PC Grow Box - CFL's

licence2ki · Feb 19, 2009

Hi all,
Just started a new grow and thought i'd try things differently to my last grow.(which was also my first grow!)

I got an old PC tower from a friend, ripped out all the internals.
I cleaned all the surfaces and gave it several coats of matt white.
Now I'm not the best with electrics (they make me nervous!!! must be the shocks i've had before) but I managed to link three light sockets together and wire up a couple of fans (inatially to a rechargable 9v battery!!) to a nokia phone charger. It doesn't run them very quickly (I guess i've have to keep my eye open for a higher voltage charger!)

I've tried to leave the outside of the box as normal as I can, as obviously it's ment to be stealthy.

I've started my first grow from seed!!!
I'm using Power Skunk G13 labs (they were free a short while ago)
I was also trying to germinate some bag seed but none of them took. so i guess i'll just start another PS G13.
I know their not that hightly thought of, but hey, they cost almost nothing!

licence2ki · Feb 19, 2009

I germinated the seeds in a paper towel, which i placed loosely in a bag and put in a dark box.
The seed only took a couple of days to germinate and i left it in the for too long and had to spend half an hour getting the root out from the layers of paper towel without damaging the root! not an easy job!!

I was supprised that it sprouted so quickly and could find nothing to plant it in. Im asshamed to say that I cleaned a deoderant can lid out and used that! I've since re-potted in a (slightly) less stupid pot!

I'm just using regular soil bought cheapy from a garden center months ago.

I also know that i'm going to have to move the lights up at some point, but i'll cross that bridge when I come to it

I'm also using tap water (not good i know) that i'd left in an open container for a few days (i've read this makes it better to use)

I've since wondered if this could have caused the slight burn to the lower leaves (see pic)

Oh, I forgot to mention that the CFL's are 22W but unsure of the spec (doesn't say on the box?!?)

jasaus · Feb 19, 2009

Nice

Another PC grower. Grab some front plates for the case to make it look a bit more legit.

Any DC power adapter should be good for your fans, doesn't have to be a phone charger, even if you have an old computer modem or any other similar device it should have some sort of DC power adapter. Try looking for a 12v one.

Check out my little PC grow.

Hmm. I think you need to find out what kelvin those lights are, and move them closer to the plants. It looks like you have some major stretching going on... What type of soil are you using?

licence2ki · Feb 19, 2009

lights are 1150 Lumenm (says 'similar to soft white bulb')
that mean much to anyone?

licence2ki · Feb 25, 2009

Day 15
Lights on/off - 18/6
2x 22w CFLs

Hi, just another update.
plant seems to be doing well, only having to water ever 3 days, lower leaves (seed leaves) were removed when droopy and yellow.
I'm still unable to find out why the tips of the leaves turn yellow... any ideas???????

I also noticed that the way my fans were arranged didn't alter the temp that much so i've moved them around
temps were (with lights on);
33oC with fans off
31oC with fans on

I've moved the intake fan to the bottom of the case now with the exhaust above it. (last pic)

I'll take new readings soon and hopefully the running temp with the fans will be closer to 28oC

Now the plea for HELP... :bigjoint:

how do other PC growers stop the light escaping from the fans??????? i've thought about ducting but not sure the fans are that powerfull.... thoughts....ideas or suggestions welcome!!!!

God dam, i'm outta green, guess it's time to break out the emergency rocky (dam! times are hard) bongsmilie

licence2ki · Mar 4, 2009

Day 23
Lights on/off - 18/6
2x 22w CFLs
Temp - 35oC (fans off)
- 31oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.2

Hi
another picture update.
a bit worried about the lower leaves now.
any suggestions?
gotta run, late again........

stonerman · Mar 4, 2009

Looks pretty sweet right now, growing well :bigjoint:

licence2ki · Mar 5, 2009

Cheers Stonerman!
I'm pretty pleased that it's doing as well as it is, just pissed off that the other seed didn't germinate, i've left it 3 weeks so i'm guessing it's dead (unless you can telll me otherwise....)

