First Grow Experiment: Building a $120 grow box

Here I will be updating info and pictures from my first indoor grow. Last year I planted some seeds outdoor but failed probably because of the lack of sun. As of now I am setting up an indoor stealth operation in my room made of Rubber Maid boxes. Stealth and cost are my priorities but I will try to grow the best plant given the conditions.

My friend who is doing this project with me provided a bag seed which I germinated. It germinated in about 24 hours.

I went to Lowes where I asked about florescent lights and instantly the guy said "I thought you kids gave up growing pot years ago." He then directed me to some lights designed exactly for the purpose of indoor growing. Between Lowes, Fred Meyer and a local hardware store a I purchased the following supplies.

Supplies:

15 ft. extension cord
6" Inline fan
2 about 25 watt florescent grow lights(might upgrade)
a bag of organic potting soil
a bag of perlite
a power strip
2 Rubbermaid 18" Tubs (might upgrade bigger)
a can of flat white spray paint
an elbow of PVC pipe
a small pack of wire caps
some screws and bolts.

All this ran me about $110

Here is what I have setup so far, it is temporary until my white box is done drying:

I spray painted one of my tubs white for reflection.
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3065/03170914392.jpg

Set up the lights and planted the seed root down in some soil with a little perlite.
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7829/0317091423.jpg

Cut the female end off of the extension cord and stripped it down.
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1175/0317091553.jpg

Then hooked the wires of the extension cord to the wires of the inline fan and put on wire screws afterward.
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8996/0317091621.jpg

I then temporarily have set the fan in the box. Eventually I will make a carbon filter and so fourth.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4029/0317091717.jpg


I set it up beside my bed using the power strip taped behind my bed.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9321/03170917092.jpg



So far so good. I hope this thing sprouts. Eventually I will be getting a few more seeds or some clones.

looking good keep us updated :thumbsup:

Today I got a chance to switch to the white box for reflection. I also set up a new fan system which pulls air out rather than pushing it around inside. I think it might have been too cold with the fan before because my lights put off very little heat.

The way I redesigned it was I created a passive intake with some PVC, scissors and duct tape. Now when the fan is running fresh C02 gets pulled through this.

[img][/img]

Next I cut a hole on top of the box to rest the fan and push air out of.

[img][/img]

and with everything in it
[img][/img]

Bam!
[img][/img]

Then rested the fan on top... facing so the air would blow outward from the box.
[img][/img]

Finally I put the other box halfway on top of the other so it is stealthy but still lets the air out.
[img][/img]


Nothing has broke the surface yet but then again it has only been about 36 hours since I planted. I am watering about 2 times every 24 hours very lightly.

Some questions I have. Also feel ffree to ask any questions of you own about the setup.
Do you think my 2 grow lights are enough?
Is there any way to quiet the noise from my incline fan?
About how long til it will break the surface? (I know I must be patient but I am just curious)

I hope some people are willing to follow along with this and perhaps contribute some feedback/pointers. Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigLeagueJew

Do you think my 2 grow lights are enough?

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I'd say those lights are enough for the first week. After that, some cfl's, as many as you can pack in there. 6500K for vegging, and 2700K for flowering (or at least near those Kelvin ranges)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigLeagueJew

Is there any way to quiet the noise from my incline fan?

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I put some ducting on the end of my fan, and it reduced the noise a lot. Some places sell mufflers, but if I remember someone said its a tube with pink fiberglass in it... http://boards.cannabis.com/growroom-...-proofing.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigLeagueJew

About how long til it will break the surface? (I know I must be patient but I am just curious)

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I've heard up to two weeks... depends on many things...


It sounds and looks like you have things pretty much under control... I like the setup so far. Good luck:thumbsup:

Thanks a ton for the quick response and helpful info.

I will try to insulate the top bucket which contains my fan and also cut air holes so I can seal the bottom.

So do you think if I went ahead and installed three cfls under the top lid it would be fine for the stage i'm in? or do you think I should wait until further developing? I figure I could do that pretty soon since i'm going to have to buy them eventually.

Also I should probably get a thermometer right? or is that not necessary?


