Hi everyone, i have decided to start my first grow box.

It is going to be 1x1x2 metres. 1 metre wide, 1 metre deep and 2 metres tall. Would this be big enough for 4 plants grown to 20 inches in veg? Diamond mylar all over the inside (or would just the walls be better?) I also need this to be as quiet as possible too but i can insulate the box. I am putting air intakes at the bottom and air extraction at the top to suck all the heat out.

What lights and extraction do i need so i don't fry my babies or don't give them enough light or air.

If possible i would like to do this cheap as possible as on a bit of a tight budget at the moment

Growing in compost and perlite and hand watered.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Is there any reason why you can't make it taller ?

Depends if they're sats or indica's, but plants will at least double in size sometimes triple or more in the first few weeks of flowering


You should use it for the walls mate and have some plastic sheeting on the floor if possible.


1m x 1m equivilates to 3ft x 3ft= 9sqft.

9 x 50w= 450w, so you could run a 400w in there but I would try and get a 600w with big fuck off fans
Say 2 4" for intake (although I suspect one will do for now as it's winter) and a 6" fan or bigger for extraction


As I say, buy cheap you buy twice, better off getting it right first time

Hope that helps

The area says 400 watts assuming you buy a fancy reflector - otherwise the light intensity is going to be a bit weak in one direction.

I was going to say it's a bit short, but it's the same height as mine and I simply side-light my sativas ... everything else is raised on 25cm pots ..

You apparently only need a few more inches of clearance with a 400 watt lamp ...

Well i can spare about £200 at the moment and i could go to 3 metre tall but that would be the tallest i could go.

I would be up for a shape redesign and possibly squeeze it in somewhere as i have a spare room that's just used for storage at the moment, so i could make one wider but shorter if that would be any better.

Nice one mate, how much extra do you pay on electricity a month running a 400w light?

*Whizz takes his advice elsewhere*

If you like me have no choice but to use a small growspace have a look at my Growroom below.im expecting a cracking crop.

FrostySteve

(((((((Whizz)))))))

I think I might go for the 600 too - given the dimensions - those supernova reflectors are big bleeders.

I'm running 2 x 250 watts in half the area.

I am thinking about L.E.D lights for my box. I have started a thread about L.E.D lights, link in sig.

Ok sack that idea.
400 watter it is then....

and a pro-ultra light or diamond reflector

although not as intence as a palobolic type reflector youll thank yourself by opting for a batwing reflector that allows air to flow over the bulb, summers comming

cookie

Yeah your temps maybe find now but summer is on it's way remember, I just hope you've got some big ventilation. I try and run as much lighting as I can per square foot, and see 50w per sqft as a minimum target at this time of the year.

OK so check this out....

All this has to go in a 1x1x2 metre box.

4 22 CFL Bulbs (veg lights) Take these out when flowering.
600 watt sodium cool tube. (flowering light)
Both getting hung from them roller things.

Some kind of reflector. Questions at end of list about this

6 inch extraction fan sucking air though a carbon filter from the top.
2 passive intakes, covered with cooker hood filter, on the bottom. 1 each side but might put more in later.

Mylar all walls and door, White plastic on the floor.

And all the other stuff. (ballast, timers, etc)


All locked up in a lovingly put together 1x1x2 metre, light proofed, bug proofed box, or so i hope.

Hows it sounding?

I feel like I'm missing something but cant work out what it is!!!!!!! (not the pots and stuff this is just the box)

Advice is always gratefully appreciated.


Oh yeah about the reflector. Does it really matter about what kind of reflector you get? I think as long as the light is getting bounced towards the plants that would do. Maybe its a rucky mistake but that's why I'm here.

And could i get two fans sucking thought the same carbon filter? Or would the suction be altered in anyway.

I am growing in the same area size as you using a 400w cooltube. Using an active intake my temps are at 24/25 lights on and 21 lights off. If i rely on a passive intake my temps increase, remember summer is coming and you want your setup to be able to cope. Last year i used 350 watt of enviro in a drobe with a passive intake and temps hit 34. Best advice is use a active intake..its far better in terms of air flow...........air flow and good air exchange is prob the most important area of your grow setup.

If you are gonna get 2 fans, use one for intake and one for extraction

Just my tuppence worth

Wow cant believe i missed that idea....

Its a learning curve mate, we are all at different stages..also remember that if you are going to use a 2 fan setup for intake/outtake then rememebr ur extraction fan needs to be more powerful than your intake in order to achieve negative pressure and no smell leaks.

I built a drobe then scrapped it and bought a homebox l tent..best decision i ever made.

Your sodium will be your veg light too. From at least week 4 if not 3.
(I'm lucky enough to have a single 250 watt HPS available for weeks 3 and 4 - a much better investment if you ever find yourself tempted to buy an enviro - it'll pay for itself over time.)
You need to get at least the last 2 weeks of vegging done under your flowering lamps.

yeah I'd suggest a 200w blue enviro for about £50 with a reflector.

Having grown for quite a while in precisely your dimensions, I can only say that this.....

... is absloutely the best advice on here. Do not try and save money on lights and ventilation. Save it elsewhere, but never on lights and ventilation. Is my two penn'urth.

From reading your grow dairy me's be thinking your two penn'urth's worth a bit more.

Cheers mate, guess i still have a lot of learning to do.

Right I'm going to get on with this and stop wasting grow room design thread space.

Next post will be pics of the box all made up and ready for the lights and stuff. This is when I'll need your help guys, to make sure i do this right.

As always advice and comments and greatly appreciated.

OK guys another change of plan. A friend of mine and yours truly have worked out i only need 2 plants, so my plan so far has been strapped (again). This one is 2ft wide and 4 feet high. Good job really i didn't have the space for the other one really. This one isn't finished yet i have just got the walls and door fitted (couldn't fit bottom and top yet as the saw snapped and i cant get one till tomorrow)