My first attempt and need some advice

[LittleNut]

Hi - I am attempting my first grow. I have been researching for almost a year now and I am ready to take it to the next level. I will admit that I am anxious and anxious at the same time.

Last week, after many many discussions we decided that the conditions were right for us to attempt a grow. We own our home, no children here and one of our elderly parents live with us. We were raided 4 years ago when one of our children decided to try their hand with a 2 plant outdoor grow and we pissed off someone and they squealed. This grow will only be known to my hubby and I. EVER !! He and I are solid, so no problems there.

I have 1 concern and several questions. My concern is this - We have a tenant who lives in an apartment on our property but will NOT have access to our area, nor do they even know this area of our home exists. Our tenant is on probation, has been our tenant for 6 months, is very quiet, does not run around or drink, etc. A very quiet family man who is on probation. He is in total compliance with his probation officer. I checked. We have a landlord/tenant relationship, semi-friendly but professional. Our apartment is above our garage, which is attached to the end of our home. The stairway to the apartment inside the garage goes right by our bedroom window. My concern is that at 4:00 in the morning on Thursday morning, I was awaken to the garage light being on and shining in my bedroom window and 2 police officers on the steps on their way up to the apartment yelling "Hello - Police - Hello - Police - Come out slowly" I was shocked !! My husband met the cops in the stairway (which we have access to also) and asked these guys what they were doing. Their answer was they were driving by and saw our garage door open and they thought someone was robbing us or we needed help and they came in to check it out. The wind blew the door open !! And I didn't for 1 minute buy their story, but could not come up with another logical reason and my husband tried to assure me that was all there was to it. 28 hours later, the sheriff is at the same door with a warrant for my tenant's arrest for missing a hearing. They handcuffed him and took him off to jail. Until our tenant returns, we don't know if the sheriff came into our garage or not or if he was outside waiting for our tenant to leave. My concern is; have we truly been compromised or am I just being paranoid? The area we have chosen is no where near the garage door or even accessible from that area of the property. It would take someone a little bit of time to find this area. The sad part of all this is that I started to germinate my seeds on Wednesday night before we found the cops in our house early Thursday morning. Tonight 5 of my seeds have sprouted and I am just really uncertain what to do. I would appreciate any and all advice and thoughts.

If we decided to continue with our first grow, I have a few questions:

We are using wall kitchen cabinets lined with the styrofoam insulation. We are going cheap until we get a feel for this and then will go further once we are comfortable. I am ready to drop these seeds in soil tomorrow.

We have 3 cabinets. 1 small cabinet that is 36 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 18 inches tall, a medium cabinet that is 27 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 26 inches high, a larger cabinet that is 48 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 26 inches high.

Here are my questions:

1) I am using CFL's and I am unable to figure out how many light I should have in each cabinet and what watts etc, each should be according to whether vegging or flowering. Can I mount lights to the side and back and if so, how far away from the lights mounted to the side/back should the plants be? Also, how many plants should I have in each cabinet. Would 3 in veg and 3 in flower be too crowded?

2) should I veg in 1 smaller cabinet and flower in the 2 bigger ones or veg in 2 smaller cabinets and flower in bigger one. I suppose there is not correct answer, just curious as to how you would split it and why.

That is all for right now we decide whether to keep going or not.

Thanks for all your wisdom and willingness to share it.

LittleNut

LittleNut Reviewed by LittleNut on 03-14-2009. My first attempt and need some advice Hi - I am attempting my first grow. I have been researching for almost a year now and I am ready to take it to the next level. I will admit that I am anxious and anxious at the same time. Last week, after many many discussions we decided that the conditions were right for us to attempt a grow. We own our home, no children here and one of our elderly parents live with us. We were raided 4 years ago when one of our children decided to try their hand with a 2 plant outdoor grow and we Rating: 5

[LittleNut]

Hi - I am attempting my first grow. I have been researching for almost a year now and I am ready to take it to the next level. I will admit that I am anxious and anxious at the same time.

Last week, after many many discussions we decided that the conditions were right for us to attempt a grow. We own our home, no children here and one of our elderly parents live with us. We were raided 4 years ago when one of our children decided to try their hand with a 2 plant outdoor grow and we pissed off someone and they squealed. This grow will only be known to my hubby and I. EVER !! He and I are solid, so no problems there.

