Budget/Refrigerator grow

[camoxnhx]

Now why not use the bigger one as the outake and use the one you have in there to create airflow to hlep your plants with structor plus it will help move the hot air upwards faster to your out take fan.

[Smurph]

Now why not use the bigger one as the outake and use the one you have in there to create airflow to hlep your plants with structor plus it will help move the hot air upwards faster to your out take fan.

Currently I have a heater (gutted, turned into just a fan) at the top as my exhaust. It is bigger, with an equal sized hole at bottom for intake. I have the 4" pointed upward between the plants and the lights. Not on the plants, but enough to make the leaves move just a little bit. This moves the air that the lights heat up upward to the exhaust fan (heat rises as it is, but the fan pushes the heat away from the plants and gives it a little boost on its journey onward, upward, and outward to the sun!)

[jakezking]

I'm lookin' forward to your new grow box, if indeed you determine to build one. Always fun to watch an engineer at work; even though I believe you said you were studying electrical engineering, most engineers I've run into have a good general mechanical sense. I'm sure a new box would be an easy thing for you to throw together. On the other hand, it seemed like you had just about achieved your goals with the fridge - what with all of your plants thriving, so it's tough to overlook the age-old adage - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As for your space issues, LST is a very easy method to learn. There are plenty of threads/posts on this board with picture by picture explanation on how to LST; it should work like a champ for you to save on headroom, and you've plenty of time until you should begin.

Keep up the good work, Smurph!

[Smurph]

I'm lookin' forward to your new grow box, if indeed you determine to build one. Always fun to watch an engineer at work; even though I believe you said you were studying electrical engineering, most engineers I've run into have a good general mechanical sense. I'm sure a new box would be an easy thing for you to throw together. On the other hand, it seemed like you had just about achieved your goals with the fridge - what with all of your plants thriving, so it's tough to overlook the age-old adage - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As for your space issues, LST is a very easy method to learn. There are plenty of threads/posts on this board with picture by picture explanation on how to LST; it should work like a champ for you to save on headroom, and you've plenty of time until you should begin.

Keep up the good work, Smurph!

Yeah, I'm a programmer at heart. I have written programs for various reasons for the past 10 years freelance. I was also in a robotics competition (though I don't wear glasses, button-downs, or the like) in high school. We kicked ass. Second place overall in regional, got best design, and got knocked out in the semi-finals at nationals.

My job doesn't pay too well so funds are TIGHT. I'm going to have to build out of mostly what we've got lying around our two houses. I'm a McGuyver of sorts. I'll keep ya posted

[headshake]

there's nothing wrong with that smruph! i do the same thing. nothing beats out ingenuity!


-shake

[Smurph]

I haven't been over there to see it in a few days, but I hear they aren't in the best of conditions right now. I need to cut some plywood to fit over that fridge door and get some weather stripping for houses or something to make a decent quick seal. Anyone know where to get long strips of magnets? I need like 15ft of it, that'd be the best seal. Without a seal (and it doesn't have to be perfect, just enough that the easiest path of air is through the bottom hole), on this fridge, there is no use in even wasting electricity on a fan...

Either that, or we're gonna make a new box. About how short can I afford to make it, and not be too crammed in there? I have never seen a fully grown LST'd plant. Assume about a foot for the pots, and another for the lighting setup.I'm thinking about 4ft ought to do me well. Of course, Like JakezKing said, it's not particularly broke, so why fix it.... All I'm--err... the house owner-- is worried about is light pollution. That ought to be fixed when I stop using cardboard and tape as my door....

[Smurph]

Update.... I got a chance to go by and see the progress, and it is now officially a closet grow. I suppose I'll build a box to put it in inside the closet.... The house owner feels more secure with it in his room's extra closet rather than out in the garage in a refrigerator. Whatever. The ventilation isn't perfect, but the plants don't seem to be doing too bad. I snapped a pic of what we have so far.

Tell me what ya think

[bigtopsfinn]

You should cover up the sides of those clear containers. The roots don't like light. Maybe add a little more perlite next time you re-pot also (20-25% perlite) :thumbsup:

Those bigger ones in the small cups might be ready for a re-pot already...

[Smurph]

yeh... but I'm broke, as usual. Think milk jugs will work so long as they're not clear?

[Smurph]

Yeah. Definitely a closet grow, not a refrigerator grow, but still a budget grow. Hopefully someone will come up with some plywood (or other wood) I can cut up and make a good box with.

Now I have to think about how tall I want it or need it. I'm thinking, with my super adjustable lights, I can put three splitters per socket to make 4 light groups that are 6" from the next set. If they need to be within 4" as I read somewhere else on this site, they'll be good at 6" from each other. That would allow me to keep it pretty tall and bushy. I'm thinking 3-4ft tall plants. So, a 5' tall box, and the width and length will be determined by what I use for new pots

Which brings me to the second thing I've been thinking about. I don't really wanna go spend 20 or 30 bucks on 7-8 gallon pots to see a few of them get canned because they had males. I'm thinking about using either 2-liter bottles, cut them down just a little, or if that's not providing enough width for the root system, gallon milk jugs cut down an inch or two.

Any ideas? :hippy: