Plus its very reflective and holds heat. And waterproof. So a good choice. I'm looking at a 400 or 600. But I want to put vegging and flowering in there. But don't want multiple lights. I might just flower in it.
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If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
pics Cold Garage Germination/Grow (Construction Complete! Now with Pics!)
- Thread starter MGOLD86
- Start date
well if I had a different hood (I have the virtual Sun one which is great, especially for 400w since it focuses the light in a 4x4-5x5 area really nicely) but if I had a 600w dimmable with cool tube and a small wing like they sell on ebay/amazon, and well everywhere else.. that would shoot light everywhere, I could stick that right in the middle up top and use the whole area as a great grow area, and with all that reflectivity, should be enough light for most of them to flower and fruit, and maybe the ones on the outside might have smaller pods or something like that
but for me, since I already have a 400w light, and I have a $100 gift card to amazon, I will eventually get a 600w dimmable.. not sure and I won't be getting it anytime soon, so I'm still playing around with different ideas, and waiting to see what I am dealing with once my plants get bigger
but for me, since I already have a 400w light, and I have a $100 gift card to amazon, I will eventually get a 600w dimmable.. not sure and I won't be getting it anytime soon, so I'm still playing around with different ideas, and waiting to see what I am dealing with once my plants get bigger
Waaaasssuppppp Homies! I must caveat this with I have been 
since I started construction. SOO, if I misspell anything, or just dont make sense, carry on.
So, to start, Max, I did not tape down the flaps. I have a Accurtie wireless temp gauge that I stuck inside the tent and I ran the lights. I get a consistent temp in the 80s no matter the time. I am going to run the lights tonight, all night, and I will probably wake up to pee at like 7 (my usual drunk ritual) and check the temps. That is about as cold as it is gonna get. The temps from 3am to about 6am are the coldest based on the fact that the sun has been down the longest. 7am wont be much off. Also, with no lights on, the temps run about 40 when the ambient is 28. So it does a great job as is. I am confident that I could grow even without an extra heater because it doesnt get down to frost temps. But I want
so I will supplement with manmade heat!
So, i built the first part of my table today. First things first...INVEST IN A F($*#*G Miter Saw! If you are like me, you cant cut straight to save your life. Aside from that, everything went pretty well. I got 70' of 2x4s.
I cut two identical (about identical) frames. I originally planned on doing a top for the actual table top, and a second for a shelf, but I may not do a shelf.
I put them both together.
Then add legs...
Fits like a glove
Plenty of room for me to work
Like I said, I am not sure if I am gonna do a shelf. I just dont wanna spend like 20 extra bucks and try to notch out the shelf. But we shall see...Tomorrow or the next day I am gonna go pick up a piece of plywood and build the top. Ill post the pics when ready.
Off to more
since I started construction. SOO, if I misspell anything, or just dont make sense, carry on.So, to start, Max, I did not tape down the flaps. I have a Accurtie wireless temp gauge that I stuck inside the tent and I ran the lights. I get a consistent temp in the 80s no matter the time. I am going to run the lights tonight, all night, and I will probably wake up to pee at like 7 (my usual drunk ritual) and check the temps. That is about as cold as it is gonna get. The temps from 3am to about 6am are the coldest based on the fact that the sun has been down the longest. 7am wont be much off. Also, with no lights on, the temps run about 40 when the ambient is 28. So it does a great job as is. I am confident that I could grow even without an extra heater because it doesnt get down to frost temps. But I want
so I will supplement with manmade heat!So, i built the first part of my table today. First things first...INVEST IN A F($*#*G Miter Saw! If you are like me, you cant cut straight to save your life. Aside from that, everything went pretty well. I got 70' of 2x4s.
I cut two identical (about identical) frames. I originally planned on doing a top for the actual table top, and a second for a shelf, but I may not do a shelf.
I put them both together.
Then add legs...
Fits like a glove
Plenty of room for me to work
Like I said, I am not sure if I am gonna do a shelf. I just dont wanna spend like 20 extra bucks and try to notch out the shelf. But we shall see...Tomorrow or the next day I am gonna go pick up a piece of plywood and build the top. Ill post the pics when ready.
