What do you think of this rig?

I'm relatively new to the cultivation of herb, but have been a vegetable gardener for more than 15 years... My connections have run dry and I find myself needing to have my own private "garden" (4 plants max). I have an area thats about 40" x 18" x 60" and I know I wanna go CFL for quicker harvest and lower startup... I could build my own rig, but don't wanna arouse any suspicion (wife knows I'm a stoner4life but isn't keen on me growing due to our jobs being "public"). If I start getting packages for HPS or MH systems, the wife and kids will get wise and my girls will never get out of their seeds... My area is totally safe, as nobody but myself ever goes there. I know I'm gonna go hydro (most likely aero) and I wanted to get some feedback on this system... http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=13&navid=4

What do you think? If not, I'm gonna have to go with the passive bucket system here... http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fruits_vegetables/article/0,2029,DIY_13846_4050774,00.html

I appreciate it...

Go for it.

n00bGrower said:

I'm relatively new to the cultivation of herb, but have been a vegetable gardener for more than 15 years... My connections have run dry and I find myself needing to have my own private "garden" (4 plants max). I have an area thats about 40" x 18" x 60" and I know I wanna go CFL for quicker harvest and lower startup... I could build my own rig, but don't wanna arouse any suspicion (wife knows I'm a stoner4life but isn't keen on me growing due to our jobs being "public"). If I start getting packages for HPS or MH systems, the wife and kids will get wise and my girls will never get out of their seeds... My area is totally safe, as nobody but myself ever goes there. I know I'm gonna go hydro (most likely aero) and I wanted to get some feedback on this system... http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=13&navid=4

What do you think? If not, I'm gonna have to go with the passive bucket system here... http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fruits_vegetables/article/0,2029,DIY_13846_4050774,00.html

I appreciate it...

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i would use the first one in your small area over the bucket,you need like alot of room for the bucket,i looked again at the mesurments,i guess you could fit two in there so use the bucket instead

I guess I was kinda looking for am aero vs. hydro comparison...

id go hydro ,they both are good

just use bubbleponic/hydroponic combo..thats what I use, and it works great.!!!! built it myself well me and my son. we are fairly new to hydro but have done hours and hours of research on the subject.We have a 15 gal.rubbermaid tub with eight top drip mesh pots.we also use silica grow rocks they are better than hydroton.also you need to use rapid rooter plugs instead of rockwool they are way better.dont make the same mistake i did and mix the nutes per directions on bottle.start with 1/4 strength and work up.I've made plenty mistakes and am willing to help anyone I can from making the same ones I did!!! I dont have pics of my setup but I can give detailed info on how to build......

n00bGrower said:

I know I wanna go CFL for quicker harvest and lower startup...

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CFL's do not produce good dense nugs, you can buy a HPS that is made for a security system, they sell them a the home depot. Trust me HPS is the only good way to replace your dried up source. You can start veging now with the CFL's and you have a bit of time to get your HPS

n00bGrower said:

n00bGrower said:

I could build my own rig, but don't wanna arouse any suspicion (wife knows I'm a stoner4life but isn't keen on me growing due to our jobs being "public"). If I start getting packages for HPS or MH systems, the wife and kids will get wise and my girls will never get out of their seeds... My area is totally safe, as nobody but myself ever goes there.

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Well if you can grow with out your wife finding out you can do things that I thought were impossible. Maybe you will get good dense nugs from the CFL's.

n00bGrower said:

I know I'm gonna go hydro (most likely aero) and I wanted to get some feedback on this system... http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=13&navid=4

What do you think? If not, I'm gonna have to go with the passive bucket system here... http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fruits_vegetables/article/0,2029,DIY_13846_4050774,00.html

I appreciate it...

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I do not understand why you can buy a hydro system and not a good light. It does not make sence. Growing plants is about limiting factors. The first one is light, without good light the hydro system is not the big a deal. Once you have A LOT of light. The hydro system will help some.

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you don't need to buy a hydro system you can build one alot cheaper..... you can use two foot shop lights after you swap one bulb with a aquarium/grow bulb. If you need more lights you can use 150w eqiv. cfl's. I have eight plants in this setup and they are all over 12 inches after 3-1/2 weeks of veg.

