building a "mom box"...

[Guest]

I want to construct a "Mom Box" to hold some of my mothers and clones when i don't really have room in my other area.

As far as lighting, i want something that will keep them vegging, nothing too powerfull as i dont need explosive growth either. I am debating on a 2' 2 bulb T5 setup, or a 125W CFL bulb with a batwing.

It will be housed in a plastic storage unit like this one

i will let the moms either live in dirt or small bubblers, most likely soil so it's a lower maintanence solution.

any advice/hints??

 

[BonsaiGrower]

The one thing I'm learnin about Mom and veg boxes is I always wish I had more room. I'm on my 3rd set-up now and still wish I had of gone bigger. Even though I keep everything "Bonsai" with 2 strains and clones and small LST pots awaiting flower box there is no room to start another strain. ... my 2 cents ... I've always looked at those plastic garden sheds and thought they would make a good box though. I think you could cut small holes and fill the shell with insulation to help with outside temps, it's easy to clean out and wash with water and it would be easily transportable if ya had to move quick. Good luck man

BG

 

[stretchpuppy]

lol...


My local depot stopped carrying Mills Pride cabs so I ended up with the same one...

It works decent. I mean, it serves it's purpose but I don't think it's something I want around in the long run. It looks out of place in my environment. I ended up having a friend an hour away pick me up another cabinet for my moms.

It's not light proof at all, and my simple 2x12' flouro setup from depot clones well and starts seedlings... if that helps. I didn't even install a fan and temps sit at 80.

I just took the dome off and the heating mat out, and transplanted some clones that were dying for a home, which is why I ended up with this rubber cabinet anyway...

 

[stretchpuppy]

The floor isnt flat, and that's aggravating. It's buckled/bubbled. Same with a lot of the walls and sides while putting it together. It's a royal pain, and I cracked it on a few of the corners installing it.

I much prefer the cleanness, sturdiness, and flatness of melamine on the smaller Mills Pride cabs. U2-U4.

You can always buy you own sheets plywood and make your own, custom, which is what I might end up doing as no cab seems to be "perfect" for me.

 

[Guest]

i have the mills pride u2 for my mom/veg box. its perfect for my needs and with the 2' four bulb t5, its got about 50 watts per square foot.

 

[Guest]

that MillsPride U2 is perfect size! does it have a top on it? From the pictures it looks open on top

 

[BonsaiGrower]

i have the mills pride u2 for my mom/veg box. its perfect for my needs and with the 2' four bulb t5, its got about 50 watts per square foot.

Ya man ... you is the man ...lurked you right from the beginning!

...all base cabs from Mills pride need a top bought extra I think. There's a couple great threads to read ... The Mills Pride Club and the C13 Club ... all those guys/gals inspired me to switch to cabinet growing. High and Lonesome being on the top of my memory of guys I remember reading.

Peace Here's my cab inspired by all those folks

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the feedback in information fellas, i appreciate it!! You have been a huge help!

 

[stretchpuppy]

that MillsPride U2 is perfect size! does it have a top on it? From the pictures it looks open on top

It needs a back and a top I hear. The larger cabinets only need a back. These smaller ones need back and top, depending.

My local store only carries 3/4" melamine and I say that's way too thick, as I had to mount the same size on the back of a C13 and it sucked.

If they had thinner I'd get it, but I might end up with cheap thin plywood for the top and back and use mylar.

 

[stretchpuppy]

i have the mills pride u2 for my mom/veg box. its perfect for my needs and with the 2' four bulb t5, its got about 50 watts per square foot.

I hope you have two! lol...

 

[Guest]

well, i have one assembled and one waiting for you, lol.

yes, the u2 needs a top and a back. i got a top and back cut at hd for pretty cheap of the 3/4'' melamine. i wish they had something thinner too, but beggers cant be choosers! plywood would be lighter, thinner, cheaper, and probably easier to work with, i was just feeling lazy on having to paint it!

bonsai- thats a nice looking cab! which one did you get?

 

[Guest]

Bonsai...Nice cab..is that a carbon filter on top of your light? I'm currently setting up a cool tube cab..thx budluver

 

[jojajico]

i was thinking of making a mum box that was modular. that is you can easily add another box or simply stack one box on top of another. ofcourse you will have to build these yourself but if you have any skill with the saw an hammer it wouldnt be difficult (my old man was a carpenter and ive been swingin a hammer since i could walk). even if you dont have much skill with a hammer and saw you can pull it off quite easily. just an idea that i had that maybe of use to some of you out there.

 

[Guest]

fancy stuff ...:smile: Ive had the same mom box for about 15 years,and its cardboard..

i used a plywood floor painted with exterior paint ,i added a 2x2 post to each corner and a plywood top. Its 2 feet by 50 inches,so I use 4 foot shop lights.

I have a grate in the bottom so run-off water doesnt pool up under a container and overwater it,right now I have 30 moms and dads in mine, the space is TIGHT...

anything can be used for a mom box,use what suits your needs,bigger is better,you can alway use the extra space for something...

 

[stretchpuppy]

That's cool Mole, thanks for sharing... I think I'm headed in that direction, DIY.

Are you always in there pruning and keeping them short?

 

[Guest]

I havent moved my lights up or down in probly 8 months, I prune about once a week depending on the strain, I mainly grow outdoors, so when spring gets near, I repot the moms that i need alot of clones of, then the old mom gets replaced with one of those clones,and it goes back into the mom box. I do raise a small platform for the new moms to sit on.

foam board and R-board make a good building material, it depends on how your set-up is. If you hang the lights from a rafter,the box can be made fairly easy, but if the lights are supported by the box, you need to reinforse the corners with wood.

I have a small area to work in ,the lighter material is easier to handle than plywood,plus you have the benifit of being able to tear down your grow rooms FAST...if the need comes up.

 

[jojajico]

very cool mole very cool. with you rsetup u can easily make anothre and just stack it on top. you moind posting a few more pics of it. i may steal your idea

 

[jojajico]

o yea what is the box height?

 

[Guest]

I will see if i can get a pic of it thats worth seeing, it tucked in behind a furnace air duct ,and has junk all over the top:smile:

I have 4 differant boxes, in what i call the dunguen, plus a sumppump ,furnace ,water heater,water softner,and a well pump, all in a 10 by 20 space....

 

[Guest]

awesome box mole! i love how good it looks and its so simple!