Newbie Needs Advice for Medical Grow

[goobygirl]

I'm a newbie and have a couple of different options for starting a medical grow in my home. I have a room that is 8.75' x 7.5' (an office in a mobile home). In that room is a 2 X 4 x 7 closet and a 35" x 52" window.

I live in MI and although it's legal for me to grow as a patient, I've been told to pretend it's not, which means I want to fly under the radar as much as possible. Low heat outputs, not obvious, no smells, and keeping the electrical bills down. I only have one close neighbor across the road. Empty mobile to the left, 1/2 acre of empty lots to the right. Apt complex behind me. Seems to me from the smells of the surrounding area, MJ is well tolerated, however (LOL). The town I'm in has one - two police cruisers. Law enforcement seems to be lackadaisical.

Couple of parameters: as a patient I can grow 12 plants AND have 2.5 oz of useable medicine on me at one time. If I decide to be a caregiver for others, I can have 5 patients, 72 plants, 15 oz. Since I'm a newbie I think I might want to stay within personal medical limits (12 plants/2.5 oz) as I'm learning to see if this is something I can do and like. I'm physically disabled, but able to walk, move some things, but not a lot. Hubby has all the construction/electrical wiring skills but I'd rather not make him have to do this as he has plenty to do right now. So someone is going to have to build this, one way or the other, and I'm going to have to pay them most likely. If I had good plans, hubby might consider doing it, but I really would like him to finish our other projects first.

When I was first aware that this could be a viable option for me, a friend told me to set up the whole room with hydro for 12 plants. Since I don't have an extra room, I can't stagger growing really (to my knowledge) unless I can utilize the closet somehow. So I might have to start with buying clones for a while until I can get an area for vegging.

After learning what goes into turning a whole room over to growing, I thought I'd look around for other options, and was kinda thinking of the grow box option (like BC Northern Lights Bloombox or Producer). They are pricey, but I could do it if the situation allowed me to expand for other patients and it was easy to use. I know it's not idiot proof, but it seemed like a good way for me to get my feet wet and still have space in the room to put some of my personal things.

A Bloombox can give you up to a pound for 9 plants, about 4-8 oz of dried medicine for 5 plants. This way I could put a mother and six clones on the veg side and grow 5 plants at a time and stay with in my plant limits and somewhat close to medicine limits (I know, not exactly close, but what's a girl to do?)

I have stealth concerns and wanted low heat output. I've been reading up on LEDs. Not sure what to think of that yet. I don't have air conditioning in the mobile home but could put an AC unit in the one window that's in the potential room. I could even, if it were worth it, put in a central air unit for about $500. If I decide to go central air, it would give me an opportunity to do some creative duct work.

My mobile home got pretty warm here in the summer, so that's a real issue. I was able to make it through some of the warmer days (damn global warming) but it definitely would be too hot in the summer in the grow room without AC.

So I'm looking at a couple of options: 1. Low investment, start with a couple of plants, add decent lighting, ventilation, etc to a closet and see how I like it and see if it's worth it to grow for personal medical limits; 2. Start out with a more aggressive system like full out hydro grow in the room and commit to producing enough for myself and 5 others; . 3. Start out with a Bloombox or Producer growbox and risk be disappointed possibly with the initial cost, yield, results.

I'm also open to eventually going full out and renting a commercial space to grow and incorporating to protect myself (to some degree) as a caregiver. Commerical rent where I live is fairly reasonable. I could even see myself renting a home with a basement or something to keep the grow offsite from my living arrangements. I really don't want LEO charging into my home/personal space, I really, really don't.

However, I think expanding into another space is not really an issue until I get my feet wet, see how I like it, and get a better grip on the current prosecutorial climate in my area. I especially need a better understanding of how easy it is (or not) to provide patients with medical marijuana and to dispose of excess. (DEA is doing nothing really, but some prosecutors/sheriffs in MI are just stoopid, ya know?) My county prosecutor supports medical marijuana, to my knowledge. So as long as I keep my activities in compliance with the law, I should be ok.

MI law is silent right now on the issue of what to do with excess medicine. A sheriff in a county near Detroit has gone stark raving mad and trying to raid people's homes and compassion clubs. Compassion clubs are where private members meet and get educated. The best clubs don't allow people to smoke on premises or to dispose of excess of premises. I've been told my county club is good, but I'm not able to visit until my registration card/proof of processing is in my hands. (I know that my money order was cashed, but I won't be legal to grow or use medicine until Oct 14).

While I don't live in that crazy county, I was told by a well-known cannabis lawyer to stay low key until things shake out and pretend it's illegal. I think that sucks, to have to act like you're a criminal when you're not.

