Newbie Downunder looking for advice

[OSPF]

My partner and I are looking to start a micro grow because of supply problems and general quality issues, Because supply is limited and at times problematic we are stuck with whatever we get with no info about strain etc etc.

We aren't heavy users, an oz lasts us anywhere between 3-5 weeks but we are looking for something that will allow us to try 2-3 strains at a time, My partner has sleep problems so sometimes we'll want something that basically knocks us out and other time's we'll want something light and active for a nice buzz without knocking us out. Any advice on strains would be welcome. As I'll get to next height is an issue so any strain would have to be workable at around 50-80cm high.

The location of our grow is a big question, We live next to a very private stream which has steep banks so I was thinking of a buried grow box, I've done quite a bit of electrical work so I am comfortable at burring mains power cable's etc, The other option is somewhere in the house or in the gap between the floor and the soil under the house, In both cases height is limited but width and depth are available, We're looking at using CFL for lighting to keep power and heat issues at a minimum, Does anyone have any "designs" for a suitable grow? We're only interested at this stage in soil setups

I've been reading for a bit on here about things and have been overwhelmed with the amount of information available, Strains, Grow's, Training methods etc so am trying very hard to KISS and stick to 3 plants with 3 strains, Just looking for advice on if the buried grow would work or any advice on an in the house grow. Strain help would be great to, There's almost as many strains as there are smokers!!

 

[exploziv]

first of all, if you are thinking about a micro grow and you don't have that much height, having 3 strains in there will just make it really hard to keep them at the same height, giving you low light efficiency.
maybe you should be looking into an sog with lots of t5 or t8 floros over it. floros are cheap to buy and use, beeing a sog you won't need that much height and you'll harvest once every ~2 months if you use a small, seperate room for keeping some moms and small clones till they are ready to be put into flowering.
also, a stealth cab inside the home would be cheaper and easier to make and take care of than an outdoor one.

just my ..

 

[FreezerBoy]

I vote with explosiv. Indoor sog/scrog.

My freezer pretty much has to stay in the garage. Problem is, since the move the garage is out the door, down the steps, around the corner, down the drive... it's a pain (now that winter's coming, it's all the above in the dark and snow...) I'm debating between building a cab or buying a tent but, I want the grow where it can be accessed without a major expedition.

NZjay is no longer here but his bunkbed grow may be of some amusement.

 

[OSPF]

So I made a simple cab over the weekend from an old desk we had, It's not done but the pics so the outline of it, the main area is 65x35x45 WxDxH.

I dont think it's too bad of a start, I need to do some serious reading about ventilation and lighting over the weekend, Any comments on it? Too small? Too low?

 

[Warped1]

Damn looks like you have a lot more space than I do, good for you. Sog or scrog like was previously advised would be great. Maybe even 12/12 from seed or clones if possible

 

[FreezerBoy]

Too small? Too low?

While my freezer stands tall rather tan wide, it's 22x29x54 and with a 250 has me buried alive. Your's looks like the main area is 45x35. 11 sf calling for 550 watts. Should be more than enough for you and your bud.

Height=media+plant+light gap+reflector.

Media height is highly variable depending on style of growing. With the idea of keeping things short, we'll call it 6" (soil, coco, rockwool, swc). Starting at 12/12 from clones, plant height should be within 12-18 inches. Light gap depends on the lamp wattage, say 6-8 inches. Reflectors run 8-14 inches (consider a DIY or Cool Tube)

So: (using the largest number in each example) 6+18+8+14=46. Using a DIY cool tube can restrict reflector height from 14 to 6 inches. Use of floro tubes or pll's can limit reflector space to say 4" and will reduce the space between lamp and plant as well. This allows us to trim 10" (or more) from the original 46". Well within your limits and leaves space for lamp height adjustment, or larger substrate or larger plants...

Whichever way you go it will take a little effort but, the key word is "little". Personally, I'd at least build a pedestal to get it off the ground, make things easier on knees and back.