Advice please, first time growing. :)

Alright, here's the deal.

Growing space/condition: 2ft x 3ft x 10ft (closet space)

Growing: 2 x White Widow feminized

Wall: sterilized covered with Panda Film on walls, ceiling, and floor. Duct taped to keep moisture out.

Light: 1 x 600W HPS Lamp setup with ballast

Grow medium: Soil (Fox Farms Organic Soil Mix)
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So my questions are as follows:

- Can I use that space with that lamp (I know it will fit leaving a few inches on each side)

- Will this burn my walls from being close?

- Can I put an additional fan in place to prevent that from happening?

- Can I plant in 3 Gallon pot without any need for transplanting later on in the growth? Is there a downside to doing it right off the bat?

- Is there any benefit to transplanting?

- I planned on getting the HESI plant food, or should I just leave it be and let the soil do the work throughout the grow period?

- I do not really have a ventilation system, will putting a fan in suffice?

- Should I get a dehumidifier just in case it gets too humid?

- How far down should I plant my seeds? Should I put them in a damp paper towel for 30 hours first and wait for sprouting?

- How long should the light be on, 24/7 or 18/6, which shows best growth results?

- Should I cut fan leaves, or leave them in tact?

Thanks for answering these questions in advance guys, I know I am asking for alot of advice :]

Also, what am I looking at for energy cost/monthly?

Will this grow be worth it, and what is my potential yield?

What should I charge for dimebag, quarter ounce, half ounce, and ounce?

use this advice you gave this guy

http://boards.cannabis.com/closet-ca...ml#post2102600

ass

Aww, man I was just joking no offense intended :P

It seemed funny at the time but now im not so sure :/

I'm sorry :(

Well... comments like that give the board a bad name. Moreover, it is a violation of the board ToU. I get that you said it in jest and that it was probably an "oops wish I could take that back" thing so let's use it as a teaching moment for anyone else who might think this a place for that kind of activity. It is not. People here don't take kindly to any hint of illegal activity. 'nuf said.

Thanks guys for getting me inline, I will be more subtle about what I say from now on. My growing is for personal use and not to break any laws, just wanted to know some basic stuff. Wasn't sure if the electric company would cause fuss over excessive usage etc.

bump

Well, I can assure you want to do it will likely not be successful. A 600 watt lamp will give off 2500 BTUs of heat. Before you start, run your light in that closet, and close the door, and wait for a few hours and check what temperature your closet will be. I would suspect it will be well over 90F.... and a fan inside is just going move that hot air around in the space. Plants need fresh temperate air, and without proper ventilation from you, they will not get it. You will need fresh air coming in, and an exhaust so the hot air can be removed.
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are you planning on moving into a bigger grow room later? cause you could get same results with a 400watt. you would save $ in electric too. also i wouldnt plant right away in a 3 gallon. when i see people do that they get root issues and always come on the boards wondering why there plants are fucked up. big pots will cause a non-aired muck on the bottom and when tiny roots are in it and cant drink the water fast enough, they rot a little and will cause the soil to go acidic. thats when people start thinking buffers run out of there soil! shit ive had mothers in foxfarm for about a year and still doing great

Thanks guys for the replies.

As for the heat issue, I will get an oscillating fan and keep the door open a bit, have a stand up fan in there blowing out and have a small space fan blowing in to simulate air flow and to disperse the CO2 inward, now if humidity becomes an issue which it might on some days, I will just mist it lightly in there to get the conditions right, eventually I do plan on using my bedroom as a grow room but for right now I am confined to the closet, also I will not be keeping the ballast in the closet, it will be outside as to not add anymore unwanted heat. As long as I keep the temps between 70-79 I should be alright, and humidity about 45%-50%?

I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me here. I cannot get my hands on a 400W atm because money restrictions :/

I also ran out today and got 3 4in pots to start seedlings, 3 1 gal pots for later transplant, and 3 3 gal pots for final stage.

You guys think that will do, I am just trying to be optimistic and hopeful.. I do know that the Wattage I got for that space is kind of excessive, but with proper ventilation with fans in/out, can growing conditions be achieved? Most of the heat will be blown out if I leave the door open about a foot.

You are still likely to have heat issues not to mention that it will stink up your house pretty good. You are on the right track with the pots. Consider getting an air cooled hood and fan. That is a lot of light and heat for a small space. I'll be surprised if you can achieve the temps and humidity levels that you quoted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigsby

You are still likely to have heat issues not to mention that it will stink up your house pretty good. You are on the right track with the pots. Consider getting an air cooled hood and fan. That is a lot of light and heat for a small space. I'll be surprised if you can achieve the temps and humidity levels that you quoted.

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Best way to find out what your temp will be is turn the light and fans on an check it after a few hours. I wouldn't worry too much about humidity as long as you have sufficient air movement --- in and out.

Whats up?

Not to be rude but from reading all those questions... You have alot more reading to do before you start. There are stickys that answer 90% of your questions. Also cannabis growing books.

I know this is a place to ask questions but people dont want to do your research for you. I try to help everyone I can. I read and read posts on here for months before I tried growing good shit indoors.

I wish you the best!

I know what you mean and where your coming from, I have done my reading actually to be 100% honest I have been doing nothing but reading for the last week or so on growing. I just like to make certain since opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one. :p

I was wondering, you think a 400W HPS bulb will fit in the fixture? If so, would that help as far as the heating issue goes, to just switch the bulbs, and use the 600W later on when I move my growing area in to a bedroom?

As far as temp goes now in there, it is steady at around 68 at night (no lighting at all), and 72 during the daytime. Humidity is about 54% give or take 2%-4% fluctuation.

I figure the airflow, and at least having the ac on in the room should help if I do use the 600W as far as temps go, I can always open the door to the closet some to let some of the cool air in.

Of course like anyone, I wanna go with the cheapest and most reliable options that will be the most effective.

To extend my researching, I also made sure to buy everything needed beforehand; as far as the light, I just got carried away haha. As for everything else, I bought bat guano, worm castings, fox farms organic soil along with fox farms fertilizers (3 1qt bottles) for each stage of growth, the panda film to cover walls etc, digital soil ph tester, each of the 3 pots for each stage when the plants begin to get rootbound. I also got the best seeds (in my opinion) to grow; white widow feminized. The only issue I might have at some point when I get the lamp in will be the temp for the space, which is why I am asking all sorts of questions, and possibly humidity issues which is when I will go pick up a humidifier/dehumidifier. I believe I have done alot more reading than I am given credit for. I might be a newbie at this stuff but I sure as hell don't mind the help and of course friendly criticism.


Thanks guys

Never, ever try to operate a 400 watt bulb with a 600 watt ballast, unless you want to be on the news when your house burns down.

I seriously doubt you're going to be able to control the temperature in that closet using the technique you described... You're going to need some strong ventilation sucking the heat out and taking it outside, and some cool air coming in at a rate sufficient to offset the radiant heat coming from the light... Gonna be tough. Good luck to ya.

Duly noted on the bulb switching :)

As for the heat, I will leave the door wide open and run the ac with fans blowing in to the closet. It's also an option to keep the bulb up a tad bit higher to keep the heat around the plant at a steady 70-80 degrees. And with a oscillating fan in the closet blowing out right around the light level, that way the heat from the lamp gets blown straight out in to the ac cooled room, I don't see why that wouldn't work.. The heat is going out before it has a chance to hit the plant, I will definitely experiment before planting the seeds to see exactly what results I get.