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Need Assistance With Future GH Build

Cimba732

New member
Sorry if this is a jumbled up post, tried my best to make it make sense. Brief backstory:

100% new to greenhouses, not new to growing/processing cannabis. I have some amateur exp as a teen (outdoor, no huge success stories, but I learned a lot), some experience on a MMJ commercial level, if I'm not mistaken was a custom DWC/ebb and flow/drip system (i was more of a peon, but i learned a lot here as well). Most importantly through all of this, I Learned I gotta grow cannabis...sadly it'll be a while, So in the mean time I figured I'd plan my future GH build.

I've processed (done dry trim, done wet trim (Imo fucks terps up) my own herb/commercial product, so I'm not worried about that,just the GH stuff. With that said GH's are definitely what I want to do. I've done outdoor as a kid and hydro (professionally). With my experience, fuck hydro quite frankly (cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, nuts, and pH, not my cup of tea). I love soil, gardening, composting, ect. I fell deeply in love with cannabis my first grow. I knew I found my niche... Especially after smoking my own outdoor grown/cured dank... That wait... And then the taste of the fruits of your labor.. Game changer.

Growing MMJ commercially via hydro was a great experience without a doubt. However, I believe to truly cultivate this plant in the truest, most medicinal form, at the minimum you have to use dirt... The closer to nature, the better. Just my opinion from experience, I could be wrong but I feel commercial cannabis is in a way, the systems maniacal version of cannabis... I look at it like this: We never wanted to grow hydro, we had to because of the laws. Again, my opinion, some love hydro, prefer it, ect. For me, it's all chemicals and metal, nothing reminiscent of its home in nature where it belongs. I truly believe the end product reflects that. I've never smoked hydro and been like "damn this is definitely some hydro! I can taste that great hydro taste, like its been kissed by chemicals and stainless steel, what's that? Is that hydroton I taste? Oh shit, that's that CalMag!," where as, all the outdoor herb I've had, you can taste the sun and earth. All hippy bullshit aside, it taste better, has a better medicinal effect, smell. again, just my opinion - could be wrong.

My goal would be grow all year, 4 harvests a year, +/- for experimental work. Atleast have "harvest A" last until "harvest B" is cured and ready to rock. I'd be growing for two people, possibly three, pending if they move with us. Probably 3 people, 2oz p/month if I were to estimate combined consumption. This could all change if I become a caregiver and grow for side income in the state of choice which allows for these freedoms (that's why 25x12 if that # seemed large to some.

What size greenhouse would be recommended for growing 12 plants? L,W,H. I was thinking like 25x12 no idea the ceiling. I'd want 6 plants on the east, 6 on the west, fans at N/S, decent enough walk way between them. I really want each plant to get maximum light exposure, I've seen grows where shit is so crammed and larfy shit bottom bugs which to trich maturity... I want our ladies comfortable as can be, room to stretch and breath.

Initially i was thinking dig into the ground, have it a geothermal greenhouse with raised beds or pots, use the earth's heat to warm it? $ is an issue, so I dont know if I can afford a machine rental to dig such a large hole, so it might end up being cheap wood frame on makeshift foundation. Flip side: save $ on heating.

I'm down to craigslist hunt glass, and other supplies if I can. (I've seen some pretty nice DIY CL parts built GHs).

Pots, raised beds, or directly into the ground? I was thinking raised beds? It's pretty commonly used in GH's, what's the perks of. Raised bed Vs pots? Although I really like the idea of pots (can put pots on dolly's and move to better location in the room if need be), do I need to worry about that? At my old job plants being in a finite location totally fucked yield, potency, ect.. nothing in the rooms was dialed in, complete shit show, larfy, hermie, mutant weed, literally half of each plant was useless except for concentrates... that's why I like the idea of being able to move em where ever. I also don't want unmanageable plants, 12 behemoths is dandy until its three people processing everything... So I'm looking to have some size control.

Probably run 6 strains per harvest, two of each.

To grow all year I'll need blackout curtains and supplemental lighting, I've heard of people using lights on a track system that moves it overhead, over the plants all day. I really like this idea (mimics sun's movement, I'd imagine it gives more even dosage of UV for all layers of the canopy. is it super complex to rig up?) I'm decently crafty, not afraid of a challenge. honestly fans (intake/outake, ect) and this light track setup is most daunting to me).

I'd want to breed later down the line, once I get a solid stable. Was thinking of having a shed or one to two mini greenhouses near by to hold mama's and papa's in isolation. Does anyone store moms and dads in a structure with two separate grow tents/rooms for moms and dads? Or is that risky, having them so close in vicinity.

Ideally, we'd have solar panels supplying electricity for this shindig. The point is to save $$$. So panels on mama/papa sheds, + panels around the main GH site.


Was thinking harvest snow in water storage containers during winter to water plants... Save $ on water bill. Use the snow to water plants after being cleaned/filtered with RO filter (pending I can afford the size required for a grow of this scale). I'd want to hoard some snow for spring as well, be cool make it through veg using hoarded snow water.

Also use water barrels to have heat control in the GH.

That's about all I got for now, anything sound reasonable? Suggestions, feedback, suggested reads, posts? Sorry if this is a lot, I have bad PTSD and am trying to do something productive, brains so fucked ATM.
 

farmerlion

Microbial Repositories
Mentor
Veteran
Cimba732, I like your passion for organically soil grown MMJ. I like Farmtek myself. I was able to talk with one of their engineers. I ended up with a product that will work in 60mph+ winds and -40f temperatures. Mine is a 12w x 20l x 8 h. I am raising my house up two feet with rail road ties anchored together and to the ground. I will be running 16 sativa & sativa dominant strains in it. Since you have a hydro background. Forget all that you can about manipulateing plant growth and focus on how to encourage it. Most genetics in large markets are very tainted in my opinion. Go to Ace seeds website and check out the selection of the four breeders there. I have been growing them out for several years. The quality and service is second to none in the industry. The Ace threads here on ICMag are full of kind helpful people. The attitudes are humble ego's are checked at the door. Dubi is the moderator. He goes out of his way to help everyone growing his and the other breeders genetics from the Ace site. A family environment for sure. I wish you the best. Peace
 
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