Afternoon, all! :-)

I'm coming to the end of my first grow, and being a newb I did a fair few things wrong. I've ended up with a tall plant and therefore low yeild. I want to keep my operation small. A single plant. Once my baby's finished flowering I'm going to return to veg then get some cuttings going. So bearing in mind I want to do just the one plant, I've decided the scrog method is best for me. I'm currently planning the cabinet I'm going to build and I have a few questions about ventilation.

I'm growing up in my loft. It was pretty damn hot up there in the height of summer (I even managed to get a touch of heat stress at the hottest point) but now the weather's changing, I'm noticing it is much colder. I haven't had a chance to take temps yet (min/max thermometer is on it's way)

Obviously, having the plant in a cabinet will raise temps, although I'm using a single 125W CFL, which is pretty low heat. I'm reckoning on building something with around a 1m/sq footprint (too big/too small? whaddya reckon?) and perhaps a metre and a half tall, if that.

I want to use PC fans for ventilation, as I'm a techie and can get my hands on them for nothing. I'm guesstimating that I'll probably be OK with just two of them... does that sound about right for that size space?

However, what I DON'T want to do is start pumping air outside. Call it paranoia! The loft is pretty roomy and I'm up there twice a day checking on it anyway (plus I tend to leave the loft open during lights on time) so there's plenty of fresh air to be had, and odour is not an issue for me. (the house stinks of weed all the time anyway)

I reckon it's still worth installing the fans and moving the air about, but I must admit I'm having doubts... am i on the right track?

i think with cfl this has to be the way to go

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?show...t=0&start=0

if you decide that you defo want to scrog then id make the room about 60x60 cm for 125w cfl

I agree with Jiffa 1m2 is a little too big for just the one plant, why not scrog 2 side by side if you want that space, although with just 125w it might be a bit too big.

What are you doing carbon fiter wise?

Aw, yeah, i came across the idea of vertical scrog (that's what it looks like at a glance anyway). It'd be damn cool, but again, too many plants! Just worried about the lawwwwwwwwwwwwwww. ;-)

Thanks for the tip size-wise... I wasn't quite sure so that's given me a nudge in the right direction!

mate with 125w cft i wouldnt worry about the law . its not a scrog in the link

have a read of it mate its well impressive

Thanks, confirmation that I'm aiming a little too big!

I'm not planning on doing anything with carbon filters as I'm not concerned about the smell

I see you're a CFL lover :-) Reckon my guess on the fans is good?

Heheh, alright dude, i'm on it

I do enjoy a CFL although I do want to upgrade to an HPS, if you can mate look into an HPS it will send your yields through the roof.

I use a ruck 4" for extraction and a passive in take so I can't comment on how good the PC fans will be, but you want negatve pressure so it may be worth having two for the outtake and a passive or 1 fan for intake, but you need somebody thats used PC fans before as I'm just spit ballin here

I have the same problem with height on my second grow. (2 weeks into flower and already 4 plants x 1650mm Tall x 800mm wide) and was thinking about the FIM method on my next batch but I have looked at all photos on how to cut but still am not sure.

My Vegging plants are all different at the top as they are clones and are already 8 Plants x1200mm x 500mm I need to do something.

But this will keep the plant lower and produce more of a flat canopy. Have you thought about FIM Bravura

PC fans won't be powerful enough to ventilate that space adequately - and I can't understand why you're paranoid about venting air outside yet you insist that you don't need a carbon filter.

Hiya, Scribb|e...

I' not bothered by smelling of weed. I smoke most days, so there's always a smell. But I am concerned about pushing heat outside in that way as it's my understanding that the police look for unusual heat signatures coming from houses, that's all.

Am I still off my trolley in your mind or does that make sense?

Have you thought of a 100mm inline fan with a small carbon filter (£99.00) and blow it out of your eaves.

The cops wont see this after all a helicopter at £2000 per hour is not interested in 2 plants.

Growing, flowering weed produces a different smell than smoking weed does - also if you vent the warm exhaust air from somewhere near or through an already existing vent like from a central heating or clothes drier, it won't be conspicuous.

It's not like the thermal plume from a micro-cab with a 125W CFL in it is even likely to register - and even if it did, so long as it's vented out from somewhere not peculiar, there's really nothing to worry about.

If you've never grown before, you will quite evidently be very surprised at how much even one plant in full flower actually stinks - you very quickly become immune to the smell yourself, but to visitors and passers-by it absolutely *reeks*.

as regards extraction:

i only run a 4inch ruk fan and carbon filter as i only have a small grow drobe and to start with i dismissed the need for propper extract, but since i bought it iv not looked back, it helps so much in keeping the temps down and the smell is now non existant,, a total must have IMO regarless of how many plants you are growing.

hope that helps

e2a: it also helps me keep humidity levels where they need to be, so there are so many reasons to have 1