• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Please Critique My "Ghetto" Grow Chamber

K

Kite09

So I decided to mess around and build a makeshift grow chamber for my bhut jolokia plant. It consists of 4 old dining room chairs, that has a broken coffee table on top of it. There are two table lamps that have 6000k cfl bulbs in in them. It also has an old window fan set on low aimed away from the plant but enough to hopefully strengthen the plant. It is covered with three moving blankets to help seal in the warm air from the heater as well as keep light in and reflect t more towards the plant. The whole setup sits in front of but away from a baseboard heater to help keep the plant warm. Keep in mind I spent twenty minutes coming up with this idea and am a rather poor college student that can't afford to actually build a grow chamber because I wrecked my car he night I was buying soil for this plant lol. Any thoughts, opinions, gripes, grievances or advice would be terrific so I don't possible kill my plant. :)

pics of chamber

2011-04-07005611.jpg


2011-04-07005628.jpg


2011-04-07005640.jpg


If you would like more pictures feel free to ask.
 
was worried about that as well, but I made sure to keep the packing blankets away from the lights. I may go readjust it a little bit.
 
I really dont think you need to capture the heat that much!
You said you had a baseboard heater..
I think something reflective, like foil above the lights would shine back down to the plant.
and be much less of a fire risk!

Kevin
 
You're actually kidding right??? :crazy:

Unless those are fire retardant blankets, setups like those are the kind of things that win people Darwin Awards. ;)

Better to think safe, be safe and live another day than to tempt fate like that.

dvg
 
dvg said:
You're actually kidding right??? :crazy:

Unless those are fire retardant blankets, setups like those are the kind of things that win people Darwin Awards. ;)

Better to think safe, be safe and live another day than to tempt fate like that.

dvg
Click to expand...

Will cfl lights heat up that much? These packing blankets probably aren't fire retardant. I think I am just going to remove the blankets for the night and test this whole setup extensively tomorrow.
 
In a nutshell, that looks dangerous, and a bit overkill. The lights are putting most of the light away from the plant, something to reflect the light (white card, reflective Mylar on card) will help more than the blankets.

Safety first.
 
Ok, where to start...

You had the right idea, just the wrong execution for this. First off, definitely remove the blankets and maybe just try a heating pad for soil warmth if you are concerned. We would hate to see you burn you apartment down for a single plant. As a suggestion, your college / university should have a salvage office that has all kinds of goodies and may even have some old florescent lights for cheap (or free).
 
That's really a bad idea. You've created a huge fire hazard. I lost a really good friend of mine to a very similar grow setup that he did as a temporary fix until he could do a real setup. He at least had made a PVC pipe frame for his blankets to keep them off the lights. It failed and now he's gone. Lucky he was single with no kids.

Other that you don't have near enough lighting. If your going to do it indoors and spend the time on it, do it right and get a proper lighting setup and grow chamber. Otherwise you are just playing around with it, and not in a safe way.

If you want a cheap grow chamber, go to the hardware store and buy a cabinet the size you need and mount the lighting and ventilation in there.
Using blankets is also like saying " please lets have a mold outbreak in the house". the blankets will hold moisture coming out of the plants and pots, and will be a perfect place for molds to take off. This could be simply damaging to your crop, or could be dangerous to you depending on what kind of mold decides to grow in the blankets.
 
I agree with the others. You don't need the chairs or blankets. Get a couple of good aluminum reflectors, the kind that clip on or you can just hang with a rope so the light is shining directly on the plant. In time, it will need more but that's for later.

Mike
 
Agree with everybody...loose the blankets. If cheap is still the main factor here, and you feel you must cover it all up, get a reflective emergency blanket. They sell for about 2 bucks at any place that sells camping or outdoor stuff. Safety is first.
 
ALright, I removed the blankets. Thank you all for the advice, because I really wasn't considering that factor. Common sense is sometimes rather lacking with me. Once I get some money I will invest in a cheap cabinet from home depot, and some lights with aluminum foil lol. I have been looking around for a cheap cabinet, maybe 20 dollars and can't seem to find anything. Does anyone know where to get a snap together cabinet?
 
Did you try Craig's list or Freecycle...something like that?

Sometimes you can get the 4 foot 2 tube t8 shop light fixtures that come with a built in reflector on sale for cheap at local hardware stores.

Keep your eyes open and ask around...sooner or later you'll find all the goodies that you're looking for.

And best of luck to you with building your setup.

dvg
 
Novacastrian said:
I retract my hab statement. You listen to wise people!

Welcome onboard. :P
Click to expand...

Yeah, I may lack common sense at times, but I'm not stupid lol. However I did not quite understand your hab statement. And I have been checking craigslist and stuff. I may just ry and pick up a few sheets of plywood at home depot and tack them together to form a cabinet.
 
Kite09 said:
ALright, I removed the blankets. Thank you all for the advice, because I really wasn't considering that factor. Common sense is sometimes rather lacking with me. Once I get some money I will invest in a cheap cabinet from home depot, and some lights with aluminum foil lol. I have been looking around for a cheap cabinet, maybe 20 dollars and can't seem to find anything. Does anyone know where to get a snap together cabinet?
Click to expand...

The lack of common sense usually occurs as you are so focused on the idea (growing awesome plants) that you forget to stop, step back, and think about the rest.

Most people do the same. :)

At least now you are thinking of the big picture.

As for cabinets, try second hand - as mentioned Freecycle can grab some great finds, or any recyclers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top