First timer with a few questions

[skunkyjim]

Hi Guys

First time grower here, I've not started yet, but have just spent the last two days pouring over tons of threads on here and I'm getting all excited. I had an idea before came here about what i want to do and have been partially inspired by stumbleupon-ing this grow box

link removed

The space i plan to use is an understairs cupboard off my front room with an old chest of drawers or something like that gutted and turned into a box without a flowering chamber.

I plan to grow on my first attempt some of the Sweet Seeds Auto Cream Caramel, i really like the idea of auto seeds mainly because of the ease of growing and because of the small space. I would ideally like to do 5 or 6 plants, is this unrealistic in the space? I have also considered doing a scrog, but i need to read a bit more about it and i don't i will for the first time. I would like to keep the something on the grow constantly and i'm a bit unsure of the best way to do this. I think i would probably like to use the grow box to dry in, but i need to work out timings and things to get the next lot in.

I also am not sure what to do really about lighting, i think i would like to go down the hps route, but have been reading that they probably aren't best suited to small stealth grows, but the envirolights sound like they could work out being expensive and i'm also really trying to do this on a budget of under £200.

The majority of the budget is probably going to go on a carbon filter and i'm not sure about some ona-gel as well. I also think i would like to try and get an ozone thing too. We have an ioniser, type thing already, but i'm not sure if its suitable or even the right thing at all!

I also have what is probably a really basic question about soil. Can i reuse the same stuff after a grow or is it best to get new stuff every time?

I'm sure i had more questions, but they'll come back to me as we go

Edited December 20, 2011 by ~nobody~
To remove off-site link. Please don't link to commercial sites dude.

[badbwai]

hi ,

not gonna answer all of your questions as dont want to give bad advice as not really a small space expert(plenty on here who have amazing results) but i will say make sure you read up on enviroment (fans)and invest your money there including a decent cf like a rhino and you wont need any other smell control as long as you have negative pressure with your fans .i heard you can now get 150 w hps which i would look at depends on how small a space you have . as for autos i personally think they are a waste of time and money but hey thats only my Opinion on them . good luck

[~nobody~]

You'll struggle to keep a perpetual grow going in a space that small tbh. It'd do for a mum/clone space or a micro flowering space but not the whole shabang.

I'd always go hps over cfl, you just need to keep the plants from scorching on the lamp. Either scrog or just tying down and yo-yos.

5/6 plants is definitely too much in that space imo, you'd certainly be better off doing a scrog, but I have no idea how well autos take to scrogging.

I wouldn't bother with ozone personally.

Re-using compost is possible but it's more hassle than it's worth in most people's view.

[skunkyjim]

Cheers badbwai,

I shall look at those 150watts i know opinion seems to be divided on autos, but i think i'm going to give them a try for my first time, see how i get on.

ps sorry about the link Nobody, didnt realise it was a commercial site.

For those who didnt see the link it was basically turning an old chest of drawers into a stealth grow box, nothing too fancy.

[skunkyjim]

You'll struggle to keep a perpetual grow going in a space that small tbh. It'd do for a mum/clone space or a micro flowering space but not the whole shabang.

I'd always go hps over cfl, you just need to keep the plants from scorching on the lamp. Either scrog or just tying down and yo-yos.

5/6 plants is definitely too much in that space imo, you'd certainly be better off doing a scrog, but I have no idea how well autos take to scrogging.

I wouldn't bother with ozone personally.

Re-using compost is possible but it's more hassle than it's worth in most people's view.

Ok, so my best bet is to then just keep buying auto seeds and start the next batch in there as soon as the drying ones are in paper bags?

I think hps is the way to go then, what size would you give as an estimate for a large-ish chest of drawers? Two 125s? or one 200 or 400?

Would you think 4 plants and maybe go for a strain that grows quite low or go for a normal strain and scrog, sorry if im getting confused or missing something obvious.

[~nobody~]

I'd go for a 250w hps and one plant in a big tub, scrogged or lst'd to make the most of the space without letting the plant get too close to the lamp.

Not sure how well that would suit an auto though, I have near zero experience with them and I'm not sure how they take to topping and training.

[Hiphip]

It would help if you gave some measurements of the space you intend to grow in mate.

Cheers

[skunkyjim]

Will try and find a pic of something of a similar size. I understand i cant post links from places like Ikea and MFI etc, what is ok? Links from ebay or google images i assume arent cool either?

[AstroNut]

Hi SJ

My undertanding is that you can't upload any link that is advertising or directly selling a product... Utube is fine for example.

Is there no way you could maybe wait a little while until you have enough money for a small tent/ tent kit SkunkyJim?? or do you not have enough space for a tent? I have 5 autos going in a DR60 (60cm x 60cm x 120cm) and that's one of the smallest tents you can buy, Under 250w hps with 4" Fan and CF... From my experience Nobody was right when he said you'd be unable to fit 5/6 plants in the space you mentioned. If you was going to only fit 1 plant in the space you mentioned and that Nobody mentioned I would advise against an Auto, If you filled the space with 1 photoperiod strain you have the advantage of extra LST (low stress training)being able to use it for clones and obviously photoperiods generally yield more (which you'd obviously want if you was growing 1 plant)

Whatever you choose or decide on, Know there are alot of very knowlegeable folk and very experienced growers only willing to help you out.

