First Grow, Opinions needed on setup

[gbf4ever]

Have a closet 6 ft by 3 foot and 9 feet high I'm working on setting up at the moment. My basic plan was to put in a shelf and divide the closet, making the bottom the mother/clone area and reserve the top for budding. Going to be planting with a mix of 4:1:1 soil/perlite/vermiculite. Some questions. At what level should i put the shelf to leave enough room for the mothers on the bottom? Would I be better off going with one 1000w hps or two 400w hps for the budding area? Plan to have decent ventilation, but I can't cut holes or anything in the closet so heat may be an issue. Was also wondering around how many plants do you think ill be able to fit in a 6 by 3 budding area Any opinions on my setup would be most welcome, thanks in advance for all the help.

gbf4ever Reviewed by gbf4ever on 04-04-2008. First Grow, Opinions needed on setup Have a closet 6 ft by 3 foot and 9 feet high I'm working on setting up at the moment. My basic plan was to put in a shelf and divide the closet, making the bottom the mother/clone area and reserve the top for budding. Going to be planting with a mix of 4:1:1 soil/perlite/vermiculite. Some questions. At what level should i put the shelf to leave enough room for the mothers on the bottom? Would I be better off going with one 1000w hps or two 400w hps for the budding area? Plan to have Rating: 5

[Rusty Trichome]

Couple of problems you will run into... Light leaks and heat will be major issues. Would be better-off having two seperate grow area's.
Having said that, I'd go with the two 400's. Were you to go with the 1000, and find out there's no way to adequatelly ventilate, you're screwed. With the two 400's, if having them both on get's the closet too hot, can always turn one off.

What kind of light for veg?

My 3 gallon pots are about 11 1/2" x 11 1/2 ", so 18 plants, in a 18 sq. ft. space.
When measuring for room divider, it's difficult to tell, simply because you don't say what lights you'll use for veg. With cfl's, you don't need a 14" to 16" buffer space between the lights and the plants.

If going with cfl's, allow one foot for equipment, a couple of inches for lights, 11" for pot, and however tall you'll want to allow the plants to veg. (give yourself a foot at least) So 3 feet of vertical vegspace, minimum. (or so) Would this be enough space left over for flowering chamber? Could you guarantee yourself, that no light from the veg chamber will slip thru to those in flower?

Keep in mind you'll need to use seperate ventilation and circulation fans in both, seal all the possible light leaks, one closable door for each section.

Bottom line...It's possible, with proper ventilation, but difficult to accompolish using HID lights.

[gbf4ever]

Plan on using cfls for veg. I believe ill be going with a 1000w hps with a glass lens and inline fan. Anyone own one of these? How well do they keep the temperatures down? Have some more questions but i'll post them later, late for work already.

[gbf4ever]

Going to be moving the mother/clones to a differant area so I can reserve the closet for flowering. I'll be using three 40w two bulb shop lights with T12 bulbs. Will this be enough light to grow my mother/clones sucessfully? Plan to upgrade to a T5 as soon as I can. Will the 1000w hps cover the whole 6 by 3 closet? Would like to go with two 600s but they tend to be a little more pricey and I want to stick with the lens/air cooled setup. Seeds are planted, maybe as things get going Ill start up a log so I can get your guys help and opinions along the way. Thanks again!

[Rusty Trichome]

Going to be moving the mother/clones to a differant area so I can reserve the closet for flowering.

Very good idea. Less worry of light leaks and heat build-up.

I'll be using three 40w two bulb shop lights with T12 bulbs. Will this be enough light to grow my mother/clones sucessfully?

Yes. Takes a bit longer for proper veg, but that's kinda what I used to use. I had bought wo, 4 light shop fixtures. Ended up with one fixture up top, one along back wall. I figured the one along the back wall couldn't hurt, and I couldn't fit another fixture above, anyway.

Plan to upgrade to a T5 as soon as I can. Will the 1000w hps cover the whole 6 by 3 closet? Would like to go with two 600s but they tend to be a little more pricey and I want to stick with the lens/air cooled setup. Seeds are planted, maybe as things get going Ill start up a log so I can get your guys help and opinions along the way. Thanks again!

Not sure about the coverage on the 1000w, but would still prefer the 2 6oo's. If possible, could ya get one, then within the next month or so get the other? Wouldn't really need the second one for a while anyway.

You'd really appreciate the flexibility and lower operating costs, down the road. I really love the two sources of light, too. I have them set on chains, hanging from adjustable 2x4's. Can put the lights in the most advantageous positions, depending on the grow conditions. (Up, down, side to side, at an angle...)
In my attempts to keep a perpetual harvest going, half my plants in flower are adolescents, the other half are those nearing harvest. Usually those in my flower shed are a month apart in maturity. With only one light source, couldn't be as sucessful using that technique.

