How to set up a 600 watt wardrobe grow
SO, I HEARD U WERE MOVIN' INDOORS...
Ok, an EXCELLENT idea. Now you can grow all year round.
First thing you need to do is make a check list of everything you might need,
Don't worry I've done that for you,
I've tried to explain this in very easy terms; I know every one doesn't have a degree in horticulture, my self included. A few things you read might not make any sense at all, stop stressin', once you start everything should become clear. You learn as you go.
Because this is your first time we will start off with a small wardrobe (closet). You can buy these at any second hand store very cheap, under $20. If you don't have great carpentry skills, buy one that's in pretty good condition. Try and can get a wardrobe with a section you can convert for your clones. If you can't then you might need to buy something to fit your cloning kit.
It needs to be around 900mm deep x1400mm wide about 2.2m tall. Or there abouts. We will be using a 600 watt HPS light and this size closet is perfect.
Ok the checklist, of to the hydro shop.
I can't stress enough how a good hydro shop is imperative to your success. The guy should be able to answer all of your questions, just tell him you are growing roses. If you can find an owner that choofs too then you're doing well, be careful.
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600watt Hps light kit with BatWing adjusta shade. (I recommend Sun Master globes) |
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100 ltr bag of perlite. (Get 2 if you can afford it, you will use it) |
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15 inch black poly garden pots with NO holes, we will put them in to suit. |
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60-80 liter black poly tub (for the nutrient tank) |
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A B Grow and A B Flower nutrient (I recommend Dutch Master. See what the hydro guy reckeons). |
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TDS meter (total de-solved salts). Should be in PPM (parts per million) |
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ph meter to measure ph |
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piece of Panda Film, (this is the white on one side and black on the other) about 2-3 meters( should be 3 meters width) |
You might also be able to get these from the garden section of the hardware store if the hydro shop doesn't have them
Ten meters of black triple kink poly hose, 13mm. using the triple kink you don't need hose clamps.
Poly plastic connections, get about ten of each, it's good to have some spares.
Straight hose connectors, 90 degree bends, T sections and a bag of rubber grommets. Get drill bit or hole saw to suit. Make sure it's the right size by testing it (hole saw would be better).
These next items you can get from any aquarium store.
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small fish tank air pump (get some hose to suit pump, about 2 meters) |
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small medium fish tank water pump |
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air stone (I like to use the air tubes; they last longer and give more bubbles). |
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fish tank heater (this is a may be, if you have set up in a garage or out door shed, get one) |
Now to the hardware store
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brick pavers to sit the ballast and power boards on. |
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packets of circular cup hooks. These are to clip the electrical cables. |
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3 meter extension cords (you may only need 2, good to have spare though) |
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1 meter extension cord |
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4 plug power boards, (it's good to have safety cut out with these) |
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24hour timers with 30min increments (get a good quality these are pretty important) |
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250mm exhaust fan |
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double adaptor (these always come in handy) |
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small bag of gyprock cement |
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gyprock hand sander with paper (about p80-p100 grade) |
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2liter tin of flat white ceiling paint (water based) |
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90-100mm paint brush (if you have an old paint brush then great if not get 2.1 cheap) |
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meters of chain (to hang your light) use your own judgment it has to be fairly strong but easily adjustable with pliers). Your light needs to be raised and lowered. Keep this in mind. |
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pack of 30-35mm pk screws (wood) |
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piece of shade cloth about 1m x 2m |
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roll of sisalation tape. |
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25mm thick 300mm pine planks (not chipboard, for the shelf so measure your wardrobe and cut them to suit) |
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piece of pine 20mm x 30mm little over 2 meters about 2.2m. |
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boxes of thumb tacks |
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Anti Mold paint additive (Editors Choice) |
Well I think that's about it, hang on I will check, yep that's it. Oh you will also need a light proof piece of material, from any curtain maker (black is good), enough to block out around the window (always get more than you think you need, an extra meter or so. It needs to go all the way to the floor). You need to light proof the room you are using, and it needs to hang loose around the curtains.
Tools needed, jigsaw, drill, both, electric and battery if possible, with variable speed, hammer, pk screw piece (Philips head), paint brush, sander, spirit level and tape measure.
Well go on then go get it, and then we will start construction. If you have a friend you can trust you could probably do with a hand.
Ok, let's build this baby.
First of all clear out the spare room and place some old sheets on the floor.
Let's start by blanking out the window. Leave the curtains there. Using thumb tacks, tack up the cloth around the window; it needs to look like a curtain. If you don't have wood window frames you might have to use some cloth tape. Make sure it's done well; you don't want to do this again. It needs to hang loose around the existing curtains while blocking out all the light. This way from the out side when you look through the window it just gives the illusion that the lights are off. Make sure there is no light from the inside escaping, top and bottom too.
Your wardrobe should be a plain 2 door wardrobe with a coat rail at the top, perfect.
You may need to use a jig saw, let's cut some holes.
2 holes, 1 in the top for the exhaust fan (fan should come with template and instructions) and a horizontal slot about 100mm wide and almost the whole width of the wardrobe stopping about 100mm from each side and about 100mm above the floor level of the wardrobe. This is so the hot air exhausting at the top is replaced with cooler air from the bottom. If you need to add a carbon filter or ozone for smell problems you will need ducting and most probably a stronger fan, check with the dude who sells the filters and ozone machines (hydro shop).
Ok you need to construct a shelf. The shelf needs to be level with the top of the nutrient tank, which will sit just to the side of the wardrobe. This is so all the water flows back the tank. Gauge this by placing the tank next to the wardrobe.
