Advice about building a box , for a first-timer

[peppy]

I live in a very anti-cannabis country which means I am doing a lot of mcguyvering. I'm looking to build two small grow spaces, one for seedlings / vegetation, another for flowering. First time grower. I want to sustain growing as best as possible by making clones because obtaining seeds is not easy in my circumstance.

Bought a ~190cm (6 feet) wardrobe this week that I've been converting to a grow space. There's a shelf in the wardrobe that splits it into two spaces, a 60cm (2 feet) space and a 120cm (4 feet) space. So far I've put mylar around the walls and rigged up a 50W LED and exhaust fan in the top half of the wardrobe. I'm planning to insert a 100W LED, mylar, and another exhaust fan in the bottom half when it reaches that point.

Something I'm concerned about: is 60cm of vertical space enough for early vegetation with a weaker LED? I'm thinking what I'll do is start making clones once a plant is big enough, and via topping and low stress training, veg shorter plants to a degree before they are moved to the flower chamber.

Something I could also do is move the shelf and, say, maybe have an 80cm veg chamber and 100cm flower chamber. From what I understand this seems even less optimal. Or, once vegs seem to be growing too tall for their chamber, despite pruning and training, move them down to the flower chamber. From what I understand, a technique similar to sea of green is what may be best for my situation: have some minimal vegging and make some clones, then move to flowering quickly. Make up for the lack of plant height with quantity of plants. I could also remove the shelf and make my grow box be set on 12-12 but I don't know how feasible it is taking clones from plants growing in 12-12 mode.

I'm not looking for the biggest possible yields, but any advice to make the most out of my circumstance would be appreciated. Folks here probably have some insight into what I should do. If it comes down to it, I can probably build a second box specifically for vegging, say maybe 90cm (3 feet) tall, but I would love to make this setup work!

 

[peppy]

I cannot see how to edit my post, but for my first grow, I can also simply veg in the larger chamber (120cm / 4 feet) on 18/6 once my plants grow large enough to move while I prepare a second dedicated box for vegging. All advice deeply appreciated

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

I cannot see how to edit my post, but for my first grow, I can also simply veg in the larger chamber (120cm / 4 feet) on 18/6 once my plants grow large enough to move while I prepare a second dedicated box for vegging. All advice deeply appreciated

Got pictures? We'll need to see what you've done to give you the best advice.

 

[peppy]

Got pictures? We'll need to see what you've done to give you the best advice.

I'll take one in ~8 hours, after I wake up and the light in the box is on!

 

[peppy]

A bit late with the photos, but here's my setup!

Someplace online, someone said that the bottom of the box should be less reflective. I am planning on getting black or gray fabric to place on the floor of the sprout/veg chamber to help block light. The mylar seems to be working pretty well, there's no light coming out of the wardrobe.

I am lacking tools for testing brightness but after the cotyledon, there have already been two pairs of leaves that've sprouted so I know this 50W bulb is doing something.

 

[RoadKillSkunkHunt]

A bit late with the photos, but here's my setup!

Someplace online, someone said that the bottom of the box should be less reflective. I am planning on getting black or gray fabric to place on the floor of the sprout/veg chamber to help block light. The mylar seems to be working pretty well, there's no light coming out of the wardrobe.

I am lacking tools for testing brightness but after the cotyledon, there have already been two pairs of leaves that've sprouted so I know this 50W bulb is doing something.

View attachment 2523402View attachment 2523401

The fact that there's a pot on the bottom of the box means less surface area for reflection. Don't waste your time changing that part. The differences will be extremely minimal. What I see having a more direct impact on your grow-ability is managing your climate inside the container. You need 2 types of air flow. You need oscillating are moving it all around and also ventilation ... meaning fresh air exchange with cooler air from the outside. Install a vent fan at the top of your structure and open up a source of fresh air to stream up through the bottom of the cabinet. The air movement and exchange will give you much more control over your environment and will do more for you than changing the refelctive surface at the bottom of the grow area. Refracted light is recycled light. You want it to bounce around in there and be contained by the reflective surfaces. Air movement and air flow will be much more critical to your success.

 

[SlingShot]

love the effort, I started with a diy setup decades ago in a fark your freedoms country but in the open countryside away from others, and I have guided many folk nowadays regarding indoor grows, all want to cobble together something from items around the home, all but one I convinced to purchase a grow tent, quality is better, cheap-ish will do, solves so many issues right off the bat, the big one, the odour, you can't readily contain or mask odour, only neutralise or trap, our chosen plant stinks when flowering, farking stinks, and to try and contain that in a closet is doable but so much easier with a tent. Either way, as above poster states, air in air out is crucial, and with air out tumbles the odour molecules, get yourself a carbon filter if nosey neighbours or authorities be a concern, and well done choosing this path even though 'others' say nope, nicely done.