I'm open to suggestions. Assume I have $5k to do a start up and within the current space constraints, what would you do and why? If I had $10k, what would you do and why?

If I invest $5k and it doesn't work out, I will be unhappy. However, I have lots of support from others who are encouraging me to "go for it" and can provide me with "seed money." (LOL)

One hydroponics store owner wanted to sell me the whole grow room scenario for about $4k. He would charge more to set the room up for me (probably $300 or so?) and more for clones. Clones about 6 inches high seem to be going for $20 each which seemed alot from what I was told they go for in CO ($3-$5 for 6 inch clones, $15-$20 for 10 inches, is what I heard).

To me, the cautious thing to do would be to grow in the closet and see how I like it. Not too much money to invest and if I don't like it or can't get the hang of it, I'm not out too much dough. However, I don't know if that type of growing would be enough to show me what is involved or give me the full flavor of growing.

I think I would really enjoy growing for medical patients, but it's hard to say when I haven't ever done it before. I think there are plenty of educational, financial, and personal rewards for having patients and providing quality medicine to them.

So, I'm open to ideas. Feel free to comment.

Thanks!

Goobygirl

goobygirl Reviewed by goobygirl on 10-02-2010. Newbie Needs Advice for Medical Grow I'm a newbie and have a couple of different options for starting a medical grow in my home. I have a room that is 8.75' x 7.5' (an office in a mobile home). In that room is a 2 X 4 x 7 closet and a 35" x 52" window. I live in MI and although it's legal for me to grow as a patient, I've been told to pretend it's not, which means I want to fly under the radar as much as possible. Low heat outputs, not obvious, no smells, and keeping the electrical bills down. I only have one close neighbor Rating: 5

[9fingers]

Sounds like the whole thing is new to you.When I start something new I start out small and see how I like it . Then if I like it I keep adding to it and learn all I can about it.

[goobygirl]

You're right 9Fingers, that's why I wanted to start small, but needed advice on that as an option too, like a closet grow.

Heck, even an Aerogarden seems good (just got that off this site, off to investigate, lol)

[weeddaddy50]

Have you ever grown before? what is your ability?

Here is what I would do...with your space. buy 6 clones....only six....put BW polly on the walls...get 2 600 hps/MH switchable ballasts. Get you a 400 to 600 cfm exhaust fan & carbon filter bring in fresh air in with some type of vent & exhast the filtered air out...wall or ceiling. This should get you buy till next summer when the weather gets hot again. with clones only 10 to 20 per It will cost you more to have a veg area, than just buying them for a while. Get through 3 complete grows.....you have to commit to 3 complete...because you will have problem with all three of them...by the end of the third grow...you should have the bugs worked out. Time frame from clone to harvest is almost 100 to 120 days. I would start with something easy
1 gal pots for the clones then repot to 3 gal then repot to 7 gal for flowering.
clone in 1 gal pots for 14 days, veg for 3 gal pots for 45 days, flower for 60 days.

Go see my grow log.... and see the success and failures and read every grow log you can...go to you-tube and see urban grower & stickfingerskoma grow watch them all.

Read all the stickys and the Noob's guide to growning on this site...after all that.....keep expections low...very low....

GROWING is not easy.....it's lots of work.....rewarding....but lots of work.

There are some excellent growers on this site....start a grow log....it forces you to ask for help...and keeps you interested.....things will go wrong.....just adjust and keep learning.

remember lighting....is very key....with that room you do not need a grow box

[goobygirl]

WD50, I think that is solid advice. I've been reading until my eyes cross, lol. I have Ed Rosenthal's book, Marijuana Grower's Handbook, and am trying to learn from local people too.

I can commit to 3 grows. No, I've never grown anything than vegetable containers (which this year I had 45 of them: snow pod peas, kohlrabi, beans, cukes, tomatoes, squash). I've also done some in ground growing of veggies: this year I had tomatoes, broccoli, and squash. I know this is a whole different thing though!

As far as growing in soil, would you suggest something like a Smart Pot for a container? (see my pot already has intelligence, it's "smart," lol)

Smart Pots for Container Gardening | Smart Pots for Container Gardening | Growers Solution

I've wanted to try these for a while for my veggies as they air prune the roots and (allegedly) make great roots!

I've also seriously been considering using LED and organics, but I'm not sure if I should try those yet or go the more traditional route. I know that most people are using the MH and HPS and would have more info on how these work vs LED (locally, at least).

