# Cardboard box= fire?



## Peter23 (Aug 17, 2008)

i have a 19 watt floro bulb in a 2x2x4 cardboard box with a large fan in the box to keep air moving im only growing one plant, and the light hangs about 3 inches (the closest) from the cardboard wall.  how many of you think this could be a bad idea? its in the back of my 2x5x9 closet with the door shut.. i took the temperature in there and its 80 degrees and the air feels pretty chilly when i open the top.. any input is great 

thanks,
Pete


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## bartmanuk (Aug 17, 2008)

i wouldnt have thought a 19w fluoro would give enough heat to cause fire, unless it has a ballast unit thats not built in to the actual lamp, like a cfl.
i would also say that 19w fluoro wouldnt give enough light to grow with either.

BM :bong1:


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## Peter23 (Aug 17, 2008)

ya it is a CFL sorry and the ballast is on the bulb is that bad? lol


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## bartmanuk (Aug 17, 2008)

cfl with built in ballast is good, but still, 19w wont be enough to grow you plant properly.

BM :bong1:


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## Timmyjg6 (Aug 17, 2008)

For Veg good
For flowwer bad

You will need at least 4 x moor light to flower with cfls or invest in a small HPS


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## Tater (Aug 17, 2008)

And better safe than sorry man cardboard just scream bad idea to me.  What if you spill some water and it gets all soggy, or what if there is a short in your bulb and it ignites the cardboard?  What if..... well you see what I mean, plywood is cheap and much less prone to igniting than cardboard.  If money is an issue then find a place where they are building new homes like a bunch of them just go dumpster raiding nobody cares if you are taking garbage, just stay away from the nice neat piles of wood.  Hell if you asked the guys building the places I'm sure they would more than happily let you have their scraps.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 17, 2008)

IMHO, a cardboard box is a poor place to grow.  If you have sufficient light to grow, it is going to be a fire hazard.  Also, you are going to need far more than 4 times the light you have now to flower.  I would say that you need about 5 times the light you have now just to veg.  Flowering will be a way different story.


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## Peter23 (Aug 17, 2008)

ok so whats the minimum hps bulb i would need to grow one plant? veg and flower?


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## 4u2sm0ke (Aug 17, 2008)

one more reason I say cardboard is bad  ( Besides FIRE ) is that as plants grow the humidity/moister that will come from growing..cardboard will fail...causing everthing above to come crashing down...killing plant and mayB start fire...Like Tater said plywood is cheap...and you can even find an old dresser...Good luck


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## greenfriend (Aug 17, 2008)

A 250W HPS would be a good idea.  It's enough light for 2.5' x 2.5' area- if you're doing 1 plant top it a couple times and you should get a decent amount of bud.  The HPS will work for the whole cycle but you could go with 5 or 6  cfls until flowering


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## Mr.Wakenbake (Aug 17, 2008)

IMO i think you are some teenager trying to hide something from your parents. 

If you can't afford to go out and make a proper grow area you don't need to even try. A cardboard box? I mean are you serious?

Dood...... come on... are you serious?

And an HPS is NOT a bulb you can just put in a socket and go.... you need a ballast to run it. 

I would suggest starting in the FAQ's before you burn your home down. Well your parents home.


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## Peter23 (Aug 17, 2008)

actually I'm some teenager in an apartment that has his girlfriend and parents over.. who like to snoop.. i did it in a cardboard box so i could stash it in a pile of other cardboard boxes.. this is also my first grow and didnt even really expect this plant to even sprout.. so as of now im taking it a day at a time with a cardboard box and cfl. so thanks for the pointless reply wakenbake. I will be constructing a grow box for my next grow but until then I'm just getting a feel for it.

thanks,
Pete


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## TheChosenOne (Aug 18, 2008)

i dont think cardboard will last. sometimes water leaks from time to time causing the cardboard to get softer and softer
but yeah never tried growing in a cardboard but looks like it can start some fire if the cfls stay on to long


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## Mr.Wakenbake (Aug 18, 2008)

lol, useless reply? man you care going to burn your house down if you don't think this through man. Growing cannabis isn't a game dood. 


It isn't a game.


It also isn't safe to attempt something in a cardboard box. My post may have been useless, but i mean honestly, no adult here i don't think has attempted such tom foolery.   

