A customer has a question and I hope we can get some opinions on it, thanks
I have a 3 ft by 4 ft area NEXT to the water heater in a closet in the garage.
During the peak summer it’s gonna be hot.
However,
My heater doesn’t seem to be putting off heat; at least when I’m checking it.
I have a thermostat in there and it reads constant 80 F.
(Which is cooler than the garage outside the closet…)
Anyway, this is my ONLY option for a grow room so I gotta make the best of it.
I plan on putting a sheet metal divider between the water heater and grow zone and insulate the divider w spray foam.
Also gonna cover all the walls w sheet metal for reflective surface and fire proofing.
I figure the summer may be just too hot but it might work out fine the other 8 or 9 months. ??
Question 1:
I plan on using LEDs and leaving door closed.
How hot is too hot in that room?
How many of these would I need? ( reviews say they hardly make any heat.)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J19AF9G/?coliid=I1KDKYAYCTYXGU&colid=1RHQ0BKGR4QBQ&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Question 2:
What AUTO strains are best in high temps?
Question 3:
How many plants can do well in a 3x4 ft area?
Question 4:
I was planning on using 5 gallon buckets and moving a few plants directly out to the back 40 as they get established.
What size containers do you suggest?
Temps above 90 are no good indoor ideally you want to be around 78-80 degrees
Supply fan pushing fresh Air into tent and exhaust fan pulling hot air out should help maintain temps in tent provided the air being pulled into tent is not 90 degrees of course
In that size tent 2-3 plants would be best
And you can use 2-3 gallon pots with autos indoors five is ok but not needed
Using proper training techniques can help keeps plant hieght manageable
White widow and Northern Lights autos are both good strains for beginners also imho
Join us on forum so we can help guide you as needed
4 Likes
First, you should join the forum and start a journal. It’s a great way to get input from other growers, and it’s nice to be able to look back for reference. Everyone here is pretty good people, and only out to help each other.
-
That’s a decent light for the price, but you can do so much better. There are some DIY lighting theads you should have a look at. Even if a DIY build isn’t something you’re into, a lot of the kits can be assembled and tested for a small fee from a lot of the places selling them. Talk to @dbrn32, @MAXHeadRoom and the like for specifics. They can help you find the most for your budget. I wish I had found this forum before I bought my lights, but I could’ve done worse, too.
-
You’ll want to look for sativas, mostly, probably. Do some research on the seed banks, and some of the strain database sites you find when you Google search something like “Durban Poison strain info,” and look for strains whose genetics come from hotter climates (Durban Poison, for example, originally grew in hot ass Africa). But keep in mind, these strains will likely grow vigorously and tall.
-
This depends on how you want to grow these plants. One in a scrog that size would be great. A couple topped and trained would fit okay. Or even a sea of green of maybe 4-6 plants would even work. Autos might be slightly smaller than the typical photosensitive variety of the the same strain, so you might fit slightly more. You’ll get a better feel for this once you’ve had a grow where there’s room left over, and a grow where you’re begging them to stop growing lol! I would start with just one, or a couple autos until you get a handle on it. Depending on the height available, you might even be able to divide it into two spaces and stagger two, or even four plants, so you can harvest twice as often…
-
5-gallon buckets work great for lots of people outdoors. You’ll want to make sure they have lots of holes for water to get out and oxygen to get in. I would start in smaller containers and transplant them up as they grow, maybe into as big as 7- or even 10-gallon pots, if they’re headed outside, but maybe only 3- or 5-gallon if they’re staying inside, to keep the size down. I would use cloth or felt pots for best drainage.
And I agree with @Countryboyjvd1971 and the setup he described. If you can find a good quality tent that’s 3’ x 4’ and as tall as you can fit in the space you have, it will save you a ton of work fixing light leaks (although this isn’t really an issue with autos), sealing the environment, etc. Plus, they’re already reflective and somewhat insulated to help with environmental control. A couple good fans and a carbon filter (if you care about smells) are a great investment and essential for climate control. You can get creative with ducting air to and from the space, too, especially if it’s connected to an attic, basement, or crawlspace.
Depending on where you live, you may have missed the window to get them outdoors this season, but this sounds like a solid plan for at least a couple plants start to finish, indoors.
1 Like