Warezaholic's Skid Row Closet Grow

Thanks. My main reason for starting with autoflowering is the speed and I I have a need for speed. Gotta get that stash setup by late summer. Poverty Sucks and the prices everything involved are certainly not getting any lower. I just spent the last of my tax returns stocking up on enough nutrients to make it a couple, three month's after they require dwc transplant. And i bought a bundle of 3.5 gallon buckets as interim until the 5 gallons are really needed! That alone will save a bunch on water changes and even MORE on nutrients.

Im only in possession of the basics until a real harvest needs more serious medications. Im using-

General Hydroponics
Rapid Root,
Micro, Grow and Bloom (aka) the Trio
CALMAG
HYDROGUARD
And ph down...

Hence the name Skid Row because even after nearly $3K im still working with just the most affordable indoor grow basics.

Last week I went another $40 deeper on (you know) coco coir and perlite! Just so i can try 2 pots outside; however, I'm still kinda on the fence about it because of a landlord, his workmen and nosy neighbors. And at my age (64), I try to live with my head down but my eyes wide open.

But, also, I should still have the time to bring 2 outside plants in the house because because I have a pretty good landlord that gives plenty of notice if he has any business here. But he's only one of oodles of other people who are ballsy enough to enter a private yard uninvited and I don't have privacy fences.
 
I use the GH Flora Trio as well. I don't know if the other brands are better or if it's all hype.

I had four plants in coco stolen off of my back porch last year. They were barely into veg, and my high CBD strains. I'm on a 3/4 acre property, so that was ballsy of them.

I started with less than half that, in Canadian funds. I couldn't afford trimming snips, or a magnifier until two months before my first harvest. Last year I bought the components for a DIY light, but wasn't able to put it together until a onth ago due to my wife's and my own health problems. This year's tax return went to a rosin press, since I can't smoke it. Now I'm saving for a THC test kit. It's a struggle to get by, but it sure beats dispensary or licensed producer pricing.
 
The locals hiked their prices as soon as the law was voted in and not been lowered since! $15 US per frickin gram unless you buy 16 or more. Now their excuse is that " we can't buy from "providers any more, and now we can only buy from licensed commercial growers and we have to pay whatever they want "!

Amazon is about to make me an honorary board member after all my grow purchases! It'll probably take me 2 years of home grown to recoup the costs only because i never stuff this smoker more than twice a day see attached of my only smoker for 4 years, (I smoke alone and only for serious medical pain at the END of my day) as a relaxation therapy.

But just the thought of no more dispensaries in 3 months is a measure of comfort unto itself.

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Since I have 3 beans in the wet nap and 3 seedlings already up and sprouting, I moved the seedlings out of the hunidity dome to make room for the next batch .

I've only got this CBD going totally by mistake! I didn't know it was cbd until a few days ago when I searched for the label that came with the container. I intended to give it a serious tryout to see if it helps with my physical symptoms (back pain and unbearable foot pain caused by 15 years of uncontrollable muscle movements).
 
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Well I got my seeds from Quebec Seeds Thursday afternoon. I selected Quebec Gold because of 25 percent THC content. After requiring a razor blade to open the delivery container, just to discover that my paid order of FIVE seeds only contained FOUR.

I complained to them about it and instead of offering me "even a half-assed" apology, (they acted like "I should be grateful") denying any culpability they stated but we gave you TWO FREEBIES, (2 CBDs) I didn't want, need or have room to grow because I have one already weeks away from bud!

O'Tay. Thursday night I soaked three of the four seeds for 20ish hours in distilled water, then Friday night I put all three in sterile wet paper towel and by Monday night only two had germinated but those two exploded out! Roots just under 1.5 inches long and urgently needing seed media so I put em into their rockwool foundations and in the nursery.

Meanwhile, the third seed hasn cracked yet so I'm wondering if I should open my one remaining seed because I have one seedling from Colorado with one reservation in the 4 x 2 foot long hydro area and think the 3 auto plants might be as much as I can comfortably fit or would 4 buckets would be too crowded.?

Maybe I'll save the last seed or give it away as a party favor!

Today (Tuesday) I went outside to prepare 2 lightly used Homer buckets with nearly a full 20lb bundle of coco coir and just under 2 gallons of perlite. They were customized with one inch, screened hole on center, bottom for drainage; and 3/8 holes around the sides for ventilation as per advice of pennywise. Then finished off by painting them black.