This is honestly a very first for me. I've seen people grow in pc cases, closets, and refridgerators. Everywhere, cept a cardboard box. I Just don't see why you are trying soooo hard to hide 1 plant in a pile of boxes. You are trying to hide it from someone man..... if you want to be safe, try changing the locks on the area the plants are in and get em out of the dadgum cardboard box/ fire hazard. 

Covering a plant in a box among other cardboard boxes isnt smart. 
If it isn't as i state why are you trying to hide it so hard as to actually go to dangerous lengths as growing in a cardboard box man?

I am just trying to understand the thinking that went into this attempt.


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## stoner 420 (Aug 18, 2008)

hi peter. i tried this once when me an my wife had a room mate and it is not a very sufficent way to grow.. my first grow i measered for a small box in my closet and went to lowes and got one piece of thin osb for like 10 bucks and had lowes cut it for me .. this way you don't have to cut it outside your apt and someone saying what the hell is he doing.. .. be creative and u can do alot.. u can put a fan on top and one on the door and ur are set.. and then just stack boxes around it leaving enough room for fresh air to get in.. i was in your position once and it did not give me enough to make it worth it.. after you build a box just go to wally world and  buy one of those 4 packs of 23 watt cfls.. cool white for veg and soft white for flower...you can get it in small portions and then try to grow once u have it all... i had to buy my stuff for a month before i could start growing.... just be smart and make it worth your time and electric bill...... card board will work but not safe... hope this helps......... oh yeah and wakenbake there is no reason to make coments like that .... and i am sure the mods here would agree u are not the one to judge other ppl... all i can say is if u can't word it in the proper manner then don't reply.......


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## bartmanuk (Aug 18, 2008)

Peter23 said:
			
		

> so thanks for the pointless reply wakenbake.


 

dude, you need to chill i bit, whether wakenbake was right or wrong on your situation, theres no need to get moody, as hemp godess pointed out, any light thats able to grow MJ, is capable of causing fire. wakenbake was merely pointing out that, no matter how much you need to keep a grow hidden, its not worth burning down your home, maybe not said in the right way, but all the same, his point is valid,
be safe man.

BM :bong1:


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## andy52 (Aug 18, 2008)

lol,thats how i started mine out,in a cardboard box with alum. taped ot the sides and bottom.worked until i got my stuff i got now.never was enclosed tho.sitting on a table with a light shining down from the open top.syre seems silly now.don't do it dude.danger,danger


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## Peter23 (Aug 19, 2008)

bartmanuk said:
			
		

> dude, you need to chill i bit, whether wakenbake was right or wrong on your situation, theres no need to get moody, as hemp godess pointed out, any light thats able to grow MJ, is capable of causing fire. wakenbake was merely pointing out that, no matter how much you need to keep a grow hidden, its not worth burning down your home, maybe not said in the right way, but all the same, his point is valid,
> be safe man.



yes i realize it's not the safest way to grow but i just wanted to see peoples opinions. and I thank the people pointing it out maturely and respectfully but i don't need to be insulted and to me it just seems he's wasting his time insulting me and asking if i'm serious rather than just helping me (which this forum was invented for) or not even answer at all. cause it's useless to me to have his insults on my thread. 

And WakenBake, "You are trying to hide it from someone man..." i believe i said i have my girlfriend and parents over often and they like to look around.. Thanks.

Thanks all,
Pete


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## IRISH (Aug 19, 2008)

hey peter23, not here to balk at how anyone grows. cause seriously, i've grown, and have seen some crazy ways of growing. i'm now finishing up my 2nd indoor grow of white widow, that was vegged entirely in a cardboard box(5 weeks)...:hubba: ...and, not only did i do it once, but twice, and in the same cardboard box. so if someone says it cannot be done, tell 'em to come on over to banjos ww grow, and have a look see for thierselves. look down pg.1 at my cheesy:hubba: set-up, then head to pg.5 for solid results...


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## Peter23 (Aug 19, 2008)

Hey thanks a lot for the inspiration Banjo those were some killer plants man. and like you say this is a box that is meant to be monitored haha but ya i have some new plans now :hubba:

ok so instead of putting it in my closet in two cardboard boxes, I'm thinking of just getting a lock for my closet door to keep the snoopers away  haha and then im thinking i might take a dresser that my brothers givin me and gut it and make a stealth dresser box inside my locked closet. haha just incase the girl demands to see in side :angrywife::ignore: haha she is only to see a closet with clothes and a dresser with some crafty design to hide the sound,light,smell,wires. my closet is usually wide open but i just need it to be able to look natural when it needs to (ya know ) anyways thats gunna be a few days/weeks cause i still need to get my HPS and other stuff that will prob come to a grand total of about 300$ before i can really start so until then..  :ciao: HELLOOOOOOOOOO cardboard! :ciao:

Thanks,
Pete


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 19, 2008)

banjobuzz said:
			
		

> hey peter23, not here to balk at how anyone grows. cause seriously, i've grown, and have seen some crazy ways of growing. i'm now finishing up my 2nd indoor grow of white widow, that was vegged entirely in a cardboard box(5 weeks)...:hubba: ...and, not only did i do it once, but twice, and in the same cardboard box. so if someone says it cannot be done, tell 'em to come on over to banjos ww grow, and have a look see for thierselves. look down pg.1 at my cheesy:hubba: set-up, then head to pg.5 for solid results...



Jeez...Banjo, reread the posts.  No one said that it couldn't be done.  We just believe that it is an unsafe practice and therefore foolish.


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## IRISH (Aug 19, 2008)

^my bad^ sorry ...


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## Peter23 (Aug 20, 2008)

ok folks. to help bring peace of mind to me and all of you.. i have kicked the cardboard box and changed my grow box once again! (!pix in gallery!) ok so its a plastic green box i have it up against the wall vetically so i can get more height. so its about 30 inches tall 17 wide and 15 fifteen deep.. enough for two lowryder plants?  anyways its that big and as seen in the pictures i have a 26 watt CFL hanging above the plant and a 60 watt "general purpose, color enhanced, full spectrum A19 light bulb" i know that normal house hold bulbs dont work for growing but it said full spectrum so i thought it might work? idk but i figured it wouldnt hurt. and then i have a small floor fan inside the box moving air around untill i can get more/better fans. theres only one plant in there so i think it should be ok? no? 

Thanks,
Pete


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## Mr.Wakenbake (Aug 20, 2008)

i didn't mean to insult you man. I have been known to speak what's on my mind whether people want to hear it or not. No offense meant. But once you've been on a few forums and seen some beginner setups it's easy to assume. 

Glad to see you ditched the cardboard box. Now a rubbermaid type container is something more suitable. Sturdier.

While you are here feel free to read the FAQs till ur eyes bleed. A good grow book would do you wonders too. Barnes and Nobles carries alot of diff grow guides. I have mel franks and ed rosenthals book. Even after a few grows it still comes in handy.Best 20$ i ever spent.

Anyways. Have fun in your growing adventures. good luck.Good people here to help you. Even if some of us( i mean me) can be a little harsh. Sometimes people need to get ticked off enough to change something to shut people like me up...... it saves the fire department from coming knocking later.


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## Peter23 (Aug 20, 2008)

Mr.Wakenbake said:
			
		

> it saves the fire department from coming knocking later.


 hey does the fire deparment usually knock on the door of a burning building?  JK Wakenbake the rubbermaid is doing much better and i truly do feel safer leaving it alone longer. Glad to hear your just trying to help and appreciate the words of wisdom!  Take this my friend :48: 

,Pete


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## Killertea08 (Aug 20, 2008)

If you want some decent dense buds and can afford the hit buy a 150w HPS grow lamp.  HPS is the way to go if you want decent buds or else there just going to be very wispy and airy.  They dont pack much weight at all. if you still want the cfls because of the cost of the HPS I totally understand I think we all can in these times of high gas costs.  Consider keeping your cfl as CLOSE AS POSSIBLE with out touching the buds or leaves.  If the leaves burn its ok but its not ok for the buds to burn.  The reason is because your cfl's light diminishes a lot so the closer the better.  Oh and the 42w cfls are way better for only $10 at Home Depot or Lowes they sell the reflector as well it looks like the ones for a reptile cage just ask they will show you.  if its a lowrider strain then im sure you know it flowers on its own and will do fine on 24hrs of continuous light just in case you didnt know.  Happy growing


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## Peter23 (Aug 20, 2008)

Haha you guessed it right killertea.. http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30191 

there are my master mind plans of getting a 150 watt hps with some flouro's but...... i'm concerned about temperature.. but i dont have nearly the amount of equipment i will eventually need.. but its in my small closed closet and i have been thinking for DAYS of a way to get better air and circulation in there. cause the closet isnt exactly the freshest air either.. would a carbon filter work for that? 

thanks,
Pete


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## stoner 420 (Aug 20, 2008)

i bought my first grow book at books-a-million for about 20 bucks. they had alot of different ones and even had every mag. that involes marijuana that they make.. good luck and get us some pics if u can............ also man check out some of my post i have i have used corner of a closet and an old armore and always cfls .. some of my first grows i got about 1 oz per plant and the lowest i got was about a half oz off a 12 in plant .. so check it out and hope it helps


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## bartmanuk (Aug 21, 2008)

Peter23 said:
			
		

> Haha you guessed it right killertea.. http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30191
> 
> there are my master mind plans of getting a 150 watt hps with some flouro's but...... i'm concerned about temperature.. but i dont have nearly the amount of equipment i will eventually need.. but its in my small closed closet and i have been thinking for DAYS of a way to get better air and circulation in there. cause the closet isnt exactly the freshest air either.. would a carbon filter work for that?
> 
> ...


 
peter mate, you will need an extractor fan to extract heat from your growspace, the carbon filter is to stop the weed smell being extracted out with the heat.

BM


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## Tater (Aug 21, 2008)

Also known as an exhaust fan.  Extractor fans can be quite pricey but if you find a good fan that will blow air into your box it can be modified to extract the hot air from the box with a few simple tools.

Ok step 1 take the fan and turn it around.

Ok your done. 

Thanks for checking out my how to for build a cheap extractor fan. lol

/jokes

Ok seriously though the only way to do it is to get some ventilation happening.  Cut some holes buy some fans and hook them up.  Put one at the top venting hot air out and one at the bottom pulling cool air in, small computer fans would work for a box that small and would keep the temps close to ambient with a light that tiny.


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## New_2_Chronic (Aug 21, 2008)

> Ok step 1 take the fan and turn it around.
> 
> Ok your done.


 
:hitchair: I made it so hard......sheesh...if I only knew.... Should of posted this awhile ago tater...lol


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## Tater (Aug 21, 2008)

Sorry, I'll take pictures and write a detailed tutorial when I have time.

(sorry bartmanuk its all in good fun though)


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## Peter23 (Aug 21, 2008)

ok guys so i got new ventilation. i have two fans one intake and one exhaust so the temps are much better now.. they arent computer fans and my box looks a little "rigged" but i got two fans hoooked up and 3 bulbs all CFL 23,26,40 watt with 1600,1800,2600 lumens grand total- 89 watts and 6000 lumens.. enough for one or two plants? 

thanks,
Pete


*ALSO!!!* i bought a....  FloureX 65 watt replacement bulb.. one of these... http://www.servicelighting.com/catpics/misc/91661.jpg

now do i need one of these...?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W3c5boicL._SL160_AA160_.jpg


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## Killertea08 (Aug 21, 2008)

Hey sounds like you got the ventilation down pretty good. you always need an Intake and exhaust to get the old air out and fresh air in with plenty of CO2.  Its ok if it looks rigid It will work out fine.  Now if your worried about the high temps with the 150HPS you dont need to because now you have fresh cool air coming in from a cooler area I hope and hot air being pulled out.  I like to put my fans on a timer so every hour or so they do the work without being on all the time.  If the Temps with the HPS are in the 100's then you must run your fans all the time just to keep your temps in the 80's.    If you put on a carbon filter to your exhaust fan it will RESTRICT the flow of air being pulled out and the temps may rise just so you know.  If its only 2 plants I would not buy one unless you really think you need one.  If you want to buy the best product in my opinion instead of using a timer to run your fans every hr.  For 50 bucks get a thermostat used for running your exhaust fan.  You can find one online at a grow web site and you can set it to 80 deg so when your temps go up it turns on your fan simple.  Best thing I ever got.


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## Killertea08 (Aug 21, 2008)

That picture looks like a flouro light you need an Hps lamp dude I sware you will love your buds after.  Its really the only way to go.  I grew with cfls for 2 cycles and parted with the cash and im SO glad I did.  I should have a long time ago.


