sideways grow chamber

[Cannabiscotti]

ok, so the grow area i can currently use is a closet under a staircase. So the ceiling is slanted. This is also going to be a stealth grow. So in designing the box, it is much easier for me to make it longer than taller. This shouldn't be a problem with a little ingenuity, as plants will grow towards the light. I know i will need to overcome gravity to keep them all from lying against the floor, but i will tie them up and/or do a scrog to help manage that. the problem with scrog is i'm not using clones, so i will need to sex them and pull the males. anyways, getting to the question...

My question is concerning the light. Does anyone know of a system to hold the light sideways rather than hang it above the plants? I have a little leeway in this area since i have not purchased the light yet, but i'm looking at a 400Watt HPS from htgsupply.com with an Air Cooled Euro reflector. the light will need to be able to move closer and further as the plants grow. any ideas? does anyone know of anyone using this method or a thread about it? i couldn't find any threads myself. Thanks a lot guys, do what you do....

 

[CasualGrower]

Under a staircase......

Well mount your light with chains in the tallest part of your staircase.... you wont have to hang it sideways.... Just Flower in your taller area.. I should think you could get at least 4 plants in there.. (Indicas that is..... ) If your staircase is wide enough...

You could block out the smaller side of your stairs also to provide a small veg/clone area....

If you could post some of the Dimensions you have in this small area, I am sure we could come up with something.

 

[Cannabiscotti]

The biggest issue with this is the stealth part. so it must all be contained within a box to be hidden in the closet....

 

[Cannabiscotti]

basically, the box needs to be 2 ft wide to be able to fit through the folding door. at 4 ft tall it can only be 2 ft deep before it hits the back wall that decends at an angle. (rise/run is pretty much 1:1)

In order to keep this as stealth as possible, i was thinking at only 2 ft tall, the box can be 4 ft long to fit back under the decending ceiling-i'm sure its confuzing w/o pics, i'll post some when i get more time.

but basically, i've decided to go with a horizontal grow, i'm just looking for some idea's of mounting the light fixture sideways. i'm guessing if i hang it it won't sit perfectly 90 degrees...

 

[CasualGrower]

2 ft tall by 4 ft.....Totally enclosed in a box....

First off I would rethink the 400 watt HPS.... that big of light in a small confined space will bring in HUGE heat issues. You will either have to vent like crazy or run a cool tube. Both of those options will decrease the stealth of the box by having to run fans and the like..... Noise being the biggest one and then you have to know where to send the hot air.... Can't just let it spit back out into the closet then the Whole area will heat up and the smell become overpowering. Again not very stealthy.... Either way, you will still have to ventilate the box....

So let's start there... is there access to a fresh air source for this closet, and is there access to expel the old air like an extenal vent or something????

 

[Vegs]

I'm doing something similar to what you want to do/are currently doing. I basically made two separate boxes separated by a 1/4 inch non-UV rated sheet of glass. Total grow area (minus the light box) is less then 3ftx3ftx3ft.

Although the pictures are not super detailed, you'll get a good idea of what I'm doing. The bad part is that with sativa varieties, you'll have to LST and prune your arse off to maintain the plants. Wrapping the entire room in mylar like I did is very important if you plan on placing the light sideways.

I used a standard 400w HPS fixture and place it on it's side. I cut out small wooden wedges along with a support bat to hold it into place so it would sit sideways versus pointing upward.

The reason why I went for the two chamber idea was to control heat in the grow area by pulling air from each chamber using the same squirrel cage fan. See the vents behind the bulb? I am pulling air directly off the bulb, which is behind a sheet of glass to help with growroom heat.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36054

 

[Motor City Madman]

Yeah LST is prob best bet, Still going to be difficult with the ventilation. Your pics look good. What are your temps?

 

[Vegs]

I'm at 85-88 regularly... I plan on building a little wire rack the same hight as the tray/rez similar to the offset bars they use in Olympic games to help with LST SSH from one side of the room toward the light. I can tie branches onto these bars to help keep them sideways for 6-10 inches. That extra 10 inches of horizontal growth space will give me the room to let Sativa buds grow up without hitting the top of the grow chamber.

My 265 CFM squirrel cage fan is plenty powerful to pull air from both the bulb and grow chamber. However, if I did not separate the two my internal temps would be way too hot to support MJ.

 

[Cannabiscotti]

2 ft tall by 4 ft.....Totally enclosed in a box....

First off I would rethink the 400 watt HPS.... that big of light in a small confined space will bring in HUGE heat issues. You will either have to vent like crazy or run a cool tube. Both of those options will decrease the stealth of the box by having to run fans and the like..... Noise being the biggest one and then you have to know where to send the hot air.... Can't just let it spit back out into the closet then the Whole area will heat up and the smell become overpowering. Again not very stealthy.... Either way, you will still have to ventilate the box....

So let's start there... is there access to a fresh air source for this closet, and is there access to expel the old air like an extenal vent or something????

So my light fixture will be sealed and air cooled. I know i will have to deal with noisy fans and exhausting the air somewhere. I am thinking of exhausting the hot air into an area of the basement that is cut off from the rest and has not been finished. it is cooler there and won't be noticed. i will be implementing carbon scrubbers to deal with the smell. The noise i suppose i will have to deal with once i have chosen my fans; i'm not too worried about the noise, i should be able to muffle that pretty easily.

