Growing on a budget

[liberiamom]

Is it possible to get good results using 4 full-spectrum 40 watt flourescents along with 4 regular shop lights to grow 10 plants, a simple fan to move the air around, and careful feeding? I don't have the money for lots of bells and whistles- my grow room is about 12 x 12, in the basement, lined with mylar on three sides. What else must I have to grow nice plants? All the suggestions I have seen seem to involve complicated set-up and I just wonder if it can be done for less.

liberiamom Reviewed by liberiamom on 11-24-2006. Growing on a budget Is it possible to get good results using 4 full-spectrum 40 watt flourescents along with 4 regular shop lights to grow 10 plants, a simple fan to move the air around, and careful feeding? I don't have the money for lots of bells and whistles- my grow room is about 12 x 12, in the basement, lined with mylar on three sides. What else must I have to grow nice plants? All the suggestions I have seen seem to involve complicated set-up and I just wonder if it can be done for less. Rating: 5

[Titus Titan]

it depends on what temprature your shop lights are and what wattage, but with out knowing i would say if you got a decent reflector behind the lights and got them as close as possible to the plants without burning them, then i think you'll have a modest grow but nothing special, with out so many plant perhaps you'll do a little better.

[Perp]

Sorry, you don't have enough light for 10 plants. Maybe four but you gonna have to keep them short cause flouros don't penetrate very deep. Keep the lights 3-4 inches away from your growing tips. For more yield you can LST. And cut down your grow area to 4x4.

My advice to you is to spend your money and get a decent HPS, either 250 or 400 W first, good ventilation fan second, and thirdly some hydoponic nutrients. These are the basics. You will easily make your money back from your first crop. And cut down your grow area to 4x4.

Rule of thumb to go by is 50W per square foot. So you have (4x40) + (4x40 shop lights) = 320 watts / 50 = 6 square feet of grow area, meanwhile your 12x12 is 144 square feet. Do you see what I'm getting at? You don't have enough light to grow in such a large area. So cut down your grow area to 4x4, and get a hid light. It will be the best investment you ever made.

Your setup doesn't have to be complicated, you just need good light, ventilation and food.
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[liberiamom]

Thanks for the suggestions- obviously I really have no idea what I am doing - I usually grow tomatoes, basil, eggplant etc in my garden outdoors
So where on the internet can I purchase these HPS lights (is that the same as a hid light?) and how many do I need, if I were to move the just now germinating 10 plants onto a 4 X 4 table?- and is that what you meant by reducing the grow area? Do I need to move the shiny insulation that is nailed to the walls closer to the plants in order to receive a benefit?
And what kind of nutrients should I use- I just came back from Amsterdam and got a brochure about bat guano- should I get some of that?

Also, are there any special considerations for growing the Blue Haze variety?
Thanks for being kind and helping out a middle-aged stonerchick!

[Perp]

Yes, make or buy a small table to put your plants on. I personally use a folding card table and place drip trays underneath each pot. Move your table into the corner of the room so two sides are reflected. If you have to leave 18inches or so around the sides so you can get to the back of it. If you want to you can make a couple of temporary cardboard walls with mylar on them and enclose your whole table. This would be best.

Yes, hps [high pressure sodium] and mh [metal halide] are two types of hid [high intensity discharge] lights. Either can be used for vegetative growth or flowering. There are many places to order HID lights online. I never did it but I heard http://insidesun.com was a good place. You will have to do your own research as far a best price and such. If you got a hydro shop nearby this is a good place to go, but they may be a bit pricey. You can also check out eBay. Personally I would just go with a 400W right away. A 400 will cover your 4x4 table fairly well and you will be able to finish 10 small plants with it.

As a beginner I would use a good, two part hydroponic chemical nutrient. Two part means there will be two bottles each for veg and bloom(A and B) that need to be mixed to constitute the nutrient. They are easy to use and give good results. Some are more expensive than others, you will have to decide according to your own pocketbook. You can order nutrient online, usually the same place you get the light, as well. Also available from the hydro store if you go that route. Even the cheapest hydro formula will be better than Walmart brand or Miracle grow, but they can be used in a pinch.