I will keep it posted:hippy:

I have one question, what happens when your plant turns out to be a male and you've just wasted 4-6 weeks?:stoned:

Oh yeah the thermometer is a must.

You should use cfls, Go to homedepot for like 8 dollares. Get these Cfls that are in a blue and white package, There Called Day light, Or sun light, They have a picture of the sun in the corner.

Thoes work very well, Then I would buy some Clamp shop lights,
Get about 4 of the sun bulbs.


A thermomiter you really should get, Just so you can watch the day and night time temps, Its vital to a plant.

Then go to your local hydro store, Pick up a bottle of Fox Farms - Grow Big
( 17 dollares a bottle)

Also try to get a Ph testing kit,


Thats all I can think of for rate now.




socialistpete - Stay on topic, Please don't thread jack.
Make your own.
=].

There is such thing as too much light, and this is especially true for young seedlings. However, you will probably be ok with just flouro's and cfl's. Even so, I use only a 21w flouro for the first week that the plants are above ground, after which I put them under my HID.

Yes a thermometer is very important... you will also need something to measure humidity. Something to measure ph and adjust ph is also a must.

Hoping you get some ladies:thumbsup:

First off thanks to everyone who has given the helpful insight. I think today I will go pick up some CFLs and a thermometer(anyone know of a good one that tests humidity as well?). I am not too sure about shop lights only because they probably wouldn't fit but maybe i can get a fixture or something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by socialistpete

I have one question, what happens when your plant turns out to be a male and you've just wasted 4-6 weeks?:stoned:

Oh yeah the thermometer is a must.

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As far as it being male i'm not too worried because i will also hopefully be getting some female clones and this is more the learning process. I hope however that it is female.

Also beware people that I'm on a tight budget:mad:. If anyone knows cheap alternatives for things let me know.

Ok its day 3 and I am very excited to see what I believe is the tip of the plant emerging from soil!:thumbsup:

It's probably impossible to see from this crappy picture but its the little green thing in the center.

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8718/0319091650.jpg

Up close it looks as though it is pointing to the side. I moved the lights a bit so they would fit better directly over the top of the plant.

More good news..
I purchased a thermometer today, which unfortunately does not read humidity(I didn't have the money on me for one that did) but it does have a sensor to place in side my box.
While at Home Depot and Fred Meyers I also purchase 4 CFLs and an 18" (The exact size of my box) light fixture.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7291/0319091722.jpg

I placed the thermometer inside the box and the main reader outside the box about 6 ft. away.
It is reading about a steady 72 degrees F for the inside which correct me if i'm mistaken, is just about right. It is reading about 68 inside my room which probably is not important.
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2228/0319091725.jpg

I plan on setting up the CFL fixture soon... how soon do I need it? Also if anyone has links or info about wiring it easily that would be nice. Like most others it is not "plug in" and it has a black wire, a white wire and a bare copper, ground wire for connection.

Also my budget has gotten a bit out of range. I have now spent about $140 total and am setting a limit for myself on $160 maybe less if I can help it.
The only other things I will buy are Fox Farms Grow Big, some more seeds or cheap clones and maybe a PH/Humidity reader.

questions, advice, comments?

wiring the fixture will be the same as wiring the inline fan. acquire a grounded extension cord, and you're set.

there should be little rings around each socket. these will pull (or unscrew) off. remove all of these, and the front of the fixture is free. pull it open, detach the ground wire from the fixture, and color match it to the extension cord's wire (black to black, white to white, green to ground). then the negative, then the positive. electrical tape, wire nuts, and you have a CFL setup.

oh, ps, i've seen humidity readout strips at petco for terrariums. like $2, i think. you can also buy pH test kits there, as well as pH up and pH down.

:thumbsup:best of luck:thumbsup:
stay safe
-GG84

Hey thanks man. That was a really informational post. I'm gonna set that up today and then give an update with pics. Do you think once I take the metal rings off I should leave them off or is that just to get the wires out?