Off to more
that's cool... about the temps, I guess I didn't need that vent duct valve but oh well, that is what I get for buying that stuff before getting the actual tent.. it was only $10 so whatever.. but the table looks great, I have been thinking about shelves and stuff like that or not, but I can't find something that would allow me to stack the plants so I could have more space, without needing more supplemental light (so like a stadium or IMAX seats, where they are pretty much on top of each other, but spaced enough out so the light would high most of the plants.)
so I am just going with filling the floor up with the plants and bringing the light down with the little yo-yo hangers that came with the kit... but looks great, glad I found this thread where people are actually growing in cooler ambient temps rather than in in their house or heated areas/grow rooms ect.. makes for a lot less guess work in the end
so I am just going with filling the floor up with the plants and bringing the light down with the little yo-yo hangers that came with the kit... but looks great, glad I found this thread where people are actually growing in cooler ambient temps rather than in in their house or heated areas/grow rooms ect.. makes for a lot less guess work in the end
wheres the cup holders.. LOL
lol.. I don't really drink.. most my family could drink there breakfast so I try not to indulge in drinking.
Helps save some cash also.. that way I can put money into my peppers finally.. its the 2 kids in diapers really holding me back....
got my new job though... so 600watt hps/mh here I come!
Helps save some cash also.. that way I can put money into my peppers finally.. its the 2 kids in diapers really holding me back....
got my new job though... so 600watt hps/mh here I come!
LOL! I have one coming in 2 months, so I am getting it all out of the way now.....Things are never gonna be the same.
BTW, you have a growlist?
Max you got one?
I thought it was pretty funny.. I laughed so hard after I hit post I woke my 8 month old up...
haha, that's great, and yeah I sent my grow list to you Mgold.. but here it is in general.. updated it last after my initial list.. couldn't resist the superhots, should be a fun summer getting use to reg. habs first, which are not too bad now, but still pretty warm, (the Caribbean Reds and anything over the normal orange hab will still be pretty hot when I get some fresh peppers).. and then trying some superhots
but Mgold, I had a hunting buddy last year who was having his first kid a few months after the end of the season (I think he ended up having it, or his wife rather, around feb. or march) and he was pretty available last year, but this year I tried contacting him again, and I was only able to get a few texts out of him which is understandable to say the least haha
oh and here is my current list, still waiting on the Trinidad scorp. chocolate bhut, and aji lemon to come in from Australia
---Tepin, Bulgarian Carrot, Hottie Hybrid, Red Caribbean, Pretty Purple Pepper, Big Bomb Hybrid, Congo Trinidad, Cherry Bomb Hybrid, Fatalii, Jamaican Hot Chocolate, Brown Habanero, Trinidad Scorpion, Chocolate Bhut Jolokia, Bhut Jolokia Naga Morich, 7pot/pod Pepper, Aji Lemon,
I definitely jumped the gun on the 400w HID but oh well, I am happy with it, and I will be wanting another light anyways eventually so it works out well..
and with drinking I know what you mean, I drink, but not a lot.. and usually don't go to bars just because it's too much money to be going all the time.. would rather spent some money on something worth while like grow equipment or something else that will last and show results haha.. my friend is always bugging me, but then again.. he doesn't have any money after a few days from getting his paycheck lol
but Mgold, I had a hunting buddy last year who was having his first kid a few months after the end of the season (I think he ended up having it, or his wife rather, around feb. or march) and he was pretty available last year, but this year I tried contacting him again, and I was only able to get a few texts out of him which is understandable to say the least haha
oh and here is my current list, still waiting on the Trinidad scorp. chocolate bhut, and aji lemon to come in from Australia
---Tepin, Bulgarian Carrot, Hottie Hybrid, Red Caribbean, Pretty Purple Pepper, Big Bomb Hybrid, Congo Trinidad, Cherry Bomb Hybrid, Fatalii, Jamaican Hot Chocolate, Brown Habanero, Trinidad Scorpion, Chocolate Bhut Jolokia, Bhut Jolokia Naga Morich, 7pot/pod Pepper, Aji Lemon,
I definitely jumped the gun on the 400w HID but oh well, I am happy with it, and I will be wanting another light anyways eventually so it works out well..
