4 sq ft Grow Cabinet Construction

[Tokensmoke10]

A big thanks goes out to craigslist for letting me buy a sweet cabinet that I plan on turning into a grow box for only 20 bucks!

After doing a successful PC grow, it's just not enough room. Bad news is I'm not a handyman or architect at all.

20" D x 30" H x 27" W for a total of just over 4 sq feet.

I was wondering if anyone has ever grown in a box roughly this size that could offer some advice on:

1. Should I use a 70w HPS, 150w HPS, or a fixture or several CFL's?
2. What size pots would be idea for this space?
3. How big of/many fans would it take to keep a space like this cool.

Any other advice would be great!

 

[Tokensmoke10]

Actually did a little bit more accurate measure inside the box and ended up with 27"W x 29.5" H x 19.75" D

Here's also a pic of the inside if that'll help some people.

 

[onthe420train]

Hey man - I am in the midst of trying to find a cabinet like that to make a ruderalis box.
4 sq ft would be the perfect size for mine and I would definitely use fluorescent lighting.

since you have 30" of height you want to keep about 24" for plant growth, even the smallest plants grow that tall. so you need containers only 6 inches high probably 1 gallon is your best bet.

I'd probably run about 100-200w of fluorescent in there combined with at least 4 small axial fans or maybe 2 larger axial fans

 

[Tokensmoke10]

Hey man - I am in the midst of trying to find a cabinet like that to make a ruderalis box.
4 sq ft would be the perfect size for mine and I would definitely use fluorescent lighting.

since you have 30" of height you want to keep about 24" for plant growth, even the smallest plants grow that tall. so you need containers only 6 inches high probably 1 gallon is your best bet.

I'd probably run about 100-200w of fluorescent in there combined with at least 4 small axial fans or maybe 2 larger axial fans

I appreciate the input man. I think you sold me on using CFL's for the lighting, I just don't want to lose any height due to HPS.

Do ya have any opinions though on passive intake vs active intake?

 

[onthe420train]

yeah that cab is too small for an HPS unless its like 70w

 

[DroJo]

Actually I think you could maybe pull of a 150 hps. Aren't you growing Lowriders?

 

[Tokensmoke10]

yeah that cab is too small for an HPS unless its like 70w

That's exactly what size HPS I was thinking, IF I were to use one and supplement with CFL's as well.

 

[Tokensmoke10]

Actually I think you could maybe pull of a 150 hps. Aren't you growing Lowriders?

I am Dro, but with this cabinet I would even be able to grow non autoflowers with some LST or SCRoG'ing which I'm looking forward to as well. I plan on making this cabinet a flowering box and turning my PC case into the veg chamber to hopefully get something a little more perpetual going.

What ya think?

 

[DroJo]

I am Dro, but with this cabinet I would even be able to grow non autoflowers with some LST or SCRoG'ing which I'm looking forward to as well. I plan on making this cabinet a flowering box and turning my PC case into the veg chamber to hopefully get something a little more perpetual going.

What ya think?

Sounds good to me

 

[Tokensmoke10]

Sounds good to me

Keep a lookout for another grow journal!

 

[DroJo]

will do!