Oh and I think I will hit up Petco or Home Depot cuz they had like a $5 PH and Humidity reader

you can replace the rings so that the unit is secure as a whole.

that's what I was thinking. Stay tuned for an update.:rastasmoke:

Okay today I found a happy little surprise. My plant has developed her first leaflets!
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2820/0321091402.jpg
The brown spot is just a little piece of bark that got stuck to her sticky leaf.

Today I also began setting up my CFL fixture
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/810/0321091531.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6084/0321091603.jpg
I still need to acquire a another extension cord to hook it up though

My thermometer is at work and inside my box temps are ranging from about 69-76 during the day and 60-68 at night

so my stealth operation going on behind my bed was found(Fan noise maybe?)..... I played it off like I was just growing vegetables but I'm not sure if that will hold up. My plant is still okay but I can't keep it at my house. I need to transport it to my friends house until the end of April when my grow partner is here.

The main problem is I need this shit out of my house before people get that it's not vegetables but I still need the plant to survive. I can't get in touch with my friend right now so I'm in a sticky situation.

Ok, today I moved my plant to my friends house. I realized I still needed to finish the setup of my CFL fixture. I went to Home Depot to get an extension cord and ended up maxing my budget by five bucks. Thankfully though, I got everything I needed for the rest of my grow.
While at Home Depot I bought:
an extension cord
A PH/Light/Humidity reader
A bottle of organic fertilizer pellets

I am now up to $165 in expenses and will not spend anymore unless absolutely necessary.

After shopping I finished up the setup:
Cut the extension cord and attached it to the wires from the light fixture.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2553/0323091634.jpg
Hooked up the lights inside the growbox
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7738/0323091655.jpg
and Bam! It's setup with more light in my friends house.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/577/0323091658.jpg
:D

Our plant has now officially been named Ceres after the Greek goddess of agriculture.

Here is a picture I snapped while at my friends house today.
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1410/0326091455h.jpg

Also today I moved the plant closer to the CFLs.

Looking pretty good, I will be following this one...

Okay guys it's been a little while since an update. Everything is going well and the plant got some new leafs.
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2609/03300914531.jpg
I also cut off the top of the plastic container so it could get more light in. About how much longer til I have to transplant?

questions, comments?

Thanks to those that are following along.

Hopefully ceres is a girl but if not it's all good, it's not a waste of time you got a set up and grew a plant. (even if it is a male, it's the same species)

GL man

yeah I am hoping for female but this grow is mostly about the learning experience:thumbsup: thanks for checking out the grow

ok got a few changes.... 6 new leafs starting to develop and the two existing leaves got bigger:thumbsup: Ceres is doing quite well.
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7820/0402091455a.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7757/0402091455.jpg

I am thinking about adding nutes soon. Is it too soon? if so how much longer?
The kind of nutes I have are Dynamite Organic all purpose. Does anyone know anything about these nutrients or used them before?
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5950/0402091620.jpg
It says it is 10-2-8 and is slow release nitrogen that lasts up to 3 months!
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7388/0402091621.jpg

Thanks for any feedback:rastasmoke:

how close is your plant to the lights? you want to be between about 1-3" for CFLs.

-shake

Hold up on the nutes until you have at least 4-5 nodes. If you want them to grow faster, you have to add more light... CFL's can give you nice results, but even with 400w (actual, not equivalent) of CFL's, the growth will be slower than with an HID. If flowering time were 8 weeks with an HID, it would probably take 9-11 weeks with equivalent wattage in CFL's.

You have a nice starter project going, but like irydyum said on your other post, you get what you invest into it. You will get something out of this, not much however (if you do not invest any more money at this point or later on), but also are you willing to wait 4 months for these results?

Something to think about here... what is your goal in growing? For me, I didn't want to pay anyone else ridiculous weed prices. Therefore, I wanted to grow enough so that I would never run out. So far I have close to $1000 invested since last september, but I have not bought any weed either, and been high for most of that time. Also, the only costs for me in the future will be for seeds, nutes, soil, and electricity. My total investments will pay for themselves after my 2nd harvest.