and with drinking I know what you mean, I drink, but not a lot.. and usually don't go to bars just because it's too much money to be going all the time.. would rather spent some money on something worth while like grow equipment or something else that will last and show results haha.. my friend is always bugging me, but then again.. he doesn't have any money after a few days from getting his paycheck lol
Good Morning Gents (and maybe a lady or two out there...) I just woke up, and I guess I underestimated my need for liquid relief....Got up 3 times last night. BUT the good news is I got to check my temps three times! I turned the light on for good and closed the baby up at about 830 pm. In about 20 minutes it got to 80 and stabilized. I checked it again at 130ish and 430ish and it was 80 even. Then I got up at 704 (like clockwork) and it was 81 and seemed to be trending up. That is pretty damn good if you ask me...Especially since the ambient temps were in the 30s. When I was working in the garage putting together the bench, I took off my long sleeve because it was warm enough with the light on and the tent open. I think the garage was at like 68 or 70 degrees. Pretty wicked!
Like I mentioned, I got a inline vent fan from eBay yesterday and it looks as if I may not need to run it during the night. If I can keep the temps at 80 all night, I will only have to run the fan when the sun comes out and starts to warm up the garage. Maybe get another timer, or did you mention some temp controlled plug thing? That may work.
I am out to the next town for some Panera and shoe/baby stuff shopping for the day, then Mass tonight so I dont know if I will get a chance to go get the rest of the stuff I need to build the top. Maybe tomorrow...
Like I mentioned, I got a inline vent fan from eBay yesterday and it looks as if I may not need to run it during the night. If I can keep the temps at 80 all night, I will only have to run the fan when the sun comes out and starts to warm up the garage. Maybe get another timer, or did you mention some temp controlled plug thing? That may work.
I am out to the next town for some Panera and shoe/baby stuff shopping for the day, then Mass tonight so I dont know if I will get a chance to go get the rest of the stuff I need to build the top. Maybe tomorrow...
Hey Matt, that inline vent fan that you got from ebay, was it one of those metal ones that look like this http://www.ebay.com/...=item43aaff1f56 ??
if so that is a booster fan and I almost got one of those but found out that a booster fan is a lot weaker and if there is a 90 degree turn it might halt the flow... BUT with that said, you have your vents on the sides of your tent where as mine is on the top and then one of the lower side (not sure whey they did that, wish there was another one just straight accross) but anyways, since my ceiling is low I will have a pretty sharp bend in my vent ducting that would need the larger inline vent fans so just so I didn't have to worry about it after looking at the reviews I just got a bigger one, but they are like $100 and with your setup and the space you have that vent fan should be perfect.. no reason to spend more than you have to
I just wanted to let you know when you set up the vent fan and ducting, just keep it from having any 90 degree kinks or anything like that in there and you should be fine...
and yes I did say that I got thermostats that have 3 prong plugs, it is the hydrofarm ones that they use for heat mats, they have a 1000w limit, and I am using them now for the heat mats I got, for the seedlings but once I move the plants to the tent I will use one for the heat lamp I have, and 1 for the inline fan, so there will be a high and low temp for them..I noticed that if you set the temp to say. 85, it will let it drop down to I think 83, maybe 82 before it kicks back on, and brings it back up to 85.. I love it, and couldn't be more happy with them
http://compare.ebay....mTypes&var=sbar
but anyways that sounds pretty sweet, that thing really keeps that heat in
if so that is a booster fan and I almost got one of those but found out that a booster fan is a lot weaker and if there is a 90 degree turn it might halt the flow... BUT with that said, you have your vents on the sides of your tent where as mine is on the top and then one of the lower side (not sure whey they did that, wish there was another one just straight accross) but anyways, since my ceiling is low I will have a pretty sharp bend in my vent ducting that would need the larger inline vent fans so just so I didn't have to worry about it after looking at the reviews I just got a bigger one, but they are like $100 and with your setup and the space you have that vent fan should be perfect.. no reason to spend more than you have to
I just wanted to let you know when you set up the vent fan and ducting, just keep it from having any 90 degree kinks or anything like that in there and you should be fine...