I would not bother with the guanos until you are a little bit more experienced. While it is an excellent organic fertilizer, there are different types of guano that need to be used at different times. Also you have to amend your soil and provide other nutrients, too much for a beginner IMO. After all, you want to learn and still produce a decent harvest, right?

After you get your HID light, use that for flowering only and keep the flouros for rooting and veging clones in a separate area. Your flouro lights will be enough to keep 10 clones alive and growing sufficiently. This way when you are done flowering a crop you can immediately move in ten more and have easily 5-6 crops a year.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[liberiamom]

Hey Perp- You are the best! I went to the site and saw what looks like a really good deal- a 600W HPS with Chrome refelctor and hortilux bulb for $230.00, do you think I should get it? I looked at other systems that seemed to be more $ than that for just 400W- and more Wattage is better isn't it? I want to order something soon since my babies will be sprouting any day now! Perhaps I shoud just get the bigger light since I want my plants to get big and strong - do you know anything about Blue Haze? I can't wait to see how many girls I got out of the nine Blue Haze I brought back (bought ten, but accidentely swallowed one- long story!) and the one bag seed I found!

So if I build a wall in the middle of the growroom I could have veg on one side and flower on the other as long as they were light-tight? That would be really cool-

I eagerly await your response! This is fun!

[Perp]

That sounds like a great deal. Yes, the more the better but remember the more heat you will have to deal with as well. Weigh that factor in as you may have to buy a ventilation fan if you can't keep temps around 85 with the lights on.

What I would do is get the 600 and then leave two sides of your table open with a couple of normal oscillating fans blowing on the plants. Are you able to leave a door to the 12x12 room open? You may get enough ventilation this way but like I said if temps get too high you will have to get a fan or else growth will stop.

Don't know much about Haze except that usually haze is sativa and takes a long time to finish (like 12 weeks) and will get very tall. Plan accordingly.

[Perp]

So if I build a wall in the middle of the growroom I could have veg on one side and flower on the other as long as they were light-tight? That would be really cool-

Yes, if it's light tight but that is easier said than done. Its easier to locate the veg in a different area since you don't need a lot of space and the smell is not that bad. But if you can build the light tight wall then I say go for it.

[liberiamom]

Thanks for being patient with all my questions- and here's more

I am hoping the temp will be okay since it is in the basement and I live in New England, so it stays pretty cool down there. I can leave the door open most of the time, and with the two fans you suggest, it should be okay?

I have heard that Blue Haze grows a bit more like an indica, but if not, how tall do you think the girls will get? What if I pruned them a little? The ceiling is about 8 ft.

I have to talk my husband into the purchase of the light. I think since we spent 60 euros on the seeds we should spend this much on the light, since in the long run it will pay for itself, right?

When do I need to start the HPS light- how many weeks into veg?

Thanks so much for helping me! I will share pictures once the babies grow-

[Perp]

Temps will probably be OK; try and put a thermometer in there when you get the light.

Yes, if you get the 600, it will pay for itself on the first crop. You will definately not be sorry.

About the haze, like I said I have no experience with the strain. You'll just have to play it by ear. You can prune them just not after triggering flowering and make sure to give them a couple of weeks to recover a bit.

What I would do:

Grow seedlings under flourescents (keep flourescents 2-3 inches away from tops w/ airflow in between) until you setup the HPS. Veg under the HPS till they are 14-18 inches tall (measure from soil to top), topping (pinch off the main growing tip) when they are 12 inches. This should take 6-8 weeks. Then flip to 12/12. Flower for however long it takes. They will stretch to at least twice their height so you may have to take the table out. Make sure you have a way to raise and lower the light. Chain and s type hooks work well.