BonsaiBud
Member
automation
automation
I have a rather small grow box. It is 5 cubic feet and I run between 150 and 250 watts of light. Right now it is just two 42 watt CFL and one 50 watt HPS. I have 10 plants each in ~about 3 liters of dirt. I dare say they almost drink a gallon a day at 12/12. I plan to rig up a gravity fed system with two 5 gallon buckets on top of the box and a system of fish air tube hosing and valves to deliver the water. It may just be a continuous drip, or I might make some complex contraption involving a digital timer and a water pump and a system of safeguards to prevent flooding. Once I finish my lighting system, I will have 3 x 50 HPS in DIY cool tubes with another 98 watts of T5. (2 x 460 nm 24" bare bulbs hanging in the under story and a 24" purple bulb shinning down from above with a reflector and a 24" 420 nm actinic shinning down from above with another reflector). I expect my watering needs will be about 2 gallons a day. I plan to add a dehumidifier long before that and perhaps recycle the water from this into the gravity feed system. I'm not sure if dehumidifier water contains lead so I'll need to get it tested, and if it does; I'll need to add a Culligan filter between the dehumidifier and the 5 gallon bucket. If that doesn't get all the lead, Then I suppose the dehumidifier will just drain to a bucket or pump into the bathroom sink. All this just so I can leave them for 3 or 4 days.
Now for option #2
1) replace HID lighting with a few small CFLs. (like one 42 watt 2700K for every 400 watt HPS)
2) water plants liberally before you go.
3) minimize ventilation and maximize humidity.
4) hope for the best.
Now that I've said all that, just reduce the lighting and rig up a drip system. Keep the plants at 12/12 and reduce the wattage of lighting, but try to keep similar color. My idea is that they will just think it has been cloudy for a spell.
automation
I have a rather small grow box. It is 5 cubic feet and I run between 150 and 250 watts of light. Right now it is just two 42 watt CFL and one 50 watt HPS. I have 10 plants each in ~about 3 liters of dirt. I dare say they almost drink a gallon a day at 12/12. I plan to rig up a gravity fed system with two 5 gallon buckets on top of the box and a system of fish air tube hosing and valves to deliver the water. It may just be a continuous drip, or I might make some complex contraption involving a digital timer and a water pump and a system of safeguards to prevent flooding. Once I finish my lighting system, I will have 3 x 50 HPS in DIY cool tubes with another 98 watts of T5. (2 x 460 nm 24" bare bulbs hanging in the under story and a 24" purple bulb shinning down from above with a reflector and a 24" 420 nm actinic shinning down from above with another reflector). I expect my watering needs will be about 2 gallons a day. I plan to add a dehumidifier long before that and perhaps recycle the water from this into the gravity feed system. I'm not sure if dehumidifier water contains lead so I'll need to get it tested, and if it does; I'll need to add a Culligan filter between the dehumidifier and the 5 gallon bucket. If that doesn't get all the lead, Then I suppose the dehumidifier will just drain to a bucket or pump into the bathroom sink. All this just so I can leave them for 3 or 4 days.
Now for option #2
1) replace HID lighting with a few small CFLs. (like one 42 watt 2700K for every 400 watt HPS)
2) water plants liberally before you go.
3) minimize ventilation and maximize humidity.
4) hope for the best.
Now that I've said all that, just reduce the lighting and rig up a drip system. Keep the plants at 12/12 and reduce the wattage of lighting, but try to keep similar color. My idea is that they will just think it has been cloudy for a spell.