and yes I did say that I got thermostats that have 3 prong plugs, it is the hydrofarm ones that they use for heat mats, they have a 1000w limit, and I am using them now for the heat mats I got, for the seedlings but once I move the plants to the tent I will use one for the heat lamp I have, and 1 for the inline fan, so there will be a high and low temp for them..I noticed that if you set the temp to say. 85, it will let it drop down to I think 83, maybe 82 before it kicks back on, and brings it back up to 85.. I love it, and couldn't be more happy with them
http://compare.ebay....mTypes&var=sbar
but anyways that sounds pretty sweet, that thing really keeps that heat in
my first pepper of the big/new flat that I planted minus the jamacian hot chocolates/trinidad scorps, chocolate bhut. and Aji Lemon just popped up, was a Congo Trinidad from the middle where the most heat was from the heat mat, but kind of rearranged everything and put 1 heat mat on the top shelf with my "bigger" plants, and 1 on the bottom with the new seeds, bottom set to 85 degrees, and top set to 82 or 83 for ambient temp, and I also took my LED out of the middle one and replaced it with a 2,700k 42w CFL, I didn't want to go back out and buy another 6,500k CFL when I had about 3-4 of the yellow color ones, and it could use some diverse light anyways.. and I also moved it to the kitchen/dining room/living room kind of front windows which faces south and gets tons of light, so during the day I will lift the "reflective cover" and let some natural light in (which is really just some white garbage bags taped together with some white paper taped to the inside of it, hanging over the clear plastic that keeps the heat/humidity in lol, haven't gotten emergency blankets yet, I think I will have to get them online because they don't carry them in any stores that I can find so far, maybe EMS might have them)
just want to share, pretty exciting, oh and the small flat of my mom's tomato plants just came up, I forgot to check them and they are crazy long and skinny since they were the shelf under my main lights.. so they were trying to get to the light being reflected off the front lol, but moved them under a little 18" duel flouro tube fixture I found on the old workbench in the garage, it has 1 aquarium/plant light in it(blue/purple), and 1 grow light in there. should be cool to see those because I got my mom a bunch of seeds from online also, some that come out fast and are resistant to cold, as long as it doesn't freeze, and others that are suppose to be highly productive and produce 1-2lb tomatos hah, should be fun... only problem is with so many pepper plants I am going to need to rototille and dig of the grass to extend the garden outside 3 more rows (I normally only get 2 rows for pepper plants, and my mom gets the other 8 or so for all her other vegetable stuff)
Mom's tomato's
Top Rack without the LED in there now
Bottom Rack with new peppers slowly coming up
All of the wires from lights, heatmats, thermostats, and the fan, with the timers ect.. coming out of the side, seems like a lot, but works great, don't need to worry about anything or touch anything
----and as you can see, all those lights are pretty bright haha, it's dark outside right now, and there are not many lights on in the room
just want to share, pretty exciting, oh and the small flat of my mom's tomato plants just came up, I forgot to check them and they are crazy long and skinny since they were the shelf under my main lights.. so they were trying to get to the light being reflected off the front lol, but moved them under a little 18" duel flouro tube fixture I found on the old workbench in the garage, it has 1 aquarium/plant light in it(blue/purple), and 1 grow light in there. should be cool to see those because I got my mom a bunch of seeds from online also, some that come out fast and are resistant to cold, as long as it doesn't freeze, and others that are suppose to be highly productive and produce 1-2lb tomatos hah, should be fun... only problem is with so many pepper plants I am going to need to rototille and dig of the grass to extend the garden outside 3 more rows (I normally only get 2 rows for pepper plants, and my mom gets the other 8 or so for all her other vegetable stuff)
Mom's tomato's
Top Rack without the LED in there now
Bottom Rack with new peppers slowly coming up
All of the wires from lights, heatmats, thermostats, and the fan, with the timers ect.. coming out of the side, seems like a lot, but works great, don't need to worry about anything or touch anything
----and as you can see, all those lights are pretty bright haha, it's dark outside right now, and there are not many lights on in the room
Looking good Max!
