Closet Grow Box Speculation

Hey Everybody!

I'm new to the scene and am anxious. I'm planning my first grow in my closet (soil). The box I've built is small (1.5x1.5x4 ft) but for a reason... I'll be attempting to grow 4-5 Lowryder #2 hybrids in there (and it's a small closet).

I have 2 100mm computer fans for intake and exhaust.

One of my main concerns is lighting... CFL or HPS? I have a 250 watt HPS but I think the space is too small? Also, if I do go CFL over the HPS...how much wattage will be needed for 4-5 Lowryders? On the boxes for CFL's it says 26 watts = 100 watts.

I'm planning on having 4 fluros placed vertically on the sides of the box with mylar on the other sides either way I go.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

yeah thats a small space. the floor space is 2.25 square feet, and you usually want about a gallon pot per vertical foot growth of the plant, and you probably want them to be at least a foot tall by harvest time. so...

my gallon buckets are about 9in in diameter. If you have something similar you could fit 4 in a 18" by 18" space. I would only start 4 so you dont waste seeds.

Tough call on the HPS vs CFL. Considering you are cooling it with computer fans, I would get the CFL's. The longer tube CFL's are great, especially for seedlings and adolescent plants. You might could get some high output LED's to assist flowering.
By the time you are budding you probably want at least 8 CFL's on the four plants. Dont wast your time with the small ones. Look for the 150 watt equiv. they are good.

Thanks dos. Do you think a SOG method suit me better? How many watts do you think will be needed during flowering from the LED's? in combination with the CFLs?

By the time you are budding you probably want at least 8 CFL's on the four plants.

Click to expand...

What wattage per CFL here?
Thanks again

I dont know a whole lot about LED lights, but you can find a grow journal or something from someone who did one and compare them to you.

As for whether to do sea of green or not, I'm trying to do that now, and cloning takes some practice. I started cloning some bag seed plants to get some experience, but still have not nearly perfected it. You also usually want 2 different environments in your grow room: one for vegging and one for budding, so you can continually clone and bud. Its complicated and requires twice as much time and effort to do, so I would keep it simple until you are ready for it. Also, topping your plants and taking clones would reduce the amount of bud you would get in the end if the clones were to fail, so be careful.

As for the CFLs, get the BIG ones. I mostly use 100W equivalent, and a couple of 150s and a longer tube CFL for seedlings and clones. Dont fuck with anything smaller than 100W. you have to get them really close to be effective then you get heat burn and shit.

Ok, so it looks like a 125 watt CFL runs for about $50. I'll probably need 5.....that's not too cheap. Is there any difference in spectrum I should be getting? warm? soft?

I've decided to go CFL all the way. I hear the nugs arent as tight and they don't get as big...but I'll trade that for dealing with the heat and exhaust for a HPS.

I'm still unsure on how much wattage to put in the box though... I bought 4 1 gallon pots today and they fit in the bottom of the box.

I'm thinking about getting a 125 watt 2700K CFL ($55) and a 125 watt 6400K CFL ($55) (8,500 lumens).

Discount CFL Compact Fluorescent Grow Lights for Plants from ACF Greenhouses

I also will use say...2 40 watt (2,600 lumens) per plant (so 8 total). Sound like enough to get 4 lowryder #2's through their whole life cycle?

The problem is I don't know how to evenly distribute the light over the 4 plants... I know one of the big CFL's I'd be getting is best for seedlings and the other for blooming (right?).

I also need an idea for a clever light suspension mechanism for my box. I have 2 pulleys and ropes...the pulleys have hooks so I was going to put both on the top of the box and then raise the lights by pulling the rope.

The thing is I need something to attach all the lights to in a way that all the lights evenly distribute over all 4 plants. (I'm thinking a circle with a wooden bar though the middle for the pulleys to attach to) Remember that in the box, the 4 pots leave a void in the middle.

Blow my mind guys!
Thanks in advance