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seeds Germination Box

MiLK_MaN

MiLK_MaN

I built this germination box today after having an idea during the week about how I can get 96 seedlings happening in the one box.

Lets me just this right now, I absolutely sucks when it comes to building things. Im an I.T. person, and seriously when it comes to hands on stuff, I really do suck.

The following materials were purchased for this box:

150L plastic box = $25
2 x 18W Gro-Lux fluorescent tubes in a fixture = $60
120mm fan = $30

I already had a 11W seedling mat which I've put in the bottom of the unit.

Here's a few pics of the final build:

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DSC01949.JPG

DSC01950.JPG


The seedlings that have sprouted already were grown under a different light setup, so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the new 32 seedling tray I popped in there takes to sprout.
 
wordwiz said:
I would paint the inside of the box white to make it brighter, but it looks like a good set-up!
Click to expand...

Word! But try to use kitchenfoil instead of white paint!
 
I made something simular with a large cardboard box lined with foil and had a 96watt CFL light used for fish tanks strapped to the top about 16" above the 72 jiffy tray. Plants grow fast, but grew very leggy even with a fan blowing on them. After some reading it seems I didn't have the light close enough to the plants so they where reaching for the light. I made some adjustments that allowed me to lower the light to about 3" above the plants and it helped a lot. As the plants grew I raised the light higher and higher until they where about 6" tall and put them under MH.
 
I agree keep the light as close to the plants as you can, I use a fluorescent and just about touch the plants. You have to keep moving the light up but your plants aren't leggy.
 
pappywith4 said:
I agree keep the light as close to the plants as you can, I use a fluorescent and just about touch the plants. You have to keep moving the light up but your plants aren't leggy.
Click to expand...

I've found this as well, my seedlings were looking leggy so I lowered the grow light heaps to counteract it.
 
All the guys on the weed forums reckon flat white is the way to go but whatever!
I too made a germination box last night but it doesn't look as flash as yours and i am 1 degree celcius off my goal temp.

Nice work Milk Man.
 
mylar is the best reflective material besides mirrors i guess. the kitchen will reflect but not nearly as good. im no expert
 
Yeah, about mirrors-
Don't discount the obvious. If you hunt and peck you can find mirrors wicked cheap- even free. I find them at garage sales, Thrift Stores, the Salvation Army- hell, I've even scored a couple of those HUGE mirrors used in bathtub sliding doors- they were set aside at the dump. You can find those fitting mirrors that are about 1' x 4' at garage sales and thrift stores for a couple bucks apiece. You can find little framed mirrors for a couple bucks apiece that, once the frame is removed, would fit just fine in that packer box.

Mirrors can be cheaper than Mylar and WAY more effective.
 
Let me inject some up-to-date information for everyone.

1. Hot spots. They are a problem when using "Heat Lamps" not "Plant Lights". No MH, HPS or Florescent lighting is going to cause "Hot Spots" when used at a safe distance from your plants with ANY type of reflective material. Hot spots are a problem associated with Heat Lights used in curing paint, fiberglass and other Heat-Cured substances.

Again, Hot-Spots can not and will never be a problem when plant lighting is used at a safe distance from your plants with ANY reflective material.

Hot spots are such as well traveled, well propagated myth, that it's really difficult to counter every claim of it's occurrence. It simply does not happen.

2. Mirrors as a reflective surface. They are one of the absolute worst reflective materials made in regards to plants. Unless a mirror is designed with plant usable light reflectiveness as the intent, most mirrors are designed to reflect light that appealing to the human eye, not plants. Most of the light that plants need is *blocked* by mirrors and not even reflected. The various types of reflective materials used to create mirrors are not favorable for reflection of plant-usable-light.

The best reflective materials for plants are, in order of best-to-worst:

1. Mylar (silver)
2. Mylar (white)
3. Flat White Paint like "Ultra or Pure White" inside, flat with no gloss.

The other types of reflective materials are lower than the above materials, so why would anyone want to use them? Anyone can get flat white paint.

****
There you go folks. A little information to clear up some misconceptions that may exist.
 
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