Building own box - Suggestions

[Nick Papagiorgi]

For my first grow, I would I like to do a 3x3 or 4x4 grow box probably around 6 feet tall. For now, I would like to do 4 plants just so I can get my techniques down and I can do more on my next grow. I'm also going to use a 400w hid light. I could get 4 good size plants in that 3x3 box? or should I just bump up to the 4x4 box?

 

[Marco61]

3x3 is a good footprint for a 400w HPS. Since a 400w light will not provide very good canopy penetration, I would look into building a scrog setup to utilize every sq inch of the canopy. I'm guessing you are planning to do a soil/soilless grow. Consider square 4.5gallon pots. They are 12"W x 12"L x 8.5" H, so you can fit 9 into that cabinet snugly.

 

[Nick Papagiorgi]

I think I'm leaning more toward a Coco Coir mix for my grow medium. They only problem with the scrog I'm having is not really knowing how high I should place the screen above the plants.

 

[Skyrancher]

I agree with Marco that 3x3 is a good footprint for a 400w, which will give you 44w per square foot. If you go with the 4x4, it goes down to 33w per sq ft. The magic number is 50w per sq ft, so the closer you are to that, the better.

Marco has it right on the scrog too. Since you have only 6 feet or height, so taken up with your light and pot, the scrog will help limit plant height and maximize yield. There are lots of scrog grow journals to get the information you need. I don't use this method, or I would offer you some numbers. Most likely, the strain you use will determine this.

Good luck on your first grow !!

 

[Nick Papagiorgi]

What if I was to put flourescent lights on 3 sides of my grow box and instead of 3x3 I just make it 3 1/2 x 3 1/2, should I still go with the Scrog set up? Or should I just upgrade my light something stronger than the 400w?

 

[Small time]

You get more good weed with SCROG that just plants. Saying that though, the weed at the bottom is still pretty good. If this is your first grow, first everything, it can be a learning curve. My first grow was over 30 years ago, and my first indoor was around 25 years ago. I was happy with dirt the times I grew, but the last three months I started Hydro. Not ever going back to dirt. Hydro is less messy, explosive growth, and not that expensive to get started. I found the $8 ph and ppm meters to work just fine (ebay chinese). You don't really need a ppm gauge if you just measure with a teaspoon, but a ph meter is essential for soil or hydro.

My box is just 19" x 44" x 48", and I've found I don't use all of the 48" with a scrog. Even so, I'm getting easily over 3.5oz of knock ur dick in the dirt using soil, and it's looking like a lot more with hydro (2nd week of flower so far).

If you are handy, making your own LED grow light is pretty easy although not as easy as HID lighting. I built my 360watt LED light for under $250,and now that I know more, I built a 140w light for under $70. If you can solder, you can build a driver for under $3 each, and you only need a few. Look up Instructables "High power LED." Less heat, and less power consumed.

 

[anon0988]

Speaking from my own personal experience here, but anything under 4' and you're going to have problems getting your hood or cooltube in and having enough room to get the ducting curved up. My first box was a 2'x4' footprint and I barely had enough room to handle the gear, I can't imagine trying to go any smaller without having to go to 4" duct instead of 6".

 

[fatigues]

Speaking from my own personal experience here, but anything under 4' and you're going to have problems getting your hood or cooltube in and having enough room to get the ducting curved up. My first box was a 2'x4' footprint and I barely had enough room to handle the gear, I can't imagine trying to go any smaller without having to go to 4" duct instead of 6".

Depends on box and vent design. IF the vents are on the top - you are correct. If one or both are side mounted, the space considerations change.

When using an air cooled reflector, I would add that the light footprint is rectangular in nature, not square.

A 400 watt light in a reflector hood is therefore going to cover approximately a 3'x2' area in bright light, not a 3x3. Plan accordingly.