Im wondering if anyone has a way of roughly measuring humidity. (without spending £25 on a gauge)
I though it was a little low so put a cola bottle lid full of water in the box and it seemed to evapourate in about 1 - 1+1/2.
Lately I'd noticed a slight green tinge to the soil, so i'm guessing this might have something to do with humidity being too high.

one more thing, does anyone know if pc fans use bearings? one of mine seems a little noisy and not running perfectly straight, just wondering if it could use some greese?!?!?

Thanks

SketzoH · Mar 5, 2009

licence2ki said:
Cheers Stonerman!
I'm pretty pleased that it's doing as well as it is, just pissed off that the other seed didn't germinate, i've left it 3 weeks so i'm guessing it's dead (unless you can telll me otherwise....)

Im wondering if anyone has a way of roughly measuring humidity. (without spending £25 on a gauge)
I though it was a little low so put a cola bottle lid full of water in the box and it seemed to evapourate in about 1 - 1+1/2.
Lately I'd noticed a slight green tinge to the soil, so i'm guessing this might have something to do with humidity being too high.

one more thing, does anyone know if pc fans use bearings? one of mine seems a little noisy and not running perfectly straight, just wondering if it could use some greese?!?!?

Thanks

Give it some WD40 shuld work lot better afta :clap:

licence2ki · Mar 19, 2009

Day 38
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 39oC (fans off)
- 32oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.2

Just another photo update.
growing really well now, just taken a couple of cuttings.
I also re-potted (see pic. this soil anygood??) about a week ago when I switched to 12/12 lighting.
I also bought a soil PH kit (i know the water should be tested, but using bottled water it's constant)

I've also bent the plant over just using some cotten thred. I think i'm just worried about running out of space. I really just want to do a full grow in the PC box.

I've not been on here as often as I though, but it's been going so well. It's nice to just check on it once in a while and then forget about it for the day.

I'll try to keep upto date with some pics.
Oh, i know i shouldn't keep the clones under 12/12 light so i'm just bout to make something I can leave them in.
Any ideas would be welcome!!! Also, anyone with some clone tips, let me know. do I re-pot the clones at a certain height or just when the root system develops?

Laters all....

licence2ki · Apr 1, 2009

Day 51
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 39oC (fans off)
- 32oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.0

Hi just another update, not sure why i;m bothering as it seems no-one is looking.
ah well. Someone may well want a load of pic of a PC grow!!!

The 2 clones are doing well now, although they do look a little stretched!!
guess i'll have to get them closer to the light!!

The main plant is growing well, i count 11 bud sites and, guessing that each should weight around 1gram (maybe the 2 cola's could top 2grams) so i'm guessing at the moment that I could get half an ounce from just the one plant less than a foot tall!!!

I took the clones without having anywhere to grow them, so a box was quickly made with a 22w cfl and a small pc fan acting as an exhaust above the light.

I also replaced the previously noisey fan in the pc case with a new, larger MUCH quiter one! (thanks eBay only £3!!)

ANY IDEAS ON A STEALTH CLONE BOX???
Thought about another pc but then i'll just have a pile of them! i have NO space!

Ah welll, thanks for looking.
:joint:

licence2ki · Apr 2, 2009

Day 52
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 39oC (fans off)
- 32oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.0

Just a quick update
a mate gave me some old fertillizer. I noticed that it was out of date on 06-01-2006, almost 3 years. I guess that just means it may not be that strong anymore! any ideas?
Oh, its called Terra Flores for flowering in soil (see pic) NPK-10-9-19
anyone had good results with this??
i was looking for one with a 10-30-20 or as close as poss anyway.
any opinions?
Thanks all bongsmilie

v12xjs · Apr 2, 2009

Compliments on the LST job.
The canna nutes are very good. If they were stored somewhere cool & dark they should be ok.
32C is very hot. You should try to cool it down in there if you can.

licence2ki · Apr 3, 2009

Thanks, it's supprising how much a plant will bend if if gradual enough.
Good news on the fertillizer then. gave it a dose yesterday so will post updates...