I have 1 concern and several questions. My concern is this - We have a tenant who lives in an apartment on our property but will NOT have access to our area, nor do they even know this area of our home exists. Our tenant is on probation, has been our tenant for 6 months, is very quiet, does not run around or drink, etc. A very quiet family man who is on probation. He is in total compliance with his probation officer. I checked. We have a landlord/tenant relationship, semi-friendly but professional. Our apartment is above our garage, which is attached to the end of our home. The stairway to the apartment inside the garage goes right by our bedroom window. My concern is that at 4:00 in the morning on Thursday morning, I was awaken to the garage light being on and shining in my bedroom window and 2 police officers on the steps on their way up to the apartment yelling "Hello - Police - Hello - Police - Come out slowly" I was shocked !! My husband met the cops in the stairway (which we have access to also) and asked these guys what they were doing. Their answer was they were driving by and saw our garage door open and they thought someone was robbing us or we needed help and they came in to check it out. The wind blew the door open !! And I didn't for 1 minute buy their story, but could not come up with another logical reason and my husband tried to assure me that was all there was to it. 28 hours later, the sheriff is at the same door with a warrant for my tenant's arrest for missing a hearing. They handcuffed him and took him off to jail. Until our tenant returns, we don't know if the sheriff came into our garage or not or if he was outside waiting for our tenant to leave. My concern is; have we truly been compromised or am I just being paranoid? The area we have chosen is no where near the garage door or even accessible from that area of the property. It would take someone a little bit of time to find this area. The sad part of all this is that I started to germinate my seeds on Wednesday night before we found the cops in our house early Thursday morning. Tonight 5 of my seeds have sprouted and I am just really uncertain what to do. I would appreciate any and all advice and thoughts.

If we decided to continue with our first grow, I have a few questions:

We are using wall kitchen cabinets lined with the styrofoam insulation. We are going cheap until we get a feel for this and then will go further once we are comfortable. I am ready to drop these seeds in soil tomorrow.

We have 3 cabinets. 1 small cabinet that is 36 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 18 inches tall, a medium cabinet that is 27 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 26 inches high, a larger cabinet that is 48 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 26 inches high.

Here are my questions:

1) I am using CFL's and I am unable to figure out how many light I should have in each cabinet and what watts etc, each should be according to whether vegging or flowering. Can I mount lights to the side and back and if so, how far away from the lights mounted to the side/back should the plants be? Also, how many plants should I have in each cabinet. Would 3 in veg and 3 in flower be too crowded?

2) should I veg in 1 smaller cabinet and flower in the 2 bigger ones or veg in 2 smaller cabinets and flower in bigger one. I suppose there is not correct answer, just curious as to how you would split it and why.

That is all for right now we decide whether to keep going or not.

Thanks for all your wisdom and willingness to share it.

LittleNut

48 hours and no advice to a new grower? From anyone? I have never had any complaints about my hygiene, so I am thinking that is not the problem. Did I say something wrong?

Littlenut

[Dutch Pimp]

I don't have any experience with confined space growing. Look though the cabinet/closet forum. Lot's of info there:

...Closet / Cabinet Growing - Cannabis Forums Message Boards - Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club, Dispensary, News

[SheCutEmDown]

I think your ok. Go ahead and grow. I would veg with the small cabinet and flower with all others. And put as many cfls as you can fit into the cabinet. The more the merrier.

At lease 4 cfls in each. one plant every foot.

[LittleNut]

Thanks for your response.

[Rusty Trichome]

We are using wall kitchen cabinets lined with the styrofoam insulation.

Styrofoam will trap heat. Something to be aware of. (flat white paint would suffice)

I am ready to drop these seeds in soil tomorrow.

??? I thought you planted them the day before the cops showed-up...?

1) I am using CFL's and I am unable to figure out how many light I should have in each cabinet and what watts etc, each should be according to whether vegging or flowering. Can I mount lights to the side and back and if so, how far away from the lights mounted to the side/back should the plants be? Also, how many plants should I have in each cabinet. Would 3 in veg and 3 in flower be too crowded?

Actually...that's questions one through five.
1A) Trial and error with the quantity of lights. However many you can fit before heat becomes an issue. Plan on providing ventilation, and plants always need air circulation and a breeze to strengthen the stems and provide CO2.
1B) Would hang lights on a chain, so they can be adjusted as plants develop.
1C) A couple of inches from plant. Just close enough to not burn, lol.
1D) As many plants as will fit. (one plant per pot) You can always cull the slowpokes and underperformers. Also depends on pot size.
1E) Not too crowded, if you put them in seperate cabs.

2) should I veg in 1 smaller cabinet and flower in the 2 bigger ones or veg in 2 smaller cabinets and flower in bigger one. I suppose there is not correct answer, just curious as to how you would split it and why.

I'd veg in the smaller cabinet, flower in the bigger one. You'll eventually transplant into larger pots. (measure and get as big of pots that will fit in the cabinets)

[the image reaper]

ventilation will probably be your biggest problem, you'll need to get that heat out, and the oscillating fan, as Rusty mentioned, does indeed strengthen the stems :thumbsup: ... plus, it will be needed to keep excess humidity out of the buds ... small enclosure growing makes an easy project, much harder, I can assure you of that ... good luck :jointsmile: