What is the most affordable way for a newbie to start small?

What Lights Do You Use?

  • MH with ballast

    Votes: 2 5.6%

  • HPS with ballast

    Votes: 11 30.6%

  • Fluorescent bulbs/tubes

    Votes: 8 22.2%

  • LED

    Votes: 21 58.3%

  • Black light

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other self ballasted lamps

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • other

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • Total voters
    36
flowerpower0118

flowerpower0118

Active Member
I live in canada where it is now legal for everyone to have 4 plants (not sure how that will be enforced yet, so i decided to be safe and im starting with 5)
However, I am on a very tight budget and am wondering the best way for me to get started indoors during a mild Vancouver winter.

The problem:
1. Need to keep it as cheap as possible, that includes supplies and electricity.
2. The only building that I have both electricity and heat in is my main house that is old, drafty, without central heating and heated by 2 wood stoves. The temperature fluctuates and it is cold at night.

Note: Since i live in a place where cannabis is legal to grow, i am not worried about the smell and dont need to purchase a carbon filter system.

Heat and space are majour issues, so i need bulbs that produce heat but on a small scale.

My Idea:

Insulate large cardboard box(es) with styrofoam, emergency foil & plastic sheeting.
Buy clip on table lamps at the salvation army that will clip to the side of boxes.
Each box is large enough to hold one medium sized plant in a 3-5 gallon pot.
Thermometers.

The main question:
I purchased one 1700Lumen, 120v, 26w fluorescent, self-ballasted bulb. Is this sufficient for both green growth and bloom?
Does anyone have any experience growing under black-light?

Any suggestions, info and experience tips welcome!
 
goatlicker

goatlicker

Well-Known Member
You could go a HPS with balast all the way through.
Would generate heat so wouldn't have to use a heater and just run the lights during your night time, then off when its warmer during the day.
When you get enough $$ buy a MH bulb for it and use that during veg and Hps for flowering.
LED will use less power but won't generate enough heat to keep them around 77c, so you'll have to use a heater then you may as well be running MH/HPS.
Later on after a grow or so you could always get t5's and veg with them but then again you might have problems with having to use a heater.
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
flowerpower0118 said:
I live in canada where it is now legal for everyone to have 4 plants (not sure how that will be enforced yet, so i decided to be safe and im starting with 5)
However, I am on a very tight budget and am wondering the best way for me to get started indoors during a mild Vancouver winter.

The problem:
1. Need to keep it as cheap as possible, that includes supplies and electricity.
2. The only building that I have both electricity and heat in is my main house that is old, drafty, without central heating and heated by 2 wood stoves. The temperature fluctuates and it is cold at night.

Note: Since i live in a place where cannabis is legal to grow, i am not worried about the smell and dont need to purchase a carbon filter system.

Heat and space are majour issues, so i need bulbs that produce heat but on a small scale.

My Idea:

Insulate large cardboard box(es) with styrofoam, emergency foil & plastic sheeting.
Buy clip on table lamps at the salvation army that will clip to the side of boxes.
Each box is large enough to hold one medium sized plant in a 3-5 gallon pot.
Thermometers.

The main question:
I purchased one 1700Lumen, 120v, 26w fluorescent, self-ballasted bulb. Is this sufficient for both green growth and bloom?
Does anyone have any experience growing under black-light?

Any suggestions, info and experience tips welcome!
Click to expand...
Avoid the cardboard boxes.
Growing plants will produce tons of humidity and will weaken the box and promote mould and other nasties.
Try to find yourself a cheap armoire or look into making a tent. There’s plenty of videos on YouTube.
If your worried about cold at night then just run the light during the night when u need the extra heat most.
Alot of growers are switching to led so there’s tons of used mh and hps for sale used on the net.
Good luck
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
Yup, in a cold area HID works very well.

If your day temps are low enough, you could even use lights during night hours for more cooling if needed.
 
Skoal

Skoal

Well-Known Member
Go a MH if you do not pay your electrical bill. If you do, go LED Quantum Boards.
 
yztwofifty

yztwofifty

Well-Known Member
The cheapest bang for your buck is l.e.d. bulbs, the ones that look like a standard bulbs. Get yourself a 3 in 1 adapter for about $10 online. I can get an ounce yield from a one gallon pot. If you want a cheap startup this has been a proven option for single plant small scale. I will post a pic
 
yztwofifty

yztwofifty

Well-Known Member
He's a new to the scene, let him start small. If he can successfully grow one, he can start to stagger several plants and get an ounce every few weeks to a month. Once plant takes up very little footprint.
 
raggyb

raggyb

Well-Known Member
Old 400W warehouse MH for $20 used. May need to change the voltage but that's easy. Ballasts are attached as one unit. Real piece of shit looking but surefire it works. Like they said it makes some heat. May still want a heater but close your light holes and give the night grow a try.
 
