Roseman's Closet-Grow Tutorial

[Roseman]

Preface,
Let me start by saying
I plan on posting much more than just a grow journal here. I hope to share a very detailed tutorial here, with many pics, on growing a pound of dried, closely manicured indica buds in a closet. I will use a store bought hydroponic kit and also use a DIY 5 gallon bucket too.
I will later, in 14 weeks, download this thread to a CD and save it, and edit out the bullshit.
I hope to explain every little thing I do in easy terms, simplified terms, precise details, with photos, and I am dedicating this thread to all the newbies that really want to learn and do not mind reading.
If you want to help and contribute, especially the experienced and knowlegable BubbleHead Gang, I welcome helpful advice. If I, for example, say HID, and forget to tell what HID means or stands for, or if I say CFL, and fail to tell what the letters CFL stands for, I would very much appreciate a heads up. I welcome help. I do not welcome arguements, or "why don't you just blah, blah, blah".
Again, I want to say, I am trying to do this for the first time grower, the so-called newbie here. I will try and do everything the SIMPLE way, and NOT the EXPENSIVE High-Tech way a botanist or horticulturalist or a hydroponic scientist does it.
IN NO WAY AM I STATING THAT I AM DOING IT THE BEST WAY. Many more knowlegable growers are here that know a better way. I'll be showing a grow with CFLs, Compact Fluorescent Lights, but I am not saying that is BEST. I AM saying it is better for the first time grower on a limited budget, who can not afford to handle the HEAT of hotter lights and does not have access to a Hydro store or ordering from the Internet. Everything I show here, you can get from Walmart, Lowes, HomeDepot, PetSmart, Targets, and the local hardware store.

And I will not appreciate rude criticism, and I will not respond to it.

I 'll be off to a slow start here. I don't rush into anything.
Wish me luck and try to be helpful.


IF you are a "know it all, better than you" sort of person, this is not the thread for you.

I'll be uploading pics for a while now.

QUESTIONS will be answered faster here:
Questions about Bubbleponic Growing Thread
.

 

[Roseman]

When you start an indoor grow, you need to seriously consider three important factors. Well, let me say six.
First three are LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
The second are
PREPARATION, PREPARATION, PREPARATION.
I 've been preparing for weeks. I've done several GROWs at friend's and relative's homes, (for a share) and I've also loaned out my equipment more than I should have. Sometimes I get it all back, soemtimes, it gets lost in the shuffle.
I'll start with PREPARATION first. That's what I 'm doing.
My Dad taught me the best way to examine your "shit" is to spread it all out where you can see it. So I've gathered it all up, and spread it out so let me show you my closet in our spare bed room, that was really our JUNK room.
I "ll start with some pics first.
I'm a collector of additional and bigger bulbs. Last year, I kept tripping a circuit breaker, so this year, I added another line to the closet.





Cost me $32 for parts, $20 for the 50 feet of wire, the circuit breaker, and the box, to add that line.

 

[Roseman]

I can not emphasize the importantce of keeping the grow area clean.
I looked at my closed and started cleaning it out and found two spider webs in it!
You can not have anything from outside, from outdoors in
the area of your grow. When I brought my tools in from the gargage that I knew I would need, I washed them. The grow area has to be clean!

 

[ijustgrowGREEN]

good thread idea Roseman..... oh yea, and good luck. subscribed

 

[Roseman]

Here you see a pic of the tools. I use a hammer, a flat screwdriver, a phillips head, some wire cutters, needle nose pliers, large strong heavy duty scissors.

You also see a pic of some nutrients. I had three different people return them to me this month, and I have ten times what I need. I just put them out to see what I have. I also have ten times the amount of pH UP or Down that I need too. You also see several rolls of two sided tape, to hang my Mylar on the walls.

And you see a pile of Surge Protectors. I use many, many more lights than what anyone needs.
I collect this stuff. I have several grow buddies that borrow, and call on me to help. I keep an ample supply of EVERYTHING for emergencies.
It is NOT necesary to have what all i have, and I'll get down specifics later.

 

[Roseman]

There is a large double window behind that blanket that I attached to the wall. There are also BLINDS on the window, behind the blanket. You have to have total darkness during the Flowering (also called BLOOM) Cycle. You have to be able to cut out 98% of the light to your plants during the Bloom Cycle. (Ill explain the TWO Cycles later)
Also, there is the Privacy Issue. I do not want the meter reader looking in the window and seeing my bright lights.

You have to have a dark room, with NO light at times. I will eventually grow with the closet door OPEN, and will have to have my window covered.

You can also see a roll of Mylar, next to the chest of drawers, 50 inches by 25 feet long, costs $29 for the roll.

 

[Roseman]

When I get to the Section on LIGHTS, I will explain why a large number of 42 watt CFL bulbs are more efficient than using LARGE 105 and 200 watt CFL bulbs.
But you can see what I have collected.
Those 200 watt CFLs are GIANTS!
There are 200s, 105s, 85s, 65s and 42s there.
I only want to use the 42s, 65s and 85s, but I am going to try the big ones, for a short while, as an experiment. I already know they are going to get TOO HOT.
You also see a collection of CLAMP REFLECTORS .

 

[Roseman]

Those 200 watt bulbs are a lot bigger than those 42 watters.

You also see two Parabolic Reflectors that I am going to try. Those are expensive, $49 EACH. I've never used them but I will try them on those 200 watt bulbs. Those 20 watt bulbs did nto come with a regular sized socket, (called medium size) they are much larger and are called MOGUL Sockets. I had to buy Mogul Sockets to screw the bulbs into.



