Hello from Sydney, Australia - Kampbe1l

[Kampbe1l]

decided to join this forum, keen to learn.

in a city apartment, grew the last 3 grow seasons (spring/summer/autumns) on outdoor balcony, 5 plants a season.

over this winter, my plan is to setup an indoor grow chamber, to compliment this outdoor balcony grow.

- first objective to setup to grow vegetative plants and to propagate clones/cuttings, over winter. To grow vegetative mother-plants to take cuttings, and to propagate these cuttings into vegetative plants, closer to spring. To get a head start for the upcoming spring (Sept), with these established vegetative plants grown over late winter.

currently, i have almost finished building the grow chamber - small space of 50 cm (W) x 100 cm (L) x 200 cm (H).

i have sourced some quality seeds - both auto-flowering and feminised varieties. the auto-flowering varieties are to sown traditionally in early spring, for its normal outdoor natural cycle, in large pots on the balcony during the upcoming 2019/20 season. the feminised varieties are to be grown into motherplants, from which clones to be cut - and these clones to be grown over the upcoming 2019/20 season. I was looking at setting up a grow chamber to keep a couple of motherplants for following years.

starting with potted soil, rather than any hydroponics setup - maybe looking later to get into hydroponics, but initially just want to concentrate on building this grow chamber and figuring out the lighting. hydroponics involves a lot of equipment/hardware and medium - plenty of water around electricity. hydroponics is to be explored, a little later.

Eagerly, I have setup crudely - inside the incomplete grow chamber, I have 3 sprouts in its pots, under 2x 55w T5 flouroscent light fixture with some running fans. These sprouts are guinea pigs in my experiment, including testing this grow chamber setup. After getting this grow chamber up and going, I want to use those quality seeds for the real-McCoy.

Maybe over the next fortnight, the grow chamber build will be completed - then my attention turns to lighting and other hardware/equipment I require.

That's a quick introduction.....hope to make your acquaintance.

 

[Kampbe1l]

thank you all.

had quick browses thru Grow FAQ, posted a few hopefully encouraging & helpful replies, getting to know my way around here. i'm still working through all these FAQs and various forums, so holding off at this stage with my questions. see if i can find the answers here, without asking.

in japanese, YO-RO-SHI-KU!!!

 

[1diesel1]

Welcome to, The Farm!!

 

[Kampbe1l]

i'm going to continue to post here, as i am newly acquainted with THCFARMER community and indoor growing.

the grow chamber had to move from its original construction site - now, it's in a different room and its dimensions changed to 70 cm (L) x 130 cm (H) x 50 cm (W). The structure itself can be adjusted in its lengths - but it would mean new covering to conceal this structure. this current dimensions neatly fits the two x 55W T5 fluorescent light fixture.

i am waiting for ordered supplies/materials to be delivered, including the seeds - so, this build is a little stop-go. Its to be finished over the next lazy week or two. I first used materials at hand, but ran out - so, need to wait for the supplies to arrive, to complete my build. the seeds are to arrive anywhere betw sooner fortnight to later month. the grow chamber is to be completed (at least functional) before the seeds arrives - as I intend to pop 1/2 seed(s) as soon as it is in my hands.

I was thinking 1 or 2 'motherplant(s)' in this grow area, then I was going to set up a small chamber to house another T5 2x 55W fluorescent light fixture to propagate cuttings. I plan to setup this cuttings chamber, once the vegetative chamber is up & going when the 'motherplant' generates enough growth to take cuttings from.

MY FIRST QUESTION, regarding construction of the grow chamber - what sort of extraction and intake would be adequate for such area, noting that its dimensions can be changed (made larger)? I was going to make a crude air vent as a passive intake at the bottom of one side panel, while placing an exhaust at the top of the opposite side panel - thinking that the exhaust at the top of this enclosure will pull air into those lower vents to create an air flow/circulation. i'm only running fluoro light fixture(s) at this moment, so it's not a lot of heat to contend with.

Inside the enclosure, I was going to run some small oscillating fans - one place on the floor, the other towards the top. I am going to use potted soil - simple mix of premium potting mix, perlite, compost and some worm castings.

What other hardware equipment would I require to complete set up this modest vegetative chamber to house 2 motherplants in this current dimensions? Remember I don't intend to flower these plants, I want to maintain a motherplant to grow between seasons, and to take cuttings off this plant. Then to use these cuttings, grown into vegetative juveniles, for the next outdoor grow season (Sept = spring, in 3 months time).

i ran away with thoughts of hanging two of these [2x 55w] light fixtures vertically opposite of each other or have one fixture hanging horizontally and another vertically (?). Then thoughts later, that I might want to run a 250W switchable MH/HPS - again focusing on vegetative growth, rather than flowering. But I want to keep the option of indoor flowering an option for later (next winter project), maybe.

Heating should be fine, especially accounting for the enclosed chamber and fluoro light fixtures, and that the grow chamber is indoors - we're approaching winter, and the household is not shy using heaters.