 

[KG1]

Eventually just buying a tent and finding a hiding place is better illegal since it keeps everything stealth and smell free.

I started in a wardrobe quickly realised it has its drawbacks

 

[peppy]

Finally got around to properly installing an exhaust fan today. Moved the plants outside, used a soldering iron to cut out a hole around the circle of the fan, then ran screws through the fan to hold it against the door of the wardrobe. A few hours after the melting plastic smoke was all vented out / captured by the air purifier (lol) I brought them back in. I did wear a good mask and ran fans while I burned the plastic but I do not recommend going this route; or at least do it outside ... lol...

The setup is not air-tight which should mean plenty of Co2 / clean air is drawn in. There is also a small fan inside the veg chamber doing its magic. No pests or fungus yet, knock on wood. 2 weeks in. I'm almost ready to begin adding weekly nutes (high N, medium P/K) and I'm using a special soil meter that measures dryness of the soil to help guide me about watering, I am trying to tend on the side of underwatering and so far everything is happening beautifully. Many more leaves have began sprouting since my last photo.

Any thoughts on how to prevent light leak for the fan?

I was thinking of either putting a cardboard box with two holes, one facing the fan one facing the floor, like a vent hood, or making a series of slats that should block almost all ambient light from coming in while still allowing air to blow out. Not super worrying about it right now while plants are in the 18/6 state but it's going to be more important when I add fan(s) to the larger flowering 12/12 chamber in the near future.

Cost spent on this setup so far: $100 for the wardrobe, $5 for the fans, $5 for the mylar reflective insulation, $8 for the lights, $118 total. Keeping things eco! Still a ton of mylar left over and I also got a 100W blurple light and another fan.

 

[KG1]

My tent has permanent light leaks, as long as the light is very low it won't start photosynthesis or be an issue.

Placing the fan on the side nearest the wall would have been an option to reduce light coming in.

Cardboard is super flammable I advise no one has this stuff near any electrics, find a less flammable material to baffle fans for light.

Looking good so far

 

[Randyy]

Any thoughts on how to prevent light leak for the fan?

You can get one of these:

Light and dust intake filter

Not sure if your space will allow it, but alternatively you can attach a duct on the inside of the ventilator. If the duct is long enough, then the light will fade enough so it won't be a problem. I have passive air intake in my tent. It's just a duct that I snaked around the bottom of the tent and sticking out one of the bottom holes. Works just fine.

 

[MileHiGhost]

You can get one of these:

Light and dust intake filter

Not sure if your space will allow it, but alternatively you can attach a duct on the inside of the ventilator. If the duct is long enough, then the light will fade enough so it won't be a problem. I have passive air intake in my tent. It's just a duct that I snaked around the bottom of the tent and sticking out one of the bottom holes. Works just fine.

I have my extra vent fan on the top. As long as there is no light up there it won't reach directly to the plants

 

[amneziaHaze]

I live in a very anti-cannabis country which means I am doing a lot of mcguyvering. I'm looking to build two small grow spaces, one for seedlings / vegetation, another for flowering. First time grower. I want to sustain growing as best as possible by making clones because obtaining seeds is not easy in my circumstance.

Bought a ~190cm (6 feet) wardrobe this week that I've been converting to a grow space. There's a shelf in the wardrobe that splits it into two spaces, a 60cm (2 feet) space and a 120cm (4 feet) space. So far I've put mylar around the walls and rigged up a 50W LED and exhaust fan in the top half of the wardrobe. I'm planning to insert a 100W LED, mylar, and another exhaust fan in the bottom half when it reaches that point.

Something I'm concerned about: is 60cm of vertical space enough for early vegetation with a weaker LED? I'm thinking what I'll do is start making clones once a plant is big enough, and via topping and low stress training, veg shorter plants to a degree before they are moved to the flower chamber.

Something I could also do is move the shelf and, say, maybe have an 80cm veg chamber and 100cm flower chamber. From what I understand this seems even less optimal. Or, once vegs seem to be growing too tall for their chamber, despite pruning and training, move them down to the flower chamber. From what I understand, a technique similar to sea of green is what may be best for my situation: have some minimal vegging and make some clones, then move to flowering quickly. Make up for the lack of plant height with quantity of plants. I could also remove the shelf and make my grow box be set on 12-12 but I don't know how feasible it is taking clones from plants growing in 12-12 mode.

I'm not looking for the biggest possible yields, but any advice to make the most out of my circumstance would be appreciated. Folks here probably have some insight into what I should do. If it comes down to it, I can probably build a second box specifically for vegging, say maybe 90cm (3 feet) tall, but I would love to make this setup work!

You can look in my diary i got a 30x30x something toolbox after veg the plant filled half the big box1m