1' x 2' Micro Grow Box

hazewarrior · Jul 7, 2007

This was originally built as a cloning box and is still very efficient at doing so. Today I got bored and decided to turn it into a micro grow box. I have never done a micro grow before and thought I would give it a try.
This cabinet came from a big oak entertainment center that was given to me years ago.

The box consists of:
Two 13 watt compact fluorescents and I mounted the ballasted on the bottom of the box. (also helps keep the roots warm)
I lined the box with Mylar and sealed the opening with weather stripping.
I placed a cardboard box in front of the exhaust fan and fastened it with foil tape to seal the light in the grow box.
I used a 3" circulation fan and a small digital thermometer.
Drilled a 3" hole at the bottom corner of the box for wiring and air intake.
Two 5" pots filled with a combination of Rockwool, perlite and geolite balls.
(this can be substituted for just about anything)

I haven't decided which strain to use, the options right now are NYCSD or White Russian. I'm leaning toward the NYCSD and may start a grow journal on it.

Bubby · Jul 7, 2007

Cool :aok:

Bobber · Jul 8, 2007

Really intresting and nice hydro, just intresting how will be the yields

Really nice hazewarrior

How many tall and square it ?

Dewayne · Jul 8, 2007

Neat Grow box man. Looks lke you put some work into it

Looks great!

~Burn One~
Dewayne

whereismymind69 · Jul 8, 2007

Your box got caracter... and there is one thing i can tell by the pics wich is that u had fun building it... am i right? GREAT job!!

hazewarrior · Jul 20, 2007

Hey all,

The misses and I have decided to move so I had to take down my main grow and I decided to keep this micro grow until I can set up a new grow room.

I added a lower compartment so I could use it for a res. or another grow space if I want to do a continuous harvest system. I added 2 more 13watt floros. for a total of 52 watts. The space is only about 1 square foot so that should do.

Has anyone ever done one of these micro grows? They were very popular during the days of Overgrow. Any insight is appreciated.

Pot Belly · Jul 21, 2007

:aok: Micro Grow......

Don't know how the flo's will perform for flowering. Here's what I'd do....

Eliminate the floro's, get (1) 70 watt HPS flood @ Home Depot or Lowe's, and configure the ballast remote like your floro's. This will get a lot of the heat out of the box. This lamp is at 6300 lumens. If your box is 1 sf, this will do for a killer micro grow.

You will need to configure your grow (room for only one plant) to have a flat canopy about 3 inches below your light when budding. Will take practice and lots of early spurt removed, but once she settles down in 4 weeks, she'll pack on plenty of bud.

You won't end up with the Christmas tree shape, but you'll be maximizing your growspace with the flat canopy.

This is the way I grow, and it works very well. Good luck Hazewarrier

85cannabliss · Jul 22, 2007

does any1 know where i could get a HPS less than 100watts in the UK???? these micro gros are popping up all over, and as space for a bigger grow is not an option for me, then maybe this is my way into the run of things. ive browsed the sites for major grow shops online, and cant seem to find any so low. so i thought some1 here could help me!?!?!?!

thanks 85c

by the way, it looks like you put some work into that, and its paid off. looks great, look out for something similar soon :hubba:

hazewarrior · Jul 24, 2007

Pot Belly,
The funny thing is I have a 70 watt HPS and I was considering switching out the floros. when the plant was ready for bloom. I might just go ahead an switch it out sooner. I was thinking of one plant topped several time and trained to make a nice canopy, but have you ever tried several clones fully matured at 20 inches or so? I saw an atricle in hightimes once were a couple had a room with hundred of plants that where only 10 inches tall fully matured but they yeilded about an ouch per plant.

85,
I'm sure you can find one on e-bay or something.

HAZE

Pot Belly · Jul 24, 2007

Hazewarrier

If your box is 24" tall inside, you'll need to subtract for your HPS light less 3 or 4 inches for complete mature plant height. MJ triples in size during flower, so you'll want to flip the light to 12 /12 at a relatively short plant height.