ATB

Astro

[squirrel]

You can't really scrog autos. Scrogging requires an extended veg period, and autos don't do that. They go into flower on or about day 21, ready or not. One of my Cream Caramel Autos started flowering on day 18. I wouldn't recommend topping them either, for the same reason.

Edited December 20, 2011 by squirrel

[~nobody~]

Will try and find a pic of something of a similar size. I understand i cant post links from places like Ikea and MFI etc, what is ok? Links from ebay or google images i assume arent cool either?

Or you could just quote the dimensions.

[skunkyjim]

Hi SJ

My undertanding is that you can't upload any link that is advertising or directly selling a product... Utube is fine for example.

Is there no way you could maybe wait a little while until you have enough money for a small tent/ tent kit SkunkyJim?? or do you not have enough space for a tent? I have 5 autos going in a DR60 (60cm x 60cm x 120cm) and that's one of the smallest tents you can buy, Under 250w hps with 4" Fan and CF... From my experience Nobody was right when he said you'd be unable to fit 5/6 plants in the space you mentioned. If you was going to only fit 1 plant in the space you mentioned and that Nobody mentioned I would advise against an Auto, If you filled the space with 1 photoperiod strain you have the advantage of extra LST (low stress training)being able to use it for clones and obviously photoperiods generally yield more (which you'd obviously want if you was growing 1 plant)

Whatever you choose or decide on, Know there are alot of very knowlegeable folk and very experienced growers only willing to help you out.

ATB

Astro

Hey Astro

It's not so much the cost of a small tent setup, its more the stealth that I'm going for. My missus is fairly new to smoking, 2 ish years, I've been doing it nearly 20. She is a lot more susceptible to the paras than I am. I want her to feel as safe as possible, its our place after all.

I'll post the rough dimensions at the bottom, the chest of drawers i want to use is in a mates garage at the mo so i can't get the exact dimensions.

You can't really scrog autos. Scrogging requires an extended veg period, and autos don't do that. They go into flower on or about day 21, ready or not. One of my Cream Caramel Autos started flowering on day 18. I wouldn't recommend topping them either, for the same reason.

Cool, i guess the basic idea is out then, although serpent suggests there could be a way to control the height of them somehow. Although, comparing the drawers i have in mind to the dimensions of the DR60 Astro just quoted, I'm pretty close to that height anyway.

Or you could just quote the dimensions.

It would help if you gave some measurements of the space you intend to grow in mate.

Cheers

This is the closest one to the size of the one thats in my mates garage, it's dimensions are W80cm x D44cm x H115cm

Cheers

Edit: oh i can't use photobucket, er ok, will try and find out how to use the forum photo upload

Edited December 20, 2011 by skunkyjim

[highgrowtimes]

what i done with my understairs cupboard was utilise the whole room disinfect it get some decorators caulk its cheap and seal every gap in there then paint the whole lot with white emulsion ceiling floor and walls and inside the door my floor is concrete so i got 6 plant pots and placed a glass table top on them to create a false floor so the pots wouldnt get cold from the concrete floor

make sure the door is light tight now if i am not mistaken it should be on an outside wall so this is where you will have your carbon filter extract and use a plate on the outside wall like you would a tumble dryer you can mount an intake fan in the door or the wall becauswe of the small space you wont get away with passive

i use a 150w HPS and the balast sits inside the growroom only use indica strain as these will not grow that big and you will be able to control their height very easily

when vegging i would recoomend 24/7 lights on permenant this way you wont need to heat the room when you go 12/12 you will need to use an oil filled radiator to keep the temps up at lights out you can easily grow 4 plants in that room with no problems

just keep an eye out for damp if you get the extraction and intake correct you will be ok but these carbon filter fans can move alot of air and could remove all of the heat aswell so maybe look at a very small extraction fan or some way of varying its speed you wont get a hugh anount of smell anyway if you dont disturb them to much

i only veg in my understairs and i have no carbon or intake and i dont get any smell well very minimal only when i trim or move them about

but generaly you should be fine

[skunkyjim]

Cheers for the reply Highgrow.

I would love to convert the whole understairs, but its a rented property and we want someone to be able to glance under there and not tell whats going on.

[Headmaster]

As per other comments, could do with dimensions to advise on light (though most can cool a 250hps with ballast outside the box).

A scrog with 1 or 2 well veg'd plants will give best yield, the net is merely something to LST to really, and is something you may need to consider even for auto's if you have really limited headspace.

The difference with a true scrog is that in a true scrog the plants are veg'd until they almost fill the screen before flipping to 12/12. I'd veg 20/4 or 18/6 if you pick authodox plants. This technique will have a longer time to first yield than auto's but should give better long term gains. Done properly you probably just have space for a single plant ( I have 2 in a 90cm x 60cm scrog and it's a squeeze tbh).

bon voyage

Hm