Hello,
I am wanting to grow for personal use only. I have germinated a few seeds and now have them planted as they have sprouted. My growing situation is very limited as there are kids around. I have found a place that could work in the detached garage. I have planted them in a 12' diameter pot, and I have an old fishtank flouresent light to provide the light and a timer. I currently have the timer set to provide light for 18 hours, I just planted them 1/2 inch down in the potting soil, so they have not yet broken the surface after transplanting them. The lights are both 48 inch bulbs, one white and one actinic. Will an actinic bulb provide any benefit? Or should I use white lights, I am a fish enthusit and flouresent tubes are not a problem for me. I am only wanting to grow 2-4 plants at the most at any given time. Also, during the day this garage can get in access of 115 degrees F during the day while I am at work, is this a problem in heat? The garage has windows that I can open if need be. If I have given enough info will I be fine or do I need to make other adjustments to have a successful plant? TIA

115 degrees is too high

I can put fans and open windows to cool the plants down during the day, or I can even install a roof fan to pull heat out, the garage gets so hot simply because it does not have any way to dispell the heat, and it is actually damaging the shingles, so I really need to install some roof ventilation any way. But other than that, how do I stand otherwise.

Temps should not reach more then 78 degrees F without co2 use with co2 use 90 is good.You will need alot more light.If using regular T-12 shop lights the 4 ft kind you'll need about 12 for 2-4 plants (thats 24 4 ft tube bulbs) and the yield will be small.Get a 400 watt hps light and your all good.

OK, assuming I can cool it down(alot), light really is not a problem, MH lights are even a possibility but the white and actinic lights are smallest thing I have and would like use the smallest source possible, but I am willing to make the necessary adjustments within reason of course. Otherwise I will abandon growing my own and just continue buying instead if the cost for a max of 4 plants outweighs the cost of growing(4 is optimistic, 2 is all I am really wanting).

well even if you have to invest a bit its always cheaper to grow your own once you get the correct equipment you can grow as much as you want so the investment reaps great returns in the end. if you just grow with a couple fish lights your prolly gone get some pretty low end stuff though. you can get decent cfl's at walmart for pretty cheap and those will have a lil better results its all about how much time, money, and effort you want to put into it

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See, thats my point, I am looking for the best bang for the buck. I dont mind spending a few dollars to do it right. I have good seeds from good smoke. I just dont want to spend bu-coos of bucks just to grow my own stash. I dont need to sell or anything like that nor do I want to, I just want my own on demand so to say. I am looking for a way to just grow a couple of plants is all I want, as cheaply and for the least amount of investment as possible. As I stated, I have plenty of lighting options, but I want to use the most minimal as possible, I can put Metal Halides on it if it needs to be that way, but if its not necessary then why use it? The heat, I can fix that too. I am not looking to be the best grower, and I will make adjustments as time progresses if I am unhappy with my small crop, but I am looking at a long term thing of just growing no more than 4 plants, more likely just 2. At the moment I am putting together a watering system with a 5 gallon bucket that continuously drips water like an IV, very slowly, its working but its just dripping to fast. I am just looking for info on growing a few plants on a very small scale and with the max height being about 5 feet at the most. And again, if I cant do it within certain constraints its not worth the risk of me doing it to begin with. I am just looking for possible options. To clarify, 1 plant would probably last me 2 years, but I want to share with only one close friend and the two plants on my thinking would be enough to last atleast a year, and if 4 plants worked then thats just a bonus. We are not heavy smokers, but we want it when we want it and thats pretty much the jist of our habit. A 1/2 once will last us for 3 months, so even 2 plants is probably an overkill at that for a years supply.

well a metal halide will work fine for you as long as you can keep those temps down you should have no prob. growing a couple plants for personal use. metal halides are used mainly for veg growth but you can use them for flowering aswell. goodluck its not hard and if you have a small setup its not too expensive either.

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i'd get a 400w HPS with an enhanced bulb for veg. it might be a couple hundred (2 -3) after all is said and done, but it will get you the yield you so desire. you will never flower a 5' plant with floros. at a 1/2 ounce a month times 2 that's 4 ounces. you will be able to get that and your results will be very satisfying.

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i'm the guy i've always wanted to be

Here is a cheap little light
https://www.htgsupply.com/growlightt...categoryID=155

or this has mh and hps
https://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduc...roductID=47981

It's pretty much a one time cost except for bulb replacements. Cfl's will work and they save you money but MH and HPS will give you better quality/quantity. Good Luck with everything. Oh and for ventilation that exhaust fan should work, get an oscillating fan in there too...it will stregthen your plants.