Im concentrating on creating a 5 gallon, gravity fed watering system with a timer release. So I'll have less worries about regular nutrients and watering. Im thinking the outside grow should cost under 60/80$.

I just hope my sunshine girls ain't gonna get ripped off AND, Michigan will by kind to them!!!

If all 5 plants survive (2 Russian Roulette, 2 Quebec Gold and 1 OG Kush), I should be "self sufficient" in about 3 months which is, and has been, my only goal with growing all the time.

I'm as happy as a baby mountain goat because I had enough back pay (found money) that covered most of the grow expenses. So, I'm seeing it like this whole venture is nearly like a FREE GROW ROOM and feed for the weed! eeYesss...

And to make it like Christmas in May, my grandkids cleaned my house Sunday!
 
The more I think about it, the less I want to try outside coco coir. I'm less he inside h less paranoid about Michigan weather and critters with my indoor hydro. Plus stressful irrigation schedules. If i need more room inside I can replant one outside: Basically I'll just consider outside coco another time....

Just getting the coco mixed and prepared was a great deal of work. Then I'll no doubt spend $$$ to automate the process as much as possible. The most benefit from outdoor growing is free light!
 
Thanks for your creative input! DIY is a focal point of most of my methods.

Think about this idea of mine. I have a simple 5 gallon, gravity feed idea with a battery operated timer for around $65 total and I need is the timer, 2 sprinkler heads or soaker rings and 2 faucet step down adapters. I have a tall 5 gallon rubbermaid worksite cooler with a faucet at the bottom...

My point is to make power supply unnecessary and no wires on my back deck to trip me. And now when the valve actuates, and the water supply is higher than the plants, gravity will take care of the rest. The brain work comes in timing valves for how long to open and how often! Then I just need to resupply the nutrient water every so often. This is one automatic hose timer.


This timer from homer depot is battery operated (many different kinds to choose from) out there...

If I reconsider outside coco coir (already setup) I'll attempt to put it together.

If i do I'll take pictures and/or video. I have a few useful, crude DIY things I use every day with my Bubbleponic setups.

One of them makes a 25- cent water level indicator insuring the water level seldom gets any lower than a couple quarts per day even in full root mass (which incidentally, my design is root resistant)... this way I only need to lift the plant for weekly bucket changes, cleaning and root inspections.

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I noticed that the timer I'm using has more than doubled in price!

Your idea should work. The one thing that might be of concern is the water pressure dropping as the level in the cooler drops. That can result in different amounts of water going to the plants with the varying levels.
 
I should be able to have the bottom of the supply bucket at least 12/18 inches above the sprinkler outlets.

Gravity/siphon affects should be well enough. I just need to use tubing and delivery heads big enough to keep air bubble's from blocking the siphon affects it might with aquarium air tubing. (learned by caring for a wife that has had hundreds of I.V. lines). Then keep an eye on how much drainage after peak saturation is being overdone.

I can probably find donut lawn sprinklers at a dollar wise hardware store as to maintain the garden type fittings that will already fit with the timer so no reduction in hosing size will be needed placing it upsid down so flow is impeded only by the valve setting in the timer.

I'm solving issues right as im typing in here.

Resupplying the nutrients is a chore that has to be done every day or two anyway. And with two feedings a day at most shouldn't drain it until the root mass is grown hungry, so hauling out 1 or 2 gallons per day to check isn't too much to ask and keeping out most of the rain and critters.
 
I have to move at least one plant outside after the 4 working seedlings grow to overflowing.

I converted the construction cooler with a pipe and faucet, worked out just as planned. By the time the p÷lant "must" be put outside, l should have the timer and a second coco seedling. (Two coco seedlings can live as cheaply as one)! I doubt that; but two coco plants aren't much more, in the way of work, than one!

I'll take pictures as soon as I can figure out why my camera phone is not working.
 
My granddaughter is graduating and having issues at home! I've always been their father figure so she's trying to move in with me until she starts college; and she thinks I can provide her with a "Party pad" and has the idea that all her teenage friends will very likely comprise, steal or blab about my exposed outside plants.

I love my kids but I'm barely past my first year of wudowhood and my own independence and with each day with 18yo (and 16yo) girls overmist of the summer, my outdoor grow plans will likely become a liability...
 
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