enough that the lights shouldn't have a huge effect on temperature and the heat in the rest of the house is seperate from that room. Currently if we have the heat in the house set to 70, with the door closed it stays just above whatever it is outside. Likewise, if we have a huge snow storm and we turn the heat off when we go to work I can still have the heater in that room on so the plants don't get too cold.
And, since this strikes me as being a massive undertaking for someone with little experience, I feel I should let everyone know I'm not an aspiring commercial grower and I'm not trying to pay off any credit cards. It really does just seem like a waste to have all that space and use it for very low numbers. Especially since I'm sure I'm going to end up killing a few. Any ideas of how to go about doing this would be greatly appreciated. I'm still looking around for info so I'm definately not taking the easy way out of learning. lol Just thought you guys might have a few ideas I won't get from people around here since all they do is secret one-plant-shows in mommy's basement. Oh, and strain suggestions are welcome too. I've been waiting to order seeds until I knew exactly what I was going to do. During my online wanderings I've seen a few comments on the safest place to get seeds from, if you have good experience with a certain place please let me know about that too. If not I do have an idea of where to go. Sorry for the novel but thank you in advance for any help.

[Loafyboy]

There's nothing like planning to jump in at the deep end (with lead shoes on)!

LOL, just kidding. I see your point about there being a lot of room, but if you are not planning on selling any there is little point in growing that many plants (unless you get through an ounce or 2 a week). Plus that many plants for a novice will surely be a hell of a handful. I would consider a grow tent, as they are easy to setup and take down again after, plus when you move, you can take it with you. It will be so much easier to manage (both the number of plants and environmentally).

The other alternative is to throw your girlfriends stuff out of the closet and into the big room! Then you have a closet to grow in! :thumbsup:

[secret420]

I also see your point about not wanting to waste space but in contrast people that rush things tend to leave out important details. also im not the kind of persont to leave things to chance so my suggestion is take the money that you would have spent on this grow and save it for the next. if you have less than 4 months to set something up get seeds, germinate them, sex them, clone them then veg them till big enough to flower..........quote me if im wrong but bro thats cutting it pretty damn close....trust me im on your side but save your dough and make the next one spectacular, when you de get there give us a shout and these knowledgeable people here will help set you up right, and if they dont i will so your good either way. But really bro dont start something you cant finish, judging from your post you seem smart so dont second guess yourself if you had the suspicion you might be cutting it close then you probably are. If this sounds to insighful and maybe a little deep its probably cuz im drunk :D. word homes good luck make the right decision.

secret:)

[Alyxaria]

In a way I'd love to just hold onto my cash, sit tight and wait this lease out. But I also know that my job doesn't pay well enough to get a place like this again so once this lease is up I'm back to working my ass off for a programming degree just to pay for a place smaller than this one in a worse part of town. I'd be way to paranoid to try this in many other places. And yeah, even if I plant tonight I possibly have to get everything cut down and out of this house in 5 months and 1 week. I'm desperately hoping we can renew this lease. This city is expensive and any other 3 bedroom place would be $1200 or more.
I've been staring at what should be MY closet for a little while. Thinking of her jackets moving slowly in the slight breeze my plants could be enjoying. I've thought of taking those jackets out of my closet and throwing them on the floor in the giant room no one wants... but then I think of her karate classes. And her fist connecting with my face and more sensitive areas. I've decided she can have the closet. The cat goes in there too much anyway. And her friends might come over and they would probably just look in there for the hell of it. Screw that closet.
I've learned my land lord is "pot friendly" so that might be of use in my decision. I'm absolutely insane for thinking I could try 30 plants. I must have been on something when I allowed that thought to entertain my single brain cell. 20... that's just pride talking. What use do I have for pride? The most I'll do is 10 and with my luck I'll end up killing 8 of them which will just take me back to my orginal 2 anyway. I like the idea of a grow tent. A size that I could get now and continue to use next year is only a little above what I had hoped to spend. And it would allow me to use that room for something else. Always a bonus.

[secret420]

Ok well if you are definatly gonna do this and there is a chancee you can renew the lease then what your gonna wanna do is maximize your space. first things first we need good genetics.....so get online go to "the attitude" and get a good indica that wont smell to bad and has a short flowering period and decent yield i would suggest northern lights very easy to grow, but not to smelly, oh and even if your landlord is "pot" friendly doesnt matter you know how a fish gets caught right(it opens its mouth). now get building while your waiting for your seeds.Take that room and at the end and make two rooms that are 6x6 and all the way to the ceiling, these will be your flowering rooms two flowering rooms allows you to crop every 4 weeks instead of every 8. little more overhead but it will pay off big time. Your gonna need an a/c unit and afew other things. youll be taking down around 1.5lbs a month or more so if this sounds like something your interested in let me know and ill give you more info on this plan. and you wont kill 8 out of 10 plants any plants that die will be because you dont have enough room for it lol. in this room will also be our veg room which will house your mothers and all the clones getting ready to be put in the flowering chamber. from seeds to getting bud your looking at about 3 months at best but after that itll be every 4 weeks. prob about 18 plants.....9 in each flowering chamber.

lemme know what you think. p.s this will cost you around 2500 bucks to get going but trust me youll make your money back in no time.

-secret:)

[Alyxaria]

/look at post
/look at bank account
/shake head

Curse my youthful stupidity for causing me to leave school and live the rest of my days in poverty!
That sounds like a project for when I decide to pull a Nancy Botwin. Until then... I never thought I'd say this.. that is far too much for me to smoke and enjoy. I'd have to give it away for an excuse to grow more!