Homeless style grow box.... suggestions comments?

Hi everyone

A couple of weeks ago I put some left over seeds into a pot with some generic potting mix and placed it on my balcony which gets lots of morning and mid day sun

anyhow a couple of plants decided to shoot up and seemed to be doing ok in the conditions they were presented with

I decided that it would be best to bring them indoors as they are at the stage where they are growing 3 finger leaves and living in a set of units with lots of people walking past my balcony i dont want someone to notice

Now with minimal research i created a grow box out of a cardboard box i had laying around

I'v lined its inside walls with white office paper to better reflect light

I have a 23w 6500k fluro in the box which is very bright considering its a small box

I'v included some pics so you have a better idea of what i'v created

Mainly wondering if the light I have in there is enough or if I should go and put in another light? I have a monster 48W 5000k fluro i could stick in instead but I figured with the plants the size they are that the 23W 6500k would be adequate?

im also wondering if i should cut a hole in the box to let more air get in and out. As it is the box is not airtight as you can see from the pics with the light coming out

:rastasmoke:

Comments/suggestions welcome

Plants need to be closer to the light.

Ok well i decided to hook up the big 48w 5000k fluro and run it with the 23w 6500k

This was a super bright combo.... however the amount of heat that was being generated by the 48w concerned me considering im using a cardboard box.... and i have no ventilation fan to blow out the hot air, after all i donâ??t want to cook the plants

In the end i swapped it for another 23w 6500k bulb

I'v moved the plants closer to the bulbs

I will install another 23w light in the next few days when my local shop restocks with portable floodlight sockets

That setup will be fine for vegetative growth, but you will not harvest many buds with fluorecents (of any Wattage!) Those plants look like indicas to me, so you will not have to worry about height restrictions.
If you get serious and go buy HPS, upgrade from paper to kitchen foil to eliminate a fire hazard. This shit right here is the essence of homegrowing, and I wish you the best of luck mate.

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Originally Posted by GrowmanSparky

upgrade from paper to kitchen foil to eliminate a fire hazard.

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Amen to that

Well unfortunately for me my girlfriend who was fine @ 1st has gone all paranoid on me and doesnâ??t want any plants growing inside the house under lights 24 horus a day incase the place burns down :S

My only option is to put them on my back balcony which gets next to no sun @ all due to the way my unit is positioned @ least its high enough off the ground no one will know whats growing but alas i doubt there going to grow 2 well out there anyways particualy with the days getting shorter

Time to buy a house....

the problem with paper box and paper reflector is plants need humidity well paper loves water so in like 2 weeks if u have the right humidity levels your box will shrivel and get warped

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Originally Posted by twitch

the problem with paper box and paper reflector is plants need humidity well paper loves water so in like 2 weeks if u have the right humidity levels your box will shrivel and get warped

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I vegged in a paper box. I live in a place where our Downtown is only about 50ft above sea level. Being a large metropolis does not help with the natural humidity that is abundant here.

I did not suffer any of the problems that you mentioned. While that's not to say it can't happen; I don't believe it to be likely.

As a matter of fact even though I've moved onto HID's I still continue to use that same box (almost a year old now) to help my veggie seedlings get started before putting them outside.

I honestly feel most people's worries about cardboard box growing is unwarranted due to the likelihood of the problems they're concerned about actually happening is very low..

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Originally Posted by GrowmanSparky

If you get serious and go buy HPS, upgrade from paper to kitchen foil to eliminate a fire hazard. This shit right here is the essence of homegrowing, and I wish you the best of luck mate.

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I would keep paper over aluminum foil any day.. Even in an HPS setup. Even better still would be for him to get a spray can of flat white paint and paint the inside.

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but you will not harvest many buds with fluorecents (of any Wattage!) Those plants look like indicas to me, so you will not have to worry about height restrictions.

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Your entire post is wrong and misinformed. You should educate yourself before telling others how to proceed with their grow.

There have been many many successful CFL grows. There have been many successful cardboard box grows.. Before jumping in and getting your hands dirty with only 10 posts behind your name and a misinformed view on different ways to grow; I would suggest reading as much as you can on the forums before handing out advice.

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Originally Posted by wangman

Amen to that

Well unfortunately for me my girlfriend who was fine @ 1st has gone all paranoid on me and doesnâ??t want any plants growing inside the house under lights 24 horus a day incase the place burns down :S

My only option is to put them on my back balcony which gets next to no sun @ all due to the way my unit is positioned @ least its high enough off the ground no one will know whats growing but alas i doubt there going to grow 2 well out there anyways particualy with the days getting shorter

Time to buy a house....

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Fires are not likely, especially with CFL's. However I respect your girlfriends concern.

IT looks like you'll either have to guerilla grow or just not grow at all until she's ok with it again.

Well looks like all is not lost

I have been given permission to construct a new box

This time im planning on using a plastic one for starters

I will also be painting the inside of the box with white fireproof paint

BTW where do you get those double bulb socket things, i see in everyone elses boxes? do they just plug into a power socket or do u have to wire them up? what are they called?

For my lights i have been using portable spotlights with the bulbs changed

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Originally Posted by wangman

Well looks like all is not lost

I have been given permission to construct a new box

This time im planning on using a plastic one for starters

I will also be painting the inside of the box with white fireproof paint

BTW where do you get those double bulb socket things, i see in everyone elses boxes? do they just plug into a power socket or do u have to wire them up? what are they called?

For my lights i have been using portable spotlights with the bulbs changed

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You can get them at any home supply store (at least in America) they make lightbulb sockets that have plugs on the end of them.. then you just get a light bulb y splitter and plug it into that one adapter.

I used a power strip to setup all my cfl's when I did it.

you can get y adapters at walmart for like $1.35. right next to the thermostats/ timers. one of the cheapest things you can buy for your grow!

It seems no one down here has even heard of light socket double adaptors or plug in light sockets.... i'll have to keep on using postable spotlight mounts

2 bad my nearest wallmart is a long flight away :P