HayesYHaze 200W CFL Rubbermaid Grow.

wattage matters. more watts = more lumens. you want at LEAST 100watts per plant. i would shoot for closer to 200+ watts if you want any sort of a decent yield though.

if you can adjust the temp to a perfect 75F 24/7. they'll love you for it.

SensiHerb said:

wattage matters. more watts = more lumens. you want at LEAST 100watts per plant. i would shoot for closer to 200+ watts if you want any sort of a decent yield though.

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So I looked for the highest of everything CFL at Lowes. What your saying- is I need 10 of them. My Rubbermaid is going to be 300+ degrees lol

Keep in mind this is a stealth micro grow, the inside of the box is 90%-97% reflective. I have two fans pushing out air. And a passive intake. Peak temps where I'm from outside day time is around 65-72 degrees. In a month or two it will be 88-100 which means my box will be extremely warm. EXTREMELY.

When it is 77 outside. The temp inside the grow is 86. It was 90 in the grow the first day- before I rearranged and remodeled the grow.

Transplant and inside grow;





Literally looks dead...

I'm just trying to be serious about this is a realistic manner, this isn't a shoe box thrown underneath my bed. This to me is like a religion. I check it every 6 hours if I'm not working. These are my babies, and I want my babies to be strong and make me proud.

Thanks for all the advice. I woke up to this note today from my mother. BUSTED.



Good thing they are dead, or I would be pissed.

HayesYHaze said:

Thanks for all the advice. I woke up to this note today from my mother. BUSTED.



Good thing they are dead, or I would be pissed.

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So my understanding is that she doesn't mind a small, hobby grow? If she's concerned about the risk of fire, ditch the rubbermaid, save some money and get a small grow tent. Throw in some decent cooling and a 250W HPS cool tube. That'll be enough for a couple plants, and should yield (assuming you manage your grow properly) around 4 zips total every 3-4 months. Not bad for an initial outlay of $300-$400. No sense in using CFLs unless you have a really small space in which to grow, or if it needs to remain stealthy(ish). Results with HPS are impressive, although the light, reflector, and ballast cost more to buy upfront. You'll need more than a couple PC fans for cooling the bulb, so bigger fans will cost more as well.

p.s. Try to figure out what caused the plants to die - temperatures, humidity, too many/little nutrients/water, pH not balanced, soil drainage, light proximity, etc etc etc. If you don't isolate the problem, your next batch in your 'comparatively expensive' new grow tent will go the same way.

Keep us posted on your next move.

Honestly, after reading that note a few times. I did see she was saying she doens't mind. My Mum is someone who never accepted pot, she thought of it as "the devil, and worse than heroin" So reading this made me extremely confused. I appreciate that SunnyJim, I won't be giving up; A grow tent sounds like a good idea, As long as it isn't a fire hazard she will be cool with it.

*EDIT* Also- would the electric bill be monstrous? My friend is a caregiver, spends about $300 on electric. But, he also has 20 plants... Is the grow tent a safe size for a budget?


I think my problems were as followed;

• I never checked the pH. never
• Soil wasn't fresh- was from a unknown plant, plant could of died? plant could of been fed nutes? No idea.
• Water, was what I assumed to be "distilled" I filled water bottles from tap, and let them sit... Shaking them every day
• Temp fluctuation from 66F-88F definitely was not a helping factor.
• And finally, Went by Watt "equivalent" so my lighting was extremely underpowered.

My next attempt will be far more thought out, neat, and safe...

I could be wrong, but that's how I read it. I let my family know I was growing after I had a few grows under my belt. The alternative to me growing my own marijuana, I explained, would be to continue to buy bags of weed from criminals. This way, I don't fund criminal activity, I don't contribute towards criminal activity because I don't sell any of my yield, ever. I pay my electric bills on time every month, I scrub the air I exhaust from my grow box with a carbon filter so my neighbours don't have to put up with any odours emanating from my apartment. What I'm doing is a victimless crime. I really fail to see what the big deal is with a small, personal grow. Just don't sell it, or boast about what you're doing to all your friends, keep no more than a couple plants at a time, and you should be golden.

You can get small grow tents which are suitable for a few plants, and the good quality ones should be made of non-flammable material. Buy your fittings all wired up for you, and that will safeguard against sketchy electrics catching fire.

Your electric bill will not increase by much per month using a 250w HPS. Check you latest bill summary, and you'll see what they charge you per kilowatt hour. With that information, you'll be able to calculate exactly how much 250 watts running for 18 hours a day (12 hrs during flower) will add to the bill.

