Hi Folks,

Like most, I'm looking for advice on how to improve this project. I got a great book on hydro growing for my birthday back in September and decided it was time to get busy but needed a place to grow. I ended up building a cabinet with the following features:

Kinda stealth, nothing obvious showing from the front, most controls are on the back along with vent input and exhaust output.

Top Section - 4' w x 2' d x 4'10" h, 600 w HPS (air cooled), CAP Air-3DN, input ventilation 2 x 60 cfm duct fans, exhaust 2 x 50 cfm bathroom vent fans, going to use small heater to maintain night temps.

Bottom Section - 2 x 24" florescent tubes (daylight), 3 x 100w (23w) CFL, seedling heat mat with controller.

Our seed stash was a collection of what ever with no known heritage. First germination was in Rapid Root cubes with 14 seeds. Ended up with 6 germinating, 4 living. After a week with only 4 babies, we decided to germ a 8 more seeds but used Pro Soil in peat pots. Basically poked a hole in the soil, laid the seeds in, sprayed down the medium and put in a black plastic bag until they germinated.

At this point we're 2 weeks into the grow with 9 babies. I've ditched the mini-greenhouse lid because it seemed to keep them too far from the lights and was causing stretching. The cabinet temp is being maintained at 68-76 deg and I vary it by turning lights off if it gets too hot. Currently I have the tubes off, but have 3 CFLs going with 74 deg.

I'm not liking the color of the older babies and think I may have over watered. My partner in crime is telling me we need to start with nutes very soon..

Any comments and/or advice will be much appreciated.

Here's the pics.. well, once I figure out how to put inline in a post!

Thanks! Farmer Rich

Since I can't seem to figure out how to put pics inline in a post, here's the link to my gallery:

First Grow - Bag Seed - Whoopee.. - Cannabis Photo Gallery

Thanks! Farmer Rich

Cute seedlings. perhaps its the Camera light but they look a tad yellow. If this is the case, is your soil pre-nuted?

If not, forgive a stoner in the morning

Now your cabinet set up... That is some dope shit man. Wanna come build me one of those? :P

Also your partner in crime is wrong unless they're 2 weeks old. some strains can handle ferts earlier but 2 weeks is just the safe mark for nutes. (also start with 1/4 the reccomended dose, then 1/2 then the full)

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nice set up Good luck with your grow

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just be yourself

Hi Mic,

Thanks for the comments! After a quick trip to get a Ph test kit, I've found out our water is very alkaline, like 7.5+. Currently I'm using some fish tank chemical to balance it out. I ended up adding 1/2 tsp to a quart of water, which brought it to about 7.2. Added 1/2 strength nutes, which took it right to 7.0. As usual, I've read your advice after feeding the babies last night. What I did was put the pots in a smaller round drain tray and added about 8 oz. of the nute solution and let it soak up through the roots.

I'll send some more pics in a day or two after I see how they're going to react. Partner in crime is also telling me to move them up to the top under the HPS. What do you think about that?

Thanks man!

Farmer Rich

PS - Thanks on the box! It's a work of love.. Let me know if you want more pics of it.

I wouldn't nute yet. In my experience if a plant cannot grow a few inches from what's in the soil , then it isn't worth the effort (problems later). Having said that I agree that the plants are yellowing, what is your soil medium? Also if you can buy good fert, not MG or the 20-20-20 as they burn seedlings quickly.

Good Growing
Bless
specs

Heya Mic, how's it going. You weren't off base, those little suckers were on the yellow side. Since you were diggin' the box I uploaded a few more pics for ya. This wasn't what you'd call a budget box! I have a whole stack of receipts that I'm afraid to add up..

Who says bud and power tools don't mix!?! - Cannabis Photo Gallery

Peace, Rich

Like I mentioned above, added the nutes.. these pics are from the morning after.. they seemed even better this evening but my photo ability was sucking tonight..

A little improvment overnight - Cannabis Photo Gallery

Peace!

Hey fellow weed lovers.. one thing you learn during your first grow is patience. After dialing in ph, temp, humidity and moving the babies under MH lighting, things appear to be takin' off!

I'm planning on starting flowering on 12/31, and going 18/6 lighting about week prior to that.

Since I can't figure out how to post inline photos, here's a link to the pics of the grow in the gallery.

First Grow - 34 day update - Cannabis Photo Gallery

Be great to here any suggestions/recommendations.

Farmer Rich

Hey Farmer Rich what kind of ventilation do you have hooked to that light? Are they 6" duct fans? If so do you have one blowing in and the other sucking out or are they both sucking hot air out?

Hey Chongman,

I have a 6" Suncort duct fan sucking air across the light and pushing it out the left side of the box, which is always on when the light is. I also have an active input/output vent system I run to maintain the environment in the box.. Currently running at 72-78 deg, 50-70% humidity, with the box sitting in a garage getting into the low 30s.

You building something similar?