If you want my recommendation, either get a 250w hps with cooltube or a lot more cfl's. If you want to go cheap, you can probably find one at some auction, but personally I would buy it new from a reputable source, because it is the most important factor for growth.

Good luck and keep updating :)

Thanks for the response. It's good to figure out a picture of what i'm going for. I think since I am on a tight budget I will just get some more CFLs for now. Once this small harvest:hippy::jointsmile::rastasmoke::rasta: pays off I can get into bigger grows and get an HPS.

Hey I wanted to try and help you out with your light issue. I know you are on a budget so here is what i`m using for seedling/veg and they are cheap plus work great...1 T5 tube, 1 F20 tube, and 1 Walmart grow light (all 24inch long). I have all 3 attached to the lid of the growbox and they are giving my 6 seedlings plenty of love. However you will still need more light for flowering . The 3 veg lights were under $50 including 2 of the 3 fixtures, the 3rd fixture I already had. Anyways, I hope that helps.

Next time around, invest in a 125w or 250w HPS and you will notice a huge improvement. If you are serious about growing and plan on doing more than just one grow, the initial investment will pay for itself in the long run. Good luck with your grow and feel free to check out my log even though I`m still in the early stages too. :hippy:

thanks for checking out the log. Hopefully after this summer I will have money to get an HPS and start a bigger grow. I will check out your log as well.

Ceres is doing quite well. Heres a new picture. The leaves are drooping a bit, is this a problem? I made the lights a bit closer but I don't want to burn. I would say they are at about 1.5 inches right now which should be ideal.

Leaf drooping is due to over or under watering. Give us some info on your watering schedule, I'm sure someone will gladly troubleshoot real quick. :jointsmile:

looks like its goin well. i wud of never spent more then 20$ for supplies.lol but HEY, THE MORE YOU INVEST THE MORE YOU'LL GET IN RETURN.good work.keep updated!

[quote=BigLeagueJew]Ceres is doing quite well. Heres a new picture. The leaves are drooping a bit, is this a problem? I made the lights a bit closer but I don't want to burn. I would say they are at about 1.5 inches right now which should be ideal.[/QUOTE

from the look of the soil, it looks like a watering is probably coming due. (just a guess.) so you should be fine. don't take this as the gospel without providing more info though!

you'll learn as you go that the leafs will start to sag when your (hopefully) ladies need a waterin'.

-shake

Thanks for the input guys. I'm not too sure what you could do for under $20 but I would like to see it. My friend takes care of the watering and waters about twice a day. What I think is the problem must be is that when he waters it he doesn't water enough. I think for fear of flooding. I have a spray bottle which we will start to use which should eliminate that fear and we can water more. Also when I put my humidity reader in usually it is between dry and normal. A good sign to water more lol.

Watering twice a day is not advised. As IR says, "Cannabis requires wet/dry cycles" Let the soil dry out first, maybe until you see the plant wilt a little, and then give it a good watering with a little run-off. If your soil is well aerated with perlite and you have drainage holes, it's hard to over-water with that method.

The meters can be good, or they can be off. I just pick up the pots and you can tell that way if they are dry or not.

thank you:thumbsup: I will definitely switch to watering my plants this way. The only thing that still concerns me is that when planting I made the Noob mistake of not really mixing in my perlite and rather just sprinkling on top. I realized afterwards and felt stupid haha.

I have a PH/Light/Water meter all in one I picked up at home depot that does the job great. It has a 1-10 scale for wetness 1-4 being dry 4-7 damp and 7-10 moist.

It makes watering easy and leaves you with no uncertainty.

I have that exact meter haha. I have been keeping it moist all the time but am now switching to the wet and dry cycle which has been recomended above.

i'm not sure if it was covered as to why the wet/dry cycle is advised. the reason being is that when the soil starts to dry out the plants roots "search" for more water.

-shake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by headshake

i'm not sure if it was covered as to why the wet/dry cycle is advised. the reason being is that when the soil starts to dry out the plants roots "search" for more water.

-shake

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ahh I see. Good info shake!

I will be in San Fran for a bit so I will post when I get back at the end of the week. Hopefully the new growth will be good. :jointsmile: Stay tuned