Bit of newbie help with my choice of lighting setup and few other little things

[Bud Lightyear]

I've got a large walk-in cupboard, it's approx 2 and1/2 feet wide, and about 2 feet deep and once inside there is around 7 feet in height.

That space is ideal for a single plant with 250w dual spec HPS you will need to ventilate though. 5 or 6 oz is easily doable

Regards BL

[mysticjim]

ello,

Funnily enough the same suplier offers a Eurolux 600w Grow Light with reflector for not too much more

but it's more money, more heat, and more electricity consumption.

Being totally realistic, with the 125w light, using blue bulb for veg and red bulb for flowering, with reliable auto-flowering seeds, reasonable circulation, pretty average soil, typical nutrient supplements - and with a bit of good fortune, could I possibly get a modest harvest on a single plant, tied down? Mainly I'd like to start with a bargain basement setup to learn more about the cultivation, soil, nurturing of the plant - I want to be a better grower before I scale up my operation, where any newbie mistakes I make aren't going to break the bank. 8 to 10g was kind of what I'd be hoping for. Is that remotely possible?

[mysticjim]

That space is ideal for a single plant with 250w dual spec HPS you will need to ventilate though. 5 or 6 oz is easily doable

Regards BL

Dude, that's many, many more times than what I'm aiming at. I'd really expect to run into problems with the stink on that sort of yield at this stage

[PhiberCFC]

To be completely honest it just sounds like you are going to create more problems for your self. If you dont have the funds to do it properly wait till you do. You seems to be trying work things around what you can afford so will be cutting corners somewhere and this will affect your product. Maybe just small yield or you could get bud rot and lose all your crop from poor air movement. Before i would plan to invest my time and money make sure you get a good set up with everything you need. Dont set a budget and try and find things in that price range. Find what you need and the best prices for them and then work towards that.

Just my advice

[mysticjim]

To be completely honest it just sounds like you are going to create more problems for your self. If you dont have the funds to do it properly wait till you do. You seems to be trying work things around what you can afford so will be cutting corners somewhere and this will affect your product. Maybe just small yield or you could get bud rot and lose all your crop from poor air movement. Before i would plan to invest my time and money make sure you get a good set up with everything you need. Dont set a budget and try and find things in that price range. Find what you need and the best prices for them and then work towards that.

Just my advice

Hi dude, I hear you and totally respect your opinion, alas I don't have as many options at present as I'd like, and certainly no, I don't believe doing it on the cheap is a good idea in the long run, but finance (or lack of it) is a key factor with me.

Anyway, I've found a further option - went for ebay in the end as they do have some flexible options on where items can be delivered - you'll recall I'm not in a position to get them delivered to my home or work locations at present, and I don't have anyone nearby to deliver to by proxy, so to speak. So, here is what I've gone for;

Omega CFL 300W Dual Spectrum Bulb Euro Shade Grow Light Kit - it's just under £50, comes with a reflector, low energy, dual bulb. This will certainly leave me a bit of finance to improve air circulation in the room too, although it's going to be a bit of a DIY bodge.

Anyone using or start off with a setup like this before, are dual cfl's any good or is it preferable to go with a dedicated blue and red?

[carpetburn]

I,d try this, with 1 plant seeing as you have no filtration..
125w DUAL SPEC cfl...that's the red and blue spectrum, ok for veg and bloom
when the buds start to show, add some ordinary household cfl,s, in the warm white spectrum, this will add more red spectrum to help the buds
add a pc fan or a cheap 1 from poundland/home bargains, this must be blowing between your plant and bulb


now some advice...without filtration, that 1 plant is gonna smell, and smell bad...2 plants and then you have twice the smell

if the room smells musty, then obviously the air circulation is shite, which could lead to budrot

atb
cb

[mysticjim]

'ello

As i said, have plumped for the 300w dual CFL option. Reckon two plants should be reasonable. Had some good news from the seed supplier - they're out of stock of my choice of seed, so they've upgraded me to the next closest, and it's a 5 pack instead of 3, so have spare seeds in case my first crop is a bust.

Have totally cleaned the grow room top to bottom, dusted, scrubbed the walls, took out and cleaned the shelving, then left the door open with fans running inside for a few hours, with all the doors and windows nearby open, room is totally no longer musty. Look, it's been unused in literally months, it's not surprising it wasn't too fresh in there, but it's certainly going to be from now on!

All being well, all my supplies should come in my the start of next week.

Super excited, thanks for all the guidance so far.

[mysticjim]

Hells bells - the light I ordered off ebay yesterday at about 3.30pm turned up today before lunchtime. That's some service! I have to say, the bulb - I was obviously expecting something bigger than a normal household lightbulb - I've done amateur film-making so I'm familiar with oversized lighting, but I was blown away by how damn impressive it was! Just waiting on the seeds to arrive and have some minor insulation work to do on the grow room ceiling. Hoping to be up and running by this time next week.

[feverish4MJ]

My preference is a 600watt fixture, it is worth the money and it will last forever.. I use a Metal Halide bulb for veg, than switch to the High Pressure Sodium bulb for flowering. Never been dissapointed.
Added note, grab the darkest sunglasses you can get...you'll need em, LOL