Micro grow with household leds

[tesoh]

Hi guys I'm new posting but have been on here for a while reeding forums.

 

I have built a stealth micro grow cupboard and stealth veg fridge. Im wondering if there's any advice you guys could give me, I will update tomorrow with pics of both the veg fridge and the flowering cupboard, 

The cupboard has got six 13.2w 100w replacement household led bulbs from b&m and is about 10 inch away from the plants, also I have 2 computer fans one just under the lights and one on the side taking hot air out. I also have a scrog net under the lights to provent the plants from streaching too high and touching the bulb. Is there anything I could do to help the plants more?

 

Ps this is a budget grow because I was bored and had some bag seeds to play around with, also my soil is from b&m and is the cheapest multi purpose compst I could find.

Edited March 17, 2021 by tesoh
Extra info

[NezA]

Firstly welcome to the site.

 

On to some advice.

 

For not much more than the 6 bulbs cost you, you could've got a 75w quantum board which would've been a better use of your cash. House lights wont provide a full spectrum and I imagine watt for watt they produce significantly less PAR than a full spectrum LED board that's been produced to grow plants.

 

Will you grow some bud with this setup? Sure. Will the electricity cost you more than what you're trying to save vs street weed? Probably.

 

I hope you have a carbon filter they are essential if you value your liberty.

 

You'll need a thermometer and hygrometer as well

 

Have you already sown your seeds? It sounds like you may have.

[tesoh]

I have already sown my seeds but I have loads more of them and I'm just playing round with what i can get my hand on as i dont have the funds for a full grow kit my original plan was to do some gg with them but I also wanted a little some thing to play with at home. The bulbs cost me £16 for all 6 and the sockets for them about £8 for all 6 and I had some spare plugs and wire hanging round.

I don't have a carbon filter yet but I smoke in my house and the nabours smoke too so smells not a masive consern at the moment.

I also have a thermometer and since I set it up with the 2 computer fans it sits around 27°c in the cupboard.

Edited March 18, 2021 by tesoh

[NezA]

Ok I'll say the things you don't want to hear. It's up to you if you want to listen or not. 

 

Your lighting solution leaves much to be desired you would've been better off spending £15 on a 70w CMH bulb and £18 on a phillips ballast to go with it. For the price you mentioned a quantum board even second hand is a push. But a HID (a good full spectrum one that puts out plenty of PAR) is definitely within reach.

 

Next up but most importantly: The smell, combusted cannabis and cannabis that's being grown are completely different smell wise. Yes they both smell like weed, but they are very easy to distinguish. Even more so to a trained nose that knows that smell well and that's not just coppers you need to think about it's the rippers as well. Even one small plant will stink an entire street out without a filter, no that's not an exaggeration. Ask any grower that's had a smell leak from an improper seal on their ducting or a grower that's had a filter fail mid grow. You might not think it smells but you'll be nose blind it's like wearing a watch when your body is bombarded with the same stimulus constantly it just starts ignoring it. 

 

Do yourself a favor and get a filter sorted it's the single most important piece of equipment a grower owns. It's the only part that's there for your benefit. It will keep you safe and free.

 

I wish you all the best with whatever you choose to do next.

[Ned Flanders]

Yeah get the filter for flowering. 

 

In your situation I would be using those lights and space to raise seedlings for grilla growing. 

 

You'd be putting out some decent sized plants by May and harvesting monsters by the end

[growinggold]

Get a carbon filter and be sensible with ya sensi.

 

[zero]

not saying its impossible , certainly many great 'micro grow' threads exist in this site ..... but fitting  a plant in a pc case  with all the limitations that brings , is jumping in at the deep end 

[tesoh]

Some photos of the cupboard 

[Wacky Wardrobe]

You can pry the diffusers off the bulbs for a better output.

They clip in on a bead of silicone. I use a cleaver to work round levering and wedging the thing off.

[tesoh]

3 minutes ago, Wacky Wardrobe said:

You can pry the diffusers off the bulbs for a better output.

They clip in on a bead of silicone. I use a cleaver to work round levering and wedging the thing off.

Thank you and does this produce more light output to them and would it increase the heat around the plants as there's still quite a bit of space between the bulbs and plants 

[Wacky Wardrobe]

More light. Same heat output.

You can get a little heat mat to keep roots and ambient temperature up.

I've got a few cheap adjustable ones from ebay. Watch what you are doing with them though as they aren't as well electrically insulated as dedicated horticultural / vivarium types.

[tesoh]

6 minutes ago, Wacky Wardrobe said:

More light. Same heat output.

You can get a little heat mat to keep roots and ambient temperature up.

I've got a few cheap adjustable ones from ebay. Watch what you are doing with them though as they aren't as well electrically insulated as dedicated horticultural / vivarium types.

Would you recommend taking the defusers off right away or later on if they need more light as there's 6 13.2w  100w equivalent bulbs 

[Wacky Wardrobe]

Keep them on for baby seedlings but then off.

If you get a light meter app for your phone it can give you an idea of what you are giving them.

The Tent Buddy app is quite good as a light meter if your phone/device supports it. Has the added bonus of indicating how much light you need at different stages too.

I suspect you'll soon find out with experimentation.

You also need to consider what colour/spectrum bulbs to use.

I use a 4000k bathroom light for a little seedling/clone/very early veg light.

I use a couple of 15w Sansi growlights for similar stuff. I think they are around 5000k.

You'll want 2700k ones if you plan to try and flower in the setup you've got there.

Check this out by the way if you haven't already. (Remember. Pry. Don't saw!)

 

[Openairbud]

If you take covers off start with the lights high up then slowly lower back down. They will be much more powerful. Some plants will be able to take it more than others. 

 

I would take them off if it were me. The light is directed straight down then, where you want it @tesoh

[Wacky Wardrobe]

Here's another video on using non grow lights and the sort of performance you can expect.