What can I get out of this space?

[XtraStillLyfe]

Hi everyone, I have a computer desk with a cabinet size of:
19.5 in depth
26 in height
15.5 in width

Id like to go soil and possibly go with an 150 watt lst style. The desk is made out of particle board and the back is that cheap cardboard. Will the particle board affect me any? My plan is to put real wood in the back to replace the cardboard. With my specs is goin soil and a 150 watt doable? How many plants? Yield? Any info would be great, thanks.

 

[Undrgrnd Armory]

If it were me, this is what I would do:

Lighting: Get a batwing reflector and cut it to size with tin snips. Under this reflector, wire together three or four light fixtures and use the most powerful compaxt floros you can buy at home depo. They are 150watts but give off an assload of light.

SWC: I would support the insides of the cabinet with plywood up to about 4 inches on all four sides. Line this with a piece of heavy duty pond liner from home depot (you can purchase it by the foot. Attach to cabinet and plywood with Liquid Nail Special Projects) Add an two airstones, screw your pump onto the cabinet wall securely to minimize vibration.

Scrog: Higher up in the cabinet (closer to the lights), screw a strip of a cheap wood like pine (which can be purchase cheaply 8-12 feet at a time) to the left and right sides on the cabinet (on the inside). Your scrog screen will rest on this. Use the rest of your pine strip and make a rectangle that will fit snugly in your cabinet and rest on the pieces of pine you previously attatched to the left and right sides of the cabinet. A little velcro wouldn't hurt here either, as it will keep your plants from eventually pushing the screen up. For the actual screen you can use anything with close to 1 inch holes. I would use light metal mesh made for protecting backyard gardens from animals. Just staple an appropriate size pieces of metal mesh it onto your pine rectangle, and your screen is good to go.

Media: 4 inch netpots with hydroton. Simple, easy, low maintence.

Ventilation: Get a 4inch by 4 inch dark room louver as an intake from http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&ci=539&Q=&O=NavBar

Use two computer fans mounted in the top right and top left of your cabinet, just underneath your lights. I would never attempt to put any type of carbon scrubber or high powered fan in a cabinet like this. For odor control, check out ONA products. I hear they work well. Your best bet on odor however, is to choose your strains wisely and pick those with low odor. Northern lights is one such strain, and I am sure you could find a few others.

If there is anything I left out or you want clrification on, let me know and I'll check back later.

 

[Undrgrnd Armory]

Yeah, definitely replace the cardboard with plywood or mdf

 

[XtraStillLyfe]

Undrgrnd Armory: Great info! Thanks so much for that write up. I have a few questions though. How many netpots should I use? Where do I put the pump? From what you said it sounded like you wanted me to screw it to the wall? Is there anyway to go soil or is hydro a must in my situation? Any guesses on yield? If i can go soil wat sorta yield should i expect?

 

[Undrgrnd Armory]

Screw the pump to oneof the inside walls of the cabinet anywhere ABOVE the water level. You could go soil just as easily. Instead of filling the pond liner bed with water, fill it with your soil mix. I just like hydro because it is faster and cleaner. If you are going to use soil, you can skip the netpots as well as the air pump. In that small space, I would just flower more smaller plants to fill up your screen.

 

[Undrgrnd Armory]

6 small plants might work well.

 

[XtraStillLyfe]

Thanks I think I'll go soil. Last question I have is about the 6 small plants you mentioned. Would I put these in 6 individual pots and if so what size? From what you said it sounded like youd want me to just make it one big pot 4 inches deep?

 

[Undrgrnd Armory]

Thanks I think I'll go soil. Last question I have is about the 6 small plants you mentioned. Would I put these in 6 individual pots and if so what size? From what you said it sounded like youd want me to just make it one big pot 4 inches deep?

If you are going to go the pond liner route, you can omit the pots. Just have one large soil bed 4 - 6 inches deep.