G
Guest
Welcome fellow closet kings and queens 
..
I am an outdoor grower that has been driven indoors by pests, mold, thieves and helicopters. I still do a couple plants outdoors to provide Christmas gifts, but that's all. Now, I have a 6'x4'x8' bedroom closet (walls covered in Mylar) that is now my main "garden". My goal was to be able to produce 8 oz of bud, 3 times a year, w/ minimal expense and trouble, in a 4'x4' grow area.
I started out w/ a 400w switchable (MH or HPS) light, because I figured halide for grow, and hps for flower would be the way to go. However, I found that the halide put out more heat than I could manage in the summer w/o installing a fan vented to the outside...even w/ central A/C. The halide also only puts out about 60% of the lumens as the hps, so now I am using the hps for both grow and flower. I ordered a Hortilux bulb to provide some additional "blue" light.
I use ProMix w/ added perlite and mostly organic liquid nutes and supplements. I have used Alaska Fish Formula, Morbloom, Superthrive, Earth Juice grow/bloom and catalyst, Pure Blend grow/bloom, Thrive Alive (red label), Liquid Karma, Cal Mag, and Awesome Blossoms at one time or another, in different combinations. I now have a formula (described later in the thread) that IMO, produces optimal growth and buds in a many different strains. I used to fortify the ProMix w/ blood meal and bone meal, but I found I actually had stronger plants, better nute control, and easier flushing using just the liquid nutes.
My last grow consisted of six females of varied lineage, flowered @ about 12 inches. The result was six 2-2.5 footers that yielded a total of 5.8 oz of manicured, cured bud.
In my current grow, I germinated 20 seeds right in the moistened(water w/ a 1/4 tsp per gal of Thrive Alive) ProMix in 3" pots covered w/ plastic wrap, lifting wrap daily (humidity dome is easier). I almost always get 95-100% germ rate...even w/ older seeds, using this technique, and fewer deformed and stunted seedlings than the paper towel method. I transplanted into 1 gal pots @ aprx 15 days, and finally into 3 gal pots when sexed after switch to 12/12. Usually 2-10 days.
I vegged under 18/6 for a total 45 days* (24-30 inches). I now have nine 4-5' bushes, including pot height, @ 30 days of 12/12. 2 Bogglegum, 2 Nirvana Big Bud, 1 Magic Bud, 1 PPP, and 3 Magical Mystery Mix... a leftover seed grow. I had planned on six bushes, but got 9 good ladies after sexing and culling undesirables, and couldn't bring myself to kill any of them. It's really not as crowded as you might think. That being said, 6 plants would be much easier to manage and I doubt I will do 9 again.
* First 2 weeks seedlings were actually grown under 2 flourescent shop-lite fixtures, but that is because one of the Mystery Mix plants from the previous grow went 82 days flowering, so hps was still in use. No more "mystery" strains for me!
The way I have been able to grow such big plants in such a small area is really pretty simple and somewhat "ghetto", but it does require that you are able to raise the bottom of the reflector about 6 feet from the floor. The key is really using 4 cheap table lamps (no shades), aprx 15 inches tall and 4 of those 45 watt spiral flourescent bulbs that screw into a regular fixture. The bulbs I bought were about $9 each, and put out 2900 lumens each (gauranteed for 8 yrs). Lamps were also about $9, but you could find some cheaper possibly at a thrift store or yard sale. They don't need to be anything special, just pretty short. I bought all my stuff from Wal Mart.
Ok, the diagram below shows both a 9 and 6 plant "over and under" bush grow. The circles are 3 gal pots, and the Xs are the table lamps on the floor. As long as the bulbs are not touching the leaves, they will be ok.
With the 400w HPS overhead, and the table lamps below, the taller plants get adequate light to grow well. Photos later in the thread
Since there really isn't room for much bending, if the plants are at significantly different heights, I raise the shorter ones up by placing them on top of whatever I have handy that is sturdy and raises them to the desired height. You might not need to do this if the strains you are growing are similar in stature, but I like to grow indicas and sativas at the same time. That way, the indicas are usually done 2 wks or more before the sativas...allowing the sat divas to bask in some serious "sun" in their final days. Besides, I like a multitude of "buzzes" and flavors to choose from.
I use a 20" box fan ($10 at walmart) as my only source of air circulation (unless temp and humidity allow me to open the windows a crack), so I cut off the lower branches to expose the bottom 6" or so of the main stem. This helps create an over and under airflow when the fan is placed at the closet doorway exhausting out into the room. I have never had a mold problem indoors.
I have had INSANE growth and flowering in this current grow, and judging by the size of the buds @ 30 days, it could easily yield over a pound of dried bud! I think some of this vigor is due to the nute formula I have settled on after much trial and error, and I will relate that formula in a post later this eve. Please feel free to post any questions or comments here or via PM. Later. MG
..I am an outdoor grower that has been driven indoors by pests, mold, thieves and helicopters. I still do a couple plants outdoors to provide Christmas gifts, but that's all. Now, I have a 6'x4'x8' bedroom closet (walls covered in Mylar) that is now my main "garden". My goal was to be able to produce 8 oz of bud, 3 times a year, w/ minimal expense and trouble, in a 4'x4' grow area.