5 gallon buckets, 1 for each plant, air stones in bottom of each one. Air pumps pumping air through stones all the time. net pots placed into cutouts in bucket lids, plants placed in growing medium in net pots. Fill with nute solution a couple inches below pots. Its called DWC(Deep Water Culture) or BubblePonics and its stupid simple to setup and use. That first system you linked might be good to grow 4 carrots, but its only going to suffice for 1 pot plant. they need more than 4 square inches of room, minimum of 1 sq foot IMO. DWC is easier, cheaper, stupid easy to make and who is going to think your growing weed when they see you with some 5 gal buckets?

Veg with CFL, they work well that way, but flower with HPS, you will get much more yield than CFL.

NoDrama said:

5 gallon buckets, 1 for each plant,

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If I'm going hydro, and there's no competition for root space, can't I get 3 plants per bucket?

NoDrama said:

air stones in bottom of each one. Air pumps pumping air through stones all the time.

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Already have the pumps and stones, so that's a no brainer...

NoDrama said:

... Fill with nute solution a couple inches below pots...

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How do the roots make contact with the solution if its a couple inches below the net pot? Do the mean a few inches below the rim of the pots so they're partially submerged? I'll assume thats what you meant...

NoDrama said:

Veg with CFL, they work well that way, but flower with HPS, you will get much more yield than CFL.

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HPS and MH are out of the question... Too much money and the spike in electricity will be a huge red flag. I've been completely sold on Garden Knowm's thread at https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/41024-cfl-proximity-foliage.html and this pic posted by mockingbird131313.


It's been alomst 3 weeks since I got my head right... I know it'll be at least another 2 months before I can blaze my own shit, but I wanna make this a quick grow. I know it'll be a small yield and the buds might not be as tight, but I have to be super discrete and ultra efficient.

I totally appreciate all the tips... You guys are the bomb and I wish I had found this place when I wa1s in college and I could have had a totally unrestricted grow situation!

If you use a top drip feed like I sugested in about four days the roots will be hanging down in the nute solution where your bubble stones will be providing oxygen.you can build this setup for around $60.00 if you buy at the right places.If you want the info just let me know.It only takes about 45 min-one our to build a bubbleponic/hydroponic setup for 4 to six plants.depending on how many lights you want to buy.you can use flouro's and cfl'sbut your harvest won't be as much as with hps and mh but you don't have to contend with a jump in your light bill.

@auto- I'll take any suggestions you got... Never grown in anything but the ground and pots, so anything you can share, I'll appreciate!

yea go hydro - I tried aero once and it was too much work! Im lazy so just wanna smoke herb and maybe change nutrient reservoir every couple days but aero was just a bitch (too much monitoring).. and wasnt any greater yield than a simple hydro set up.. good luck!

you can get the 15 gal. res at wal-mart.you will also need 4 to 6 net pots from a hydro shop.place the net pots on the lid where you want them and trace around them.then cut the hole 1/8 of an inch smaller so tho pots won't fall through.drill a 1/2 inch hole in the resev.about two inches down from the top on one end for your air lines.you will need at least one air stone for each net pot.you can use tee's inside the resev.two pumps would be even better.you can get a roll of 1/4 inch black tubing at home depot for about $5.00.you will need a tee for every pot.run tubing around top edge of lid,you can punch holes and use zip ties to secure it down.cut tubing at every pot position and install a tee then attach a short drip line to reach almost to center of each pot.you will then need a pack of push in type adjustable drippers also at home depot for around 3 bucks.you can find these in the yard sprinkler section.other end of tubing needs to reach into the bottom of your res. where you will conect to a small water pump 175-250 gpm.cost around.$15.00 I can get these pumps at my local hydro shop for $10.00{ air and water} the pump will more than likely have an 3/8 or 1/2 output so you will need to adapt from that to your 1/4 watering line.I use rapid-rooter starter plugs and silica grow rocks in my pots.I think these are way better than rockwool and hydroton pelets but either will work. you will also need some nutrients.I use botanicare pro gro. If this is something you are interested in doing let me know and i will assist in any way i can. Don't worry it's not nearly as complicated as it sounds!!the only thing you really have to worry about is keeping your ph level at 5.6 to 5.8. let me know what you think and we will go from there.autotek500......