Also, if one bulb fails you'd have the back-up to keep the light cycles right, plus less heat and lower electricity costs when 1000w isn't really needed.

But, 1000w should be ok, too. Looking forward to the log. :thumbsup:

[gbf4ever]

Have the closet all set up so started germinating this morning. I'm going to be growing my clones/mother in just an empty bedroom. Would it be worth sealing off a corner so the plants recieve as much light as possible? I've decided on two 600ws(thanks for all the opinions). Hopefully it will keep the heat down some and I had no idea they cost less to run. Anyone know a website that sells 600s with lens/air cooled for a decent price? When my plants are started and I move them under the lights should I raise them up off of the ground? Doesn't get cold or anything but I was considering doing it just for ease of watering/care. Another thing I was wondering. Its quite a ways off but I'm using feminzed white widow seeds, and was wondering what the easiest way to spot a hermy is? I've participated in grows before, but have never come across any hermys. Started my seeds in peat pods and going to be moving them to 4 in pots when I'm ready. Would it be okay to transplant from the 4 in into 3 gallon? Or should I throw in another size in between? Since the closet is going to be strictly for budding, to what size should i grow my clones before flowering? With lights/buffer space I have the potential to fit 4-5 foot plants comfortably, but I dont want to throw them in to late, and have to top them because they grow too much during flowering.

Also this is my first grow so one of my biggest concerns is over/under watering. From what I've read its best to Day1-Water,Day2-skip,Day3-skip,Day4-check water if needed. Does this apply to all phases of growth? Also when checking how dry the soil is do you go by whats on top of the pot, or is it best to stick your finger in a few inches to check deeper?

Took a trip to the hydro store the other day and ended up getting talked into buying this.

Recipe For Success Starter Kit (720600) - Fertilizers / TechniFlora

Anyone have any experiance with it? The hippie store owner recommended it highly but I havnt been able to find any information. Was planning on using it half strength(work my way up to it). When is the best time to start feeding your plants?

Sorry about all the questions, but thanks for helping a newbie out! Don't want to put a bunch of money into this and not do it right. :rastasmoke:

[gbf4ever]

Another question. If i do 18 plants will they have enough room to grow comfortably? Or would I have better luck spreading them out more and sticking with 10ish. Trying to maximize yields as much as possible. Any feedback, comments, criticism is highly welcome.

[Rusty Trichome]

Would it be worth sealing off a corner so the plants recieve as much light as possible?

Since you are paying for the light, might want to get the most out of it.

When my plants are started and I move them under the lights should I raise them up off of the ground? Doesn't get cold or anything but I was considering doing it just for ease of watering/care.

Always best to keep 'em off the concrete.

Another thing I was wondering. Its quite a ways off but I'm using feminzed white widow seeds, and was wondering what the easiest way to spot a hermy is?

In Frisco, they're the ones lifting their dress, to pee on the recruitor. (kidding...sort of)
You've got plenty to wonder about, and have plenty time to find pix and info.

Started my seeds in peat pods and going to be moving them to 4 in pots when I'm ready. Would it be okay to transplant from the 4 in into 3 gallon? Or should I throw in another size in between?

I usually go 4" to 1 gallon to 3 gallon and if need be, to a 5 gallon. Still waiting to use these whiskey barrell halves I've got, but haven't figured-out how to pull that one off yet.

Since the closet is going to be strictly for budding, to what size should i grow my clones before flowering?

You should really think about events that are imminent. Clones are months away. (or so)

With lights/buffer space I have the potential to fit 4-5 foot plants comfortably, but I dont want to throw them in to late, and have to top them because they grow too much during flowering.

Don't put 'em in anything larger than a 3 gallon pot. If that doesn't restrict the plants height, bending and tying are an easy option.

Also this is my first grow so one of my biggest concerns is over/under watering. From what I've read its best to Day1-Water,Day2-skip,Day3-skip,Day4-check water if needed. Does this apply to all phases of growth? Also when checking how dry the soil is do you go by whats on top of the pot, or is it best to stick your finger in a few inches to check deeper?

Take a pot, of the same size your plants are in. Fill that pot with the rock (drainage) layer and soil. Now lift that pot. When the pots your plants are in feel almost as light as the pot that only contains soil...it's time to water.

Your nutes look fine, but no experience with them. There should be about 3 to 4 sets of leaves on the seedlings before 1/2 strength nutes are added. Adding nutes too soon will kill young seedlings and clones, but keep an eye on them.

Most of all... Relax. This hobby will require shitloads of patience. If you come across a problem during your grow...do a search, and see if you can figure-out the solution. But before you take any corrective action...double check here with members that are more experienced with troubleshooting.

Good luck with your ladies. :jointsmile:

[Technique2]

Nice info here bros, much appreciated. Especially the insights from Rusty.