Budget

[Funk Doc]

I've been thinking about growing a few plants for myself, can you guys tell me how much money I will need to pay for the basic growing stuff? Pots and soil I can get for free from a friend, so I need to buy only lamps, ventilators, nutriants and maybe some other things I forgot.

I also need to know if it's okay to just put the plants in a room or I should make a separate growing room?

[Weedguru Higher]

Well, that's kinda a hard question to answer. The price can vary greatly depending on the type of equipment you use. The possibilites are countless.

It would be easier if you tell us how much you are willing and able to spend.

You need a separate growing room..but it doesn't have to be a whole room. You can construct a grow box or have a grow closet

[Funk Doc]

I have a pantry that can easily contain 10 large pots so that's not a problem.

I don't really have a budget, but the cheaper, the better. I think I'm going to start with 5 plants and decent equipment. Not the cheap ass crap, but not uper professional either. It's quite possible that I will stop growing after this, so I don't want to end up with expensive stuff I don't use.

Sorry if it sounds a bit vague, but I don't really know how to explain it better.

[Weedguru Higher]

When you say pantry do you mean like a closet that is in the wall or a moveable cabinet?

Fans, lights and the works will normally put you out atleast a few hundred bucks. I'm currently doing a cabinet grow and it put us out around $600 bucks, but you could still do cheaper than that.

Where are you growing? Your own house? Appartment? Dorm? Parents house?

[Funk Doc]

I share a house with 2 other guys, but they all smoke so that's cool. A pantry is a separate room, normally used to store food and stuff.

[Weedguru Higher]

Ok.

What are the dimensions of the pantry?

Where are you going to get your supplies? Can you go to a local hydro store? Can you order off the internet? Or are you just stuck with home depot or similar store?

[Funk Doc]

The pantry is 12 square metres.

I can get the supplies from the growshop.

[Weedguru Higher]

Most importantly you are going to need a light www.insidesun.com is a site that sells them for pretty cheap, you'll pay way more than that in a grow store.

Here is a run down on the diffeent types of lighting

http://www.weedguru.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15186

http://www.weedguru.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15186

Next most important is fans for ventilation

http://www.weedguru.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15149

This may also help you out

http://www.weedguru.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15200

The fans at the grow store will be pretty pricey. I got a stanley blower and modified it for my intended use..they push alot of air!!

Is odor an issue for you? If so you need a carbon filter. You can make one for maybe $50 if you are lucky and get cheap quality activated carbon. Otherwise the smallest can filters (4 inch) I've seen are $145 Canadian.

You also need a small fan in the box as the gentle brezze helps strengthen the stem.

You'll most llikely need lightproofing material..iE weather stripping and silicon. Black is most effective, white reflects to much.

You need to line the inside of the pantry with mylar or paint it flat white.

Good quality soil..strelized with perlite , vermiculite and peat moss in it ideally.

Eventually you will need some nutrients. I use BC grow, bloom and boost.

A ph meter and water meter is handy

[Funk Doc]

Okay thanks for the links!

Can I just use a household ventilator? We have two, I was thinking of getting a third and setting the pots all next to eachother, with the ventilators lined up in front of them.

Odor is not an issue, we have an isolated house and my housemates are cool with it.

I am a bit worried about the heat generation from the lights, cops here use infrared scanners to scan houses and if one room is much warmer than the next it will look very suspicious. Can I put isolation in the room to shield the heat from the scanners?

Also, they are now working with electrical companies to look if some houses use more electricity than others, is that a risk if I'm growing 5 plants?

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Im not sure about this so you might want to check it with a grower but i think if you line the pantry with aluminam foil it will block the scanner readings
or you can just say that someone is taking a hot shower in the pantry

[Weedguru Higher]

Aluminum foil is actually a bad thing I have learned recently. Flat white paint is more reflective that foil, as foil creates hot spots and doesn't distribute the light evenly. You know all those wrinkles foil has..that is why no light distribution.

When you are growing in a enclosed area, it is vital that you have both intake and exhaust.. You can you a fan (not standard household fan) It has to be a fan that sucks..like a bathroom fan for example. ANd you need intake which can be passive..just holes letting air in. You need three times as much intake as exhaust. If your exhaust fan measures 4 inches across, then you need 12 inches of intake. Drilling six 2 inch holes near the bottom would be fine..or one 12 inch hole. Whatever combination accomodates you.

Plants live and thrive of CO2, you need a constant fresh supply. IF you just close your -plants in the room, they won't do well at all. Unless the door is constantly open and ypu have a window you can crack open. AN standard household fan will do no other than push around the old air. Along with th4e exhaust an intake though, you do need another fan. This one can be oscialting. You need a slight breeze in the grow space, that goes over the plants. This slight swaying movement will help get plants with stronger stems..so they can hold the weight of the buds later without toplling over.

Don't worry about the heat thing..worry about heat when you have so many lights that you worry about the electrical bill. It could be a dryer, heater anything.

What kind of lights do you plan on using? I have used up too 1400 watts of hps lighting and that only set me back 25 or 30 bucks per month. NOt enough to create an alarm. Installing a new dishwasher would do about the same thing

[Funk Doc]

I was thinking of hanging a hood from the ceiling with fluorescent bulbs, but I don't know how many I should use and how much watt they should have. I'm going to go with fluorescent bulbs because my friend says they give off minimal heat. I'm also told that these bulbs need to be close to the plants, so I will probably have to construct a set-up that moves up and down.

There is a ventilator built in the wall that is connected to the outside, my friend says that it will cover the air intake and that just leaving the door open will provide enough circulation.

[Weedguru Higher]

I was thinking of hanging a hood from the ceiling with fluorescent bulbs, but I don't know how many I should use and how much watt they should have. I'm going to go with fluorescent bulbs because my friend says they give off minimal heat. I'm also told that these bulbs need to be close to the plants, so I will probably have to construct a set-up that moves up and down.

It is true that fluros emit less heat than HID, however they do not emit the correct number of lumens or right light spectrum. But you can grow something with them, and it can be pretty good. You will never get as much yield as from an HID, but for a beginner that is not too important. I've been reading up alot on this lately, and have encountered many people who have succesfully grown from start to finish with fluros.

These bulbs do need to be close to the lights, as close as possible. Proabably are 3 or 4 inches from the tops of the plants. The way to know, is to stick your hand under the light...if your hand scorches it's too close, if you can hold it there comfotably thats good.

For changing the height, go pick up some chain at the hardware store, along with 4 S-hooks, two screweyes and 2 screweye blots. You can figure out the rest from there. Make sure the light fixture is strong enough. A falling light can cause you some serious problems

There is a ventilator built in the wall that is connected to the outside, my friend says that it will cover the air intake and that just leaving the door open will provide enough circulation.

Does this ventilator suck out air, or blow air in?

[Funk Doc]

It blows air in.