Should i be giving my clones fert too? (obviously not the flowering one!!) i'll have to read up on it when i have more time.
they seem to be doing well on just water anyways...

I guess i'll have to think about the temp. has been known to get into the 40's temperature-wise.
I could turn the furthest away light off, but then i'm loosing a third of my light......
maybe an if i used some ducting for the intake, i could put the other end somewhere cool?!?!?
any ideas are welcomed.
what about containers of water. they would keep it warmer at night, and maybe absorb some heat when lights are on.......

Thanks for looking!!

licence2ki · Apr 4, 2009

Hey,
another update, with a few photos.
I opened up my clone box and found they'd grown into the CFL!!! they grew about 3-3.5cm in about 14-16 hours!! I really can't believe it!!
I also re-potted both the clones, although maybe I shouldn't have, I wonder if it will stress them even more.
I obviously trimmed off the burnt leaves and stems. did it differently on each clone, i totally removed the stem down to the next good node on one. an the other left the stem as some small shoots seemed green and vibrant! (see photo)

Let me know you experiences with burnt plants, any good hints?!?

My main plant is doing well but still running outta space so I got some wire and have gently pinned each branch down. (see photo)
I'm hoping they will actually start producing buds soon, they've been flowering for 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i checked the web site i got the seeds from, it reckons 8-9 weeks so any ideas when I should start expecting to see 'em form????

I also thought I should start sprinkling water over the plants as well as watering the pots. so heated a wire up with a lighter and pushed a couple of hole is a bottle lid. what a great watering can subsitute!!!!! even took a photo, that's how pleased i was with the results!!! anything free has to be good... right?? :bigjoint:

v12xjs · Apr 4, 2009

Looking beautiful in there now.
As it starts to get a bit unmanageable I bend those shade leaves down out of the way. You can tie them down or just fold older ones around each other and tuck them under the stems.

licence2ki · Apr 4, 2009

yeah, i been trying to keep on top of it. but to be honest i forget about it so easily. guess thats the prob with a stealthy grow!!!!
Thanks again!!

licence2ki · Apr 9, 2009

Day 59
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 37oC (fans off)
- 30oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.2
Nutes - 10-9-19

Just another photo update, still going well but still no real sign of buds.! thought i would have seen something after 26 days. guess im just impatient!!

I've put a lower wattage CFL over the clones as it was FAR to hot in there, gone from 20W to 16W. it's not made a huge difference to growth but done wonders for the temp, down from 50+oC to about 25oC (with fan on)

laters :bigjoint:

licence2ki · Apr 16, 2009

Day 66
Day 33 of flowering
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 37oC (fans off)
- 30oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.2
Nutes - 10-9-19

Well, another load of photo's and yet another 'burning' problem. :wall:

in one day the clones grew like 2 inches and burnt on the light. this is the second first 'burning' for these plants, but i did burn the mother awhile ago and she's doing well now. :weed:

I've trimmed off any burnt plant material and they seem to look a little streched, guess i need to sort a new box out for them.

Still no real sign of buds I wonder if im over fertalizin' her. obviously i'm not follar feeding with nutes (i guess it would burn) but giving about 150-200ml every 4-6 days and regular water about every other day.

Think that's all that happened in the last few days.

I've not been able to get any green to smoke, but got some killer pollum/pollen (what ever different people call it) and of course, i've got a nice blueberry bud tucked away for a rainy day!!
laters all :bigjoint:

licence2ki · Apr 29, 2009

Day 72
Day 39 of flowering
Lights on/off - 12/12
3x 22w CFLs
Temp - 32oC (fans off)
- 28oC (fans on)
Water -pH 7.0
Nutes - 10-9-19

All's going well. I've decided to move my flowering plant to a larger space, I know I was going to go for a full PC grow, but it just makes alot more sense to use the PC as a veg/clone box.

So, as usuall i'll be posting loads of photo's, and i'll also see if i can Change the thread title, not really a PC grow anymore, well 50/50 I guess.

PC Grow Box - CFL's

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