If I were to start with an easier plant to grow, what strain would you suggest? I would prefer it to be something that is easier and good for me as medicine too. I have fibromyalgia and have a ton of muscle spasms and joint pain as well as problems with going to sleep and staying asleep. I would prefer to start addressing the chronic pain issues with something that works on the pain before I move on to medicine to help me sleep.

I truly appreciate the feedback. I do get that this has a learning curve and is more than me puttering around the house and growing a house plant.

Goobygirl

[9fingers]

Thx WeedDaddy for putting it all into words. As far as time invested I tend to our 11 girls 2 to 3 hours a day. I like to be around them and you never know what you'll find. One day it's spider mites and the next I found a Praying Mantis. Today I found a bit of bud rot that I removed quickly. Good luck with your adventure.:thumbsup:

[Weezard]

WD gives great advice.:thumbsup:
And you read a lot.
I predict great success!

As for LEDs?
Hmmm, what do you pay per KWH?
Pumping heat out of a metal box is very costly.
More painful if you already paid to put the heat in.
When it gets cheaper to buy your meds than grow them, well...

I pay over 50 cents per KWH here, and it gets hot, LEDS are mandatory for me.

As for the rest.
It is a weed, and you are a gardener.
This will be epic. I'm in.:jointsmile:

Aloha,
Wee Zard

[weeddaddy50]

I am here is California...and have had to change my power bill to TOU (Time of use) Run you grow at night and you get the best rate per KW....watch your base line...once over it your bill will be a killer...:wtf:

As far a easy to Grow and great medicine... Afgoo is very good and grows easy.... I would stick to indica type plants and that will keep the size down.
Purple kush, Black Berry Kush, Grand Daddy Purple, Green Crack ( make sure you are getting good genetics)

OG kush....all great for pain....if you need a day time medicine you can't grow wrong with NY diesel, or even sour Diesel..or Blue Dream..but you have to flower these early and they will get huge fast...lots of LST and cropping needed.

Do not try and grow all 12 of those plants first time out....I have found out when....you have problems....you have to be very proactive....few plants will equal success....which will keep you interested in growing....It is very easy to fail.

If your are still growing after the 1st year....people will know your medicine is good and they will be calling you.....

Good Luck

[goobygirl]

Thanks for the support all! I pay 9 cents per KW Oct 1 - May 1. May 1 - October 1 it's 9 cents for the first 600 kw and 13 cents thereafter. There's no tiered pricing as far as I know here (I thought there was and had been doing my heavy appliance use like laundry at night...but upon further research, it appears not).

As far as pumping heat in and out, yeah I like to conserve. The grow room I'm thinking of using is adjacent to my living room. I could potentially put a vent there and use the warm air in the winter (which would be awesome since I'm in a mobile home, essentially a tin box....brr) as long as I can keep the smells in check. I'm thinking at least an ozone generator and good carbon/charcoal filters. I rarely have company over as I prefer to visit friends at their homes (don't know why, it just works out that way).

I'm also thinking of putting up Reflectix on the walls (hubby has a roll he bought last week, how convenient, lol). I wanted to stay in stealth mode, and so was thinking maybe I should vent below the mobile home to where the cement and skirting are. What do you think?

I might go with a hut for vegging after I get my feet wet with growing and maybe throw an LED in there for that. But I'm 95% to go with the traditional lighting and get a switchable ballast for flowering.

I really appreciate the feedback and support. I am an avid reader and like to dig into details. I like to know the road before I get there and while experience is a great teacher, I like to prepare myself so I can have the best results. I don't just throw things together. I prepare, mull, cogitate, and consider. I'd rather spend time on prep and thinking things through than get in the middle of something and go heck, if I would have thought about that first and prepared for it, I wouldn't have to spend more money, rebuild, waste time for avoidable things. Yes, things will come up, but better to think it through and think how I want to work things, IMO.

I'm getting psyched. And with support of others it makes all the difference....

[weeddaddy50]

You are thinking and that is a good thing.....you know why you are getting such a great response? and for anyone who is reading these post and wonders why excellent growers are responding? It's easy...we have all been there...but that is not the reason....the reason.... is you are willing to do your own reasearch....90% of the information required for just about any grow is on this website....all it takes is time to read....after reading....and reading...and reading....then post some questions.....excellent people will respond to you if you are real......nothing and I mean.....nothing irriates me more that a post like this.

:rasta:Stoner.....her....I....ned....to o learn....how....to.....grow..cuz....I want....to sel som stuff and make.....money....or .......Hey new grower....please tell me verything I need to know about growing.....both of these people have like 2 to 5 posts....all of them about selling the stuff. I know for a fact....I will not respond to posts like that.....and the excellent growers on will not either.....

Good luck and start your grow log....looking forward to seeing it.