Cut 20x30mm pine bead to the same depth of the wardrobe, 2 off. Measure and screw these to the sides of the wardrobe making sure they are level. Cut pine board to make the shelf. There should be enough room for hoses and cords to fit through. Make sure you do this securely and well, you only want to this once and you don't want the thing to collapse.
Ok it should be looking a little like a grow room now.
Let's get messy.
Editors Choice: For any hydro system when paint is involved a simpe Anti-mold additive can be added to the paint to stop or slow any potential problems down the road
I am guessing the surface on the inside of the wardrobe isn't very smooth, right.
Get the gyprock cement and your cheap or old paint brush. Make a slurry like mix (like a milk shake) with the cement and paint generously on the inside, top included but mainly the walls. Get it right in the cracks; the idea is to make the surface smooth. It doesn't need to be a thick coat, just enough to fill the cracks. Let this dry then sand smooth. Do this twice if you have to, you want it to be done well as you will get many years of growing out of this wardrobe.
Ok, dust out all the crap and vacuum.
Let's paint, give it a few coats letting each coat dry in between.
If you set your mind to it you should get the first coat on by lunch time with another coat later in the afternoon. The wardrobe should be dry enough to get your clones in the same day. If not you may have to wait until tomorrow, oh well.
While we are sitting around waiting for paint to dry let's build the system.
Ok, this is a basic nutrient recovery system. We have a top pot and a bottom pot (hence why we have 4 pots and not 2.), it feeds from the top and returns back to the tank through the bottom.
This is the most efficient system, but it needs to be flushed regularly (more on that later). This is perfect for a first timer and in fact the most simple. You will go on using this system over and over. I have never changed, that's how well it works.
The top pots need drainage holes, 1 in the centre and a series of 7 about 70mm out from the centre using the 13mm hole saw this should be heaps of drainage. In the top lip of the pot, just above the perlite level drill a hole, this is for the feed ring to fit trough. That's it.
The bottom pots just need a hole at the bottom about 5mm from the bottom in the side wall. These are for the return hoses that carry the nutrient back to the tank. That's it.
Can you see where this is going?
The tank needs 2 holes at the bottom. These are for the return hoses from the pots. Work out where your wardrobe will sit and work out the best place for the holes so the hoses don't kink. If nutrient can't return you WILL have a flood and water and electricity don't mix. We will flood proof any way. Ok fit the grommets and fittings, you might find using elbows on the return hoses easier. By using a strong mix of dishwashing liquid and water these fittings go in easier and come out easier. Make sure they are water tight. If not the hole saw is the wrong size. Back to the hardware store. Should have tested it.
Is the paint dry yet? Looking good, yeah.
Let's put it all together.
Install the exhaust fan and hang the light using the chain, as high as possible, try and make this adjustable for height ( not really necessary but you might as well, I haven't). You should have about 1.5 meters between the light and the shelf, once the pots are in this should give you about 1meter of grow space, perfect.
You need to make a tray out of the panda film with the white side up. It needs to be big enough for both to pots to fit. Just cut a rectangular piece and fold in the corners, holding in place with the sisalation tape. If you can find some sort of plastic tray for this then that would be better. It's there just incase you get a slow leak, it's just a precaution.
Place the pots in and cut return hoses back to the tank to suit.
Now for the feeding hose and feed rings.
Cut a piece of hose for the pump stopping just short of the 2 pots with a T section splitting off to the pots.
Get the T section and make a ring with the hose just so it fits inside the pot, you need to drill some 3mm holes in this facing the centre of the pot to feed the plants. Both feed rings need to be the same. Hoses connecting the feed rings need to be the same length. Connect it all together, leaving the feed rings out for the moment.
Take the shade cloth and cut 2 circles the same size as the bottom of the pots, this will stop the perlite from draining through. Perlite is pretty dusty and it NEEDS to be washed.
Empty enough perlite to fill 2 pots into your bath tub; you might need a dust mask, fill bath with cold water. You can use warm water if you want, 'ya wussy.
Wet thoroughly, the dust should settle on the bottom and the clean perlite will float on top. Using a sieve and draining the perlite well, fill your top pots. Making it firm but not too firm. The perlite should be about 2 inches from the top of the pot; there should be a recess in the pot (where you drilled the holes for the feed rings).
Ready to go, place the pots in the wardrobe, connect the feed rings. Fill the tank with water and turn the pump on let it run for a while, checking for leaks.
Let's get to the electrics. Almost done.
Take 1 3m extension cord from the power point and run into the back of the wardrobe through the slot. Pave a section under the shelf for the light ballast and power boards. With the double adapter connect the 2 power boards. In the first power board plug in the 2 24hr timers, one is for the water pump and one is for the light.
The other power board is for the fan and air pump, these are always on. You should have 2 spare plugs, they will come in handy. You may need to use extension cords for the fan and pump. Turn on the power supply and set the timers. Set the light timer for 18hours of light and 6 hours of dark (from 6 at night until 12noon). Nights are generally colder so running the light over night helps keep a constant temperature. The pump timer set to come on for 30minutes every 4 hours while the light is on. The first feed should come on just before the light comes on and the last feed should be just when the light goes out. Using the cup hooks clip up any cable connections and just neaten up the cables a bit. Just incase you have a leak nothing is sitting in water.
One last thing before you plant your clones, put the light globe in.
Using a clean t-shirt, so your fingers don't touch the bulb screw in the bulb. Make sure the light bulb is clean, just use the t-shirt. Grubby marks could crack the globe.
That should be complete and looking mighty fine for a couple of females to get in and get sticky.
although this tute shows a 600watter, alternately you could use a wardrobe 600mmX1200mm with a 400 watt HPS light.
The construction will be exactly the same.
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