Grow Room Advice Needed For Noobie

I am open for any input and please suggest anything you think is wrong with the set up or something your would do or add for me to benefit with what I have to work with. I am located in a climate zone where I am able to keep my grow outdoors in an insulated work shop for about 10 months out of the year. I have a room inside my workshop that is designated for my grow room. It is 8'6" across and 6' feet deep. The height is 8 feet but I can go a bit higher as the way the roof is constructed.

One thing I am considering doing and wanted advice on is that I can add another room onto what I have. The room can be of equal size or smaller. I would prefer a bit smaller. Hoping to see what kind of options I can use this room for with what type of set up.

Okay for the room that is in actual use. I have the following set up. An ebb and flow bucket system that can hold up to 12 buckets. I use hydro-ton as a medium. The lighting I have always used is a Hydrofarm Ballast that is 120v 9.5 amps. It is actually 7 years old. It is a ballast that requires a 1000w bulb. The bulb I have been using for a long time is a 1000 Watt HPS.

I also have in the room a cage fan that exchanges the air in the room at a pretty decent rate. I dont remember the actual exchange rate but I know I went a bit over what I needed at the time.

I have about five years of noob growing under my belt. I have had many many failures with everything from mites ruining a crop to my heating device failing and lines freezing and blowing one night. So please any advice I will take and appreciate big time.

As far as chemicals go the last grow I used CNS17 Grow 3-2-4, CNS17 Ripe 1-5-4, CNS17 Bloom 2-2-5 and during the bloom phase additionally Monster Bloom 0-5-30.

The last grow I spoke of I only utilized 5 buckets. I am not sure how much coverage I can actually get in the room with that type of light. I have read over in the lighting forum and believe I am good for an area of about 10 by 10.

I have ten feminized seeds (white widow) I am waiting to be delivered from Dutch Seeds. As of right now I am hoping when they get back from this vacation until 2/9 that my seeds will be shipped out promptly. If not I am going to purchase them from the seed bank that roll it up endorses. I made my purchase prior to me joining this forum, something I wish I had waited until reading alot of the material here.

So basically I would use cfls to start my seeds then transfer to the 1000 watt hps light for 18/6. I would run this course until the plants got about 3.5 feet and then switched to a 12/12 for the remainder.

Here is where I am hoping I can get as much input as possible with what I am getting ready to do.

Should I use the space I have and construct another room? And if so what should I utilize that room for. I think I am wasting way to much time in one room from start to finish.

If I am able to utilize these rooms for about 10 months out of the year, how many would you attempt to run during that 10 month period.

Would you change the lighting around if so what would you change to?

Additionally I use to use Flora Series for the grow. (Micro, Bloom, Grow, Tea) but switched to the CNS. Would you go back to the Flora Series or stay with what I am using. I use these two because as someone like myself who still considers myself a novice they are very easy to use and not mess up. For me anyway.

Once again thanks for any advice and input. I was planning on taking a pic of the room tomorrow and posting it. Also was going to do a daily thread once I get things up and running in the near future.

Damn, not one response?

I am open for any input and please suggest anything you think is wrong with the set up or something your would do or add for me to benefit with what I have to work with. I am located in a climate zone where I am able to keep my grow outdoors in an insulated work shop for about 10 months out of the year. I have a room inside my workshop that is designated for my grow room. It is 8'6" across and 6' feet deep. The height is 8 feet but I can go a bit higher as the way the roof is constructed.

One thing I am considering doing and wanted advice on is that I can add another room onto what I have. The room can be of equal size or smaller. I would prefer a bit smaller. Hoping to see what kind of options I can use this room for with what type of set up.

-2 Identical rooms would be an option I wish I had to I could do 1 full veg, and 1 full flower, and grow easily into a screen for a scrog.

Okay for the room that is in actual use. I have the following set up. An ebb and flow bucket system that can hold up to 12 buckets. I use hydro-ton as a medium. The lighting I have always used is a Hydrofarm Ballast that is 120v 9.5 amps. It is actually 7 years old. It is a ballast that requires a 1000w bulb. The bulb I have been using for a long time is a 1000 Watt HPS.

