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Help putting together a grow box

B

Blackyboy21

I started growing chili's this year and upon going through the forms on here I now want to overwinter. My goals are to overwinter about 6 plants in a grow box and use the remaining space if any for starters next year.

I was thinking a grow box that was 2 feet by 4 feet and using one of these two light fixtures

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/6-light-high-output-fluorescent-high-bay/944568

http://www.rona.ca/en/48-in-fluorescent-fixture-11005190--1

Would like to know what people on here think.

Upon reading on here to i would use 4 6500k and 2 3500k bulbs
Add in a fan higher up for drawing air out and one lower for letting air in
Also i have access to alot of emergency blankets which i would cover the walls with

Any advice and tips would be awesome

Thank you
 
I just started building mine today, gonna take pics as I go, should be done by Sunday easily, taking in consideration of the few beers its gonna take to build it, but I got the light from your 2nd choice
 
IMO 2' X 4' is no where near large enough for 6 plants to grow thru the winter in...especially in your long winter...at the end of your winter when it comes time for hardening off and planting out the plants will totally fill a 2' X 4' area...and the height is another thing...how tall are you gonna build it?
 
AlabamaJack said:
IMO 2' X 4' is no where near large enough for 6 plants to grow thru the winter in...especially in your long winter...at the end of your winter when it comes time for hardening off and planting out the plants will totally fill a 2' X 4' area...and the height is another thing...how tall are you gonna build it?
Click to expand...

How big would you end up going. and what lighting would you recommend for the six plants. was thinking of 3 feet tall. I have yet to build this so your recomendations are welcome

pogeys said:
I just started building mine today, gonna take pics as I go, should be done by Sunday easily, taking in consideration of the few beers its gonna take to build it, but I got the light from your 2nd choice
Click to expand...

would like to see what you come up with
 
pogeys said:
I just started building mine today, gonna take pics as I go, should be done by Sunday easily, taking in consideration of the few beers its gonna take to build it, but I got the light from your 2nd choice
Click to expand...
A grow box in Okeechobee? why on earth would you need a grow box in South Central Florida, my first Scorpions have been outside for since Fall 2009. Heres a Loxahatchee Grow Box
IMG_0102-4.jpg
 
Blackyboy21 said:
How big would you end up going. and what lighting would you recommend for the six plants. was thinking of 3 feet tall. I have yet to build this so your recomendations are welcome
Click to expand...

my grow box will accomodate 4 plants that can grow to about 3' tall and is 4' X 4' X 6' tall and has 18 42 watt CFLs that gives me right at 3k Lumens/ft[sup]2[/sup].

post 46 shows a pic of my grow box and about post 58 shows a pic of my germinator in the linked thread

http://thehotpepper....rowrage__st__40
 
when you cut back plants for overwinter and put them in a grow box...they start growing again right away so the room is needed for the size of the plants....my grow box doubles as "bootcamp" for seedlings...(I move the overwinters to another grow area under 12 CFLs and 2 90 watt UFO LEDs)....when I get seedlings emerging out of the germinator, they go into the growbox (bootcamp) for about 10 days and they get light 24/7 with a fan that blows them as hard as they will stand it for 30 minutes 3 times a day...for seedlings you have to exercise the stems...that stretches the cell walls in the stem and makes them thicker and stronger...think of it as standing on the beach on one leg in a good 15 mph wind for 30 minutes 3 times a day...the leg you are standing on would be quite strong...
 
AlabamaJack said:
when you cut back plants for overwinter and put them in a grow box...they start growing again right away so the room is needed for the size of the plants....my grow box doubles as "bootcamp" for seedlings...(I move the overwinters to another grow area under 12 CFLs and 2 90 watt UFO LEDs)....when I get seedlings emerging out of the germinator, they go into the growbox (bootcamp) for about 10 days and they get light 24/7 with a fan that blows them as hard as they will stand it for 30 minutes 3 times a day...for seedlings you have to exercise the stems...that stretches the cell walls in the stem and makes them thicker and stronger...think of it as standing on the beach on one leg in a good 15 mph wind for 30 minutes 3 times a day...the leg you are standing on would be quite strong...
Click to expand...

Okay, flollowing your advice, i would have room for two with the setup that i was thinking.

change up to two fans for a good cross breeze

now i am only growing in 3 gallon pots as we speak. i know that 5 would be better but would like to stay in the 3's

and i would also need to find a way to get more lumens
 
Blackyboy21 said:
using the light fixture i was thinking i would only get 2300 lumens a foot. how sould i push for more

i was thinking flourescent due to ease of wiring
Click to expand...

if you are going to use the grow box just for overwintering, 2300 lumens/ft[sup]2[/sup] is fine IMO....if you are going to want to grow to production you need more...


I use these with 42 watt CFLs for my grow box.....

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202599616/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=vANITY+LIGHT+FIXTURES&storeId=10051
 
AlabamaJack said:
Down here, the 6500K are harder to find than the 2700K....6500K is fine though...I run a 50-50 mix of 2700 and 6500
Click to expand...
I am going to see what i can find and start picking up supplies.
How do you keep the temp regulated in your grow box. Wondering what i should use to control some fans
 
In my flouro box, I use a regular heat/cool thermostat hooked up to a computer fan. Runs on a 9v adapter, and keeps things below 80 year round.
 
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