growing in a cold attic...

I had my first successful grow over the summer. Only 1 female out of 3, but it was enough to excite me and keep me going. I've been using a small "nook" in my attic. I'm using CFL's on 4 plants, I have 8x23W and 2x40W. Anyway, my first grow was in the summer when the attic was hot. It's winter now and its colder up there...I don't have a thermometer up there, but I'm guessing its around 40F. The plants are growing slowly which I'm attributing to the lower temps. The plants above the soil are keeping warm from the lights and a small heater, however the pots are cold and I'm worried its really going to screw stuff up. What can I do that doesn't include electricity to keep the pots warmer??? I'm researching other threads, I just thought I'd see if anyone could point me in a good direction...Thanks all

If home is forced air heating, run an extra duct into the attic.

you could insulate them in some manner... maybe straw.

i would try to get it to be above 40 degrees during the dark period on a cold day.

run the lights at night.

seal up the attic well and put a heat insulating blackout shade over the windows that you are able to in the attic.

feel for cracks of cool air and you could seal it with a foam called "Great Stuff"

Find a few softball sized rocks and place them on your heat source and then place them next to your pots you can do this during lights off or all the time depending on your needs, time and patience. Good Luck

Sweet rock idea! That would work pretty well with a HPS

I know you said not involving electricity, but considering you must have an outlet or extension cord up there... if you could get your hands on a heating mat to put underneath the pots that should help keep the roots a tad warmer.

Also the rock idea could certainly work. Perhaps you could even find some fire brick, marble or soapstone; something with good heat retention and conductivity. I would couple this with some foam insulation.

It would be so easy to seal that corner, toss an hps and run co2. The heat of the bulb would keep the room warm, and just have an exhaust hooked up to a sealed hood. You wont need a heater, and if it hits too hot of a temp, it will just vent the bulb with the proper controller and leave the room in tact with all your co2 inside.


Or you can run ducts to it and figure out how to balance the system between your home and the grow space, which to me would be a hell of a lot harder than just walling the grow in and dropping a bottle of c02 in there.

Down side is you are looking at buying a lot of gear you probably don't have(hps with sealed hood, co2 bottle, regulator and co2 sniffer and some building supplies). I guess I'd rather spend the little bit of money on gear than to have crappy buds after months of work from subprime growing conditions.

Rigid Foam board insulation, cut into a box around um then tape together if necessary, shiny side to the plants gives more light. I added them to my cabinet and the girls are in a nice 72 degree area when the lights are going.

Get the plants away from the window first of all. Thats a key spot for cold air drafts. That attic looks finished, if so open your air ducking and hear it or a larger heater or place them near the vent.

The rock idea is AWESOME!!!!!

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! I was at Lowe's the other day and ended up buying one of their indoor greenhouses. Its about 25" x 23" x 60". Its not the best but, it seems to be working really well so far.

Heating pad under a rock, tub of water or something that stays warm

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Wish i had a cold attic.

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When lights go off heating pad goes on. Separate timer obv.

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here are the pics of the new set up...sorry if they're blurry, the plastic glares the camera...I put black trash bags on 3 sides to block the light....