Small grow box questions

[Jesterboy]

Hello!
I'm about to begin building my first grow box. I'm planning on using CFL to start with. I've done a significant amount of research, but I lack practical knowledge.

I plan on automating light, water, and temp, and will be sticking with soil for this first attempt, and aeroponics, LED, and a much larger space if I can make my first grow a success.

I need to produce for personal use (I smoke about 1/8 to 1/4 oz per week) and iso-oil for my wife, who is a breast cancer survivor (she doesn't smoke, and doesn't really like getting that high).

My grow box (what I plan to use at this point) is a 2'(wide)x2'(deep)x22"(talk) cabinet.

I plan to grow some dwarf, auto flowering seeds, and use the scrog method to maximize my tiny space.

I'm a total nerd, and have the setup completely planned. I'll have room for six large CFLs at the top of the grow chamber.

I'm somewhat OCD, so I'll be very serious, clean, and attentive to my plants.

Now to my questions:

Am I insane for thinking this could provide me enough for my needs, continuously?

Should I forgo the auto flowering, and instead use a mother/cloning approach?

Am I nuts to grow in such a cramped space?

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Thanks in advance for any advice you may have!

-Jesterboy

 

[Weaselcracker]

Hi and welcome to 420 JB!

I think - you're not insane. But that is a very very small space. It can be done. But only if there's some reason it has to be so small and so low.
Soil and cfls is a good choice. I don't grow autos or cfl, but that's probably a good choice to start with as well. Perhaps check out SweetSue- especially her first journal, for an example of autos grown in a small space. She's extremely nice and will be happy to answer any questions you ask her.
As for yield- it may be difficult to produce that much in the little space especially factoring the learning curve. I'll make a guess and say that you should be able to grow about 3 oz per harvest in that box once you know what you're doing. You could yield more- or a lot less.
Don't get your OCD get in the way of the unexpected
Your cfls will need to be raised and lowered according to your plants height so plan for that.
My advice would be to look up Sue, and if possible to make a bigger box- especially height wise. Good luck!

 

[Clancy]

Hi Jesterboy, even your written plan description sounds crisp and clean and well-structured. LOL--you'll probably be a great grower. I grew twice with CFLs and they do well in my opinion. More is better for sure.

Can you tell me how you plan to automate the watering? I'm always travelling and so I'm also always looking for ways to keep the plants healthy and happy while I'm away.

Anyway, I don't know a thing about scrogging but from what Weaselcracker said, sounds like your box has very good potential Keep us in the loop. Hope you make a journal of your progress. Good luck!

 

[Jesterboy]

Can you tell me how you plan to automate the watering? I'm always travelling and so I'm also always looking for ways to keep the plants healthy and happy while I'm away.

Hi Clancy! I'm planning on using this: Claber 8053 Oasis 4-Programs/20 Plants Garden Automatic Drip Watering System

I may be fooling myself, but I think it might work!

 

[rhetorrikz]

I like it ^^ has anyone else used that watering system before ?
I think you might want a little more headroom 22" will be hard. Allowing plenty room for heat to vent out above the lights will help alot in small space
I made a veg cab about 3x3x4' its prob a bit overkill as i grew the clones to about 17-18" but its been working really well hasnt got over 75f in there yet and the fans are turned down

 

[Jesterboy]

Hi Folks!

I have a signifiant number of updates.

Things just sort-of started moving me better and better directions...

First: I was looking agressively for an actual cabinet of some sort, but while I'm not on a heavily limited budget, I really couldn't see spending more than maybe $100 for something. Used steel cabinets were all going for way more than thought reasonable.

Then, all of the sudden, I found one, locally, in good shape, for $10.

I'd post the photo, but this board seems to strip URIs.

In any case it's "image urrrrr", if get my meaning, and the image is Q9GJT6k.jpg

I had the cheap LED strip and supply laying around (i'm actually into lighting, 26 philips hues, clicks, zigbee etc.)

Wow. It looks oddly familiar to very expensive grow closets I've seen somewhere online (everywhere).

So after checking; it's the "Super Closet" LED 3.0... Right now it's the JesterCloset 0.10, but I joke. It's the same industrial locker, to the inch.

$10 find.


------------------

I have a lot more space to work with at roughly 36 x 24 x 72. Wow.

So, I started thinking about how to "dress" this cabinet. I have a few issues I want to deal, with, but I think they're always the same ones:

Structure
Power
Ventilation
Heating/Cooling
Smell
Noise
Security

This is not arranged as a prioritised list: There are too many interdependancies, so I'll start from the outside, and work my way in.

I was thinking of dressing the interior in layers, starting from outside, then moving in:

Exterior
Steel cabinet
Cleaned, sanded, primed inner surface
Tyvek interior seal, taped and tested
1/4" Sound deadening foam.
1" Rigid insulation, sealed with metalized tape.
1 mil~ mylar, or first-surface acrylic.

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They tyvek should do the trick for hermetic sealing.

I figure I can treat the bottom as a "sink", using a little cement, and install a drain at the bottom of the cabinet. I have sump nearby... close enough that I may be able to install the cabinet over part of the sump cover to allow for automatic draining.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure about my fridge. I've built iso-cabinets for guitar amps in the past (for recording/playing through an amp at high volumes without bleeding eardrums), and the direction feels right, in terms of sound deadening, but I want to go deeper into that.

----------------------

Vibration dampening and isolation are my concern. I want this device to be as quiet as possible.

I thought:

If you have enough money and/or time when you're building a recording studio, you build what's called a "floating room" or a "room in a room" (see internet for examples).

I want to try to do that in a this little closet.

I know that means disconnecting the outside of the cabinet with the interior wherever possible, and using rubber gromets, gaskets, etc... anything to slow down noise and vibration (same thing) from hitting the exterior steel and entering the room.


------ more to come

 

[Jesterboy]

I found what I think is a solution, and it was right over my shoulder...

 

[AKgramma]

You did good, Jesterboy! Nice cabinet find! You'll have much more luck tending your ladies with the cabinet. And a bigger yield, for sure.

You can get by with tying down the longer branches without too much topping, and still have room at the top for another shelf. My plants never needed more than 30", then maybe 5-6" for the lights. So you can install a shelf halfway up for more grow space!

 

[kimchikush]

Nice find on the cabinet!
If you are using cfl the only other thing that makes sounds would be the exhaust or intake fans. you can either use a transformer or muffler to reduce noise. if you decide to go bigger lights you will be dealing with noise from the ballast :/
after reading your comments im thinking you're going to do well because you are so detailed oriented haha

 

[Weaselcracker]

Post some pics if you can. Sounds very interesting and I'm so glad you got a bigger box. Awesome score.
Sounds like you know what you're doing but I'll throw this out the anyway...
If by 'rigid insulation' you mean styrofoam or something similar- you may want to reconsider that as it's generally flammable, in a most toxic way,
and generally grows and flammable building materials don't go that well together.
Sounds like you already know how to block sound.
What are you trying to achieve with the rigid insulation?

 

[mavericklok]

Hi Guys,

My First Post! Yay!

Was wondering if its possible to grow two big plants DWC in two spearate 3x3x4 areas and keep a 3x3x4 area for veg and do a perpetual grow? I just have this much space and I am planning to do a closet grow. I'd be really grateful if i can get some inputs about lights, ventilation etc.

Thanks in advance and Sorry if its seems like i am hijacking the post.