Box Room Set-Up Help (It's all gone wrong)

Hey Folks! I hope you can help. I have a spare room use part of it - 4ft x 4ft / 1.5m x 1.5m for growing (the overall size of the room is about twice the size, and I separate the two areas with a shower curtain).

Since 2012 I've been using three horizontal-hanging CFLs and 3 side-hanging CFLs (blue spectrum only). The room is in the basement with thick walls. In the winter, if it got cold, I'd put on a little electric heater. In the summer if it got too hot I'd open the door a bit. I keep a small oscillating fan going. And that's it.

For the first several years, this served my purposes really well – I could get 12 good autoflowers per grow. Nothing amazing, but (as I said) it served my purposes, it was easy, didn't require much effort and cheap enough.

But for the last couple of years, no matter what I do or what adjustments I make to soil, seeds, water, etc, I'm just not getting good results. I've changed the bulbs - nothing.

The only major change I made in here was changing the light set-up to make it less risky that the lights could fall down. The direction of the lights changed a somewhat, but not enough to explain why each and every grow thereafter has been a Big Old Fail. (A thought I've just had: I've not been using the shower curtain as I was worried it was too hot for the plants. Could that be it?!)

So I need to start again. I have a budget of £500 and think it probably needs to go on new lights.

Even though I've been growing for a while, I'm effectively a Newbie because I never had to consider anything and when I look around at all the available info, it's blowing my mind and confusing me.

I'm def gonna stick with autoflowers because I need the quick turnaround. I'm thinking that maybe I should only grow 10 plants in the same space, but with better lights and better yield it wouldn't matter.

What at the thoughts on LED? I've been eyeing the VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 9002 LED Grow Light Full Spectrum (on Amazon for £229) – how many would I need to cover the space?

Or should I go HPS? I've seen Complete HPS Light Kits for about £100 each (I'm thinking I'd need three to cover the space).

Also, I don't have the means to install any ventilation in this room (it never needed it before). Could that be a problem?

Please bear in mind I'm genuinely mathematically challenged (a kind of dyslexia, if you will), so figuring out how many lights I need to cover my space is really difficult for me.

Any advice, suggestions, HELP would be so appreciated.

THANKS SO MUCH FOLKS!!!

Hey again, Folks

I asked a similar question in Indoor Grow - but asked specifically if I should switch from CFL to HPS. Been advised over there that it could be A LOT of heat. So I'm really wondering about LED.

Is there anyone in the UK that has bought a good LED light for a similar space (4ft x4ft?)

Many thanks!!!

Sorry to hear of new problems after a changeup. Honestly this can be a real strange one; i've had the oddest effects when resetting or refitting the room and just can't pinpoint the cause in order to decide on a fix.

I wouldn't be so sure that it is the fault of your lights, but impossible to say indefinitely of course.

Obviously HPS would give you the heat benefit in winter and improved ventilation would need to be your friend during the summer.

I can personally vouch for DIY cob lighting as simple, powerful and efficient, but not everyone appreciates having to think of a whole other product when shopping around.

One thing I will say about LED in general: you probably will need more light than you think for a 4x4 and don't be deceived by wattage claims by manufacturers (unlike HPS it is not a good way to rate LED).

I'll let others chime in with specific recommendations.

Good luck!

DariaUK said:

A thought I've just had: I've not been using the shower curtain as I was worried it was too hot for the plants. Could that be it?

Click to expand...

You could be losing a good amount of light the shower curtain was reflecting.

You can cover a 4x4 area with one good size light. CFLs are good for veg but not so good for flowering. I would suggest investing in a good LED viparspectra isn't bad but I would opt for their par1200 or the "1200 watt" reflector series. What growing medium are you using and are you using nutrients?