I run my lights at night when electricity is cheaper (off-peak). I use 250 watts of CFL, and it doesn't cost me more than $20 a month to run, probably less. My PC uses way more than my grow. So does my beast of a TV.

Get good soil (I'm not a soil grower, I use hydroponics so I can't recommend any), get a pH meter, do most of the stuff you said you didn't do, and you'll be in good shape.

Talk to your mother and make sure she's ok with you starting a safer, more thought-out grow.

EDIT: Marijuana worse than heroin?? Absurd. Statements like that, with respect to your mom, are full of ignorance. No one who knows anything about either product would ever make such a comparison. They are, in fact, incomparable, unless you're the kind of person who can draw comparisons between a shoe and a piece of toast.

SunnyJim said:

EDIT: Marijuana worse than heroin?? Absurd. Statements like that, with respect to your mom, are full of ignorance. No one who knows anything about either product would ever make such a comparison. They are, in fact, incomparable, unless you're the kind of person who can draw comparisons between a shoe and a piece of toast.

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She was like this, up until about 4 years ago. She didn't smoke for 45 years, and then tried it with my aunt. She accepts that I do, and asks me to go outside, in case family comes over unexpected... But still never expected her to say "I don't care you're growing" I thought I would be moving out this afternoon hah.

-Also thanks for the input about the electric, I'll have to look into it.

After all I read about CFL lights, I only need one 250w HPS tube for all stages of growth?

Just read- use a 250w HPS for Veg, and a 250w MH for flowering. Found this little kit online for $200

Also this tent for $99

Boom! Now all you need to source is decent cooling, and probably a carbon filter so your house doesn't smell like a marijuana farm.

Grab one of these Duct Fans to hook up to the Cool Tube. Some Vent Tubing, and another Duct Fan to hook up to a Carbon Filter.

Found this little drawing on Google.



Plus the hook up to the HPS light... you get the gist though.

That'll do it.

The one and only con, Rubbermaid cost me around $50 for EVERYTHING... Now to find $400...

Always the problem. I guess you should just evaluate exactly what you want out of a grow. Work out how much you smoke, how much you spend on pot, and whether a $400 setup is what you need. Cost/benefit.

The great thing about CFL grows is that you can start small, and keep adding bulbs throughout the grow(s) as your budget allows. With a decent setup like the one you're considering requires all the money upfront, and it'll be around 4 months from seed by the time you get any product from your initial outlay. You'll also need to keep spending money on pot during the grow, so if you're on a low income, it can seem like a huge investment.

It's totally worth it, though. Seriously.

I can afford it right now, will be a little broke for a bit but I could do it. Only problem is- those were bagseed. Any advice on where I can get some female seeds in the US that are legal

HayesYHaze said:

After all I read about CFL lights, I only need one 250w HPS tube for all stages of growth?

Just read- use a 250w HPS for Veg, and a 250w MH for flowering. Found this little kit online for $200

Also this tent for $99

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200$ seem expensive for 250w hid combo, Ive seen 400w combos for much cheaper. You may want to spend the extra and get a dimmable 400w; meaning you can light at 200w, 300w, or 400w giving you better flexablity for energy used and if you do want to upgrade your grow space you wont need a new light.

tent for $99 isnt bad, just make sure you get one with good reviews. Some of the cheaper ones have problems with the corner support. People have reported of them breaking which means their lighting falls ontop of their grow could ruin the grow but more importantly is a fire hazard. But it looks like this one has metal corners so could be okay!

Also, you may not need an intake fan with a tent that small. If your exhaust fan has enough CFMs then you can just have a passive intake at the bottom of your tent as the exhaust will be powerful enough to cycle air without the additional fan (saving you money). Just have one of your clip fans near the intake to get a little extra pull.

I highly suggest you do a lot more research before buying your equipment. It can save you hundreds by not buying things you don't need or finding the best deals!

sadface said:

Tent for $99 isnt bad, just make sure you get one with good reviews. Some of the cheaper ones have problems with the corner support. People have reported of them breaking which means their lighting falls ontop of their grow could ruin the grow but more importantly is a fire hazard. But it looks like this one has metal corners so could be okay!

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sadface said:

I highly suggest you do a lot more research before buying your equipment. It can save you hundreds by not buying things you don't need or finding the best deals!

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Thanks for that input! Didn't know, or experience it to think that way. I'm impulsive when it's something like this. Very well could of bought the first thing I found. I'm also not rich. So my method usually goes as follows, Sort: "Lowest to Highest Price" Then look for the best reviewed item at the lowest cost... But a 250W I know nothing about.

You might of saved me a couple $100. I thank you for that!

Any advice for getting some good beans, that won't land me in cuffs?