potroastV2
Well-Known Member
I decided on the closet to use, and figured out the power requirements. I ran a new 20-amp circuit through the attic, and put an outlet in the attic, and two in the closet (one high and one low.)
I cut a hole in the ceiling, and installed a 4 inch axial fan blowing out (exhaust.) Since I was going to keep the ballast in the attic, (to keep its heat out of the closet) I decided to hang it. It's suspended above the exhaust fan so there's air blowing on it constantly. I figured that it would be quieter, too, in case the ballast vibrated on the floor of the attic.
As it is, the ballast makes no sound. The axial fan is whisper quiet, but it does vibrate the ceiling a tiny bit. However, so far, people that have been visiting haven't noticed.
Then I set up the movable shelf in the closet so I had three places that I could put the shelf, and painted the whole place bright white. I had the paint guy add some fungicide to the paint.
Meanwhile, I sent an order to two seedbanks in Holland for some good seeds. I got one back in 15 days! The other order took 16 weeks.
So, to set up the closet, I got a shoplight for the cloning shelf, and a 400 watt High Pressure Sodium horizontal light fixture and ballast, with a 430 watt Son-Agro bulb, which has extra blue. With this fixture, too, I can put a 400 watt Metal Halide conversion bulb if I should ever want to.
Next, for the growing bed. I got a 2' x 4' hydroponic bed that holds 21 six-inch square pots. Once I figured out how much water it would take to fill it, I decided on a cement mixing tray for the reservoir. It holds 14 gallons, and I needed 10. It's also only 8 inches tall so I can keep the hardware low, more growing space, ya know.
So I put down some heavy plastic, and put some 8 inch concrete blocks in the corners. Then a piece of lumber on the blocks. The reservoir fits under the board, and the bed sits on the board. The entire res & bed is only 16" high. I rigged the 1/2 inch tubing for fill and drain with the water pump, and it was ready.
So I germinated. Layered paper towels, wet with distilled water, in a warm place. Out of 26 seeds, 24 opened.
I put them in 2 inch rockwool cubes, (properly soaked in pH 5.5 water) When sprouted, they went under the flouro. Took about 3 days for the taproots to make it through the cube. So, into their pots, filled with hydrocorn, (a round clay aggregate made in Holland for hydro) and into the ebb and flow bed, and under the HPS at four feet distance. I lowered the light gradually over 10 days to 18 inches.
I decided to use General Hydroponics Flora Series Nutrients. The GH nutes are said to be the most complete, and have the least problems with pH control. First 10 days in the bed, used nutes at 1/2 strength. Plants started taking off.
So that's the setup. Another thing that worked out really well is the window treatment. I had to seal the window in that bedroom, and I got some black/white "panda plastic" that is 4 mils thick. I didn't want it to look like black plastic from the outside so I got some window film, the kind that blocks out sun/UV rays. When it's on the window, from outside it looks like a mirror. I put the plastic on the inside, black side out, and from outside you can't see a thing, just your reflection. It worked great, and it's light tight.
So now I'm running the light 18 hours/day. The pump comes on 5 times/light cycle, and fills the bed in 14 minutes and drains in 20 minutes. (took some tinkering with flow rates, etc. to get right.)
I keep the nute solution close to 5.8 pH. And I monitor the TDS (total dissolved solids) to keep the strength right. Actually, now that it's set up, there's not much to do, it's all automatic. I just add water, and raise the light. Smile
And, of course, harvest some goodies!
Written by: Potroast
I cut a hole in the ceiling, and installed a 4 inch axial fan blowing out (exhaust.) Since I was going to keep the ballast in the attic, (to keep its heat out of the closet) I decided to hang it. It's suspended above the exhaust fan so there's air blowing on it constantly. I figured that it would be quieter, too, in case the ballast vibrated on the floor of the attic.
As it is, the ballast makes no sound. The axial fan is whisper quiet, but it does vibrate the ceiling a tiny bit. However, so far, people that have been visiting haven't noticed.
Then I set up the movable shelf in the closet so I had three places that I could put the shelf, and painted the whole place bright white. I had the paint guy add some fungicide to the paint.
Meanwhile, I sent an order to two seedbanks in Holland for some good seeds. I got one back in 15 days! The other order took 16 weeks.
So, to set up the closet, I got a shoplight for the cloning shelf, and a 400 watt High Pressure Sodium horizontal light fixture and ballast, with a 430 watt Son-Agro bulb, which has extra blue. With this fixture, too, I can put a 400 watt Metal Halide conversion bulb if I should ever want to.
Next, for the growing bed. I got a 2' x 4' hydroponic bed that holds 21 six-inch square pots. Once I figured out how much water it would take to fill it, I decided on a cement mixing tray for the reservoir. It holds 14 gallons, and I needed 10. It's also only 8 inches tall so I can keep the hardware low, more growing space, ya know.
So I put down some heavy plastic, and put some 8 inch concrete blocks in the corners. Then a piece of lumber on the blocks. The reservoir fits under the board, and the bed sits on the board. The entire res & bed is only 16" high. I rigged the 1/2 inch tubing for fill and drain with the water pump, and it was ready.
So I germinated. Layered paper towels, wet with distilled water, in a warm place. Out of 26 seeds, 24 opened.
I put them in 2 inch rockwool cubes, (properly soaked in pH 5.5 water) When sprouted, they went under the flouro. Took about 3 days for the taproots to make it through the cube. So, into their pots, filled with hydrocorn, (a round clay aggregate made in Holland for hydro) and into the ebb and flow bed, and under the HPS at four feet distance. I lowered the light gradually over 10 days to 18 inches.
I decided to use General Hydroponics Flora Series Nutrients. The GH nutes are said to be the most complete, and have the least problems with pH control. First 10 days in the bed, used nutes at 1/2 strength. Plants started taking off.
So that's the setup. Another thing that worked out really well is the window treatment. I had to seal the window in that bedroom, and I got some black/white "panda plastic" that is 4 mils thick. I didn't want it to look like black plastic from the outside so I got some window film, the kind that blocks out sun/UV rays. When it's on the window, from outside it looks like a mirror. I put the plastic on the inside, black side out, and from outside you can't see a thing, just your reflection. It worked great, and it's light tight.
So now I'm running the light 18 hours/day. The pump comes on 5 times/light cycle, and fills the bed in 14 minutes and drains in 20 minutes. (took some tinkering with flow rates, etc. to get right.)
I keep the nute solution close to 5.8 pH. And I monitor the TDS (total dissolved solids) to keep the strength right. Actually, now that it's set up, there's not much to do, it's all automatic. I just add water, and raise the light. Smile
And, of course, harvest some goodies!
Written by: Potroast
