Outdoor Auto Grow Box - Opinions Needed

[Muddy]

So I came up with the idea of building an outdoor grow box for growing autos. I have a 400 watt HPS system I started with that I'm currently not using. I'm thinking of building a 3' x 3.5' box, fully insulated with a 4" vent fan on a thermostatic controller. I'm thinking that light may generate enough heat to keep the box warm enough. If not, my ballast is switchable so I could install a 600 watt bulb to generate more heat during the winter. I would need to keep it on 24/7 to contain the heat. I would be growing autos and need to find out how they do with continuous lighting. If that's not doable I could install a small electric heater, switch to 20/4 and run it during lights out.

I couldn't run it in the summer but I'm thinking that I could start in October and grow through May. That would give me enough time for 4 harvests of 9 plants each. Or around 50 ounces.

Anyone ever tried anything like this? Even if you haven't, what do you think of the idea? Think it could work?

 

[CraftyApe]

I think it will work just fine.

Now in re the 7/24 lighting it will work and will give results, there is a fair amount to be said for doing it on 20/4 schedule as opposed to constant light. I in the past always just did the autos in the veg cab with regular plants that were bulking up and they always did just fine. In my current grow I had the fact that a dark cycle will have a positive effect.
So if at all possible I would try to give them some kind of dark cycle, it it is not possible I think you will still be fine just that your result might not be quite as strong as otherwise. But like I said, I got good results in the past with no dark period.

Good luck and let us know how it works.

 

[Muddy]

Thanks for the input. I've been thinking about it more and will probably install a thermostatically controlled heater and run 20/4, same as I do with present indoor area. I'll probably also run the vent fan on a timer also so it isn't sucking all the heat out during light out.

 

[SirTOKESalot]

I have a huge shed outside, i was thinking the same thing. A space heater much be to much dry heat in sucha small box, mabey a heating pad?? and turrning off the the vent system when the light is off and trying to keep that heat in there for 4 hours might work. Thats what i have been thinking about anyway.

Annnddd how much "Heat" is it to have steam coming out of a shed all winter? lol thats my only issue. Smell would be a little more apparent in the cold winter too, one would think anyway.

But hey sounds like fun anyway, you just have to build it and wait for the cold to try and reg your temps,

 

[ganjasuiteseat]

huh

 

[Muddy]

I went ahead and built the outdoor grow box. It's 4 ft. sq. with 6' high side walls in the front and 7' in the back. 400 watt HPS, 4" vent fan, circulation fan and a small thermostatically controlled heater. I tried running the 600 watt bulb but the heat was too much so dropped back to the 400 and it's working pretty well. Took a little while to get the right combination of fan speed and heater setting but now the temperatures are running about 82 with lights on and 75 with lights out. I've got my first grow started with 6 Onyx and 2 Auto Assassins now at 6 weeks. They are doing fine and looking good.

After the pictures were taken the 3 inside walls were lined with mylar. The inside of the doors are painted white.

 

[20/4]

LOVE the box man! Now fill it to the brim with marijuana plants! Looks like a very promising setup, make sure that thing has a lock! Also, im jealous of your growing space, i very much wish i had something like that!

 

[figment42]

In America buildings not attached to the house are not subject to the same privacy protections as you are afforded in your home.

 

[Muddy]

Thanks, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. The front overhang was a last minute addition to allow me to work when it's raining and not get wet. I can easily fit 9 three gallon pots or 12 two gallon. Have 8 three gallon in there right now. I haven't totaled up the final cost yet but probably less than $600 for everything.

LOVE the box man! Now fill it to the brim with marijuana plants! Looks like a very promising setup, make sure that thing has a lock! Also, im jealous of your growing space, i very much wish i had something like that!

 

[Muddy]

I'm not worried about that. I live in a rural area on a big piece of property. No one comes here unless invited. Even if someone were to come here and see it I doubt it would raise any suspicion. It's right next to my pen for Guinea fowl and chicken coop, so I can easily pass it off as a brooder box. Plus it's right next to a fenced in pasture where I have 3 dogs, including two Great Pyrenees. No one is going to mess with it. The dogs will let me know if anyone comes around and then they will have to deal with my shotgun.

In America buildings not attached to the house are not subject to the same privacy protections as you are afforded in your home.

 

[SGS]

Great work Muddy, most people dont have that kinda security so cant do this, now lets see it FULL!!

What you going to put in it for the first run?

The only thing i can see that would raise any question is the 2 vents on 1 side. Since it is a raised floor i would have had the intake come from there and run through a heating chamber and or damper before entering the room, then out the roof with a common shed roof vent. Would be much more secure and could manage temp better. My 2 cents.

SGS

 

[Ty_Kaycha]

What kind of outdoor temps do you get in the middle of winter?
Sounds like your temps are pretty dialed in, so probably not going to be a problem.
Might be able to run during the summer too if you get a cool tube for your light.

 

[Muddy]

Thanks. The side with the vents on faces the woods and can't be seen unless you walk around to that side. If anyone did question them I can pass them off a ventilation for the chicks I'm raising in the brooder box. I didn't use a roof vent as it would have been easily noticed. I didn't want to put anything through the floor as I'm not using any trays and the run off is going directly onto the floor. It's covered with vinyl floor covering and caulked with silicone all around so any excess water won't affect the wood.

I've got 6 Onyx and 2 Auto Assassins in there right now at 7 weeks. i also had 3 experimental super autos but it got too crowded. I just finished up some Mi5 indoors under my LED so moved the supers in there to give the others more room.

Great work Muddy, most people dont have that kinda security so cant do this, now lets see it FULL!!

What you going to put in it for the first run?

The only thing i can see that would raise any question is the 2 vents on 1 side. Since it is a raised floor i would have had the intake come from there and run through a heating chamber and or damper before entering the room, then out the roof with a common shed roof vent. Would be much more secure and could manage temp better. My 2 cents.

SGS

 

[Muddy]

We average low to mid 40s during the day and low 30s at night. But of course, there are extremes. Last week it got down to 6, 10 and 11 three straight nights and today it's going to be 58! The lights on temp is a little higher than I would like but so far the plants don't seem to mind.

Outdoors temps will get too hot here in the summer to keep it running, even with a cool tube. Last summer we had 28 straight days of 95+. That was unusual but even still we'll have many days over 90. I'll probably do one more grow after the current one and then shut it down. I'm considering replacing the HPS with an LED before next winter. That would allow me to keep the temps spot on and without the additional heat from the HPS, extend it's useful period by about a month on each end. I could probably start it up in Sept. instead of Oct. and run till June instead of May. If it gets too hot in the spring and the grow isn't finished I'll just move the plants outdoors and let them finish outside.

What kind of outdoor temps do you get in the middle of winter?
Sounds like your temps are pretty dialed in, so probably not going to be a problem.
Might be able to run during the summer too if you get a cool tube for your light.

 

[Ty_Kaycha]

Sounds like a plan! Great job! You'll be enjoying the fruits of your labor in a few months!

 

[Canada]

got any update photos?