looking for tips to improve my closet grow area

J

joedan890

Member
this is my first grow ever. although i have done a lot more research then most people before starting i still think i could improve my setup tremendously.


* - i'm using a T5 light setup with 4 bulbs that uses 224 watts to produce 20,000 lumens at 6500k. ive been giving the plants 24 hours of light a day

* - i'm using fox farm "happy frog" mixed with 1/3 or more perlite as well as fox farm nutrients (big bloom, grow big, tiger bloom) following the directions exactly.

* - i'm using a 20 inch box fan and 2 more small fans to circulate air, there is no door on the closet so its completely open during the day and at night i pin a sheet over it and use the small fans to cirulate air in and out from an opening at the bottom of the sheet.

* - closet dimensions are 8 feet tall , little over 2 feet deep, and 7 feet wide

* - i used 6 bag seeds found in a sack with no name that was very good but had a few seeds in a quarter oz. my oldest plant is 9 days old and the others are hours or a day or two behind. I also have a chem dog that just sprouted.


so heres my questions

1. does this light setup provide me with enough light to grow up to 7 plants all the way thru flowering?

2. how can i spot if my plant has a deficiency, or is getting too much nutrients? im following the fox farm feeding schedule how can i flush it if needed? should i get the fox farm sledgehammer flush ?

3. when my plants reach flowering stage should i swap 1-2 of my T5 Bulbs to a red spectrum 2700k?

4. i plan on lining the walls with mylar, where is the best place to find mylar sheets. i tried home depot but they only have it on there website apparently.

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Thanks for looking!



 
1) this depends on how big you intend to grow them, and how thick the canopy is. Usually those bulbs dont penetrate more than 1' so you may need to get some for the sides if you plan to flower with them. Also consider switching to ~3500k bulbs at flower
2) Most likely, your PH and shit is fine. The happy frog has dolomite lime in it and plenty of nutes for the first week or two. If adding nutrients, i'd do 1/4 of what the bottle says. Don't worry about flushing solutions, just worry about gauging your plants correctly and being able to wait when needed. Deficiencies and lockouts (sometimes caused by overfert) will start at the bottom. Nute burn will show right at the top of the plant, usually as the soil dries out (because salinity increases as moisture decreases)
3) Yes, i'd go for around 65-70% red's in flowering, and throw 1 or two in for veg (2 if you get more lights)
4)yeah you can use the shiny bubble wrap, it's nice because its more rigid than emergency blankets. Emergency blankets can be found at the hunting section at wal/k-mart

if it were me, i'd be on a 20/4 light cycle. this allows the plants to have some time off and relax each day if your environment stresses them out
 


  • 1. does this light setup provide me with enough light to grow up to 7 plants all the way thru flowering?

    2. how can i spot if my plant has a deficiency, or is getting too much nutrients? im following the fox farm feeding schedule how can i flush it if needed    ? should i get the fox farm sledgehammer flush ?

    3. when my plants reach flowering stage should i swap 1-2 of my T5 Bulbs to a red spectrum 2700k?

    4. i plan on lining the walls with mylar, where is the best place to find mylar sheets. i tried home depot but they only have it on there website apparently.     ​
Click to expand...

1) I don't think that would be enough for 7 full size plants... maybe 7 plants in 1gal pots or less.... you'll need side lighting IMO

2) follow the fox farm directions, use 1/4 to 1/2 strength at first, work your way up to full strength. if you need to flush just use water. dump like 3 or 4 times the amount needed to fill the pot through it and let it run out.

3) if you have 4 bulbs I'd switch 3 of them to 2700k... they say a 60/40 ratio is good. so 2 or 3 switched will be fine. still, I'd get more lights.

4) they have the emergency blankets at wal mart, or you can get reflective insulation panels at Home Depot, or panda film online, or many other options. or you could just paint everything flat white and that works too.
 
You need to get a HPS light, even if it's only 150W.

40% Happy Frog, 40% Ocean forest and 20% Perlite is a strong mix. No nutes for the first 30 days.

I hope that sheet is 100% light proof or you run the risk of hermies.

What are you going to do about the smell? that would be my biggest worry right now if I was jn your shoes.
 
i've decided to return my 4 lamp fixture and get the 8 lamp fixture because my room size allows it and it wasnt too much more money. will i still need side lighting? if so what kind of lights could i run vertically on my walls?
 
ii dP ii said:
1) I don't think that would be enough for 7 full size plants... maybe 7 plants in 1gal pots or less.... you'll need side lighting IMO

2) follow the fox farm directions, use 1/4 to 1/2 strength at first, work your way up to full strength. if you need to flush just use water. dump like 3 or 4 times the amount needed to fill the pot through it and let it run out.

3) if you have 4 bulbs I'd switch 3 of them to 2700k... they say a 60/40 ratio is good. so 2 or 3 switched will be fine. still, I'd get more lights.

4) they have the emergency blankets at wal mart, or you can get reflective insulation panels at Home Depot, or panda film online, or many other options. or you could just paint everything flat white and that works too.
Click to expand...

I've decided im going to learn how to do the Scrog method that way i wont need much side lighting if any. also i think this will utilize my space much better
 
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