brand new - am i doing it right?

Hi there,

just joined the forum, and am also brand new to the world of growing. I'm just starting out, and am hoping people can give me feedback on my setup.

I got the seeds from my cousin who has a couple of plants tucked away on her organic farm. Thus, these seeds were produced outdoors, and are not an ultra high potency commercial strain. That's a-ok with me, as I prefer homegrown weed that doesn't get me ripped off of one puff.

So, when I got home with my new gift, I decided to take 10 seeds (she gave me over 100) and do a germination test. Well, about 5 or 6 germinated and so I transfered them into peat-moss cups with soil and just let them sit under the skylight in my loft. Three of the plants have sprouted and have stems about 3" inches tall with one set of single leaves.

Yesterday I took some old boards and built a frame 2' x 4' x 2'. I had a 24" two-tube flourescent fixture with 20w plant/acquarium lights in, which I used to start some basil plants in the spring. I have this set up in the frame, and draped an emergency blanket over top to reflect light and contain humidity.

I know this is not much light. Once I cash my student loan this week, I plan on upgrading to four 48" 40w tubes, to total 160w. Once the plants have outgrown this frame, I plan on building a 4'x4'x4' frame and adding another 4 tubes, to total 320w.

It will all be eventually set up in my storage space, which has a slanted roof with the high end being about 6'. There is not a lot of ventelation in the room, but I don't have the cash to spend on fancy equipment. It's a fairly large room - not a closet. Will ventilation be a huge concern?

Also, I've been reading other posts and thinking maybe it would make more sense for me to use compact flourescent bulbs, as those may be a more efficient use of space?

I plan on germinating a few more - this time doing it right from the start - under 24h light. My goal would be to have 2 - 3 females go to flower, depending on what size they get to.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

I am no expert in fact i am just a beginner but i have being reading as much as i can before i start my 1st grow.

From what i understand when using flouros and cfls then ventilation isnt as much of a big deal compared to HID or HPS lights.

I think if you drill a few holes top and bottom and add a fan you should be ok.


But dont take my word on it let another members confirm this just in case i am wrong.

yeah, i'm not even using a box or cabinet or anything, so i'm thinking ventelation shouldn't be too much of a concern. I just basically built a frame, and covered it with reflective emergency blankets. But maybe I should still get a fan?

I just went to home depot and bought a cheap four-bulb "vanity" strip, which I plan on putting four Compact Flourescents, each with 2600 lumens. However, when I tried to buy the bulbs my card told me I had no more money......damn student budget.

more feedback from those with experience would be much appreciated!

Brendan