-1 1000w HPS is supposed to be able to cover about a 5x5' foot print. I prefer 4x4, but if you don't mind losing a little bud density, you can probably raise it to 6x6.

I also have in the room a cage fan that exchanges the air in the room at a pretty decent rate. I dont remember the actual exchange rate but I know I went a bit over what I needed at the time.

-Dont see any reason why this is a problem unless you have temp probs.

I have about five years of noob growing under my belt. I have had many many failures with everything from mites ruining a crop to my heating device failing and lines freezing and blowing one night. So please any advice I will take and appreciate big time.

-What can you do, shit happens, gotta clean what you can, scrap what you can't and move on.

As far as chemicals go the last grow I used CNS17 Grow 3-2-4, CNS17 Ripe 1-5-4, CNS17 Bloom 2-2-5 and during the bloom phase additionally Monster Bloom 0-5-30.

-Any nutrient regiment should be fine once you find the balance that your particular girl likes.

The last grow I spoke of I only utilized 5 buckets. I am not sure how much coverage I can actually get in the room with that type of light. I have read over in the lighting forum and believe I am good for an area of about 10 by 10.

-for 1 1000w light, I cannot see any quality effects from raising the light high enough to cover a 10x10. If memory serves anything around 40" or more from the light source is not getting very efficient light at all. You could probably cut the crop size in half, give more efficient light and get better yields overall. I've seen similar numbers places and wondered who would reccomend it, but I barely cover a little more area than that comfortable with 4x your light, and maximum hood size.

I have ten feminized seeds (white widow) I am waiting to be delivered from Dutch Seeds. As of right now I am hoping when they get back from this vacation until 2/9 that my seeds will be shipped out promptly. If not I am going to purchase them from the seed bank that roll it up endorses. I made my purchase prior to me joining this forum, something I wish I had waited until reading alot of the material here.

-Your seeds will probably come, I've heard of it taking up to 3 weeks from any bank. Though if it comes down to it Attitude seed bank as you're describing is well reviewed.

So basically I would use cfls to start my seeds then transfer to the 1000 watt hps light for 18/6. I would run this course until the plants got about 3.5 feet and then switched to a 12/12 for the remainder.

-I've personally never grown White Widow, but expect without alot of training a sativa strain like white window could get up to triple in height in flower. Just make sure you have enough headroom for that type of height.

Here is where I am hoping I can get as much input as possible with what I am getting ready to do.

Should I use the space I have and construct another room? And if so what should I utilize that room for. I think I am wasting way to much time in one room from start to finish.

-With just 1 1000w HID your 8x6 room is plenty big enough with room to spare. If you are interested in investing in more light and equipment to expand, that would be the only reason to add another room.

If I am able to utilize these rooms for about 10 months out of the year, how many would you attempt to run during that 10 month period.

-White Widow flowers in about 8-11 weeks. Depends on if you are going to keep a permanant 12/12 room, and how quick you harvest, as well as if you will keep another batch flowering while you cure. You have to factor in all your variables and do the math.

Would you change the lighting around if so what would you change to?

-If I read correctly you have 1000w HID and CFLs for seedlings. Doesn't leave alot of configurations, unless I missed something.

Additionally I use to use Flora Series for the grow. (Micro, Bloom, Grow, Tea) but switched to the CNS. Would you go back to the Flora Series or stay with what I am using. I use these two because as someone like myself who still considers myself a novice they are very easy to use and not mess up. For me anyway.

- I Personally use Flora Series with good results, but see no reason why another brand would not do the job. In general I consider this choice personal preference. If you had good results with GH, I personally wouldn't switch.

Once again thanks for any advice and input. I was planning on taking a pic of the room tomorrow and posting it. Also was going to do a daily thread once I get things up and running in the near future.[/QUOTE]

Roid, thanks for the response. I am going to read it a few times to fully digest it. One question. If you had another room for veg and since this room would be the flowering room and the print would take up a 4x4 area would you consider dividing that room into two phases of flowering? Am I correct in saying that the plants will stay in the flowering room longer than the veg room. So if possible run two stages of flowering if that room is big enough to be split. (The originial 8x6 room) so there is no down time with the veg room?