 

[Cannabiscotti]

i like the setup vegs, i didn't even think of doing it that way. the idea i'm pounding out is to put the plants on one end and the light on the other; and being able to move the light closer and further as they grow. mylar for sure, and i'm thinking LST for sure. my first grow will be with bagseed to get some practice in before i try my paid-retail-for-nirvana seeds -- white rhino and mauie wauie -- i actually just finished a bag i saved about 10 or so seeds from. if i can prove out the trait it will be the most amazing weed! it didn't give you the munchies. even if you were hungry before you smoked, afterwards, it's like, yeah, i could eat but i don't have to. never had anything like it before. perfect for dieters....

One thing i'm curious about-- when using LST, does the highest branch get the best nutes or the branch closest to the light? Growing the plant sideways, if i want a certain branch to get the most nutes do the other branches just have to be tied lower or do i need to tie them away from the light??

 

[smokingjoe]

You have an area in a basement that is cut of from the rest of the basement and you are not considering growing in that?

Do you own or rent?

So the space is 2x2x4 internally? or do you think due the door size that is all you can get in there?

How's your budget?

Are the stairs covered in carpet?

 

[CasualGrower]

You have an area in a basement that is cut of from the rest of the basement and you are not considering growing in that?

Do you own or rent?

So the space is 2x2x4 internally? or do you think due the door size that is all you can get in there?

How's your budget?

Are the stairs covered in carpet?

I already like the basement better.... but if the staircase is where it needs to be...

 

[Motor City Madman]

I'm at 85-88 regularly... I plan on building a little wire rack the same hight as the tray/rez similar to the offset bars they use in Olympic games to help with LST SSH from one side of the room toward the light. I can tie branches onto these bars to help keep them sideways for 6-10 inches. That extra 10 inches of horizontal growth space will give me the room to let Sativa buds grow up without hitting the top of the grow chamber.

My 265 CFM squirrel cage fan is plenty powerful to pull air from both the bulb and grow chamber. However, if I did not separate the two my internal temps would be way too hot to support MJ.

Do you get heat stress from those temps. I keep my cab at 76 deg


I would put it in basement as well

good luck
MCM

 

[Vegs]

One thing i'm curious about-- when using LST, does the highest branch get the best nutes or the branch closest to the light? Growing the plant sideways, if i want a certain branch to get the most nutes do the other branches just have to be tied lower or do i need to tie them away from the light??

Yeah, I practiced with bagseed the first grow on each design to ensure functionality and to work out the kinks--good call!

LST is an interesting animal and I'm still in training myself, per say. However, there are some really good threads (maybe stickies) about LST.

This thread my be useful. If anything the pictures will help explain how to do it.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33507

You should tie toward the light. Training the main shoot down to the side it will allow for the side branches to grow up from the side making more stalks. Which one will be the dominate one, if any at all is hard to call. The plant will put a little more energy into that main stalk but for the most part you can control the overall canopy with LST and pruning (topping).

 

[Vegs]

Do you get heat stress from those temps. I keep my cab at 76 deg

I do a little bit but I seem to do alright with it. A little off color of fan leaves and the curling here and there is about all I have to contend with. No dwarfing or burnt plants yet. =)

 

[Motor City Madman]

I do a little bit but I seem to do alright with it. A little off color of fan leaves and the curling here and there is about all I have to contend with. No dwarfing or burnt plants yet. =)

Thats cool I had a lot of problems when my temps were that high.

I guess it wouldn't be a true LST grow because you are not trying to get the branches to grow up. I have never seen a plant grow horizontal so this could be a modified LST or a HLST. I really want to see a plant grow horizontally so keep us up to date with a grow log

Good luck
MCM

 

[Cannabiscotti]

You have an area in a basement that is cut of from the rest of the basement and you are not considering growing in that?

Do you own or rent?

So the space is 2x2x4 internally? or do you think due the door size that is all you can get in there?

How's your budget?

Are the stairs covered in carpet?

hey smokingjoe, i'm in the basement, with roomates upstairs. the stairs are carpeted. right now under the stairs is my only viable option. the size of the box can is due to being stealth. the idea is to be able to cover up the box with all of the boxes and such that are in the closet now in order to disguise it. budget is limited, but i will purchase what i need to and construct what i can...

 

[smokingjoe]

See if you can order some Qubelok.

I'm not sure where you would buy it in your area but it is bound to be around.

It will allow you to build a bigger box inside your stairwell than you could otherwise fit through your door frame.

How many stairs top to bottom?

One other suggestion which would be cheaper and probably easier again is to construct your box from Corflute; pretty cheap; I reckon there would be a few Obama or McCain signs floating around.

 

[Vegs]

I guess it wouldn't be a true LST grow because you are not trying to get the branches to grow up. I have never seen a plant grow horizontal so this could be a modified LST or a HLST. I really want to see a plant grow horizontally so keep us up to date with a grow log

Oh no...sorry to confuse. My babies grow upward but with a slight tilt toward the light naturally. I do LST and was saying earlier that if I was to grow a Sativa like SSH or others I would have to do some serious LST because my grows area is vertically challenged. =)

 

[Motor City Madman]

My bad I went off in this high vision of growing plants horizontally. lol it sounded cool and I'm sure with some training and tying down it could be done.:hubba: