my $15 grow box

alright. this is my first setup.

being low on cash. i decided to go as cheap as possibly with the best possible results.

setup

plywood- $8 at home depot, even had them cut it for me

tracklighting and lamps -free (leftover from finishing parents basement)

Brinks home security light timer- $5 at walmart

Radioshack electric fan- free (leftover from other project)

Thermometer- $2 at wal-mart

CFLs- free (had many layin around)

like i said this is my first setup and im still pretty new to all this. i like using the tracklighting because i can easily move the bulbs up and down or side to side as the plant matures.

only problem i seem to be having is the heat buildup. let it run for couple hours and the temp reached almost 100 degrees!. going to try turning the fan around to exhaust the hot air other thanbringing cool air in.

or maybe adding another fan but quiteness is also something im trying to keep.

im open for criticism and advise. i wanna learn as i do this!

also what should i do about the walls. paint them. line them with reflective material????

any help would be great!!

paint them falt white since your on a budget man but if you could spaer 25 dollars i would get the mylar its definetly worth the money in the long run......... OTHER THAN THAT LOOKS REALLY GOOD............

One other thing you need to get some 6500k CFLs in there for the veg state the ones in the picture look like 2700k which are good but your going to need more ight as you prgress and they are going to be tall and skinny with the lights your using now....Pardon my typo

cool. im sure i can spare some cash and get the right cfls and some reflective material. its not that im on a super low budget. i just wanted to see how cheap i could do this for!

turned the fan around last night to exhaust rather than intake. temp stayed at a steady 85 degrees for about 12 hours.

still too hot???

grovestreet said:

cool. im sure i can spare some cash and get the right cfls and some reflective material. its not that im on a super low budget. i just wanted to see how cheap i could do this for!

turned the fan around last night to exhaust rather than intake. temp stayed at a steady 85 degrees for about 12 hours.

still too hot???

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Ideal temp range is 70-76, 72-76, or 70-78 depending on who you ask.
Plants can survive until well in to the 90 degree range, but your plant would be happier being a little cooler.

Also, it looks like your box is only big enough for perhaps 1 plant when it reaches maturity, is that your plan?

had two plants 4 weeks into flowering that turned male in there and space wasnt an issue.

i just think the pic may make it look smaller than it actually is.

not a chronic smoker so the yield from two plants will do me just fine.

plus i plan on keeping the new plants smaller. 24/0 for about a week then straight to 12/12

I would get some y spliters for the bulbs, get a small fan INSIDE the box to circulate air around the lights and plants.

Fuck white paint, get a mylar emergency blanket for like 2.50 and pin that up.

GreedAndVanity said:

I would get some y spliters for the bulbs, get a small fan INSIDE the box to circulate air around the lights and plants.

Fuck white paint, get a mylar emergency blanket for like 2.50 and pin that up.

Click to expand...

yepp definetly gonna have to get the mylar.

was actually thinking, since the box ended up being so tall. that i could add a shelf and section off.

have the top for vegative, and the bottom for flowering. i have do have more tracklighting....

just depends i have not much more space than you do with 3 plants and have painted it flat white for my lighting i have 2 bathroom light fixtures that hold 4 bulbs in each one with one on lower right side and one on higher left side i have 3 y splitters on each light fixture with 7 42 watt cfls on each side then a 3 light fixture on top with 3 bulbs bringin a whooping 17 -42 watt cfls they are half and half at the moment 2700k and 6500k with a stanley blower for a fan where i cut a hole out of the side wall and it sucks outside in with a computer fan mounted on the top sucking hot air out my temps are at 66-72 at night and 72-89 at day they are in week 7 still have them on 24/7 in veg they are about 12 inches high and probaly the bushiest i have ever seen averging about 12 colas a plant im trying to get a way to post pics but keep up the good work space doesnt matter if you know how to grow my only problem is wish i would have put them in bigger pots but owell maybe my second time around i can fix that im also a first timer and trust me i did a lot of reading before preparing just keep it up but the more of them cfls you put into them the better good luck man keep me posted ( Go with White and put the MONEY in Lights)

paint your plywood flat white ... i reccomend spray paint .. easy .. and quick hehe ... ur going to need more lights once they start aging and progessing throught their life cycle.. but for the time being these are adequate enough to promte the growth the need .. at least for mayb two weeks or so .. i do not kno if money is an issue .. but ... if it is .. buy some now and then next week ...

light 24/0 ... prooven to grow 33% faster than 18/6 ....

nuts shud not be intorduced until the 4th week ... or so .. I usually go off the plant's height tho ...