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## growdammit (Aug 21, 2008)

Tater said:
			
		

> And better safe than sorry man cardboard just scream bad idea to me. What if you spill some water and it gets all soggy, or what if there is a short in your bulb and it ignites the cardboard? What if..... well you see what I mean, plywood is cheap and much less prone to igniting than cardboard. If money is an issue then find a place where they are building new homes like a bunch of them just go dumpster raiding nobody cares if you are taking garbage, just stay away from the nice neat piles of wood. Hell if you asked the guys building the places I'm sure they would more than happily let you have their scraps.


 
Ive used dumpster scraps from job sites to build many a thing around my property.  May not be as pretty, but if you seal the inside who really cares.  This would give you the luxury of building bigger than those plastic totes would allow.  

Everybody does it different and as long as we all get buzzworthy results, the end justifies the means!


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## Peter23 (Aug 22, 2008)

Here is the current set up! 







Those are all CFL's does that seem like enough light?

Thanks
,Pete


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## bartmanuk (Aug 22, 2008)

Peter23 said:
			
		

> ok guys so i got new ventilation. i have two fans one intake and one exhaust so the temps are much better now.. they arent computer fans and my box looks a little "rigged" but i got two fans hoooked up and 3 bulbs all CFL 23,26,40 watt with 1600,1800,2600 lumens grand total- 89 watts and 6000 lumens.. enough for one or two plants?
> 
> thanks,
> Pete


 
i think between 3000 and 5000 lumens per square foot is minimum.

BM


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## Killertea08 (Aug 22, 2008)

5000 per square foot minimum dude but with a 150w cfl your up to I think 15,000 lumens and for your grow that is perfect!  I wouldnt buy anymore cfls


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## Killertea08 (Aug 22, 2008)

you have 4 square feet in your space length times width.  if you take a 150w hps and divide that by 4 you get watts per sq foot.  cannabis will grow above 30w per sq foot 50 optimal so your at 37 watts per sq foot best way to go dude.


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## Peter23 (Aug 22, 2008)

while i would LOVE to be able to hook up a 150w HPS I'm concerned about the heat.. i have 3 cfls on in my room now and completely shut I'm getting up to around 85 degrees.. how much hotter would it get with the 150w HPS? 

thanks,
Pete


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 22, 2008)

Air cooling your HID lights makes a lot of difference in the heat.  I'm working on a double 150W cooltube, but I'm not going to get it done before I head to the DNC.

I'll post a picture to give you an idea.  I took the 150s apart and located 2 side mount sockets in a pyrex bake-around.  The original cases will continue to house the ballasts.  I haven't got the finish wiring done, but here is a picture of the cooltube assembly and one of the girls 4 weeks into 12/12:


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## Killertea08 (Aug 22, 2008)

Is your space enclosed inside the closet or are you using the entire closet as a space.  If your space is inside a box inside the closet then the temps climb quick.  If your using the entire closet as your grow space you need a bigger exhaust fan to suck as much hot air out as possible I cant stress that enough.  you might have to wait on the hps until you fix the ventilation problem because if its that hot with cfls your just asking for high temps with hps.  show a BIG picture of your entire grow area not just the plants I want to see the entire closet.


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## Peter23 (Aug 22, 2008)

pix on the way kt!

,Pete


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## Killertea08 (Aug 22, 2008)

I looked at your picture with the intake and exhaust.  Its ok for now but for future reference the exhaust should be at the top where most of the heat is. and the intake at the low point plus a circulating fan to mix the air.  Look into getting an "4 inch Inline fan" when you get the HPS to really pull out all your air.  You can leave the intake you have just add the 4in to the very top just cut a hole and place ontop easy.  oh and just put a lock on your closet and make sure no light comes through check this at night with your lights off in the room to see for light leaks.  Best Idea dude buy some grow books you can find them at a book store in the garden section its where I got all mine or online at amazon.com  Get the "Medical Marijuana Horticultures Bible" best and anything by Ed Rosenthal.


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## Killertea08 (Aug 22, 2008)

check this out dude http://www.greenmanspage.com/guides/growbox.html

You dont need to do hydro and you dont need an aircooled lamp but the 2holes he cuts are good for intake and exhaust.  This is what I built and I love it because its a closed system so I supply co2 so i dont need an intake.
and co2 from a tank is cold so temps in the 80's speeds growth and yield.  I would look into this dude.


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## Killertea08 (Aug 24, 2008)

Hey get ride of that light you had in your picture above your lights close to the plant if your not using it for the plant its just adding to your high temps.


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