I gotta tell you all about yet another life change that pepper growing has brought upon my household....I was unable to get a hold of a truck today to go to Lowe's and get the plywood for my table. I cursed the fact that you cannot fit 4x8' sheets of plywood into my Audi, and thus began the monthly Damn we need a truck conversation....
So, I havent made the jump yet, but have got quotes and gonna sleep on it for the weekend. Needless to say, I did a facebook poll and my mom said Hey if you get a Truck you can carry your pepper harvests to the Farmer's Market easier. Looks like I may go truck shopping come Tuesday...
I gotta tell you all about yet another life change that pepper growing has brought upon my household....I was unable to get a hold of a truck today to go to Lowe's and get the plywood for my table. I cursed the fact that you cannot fit 4x8' sheets of plywood into my Audi, and thus began the monthly Damn we need a truck conversation....
So, I havent made the jump yet, but have got quotes and gonna sleep on it for the weekend. Needless to say, I did a facebook poll and my mom said Hey if you get a Truck you can carry your pepper harvests to the Farmer's Market easier. Looks like I may go truck shopping come Tuesday...
haha that's awesome, yeah I have a mazdaspeed protege that I love, but I won't and can't carry anything in it, and the car I used for fishing/hunting is an old 97 dodge stratus, but the brake lines went on it, and it's not worth fixing really, so I'm just going to sell that, but by the end of the summer I want a truck badly.. I'm going to have to borrow my bosses truck to get a bunch of manure this year for the garden, stuff works wonders when my mom was able to use it a few years back, but haven't been able to get a truck the last few years.. the garden this year is going to be huge hah
oh and not sure what you are looking for, but just based on the experience my boss had with his truck and a few people i know said the same, but the Ford F350 and other turbo diesel Ford trucks before.. I think 2010-2011 were horrible, I forget what year exactly, but the new ones are suppose to be good, but he had to rebuild his turbo 2 years ago, then the head had to be rebuild a few months after, then this summer the whole engine had to be rebuilt again and the injectors are going back.. it's suppose to be pretty typical of them.. but anyways, I personally want to find a Dodge Ram or something like that.. but anyways, just a little fyi to think about when looking around, have fun and let us know what you get!
oh and not sure what you are looking for, but just based on the experience my boss had with his truck and a few people i know said the same, but the Ford F350 and other turbo diesel Ford trucks before.. I think 2010-2011 were horrible, I forget what year exactly, but the new ones are suppose to be good, but he had to rebuild his turbo 2 years ago, then the head had to be rebuild a few months after, then this summer the whole engine had to be rebuilt again and the injectors are going back.. it's suppose to be pretty typical of them.. but anyways, I personally want to find a Dodge Ram or something like that.. but anyways, just a little fyi to think about when looking around, have fun and let us know what you get!
Thanks Max for the info, I'm heading to the dealer tomorrow to check some out.
But on the pepper front, just a little FYI, I ran my lights today from about 11am until 4pm and the temps stayed at 81 degrees. I am really impressed how the temps are consistent even with big changes in the ambient temp. I may not even need to run a vent fan.
I am probably going to run them 24/7 and germinate in the tent. Once everything pops, or about everything does, I'll decrease to 18/6 over a few days of gradual change. What do ya think?
But on the pepper front, just a little FYI, I ran my lights today from about 11am until 4pm and the temps stayed at 81 degrees. I am really impressed how the temps are consistent even with big changes in the ambient temp. I may not even need to run a vent fan.
I am probably going to run them 24/7 and germinate in the tent. Once everything pops, or about everything does, I'll decrease to 18/6 over a few days of gradual change. What do ya think?
sounds good, about a handful of my seedlings are coming up from my big flat, pretty excited, hopefully most of them pop up, Only put 1 seed in each so we'll see.
but I just realized tonight that I have a problem with my thermostat venting setup... I was planning on having the 2 thermostats, one set to about 75 to the heat lamp (and I actually just found an oscillating heater that is 400w for $30 at Harbor Freight that I might get if the lamp can't keep the heat up) then I was going to have the inline vent fan set to about 88 degrees so that the fan would come on then and cool it down... but.. the problem is that the thermostat is made to be hooked up to a heating unit.. so if I set it to 88, and it is below 88, which is should be, the fan will turn on.. which will cool it down even more.. so it will never reach the shut off point.. I am trying to think of a way to use my thermostat (the Hyrdrofarm heat mat thermostat) so that it will work.. or if not then I need to find a cheap thermostat with a probe that will do what I need it to.
so I think tomorrow I will check out Lowes and see if they have anything..didn't want to spend anymore money.. but I need to figure it out
Edit: well sadly there are no cheap cooling thermostats.. I have no clue why it is so much different than a heating thermostat, but there isn't.... so instead of using my amazon gift card for something fun like a new light kit, or I was looking at those Digilux MH bulbs.. for either the 600w kit I want to get, or the 400w kit I have now.. but it's 6,600k bulb with 45,000 lumens.. for a 400w bulb compared to the 4,200k bulb with only 36,000 lumens I have now.. and most 400w MH bulbs are only 36,000 lumens.. although the Digilux bulb is $70 for the 400w one.. it would be pretty cool to get.. but I think I will wait until next year maybe for the bulb.. so I am getting this thermostat and a little lumen reader just to fill out the $100 and be able to see the light reading at different areas in the tent.
The thermostat is a day/night thermostat, and I figured why not because the same kind of thermostat that was only 1 temp was only like $5 less.. so for $5 I can control day or night temps.. even though I don't really plan to change them.. but whatever
http://www.amazon.co...=A3VZKFNMHAPZBO
but I just realized tonight that I have a problem with my thermostat venting setup... I was planning on having the 2 thermostats, one set to about 75 to the heat lamp (and I actually just found an oscillating heater that is 400w for $30 at Harbor Freight that I might get if the lamp can't keep the heat up) then I was going to have the inline vent fan set to about 88 degrees so that the fan would come on then and cool it down... but.. the problem is that the thermostat is made to be hooked up to a heating unit.. so if I set it to 88, and it is below 88, which is should be, the fan will turn on.. which will cool it down even more.. so it will never reach the shut off point.. I am trying to think of a way to use my thermostat (the Hyrdrofarm heat mat thermostat) so that it will work.. or if not then I need to find a cheap thermostat with a probe that will do what I need it to.
so I think tomorrow I will check out Lowes and see if they have anything..didn't want to spend anymore money.. but I need to figure it out
Edit: well sadly there are no cheap cooling thermostats.. I have no clue why it is so much different than a heating thermostat, but there isn't.... so instead of using my amazon gift card for something fun like a new light kit, or I was looking at those Digilux MH bulbs.. for either the 600w kit I want to get, or the 400w kit I have now.. but it's 6,600k bulb with 45,000 lumens.. for a 400w bulb compared to the 4,200k bulb with only 36,000 lumens I have now.. and most 400w MH bulbs are only 36,000 lumens.. although the Digilux bulb is $70 for the 400w one.. it would be pretty cool to get.. but I think I will wait until next year maybe for the bulb.. so I am getting this thermostat and a little lumen reader just to fill out the $100 and be able to see the light reading at different areas in the tent.
The thermostat is a day/night thermostat, and I figured why not because the same kind of thermostat that was only 1 temp was only like $5 less.. so for $5 I can control day or night temps.. even though I don't really plan to change them.. but whatever
http://www.amazon.co...=A3VZKFNMHAPZBO