Peace, Farmer Rich

Yea i got one cab for veg and another for flowering. Im trying to get ideas for ventilation in my flowering cab. I have a 400hps lamp in it hooked to a 140cfm dayton blower sucking the air out of the reflector. I dont have an inlet to the reflector its just sucking the cab air. Im looking at your cab pics and Im really impressed! I vote it grow cab of 2007!

I second that movement. It definitely gets my vote.

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Definitely an awesome grow cab. I want to build a similar one when I get money together for lumber. I'd still need a second for flowering though, but I have to say that is a quality job there.

How long did it take you to build that grow cab?

Glad you like the cabinet! It ended up taking about 4 weeks to build but I gotta tell you, I get a little focused on projects like this one. So far I'm pleased with how it's working, though I was starting to worry that I over ventilated because I was drawing the humidity down to the 15% range. Currently (winter) I'm running one (of 2) exhaust fans and have the main input blower (160 cfm) running with the duct boosters off. The CAP AIR-3DN is keeping everything dialed in just perfect. I also added a small cold water mister to increase the humidity.. When I go to flower, I have a small electric heater I'll sit in the box to maintain nighttime temps. If you want more pics or anything on it let me know. I'm thinking I need a second box for dedicated veg..

Farmer Rich

I really think you should do a full construction guide for that cabinet. I think it's absolutely amazing.

I do have a couple of questions though... What is that piece of split ducting doing on the top of the cabinet? Also, what is that box and is it connected to the ducting?



P.S. You can't add images to your posts until 50 posts I believe. That's why I did my first "grow log" in the Indoor Growing section.

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Im not sure Norkali, but i think the ducting goes to another bathroom exhaust vent in the opposite corner. As far as the silver box in the middle is probably the ballast for the light. I looked at those photos at least 50 times in the last month! Truly an inspiration to cabinet growers! Keep up the good work Rich!

Possibly, I know the box in the middle is the ballast, I've got the same one. Digital Greenhouse 600w digital.

I'm asking about the box on the left.

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The box on the left is another 50cfm bathroom exhaust vent he has 2 of them on top, one on each side of the ballast

Thanks again on the box, it seems to be rockin'. Today is day 1 of week 6. 4 plants - 5 weeks, and 5 plants - 4 weeks old (all from bag seed). So far it's looking like 3 sativa, and 1 indica from the first batch. All of the ones from the last batch have really broad leaves and look afghani to me.. but hey, I'm a noob and don't know squat.. learning fast though!

Ok - Ventilation; Exhaust - 2 x 50 cfm bathroom fans, with individual switches to disable/enable as necessary. That's what you're looking at on top. Input - 160 cfm eco fan (also on top) pumps air to the T at the bottom of the main grow chamber, each side of the T has a 4" Suncort duct booster pointing to the two inputs. The box is going to vented to the outside, but I'm waiting for some electrical work (18kw generator ) to be done before cutting the holes in the wall. I'm also going to have to use another 2x4 to add a spot to circ clamp the fan in order to raise the light to full height.

The light has a 6" suncort duct fan on the left side. It fit perfect into the 6-4" reducer. I used the reducers on either side and just capped them with vented covers on the back to keep any critters out.

I have a CAP AIR-3DN in the top which controls the intake/exhaust systems using day temp. During lighting < 24 hours, I'm going to plug a small heater in to maintain night temp. I may have to figure out some sort of shelf due to the 9 plants taking up so much room. I'm a little worried about it being too close to a pot and over heating the roots. There's only about 38 cu ft, plus the shiny material inside the box is duct wrap I put in for insulation.

I will make it a point to upload some frame pictures. I'd intended to document the build, but just ended up doing it..

Okay.. since we're supposed to be talking about growing here, I'll upload some plant pics a little later and you guys can critique the progress..

Later, Farmer Rich

Ok.. here's some updated first grow pics (same URL).

First Grow - 34 day update - Cannabis Photo Gallery

any thoughts on the spots on the leaves on the plants closest to the humidifier?

also added a couple of frame pics on the box gallery.

Who says bud and power tools don't mix!?! - Cannabis Photo Gallery

Farmer Rich

I dunno Rich but your plants look better than mine! I keep having probs with red stems and yellowing lower leaves with small brown spots on them. I use earth juice products. What do u use to feed them?

Hey Chongman, I'm using a product called Gardening Magic I get at a place called Linda's Hydro in Puyallup, Washington. http://www.hydrolights.net/ It's a 2 part nute they whip up themselves and a lot of folks up here seem to use it. I'm liking the results but I'm going back to once a week for a couple of weeks (I've been alternating on watering) and see how the plants do because I'm concerned about those spots on a couple of the plants. I'm trying to avoid doing anything too much, so cutting back seems appropriate. I'm also balancing the water to a Ph of 6.5. My water is coming from the tap (well) at 7.6, the nutes dial it right in. For straight water, I use Ph down product. I was also planning on veggin' through December, but if they keep growing like they are I'm starting to get a little worried about space in the box and may have to consider starting sooner.

Thanks for the input dude!

Rich