A.K.A. Overgrowem

A.K.A. Overgrowem

Well-Known Member
flowerpower0118 said:
I live in canada where it is now legal for everyone to have 4 plants (not sure how that will be enforced yet, so i decided to be safe and im starting with 5)
However, I am on a very tight budget and am wondering the best way for me to get started indoors during a mild Vancouver winter.

The problem:
1. Need to keep it as cheap as possible, that includes supplies and electricity.
2. The only building that I have both electricity and heat in is my main house that is old, drafty, without central heating and heated by 2 wood stoves. The temperature fluctuates and it is cold at night.

Note: Since i live in a place where cannabis is legal to grow, i am not worried about the smell and dont need to purchase a carbon filter system.

Heat and space are majour issues, so i need bulbs that produce heat but on a small scale.

My Idea:

Insulate large cardboard box(es) with styrofoam, emergency foil & plastic sheeting.
Buy clip on table lamps at the salvation army that will clip to the side of boxes.
Each box is large enough to hold one medium sized plant in a 3-5 gallon pot.
Thermometers.

The main question:
I purchased one 1700Lumen, 120v, 26w fluorescent, self-ballasted bulb. Is this sufficient for both green growth and bloom?
Does anyone have any experience growing under black-light?

Any suggestions, info and experience tips welcome!
Click to expand...
insulated box, good. 7000 lumens needed to grow a plant. Buy a 300 watt led, worth the money. Set lights off in day or run autos 24/7 and use low watt old style light bulb for heat.
 
smokebros

smokebros

Well-Known Member
Since you are in BC it may be worth your time to try and find some used gear from a friend or another grower. Maybe even check Craigslist or something similar to that. Lots of grow shops in my area re-sell used gear, so that could be an option too.
 
Rushin

Rushin

Member
Im a wanna be grower from BC too....I've built a cab thats 4' by 3' and 6'high, I'm still not sure what to line the interior with yet, possibly Silverboard rigid foam board (not a great R-value) and keeping the grow cab warm is a worry now that winter is almost here....I've got a garden shed (12'x8') that I'm going to build a small room across the back (4'x8')....I'll insulate with rock wool on all 4 walls (the outside wall, 2x4 studs will be furred out to create 2x6 studs)....theres so much information on lighting its hard to choose...I'm looking at a 600w HID with a MH and a HPS bulb, seems to be a popular wattage, I hope its not too much (heat) for this 12sqft cab... smell is also an issue to factor in .....I'm a pensioner and don't really want the other homeowners to know I'm growing....being retired I've got a lot of time to tend to my grow, I've been reading as much as I can and getting a lot of information (Rollitup forums...Grasscity forums etc)....I hope to get started soon
 

Attachments

mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
flowerpower0118 said:
I live in canada where it is now legal for everyone to have 4 plants (not sure how that will be enforced yet, so i decided to be safe and im starting with 5)
However, I am on a very tight budget and am wondering the best way for me to get started indoors during a mild Vancouver winter.

The problem:
1. Need to keep it as cheap as possible, that includes supplies and electricity.
2. The only building that I have both electricity and heat in is my main house that is old, drafty, without central heating and heated by 2 wood stoves. The temperature fluctuates and it is cold at night.

Note: Since i live in a place where cannabis is legal to grow, i am not worried about the smell and dont need to purchase a carbon filter system.

Heat and space are majour issues, so i need bulbs that produce heat but on a small scale.

My Idea:

Insulate large cardboard box(es) with styrofoam, emergency foil & plastic sheeting.
Buy clip on table lamps at the salvation army that will clip to the side of boxes.
Each box is large enough to hold one medium sized plant in a 3-5 gallon pot.
Thermometers.

The main question:
I purchased one 1700Lumen, 120v, 26w fluorescent, self-ballasted bulb. Is this sufficient for both green growth and bloom?
Does anyone have any experience growing under black-light?

my first grow was in a 2ftby 2ft closet under a light like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/DUROLUX-DL8028ST-T5-HO-STEEL-INDOOR-GROW-LIGHT-2-FT-8-BULBS-AND-20000-LUMENS/322818473418?hash=item4b297afdca:g:JUgAAOSwEqtZ3Wem:rk:12:pf:0 still going strong after 5 years. for a small grow area T5s are cost effective and more efficient than 150 watt HIDs. I have tried 2 ft t8 black lights from walmart but saw no improvement. apparently T5s provide enough UVA without supplemental UV. you really want atleast 3500lumen/SQFT for flowering. 2 of those 26 watt bulbs per plant should be enough
Click to expand...
 
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