To get a bush with flat canopy, you'll need to lst and shape by pruning. The object is to prune and cut while veging and LST while flowering. The more tips you remove, the more bud you cut off.

I think you're going to find that one plant will fill out that square foot space pretty quickly. As the tips grow up, you'll shape them down and around in your box which will fill it up. I've found that 2 inches is the shortest dist from light to plant without causing burning (on these 70 watt lights).

hazewarrior · Jul 25, 2007

Thanks again Pot, have you ever used Bush Master? It works very well at stopping lateral growth during flowering but don't use it on mothers. The plant that I have now is more robust as it is a dominate indicia (I think). I have had several dominate sativa varieties and they seem to be the bigger stretchers. Do you grow from seed or clones? Sativa or Indica?

As you can see from the original post and now the clone is doing very well and I think I am going to start topping.

Mutt · Jul 25, 2007

Nice cabinet man, blends right in. doesn't "look" like a grow box. Two thumbs up man!!!:aok:

Pot Belly · Jul 25, 2007

Hazewarrier,

Hey man.... I have heard about bushmaster, but never used it.

I grow Indica, don't know the variety. Have a mother, and clone for perpetual harvest. Just enough to supply me with smoke. Haven't dealt with seeds in quite a while. Am planning on broadening horizons and getting some purebred seeds very soon.

I do have an unknown sativa that I'm trying to cage....... She's quit climbing and finally putting her energy into making flowers. Don't know if I'll keep her or her mother. Will see how she turns out. I'm expecting her to finish out at about 12 - 14 weeks. Right now she's just entering week 7. She'll be packed with bud, but the wait, loss of space, and electrical $ just won't be worth it for me - we'll see. I guess she's sort of a novelty grow.

Your little clone looks great and healthy! Looks like an indica. You ought to start up a Grow Journal. I think there is a lot to be said and learned from micro grows.

Capone · Jul 25, 2007

UNIQUE...remove the Foil it = hot spots...mylar Works...other then that its a cool little set up. Is the strain your growing for a compact space?

hazewarrior · Jul 26, 2007

Pot,
I checked out your grow. It looks nice and healthy. I can't wait to see what the yeild will be. I might start a journal when I get back from vacation. I have someone to watch the box but I'm still very nervous.

Thanks Mut.

Capone,
It is mylar. I used foil tape around the edges and used it to cover up all the coards for the bulbs. It works very well. I haven't had a problem with hot spots but I'll keep an eye out for them. Thanks.

hazewarrior · Jul 26, 2007

Instead of replacing the floros with a 70 watt HPS I added it. It was much easier to do that. Now I can choose what type of light to use. I like to add some of that blue spectrum when they are in veg.

I also decided not to top the plant. Instead I installed a wire to train the plant along.

Pot Belly · Jul 26, 2007

Nifty.....

Looks great. Can't wait to see er grow. You have so many lumens in there - now you need CO2! That would make for a mega micro grow!

A tip though - Make sure you have some sort of radiant barrier between your HPS light and the wood in the top of the box. Don't want a fire to start! Also, a tip I read from Stoney Bud about the bottom of a grow box being reflective. You'll want the bottom to be dark to eliminate light hitting the bottom of the leaves. It causes the plant to stretch.

hazewarrior · Jul 26, 2007

Hey Pot,
That's good to know. I can honestly say that I had no idea reflective material on the floor would make the plants stretch. Do you know where I can read more about this? I'm going to leave only the floros on for veg and then I'm going to blast them with the HPS when it's time to flower. They should like that.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. If all is well when I come back from vacation I will start a Journal on this one.

Haze

MJ20 · Jul 26, 2007

Awesome post guys

hazewarrior · Aug 7, 2007

LoL, Caribbean I just came back from there.

I'm happy to say that everything is doing well after my 10 day Caribbean Cruise. It was feed straight tap water while I was gone so it didn't explode much while I was gone.

Pot Belly, as you recomended I covered the bottom of the box with black plastic. I tested the mylar and it works well as a heat barrier but I think I'm going to use a peice of sheet metal or some foil tape just to be safe.

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