I started out w/ a 400w switchable (MH or HPS) light, because I figured halide for grow, and hps for flower would be the way to go. However, I found that the halide put out more heat than I could manage in the summer w/o installing a fan vented to the outside...even w/ central A/C. The halide also only puts out about 60% of the lumens as the hps, so now I am using the hps for both grow and flower. I ordered a Hortilux bulb to provide some additional "blue" light.
I use ProMix w/ added perlite and mostly organic liquid nutes and supplements. I have used Alaska Fish Formula, Morbloom, Superthrive, Earth Juice grow/bloom and catalyst, Pure Blend grow/bloom, Thrive Alive (red label), Liquid Karma, Cal Mag, and Awesome Blossoms at one time or another, in different combinations. I now have a formula (described later in the thread) that IMO, produces optimal growth and buds in a many different strains. I used to fortify the ProMix w/ blood meal and bone meal, but I found I actually had stronger plants, better nute control, and easier flushing using just the liquid nutes.
My last grow consisted of six females of varied lineage, flowered @ about 12 inches. The result was six 2-2.5 footers that yielded a total of 5.8 oz of manicured, cured bud.
In my current grow, I germinated 20 seeds right in the moistened(water w/ a 1/4 tsp per gal of Thrive Alive) ProMix in 3" pots covered w/ plastic wrap, lifting wrap daily (humidity dome is easier). I almost always get 95-100% germ rate...even w/ older seeds, using this technique, and fewer deformed and stunted seedlings than the paper towel method. I transplanted into 1 gal pots @ aprx 15 days, and finally into 3 gal pots when sexed after switch to 12/12. Usually 2-10 days.
I vegged under 18/6 for a total 45 days* (24-30 inches). I now have nine 4-5' bushes, including pot height, @ 30 days of 12/12. 2 Bogglegum, 2 Nirvana Big Bud, 1 Magic Bud, 1 PPP, and 3 Magical Mystery Mix... a leftover seed grow. I had planned on six bushes, but got 9 good ladies after sexing and culling undesirables, and couldn't bring myself to kill any of them. It's really not as crowded as you might think. That being said, 6 plants would be much easier to manage and I doubt I will do 9 again.
* First 2 weeks seedlings were actually grown under 2 flourescent shop-lite fixtures, but that is because one of the Mystery Mix plants from the previous grow went 82 days flowering, so hps was still in use. No more "mystery" strains for me!
The way I have been able to grow such big plants in such a small area is really pretty simple and somewhat "ghetto", but it does require that you are able to raise the bottom of the reflector about 6 feet from the floor. The key is really using 4 cheap table lamps (no shades), aprx 15 inches tall and 4 of those 45 watt spiral flourescent bulbs that screw into a regular fixture. The bulbs I bought were about $9 each, and put out 2900 lumens each (gauranteed for 8 yrs). Lamps were also about $9, but you could find some cheaper possibly at a thrift store or yard sale. They don't need to be anything special, just pretty short. I bought all my stuff from Wal Mart.
Ok, the diagram below shows both a 9 and 6 plant "over and under" bush grow. The circles are 3 gal pots, and the Xs are the table lamps on the floor. As long as the bulbs are not touching the leaves, they will be ok.
With the 400w HPS overhead, and the table lamps below, the taller plants get adequate light to grow well. Photos later in the thread
Since there really isn't room for much bending, if the plants are at significantly different heights, I raise the shorter ones up by placing them on top of whatever I have handy that is sturdy and raises them to the desired height. You might not need to do this if the strains you are growing are similar in stature, but I like to grow indicas and sativas at the same time. That way, the indicas are usually done 2 wks or more before the sativas...allowing the sat divas to bask in some serious "sun" in their final days. Besides, I like a multitude of "buzzes" and flavors to choose from.
I use a 20" box fan ($10 at walmart) as my only source of air circulation (unless temp and humidity allow me to open the windows a crack), so I cut off the lower branches to expose the bottom 6" or so of the main stem. This helps create an over and under airflow when the fan is placed at the closet doorway exhausting out into the room. I have never had a mold problem indoors.
I have had INSANE growth and flowering in this current grow, and judging by the size of the buds @ 30 days, it could easily yield over a pound of dried bud! I think some of this vigor is due to the nute formula I have settled on after much trial and error, and I will relate that formula in a post later this eve. Please feel free to post any questions or comments here or via PM. Later. MG
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Sounds like youve got it all planed out real nice. How do you like promix? I was putting a lot of thought into going soilless with either promix or coco. Just wondering do you have to adjust the pH with the nutes you use for the promix and if what is the pH on the nutes? Just curious. Sounds good man. Hopefully you can get at least a cheapo digi to show off your bud porn!
! I will grow some out in February, and hopefully be able to show some pics by then. Should be some interesting "children" 
.
Besides, I got 8 females out of 10 seeds w/ Nirvana's Big Bud....it all works out in the end. 
, but I can honestly say that these methods have worked very well for me. I would truly love to hear from and compare results with anyone else that might try them. Peace and safety to all.
I wanted to get a shot of my grow before harvest. One Bogglegum has already been harvested, so there are only eight plants left. Please forgive the shot quality...better ones in the future, I promise!