Oh, that first pic has my ferret playing on the bed. We was going to throw that old bed away, but kept it for the kids to jump and play on. The ferret thinks it is her bed now. I don't know how I will ever keep her out of that room, except to keep the door closed.

 

[Roseman]

You see my two tanks, 6 holes in each lid. I need to wash them good, and get the mineral salts from my well water off of them.
The next pic is my 5 gallon buckets. One is needed to do the DRAIN and REPLINISH, when yOu drain the water out and replace it.

You also need a trash can or box for trash near the grow area. I use that ASH Bucket from my fireplace. I had a dozen OLD, nasty air stones I am tossing that have done 5 or 6 grows.

For security and privacy, you want to save all trash from your grow room, and discard it separately. You need to put everything you thow away in a public trash dumpster, and not in your household trash.

You also see my collection of water pumps and Air pumps. I had loaned a few pumps out and was not sure I'd get them back for this grow, so I bought two new ones. Then I got the loaned ones back.

 

[Roseman]

Here you see a pic of Water Pump Attachments.
Also see some old Botanical Nutrients, I experimented with and did not like. They stain the water brown, and I like my water CLEAR.
There are 100s of Nutrients (nutes) on the market for sale, adn they are expensive. They all claim to work miracles, just to get your money.
All you really need are nutes for two cycles, Bloom Nutes and Veg Nutes, also called Grow Nutes and Flowering nutes.

I have tried LIQUID KARMA as a supplement or catalyst, and found it made a difference. it is expensive and not necesary.

I use cheap, pre-packaged, pre-mesured, pre pH balanced, NO brand named nutes :
GROW or VEG N-P-K 10:5:14
CALCIUM 6%, MAGNISUM 2%, SULPHUR 3%,
IRON .12%, MANGANESE .05%,
AND BORON, COPPER, CHLORIDE,
MOLYBDENUM, AND ZINC .01%


BLOOM or Flower N-P-K 5:15:14
(NOTE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF NITROGEN IS STILL IN THERE)
CALCIUM 5%, MAGNESIUM 3.5%,
SULPHUR 4%, IRON .1%,
AND BORON, COPPER, CHLORIDE,
MOLYBDENUM, AND ZINC .01%

You need to google and study up on N-P-K definitions and proportions.

In the next pic, you see a stack of 12 inch and 8 inch long air stones. Next to the airstones, are rockwool cubes.
You can also see a small 4 inch round airstone I used for my first grow, three years ago. They work OK, but a 2nd airstone really helps alot. It is all about ample oxygen to the roots! I ahve seen a one inch round airstone made for aquariums, used in one 5 gallon bucket and it worked just fine.

In the next pic are some bags of Hydroton rocks, some 1/4 inch plastic tubes for the air stones, some ONA for odor control, and my 30X microscope behind the date on the pic, some 3 and half inch grow cups, also called grow baskets, and some meters laying next to the tubes.
You do NOT have to have those meters and I will show you how to grow without them. They are handy and helpful, but not necesary. A good pH meter, with batteries and calibration solutions are about $50 to $60 each. A cheap one on ebey is $30.
A good ppm meter runs $60 to $120. Again, you can easily grow, without them.

You also see some extra, empty water bottles. They ar much needed.

You also see some Themometers and some Humidity Meters, that are much needed.

 

[Roseman]

A pic of my pH meter in the blue case is seen. I 've done 3 grows with pH test strips when I did not have a pH meter. You can get the pH test strips at any fish aquarium place, or at the pool supply place.

You see a pile of chains, and a carton of 25 feet of small chain, that I hang my Clap Reflector Lights from.

The Home Defense Pesticide in the next pic is odorless, stainless and works great.
Every week on this site, I see 4 to 6 new posts, complaining that spider mites ruined their crops. Eggs and larvae and all kinds of critters can ruin a crop, and better and easier than finding a remedy and cure, is using a preventative.
You have to make your grow area "bug proof"!
SPRAY the walls and floor good with a good pesticide, not one just made for ants or roaches.


And you see some extra extension cords in that drawer.

 

[Roseman]

Here you see my walk in closet, only 24 inches wide, which is excellent for the tanks and grow area.

I do use a ceiling fan, two oscilating fans and a small fan too. You do not need all of those, just one wuill work fine.

The last pic shows the end of the inside of the closet.

 

[Roseman]

A different view of the closet.

 

[DW4174]

I cant wait to read more roseman!!! I just ordered my bubbleponics kit on the 11th and I'm trying not to go wild every time I see a fedex truck lol.
But I will check on this thread everyday to see whats new. I hop my babies turn out like yours in the pics.
Peace

 

[GooDvzEviL]

Cool Thread Roseman!

I get to follow this one from the beginning... Pulling up a chair and notebook!

 

[yuppiescum]

Awesome, Roseman. Love your threads. I'm got 2 growing in a small crappy closet about the same size.

Hope you have some blinds or something between the blanket & window. We call that a 'crack sheet' (aka crackhead window covering) where I come from.

 

[JonnyBtreed]

A Fresh Start!!! Can't wait to watch and learn my friend. Subscribed

 

[growthspurt]

A Fresh Start!!! Can't wait to watch and learn my friend. Subscribed

Same here.. looking forward to watching what im pretty sure will be yet another very successful grow by roseman.

 

[SMOKEnCHOKE]

Subscribed

 

[hubebaba]

Good luck friend! I subscribed, not only to see all I have done wrong, but to see what ALL of those lights are for. If I need that many lights, I am in BIG trouble. That looks like a lot of money for someone on disability (actually for a lot of people I would think).