Grow room advice please

Hey guys. First off, you seem to be a great bunch of people here. . . I've unfortunately grown accustomed to there always being a certain (if not total) level of asshole-ishness on forums.

I have an (approximately) 8 X 6 foot closet, located in the corner of a small insulated barn on my property. Bonus. . . I think theres drainage and plumbing out there.

I'd love to start very small growing plants out there. Again, the building is insulated, but I do live in Southern Michigan. I'm not rich, and don't want to spend a ton of money.

Any advice would be great. My biggest concern is spending money in the right places.

Thanks.

 

"My biggest concern is spending money in the right places."
Plants need lots of light, so investing in a high pressure sodium grow light will see you the biggest benefit in terms of weight and quality.

You'll also need to regulate temperatures, which could mean a small space heater if it gets super cold and you'll want venting to keep it below 90.

Other than that, there are lots of ways you can go and be successful. Some cost more and some cost less, so just adapt to your needs. The cheapest thing you can do to improve your performance is READ, READ, READ. Familiarize yourself with growing parameters and techniques and then go for it.

 

As above I would say the place to spend your cash is on lighting, Invest in Good high preasure soidum lights, for your space I would recomend 2 600w, but you could start with one, in half your space, and expand later. Spend the extra for eletronic ballests, they are more efficent and reliable. Even in winter ventilation is important, both to keep temps down, and to keep the air fresh for your plants. Bear in mind that you don't want to bring cold outside air directally on to your plants. Starting with soil is easier and cheeper then hydro. It sounds like you have a pretty isolated spot, but it is amazing how the oders can spread, especally in winter, so don't neglect order control. It's worth it to spend $15 on a good grow book There are many out there and most are available at the big chain bookstores like Boarders or Barnes and Noble so go and cheak them out and pick the one that appeals to you. I like Ed Rosenthal, but some people don't. Good Luck.

 

Obviously, the investment is porportional to the yields. Do you want to grow for yourself and maybe some close friends, or do you wish to make a profit?

for a small grow that will yield 2-10 oz (depd on your skill) every 3-4 months, id suggest:
8 X 23w cool white/daylight CFL bulbs. also sockets and wiring. 50$
400 or 600w High Pressure sodium w/ ballast (ideally digital) 200$-400$
timer(s). splurge on a nice 10$ outdoor type with its own fuse 8-15$
fertilizers. I use standard shultz for vegitative growth 8-12$
fertilizers. get some nice organics to flower (worm castings/kelp) 20-40$
chains to hang everything 5$
ducting and a simple carbon filter 125-250$
various ph testers, watering cans, spray bottle 20$
soil. go with a standard mix. pre-fertilized soil is a no-no 5-20$

theres an investment tobe made, but you can output that value within 2-3 cycles usually. I spent 600$ to make a low-quality grow, and maybe 200$ in electricity (tops). within 9 months i produced about 9-12 oz of good quality weed. (and thats with many mistakes and learning along the way)

 

and thats why I come here no power trips or hidden agendas here well maybe one just want ppl to grow good mj and spread the good word Hehe. I'd start of small and work ya way up in a year to growing the master load as you've got quite a learning curve ahead. Agree with above, most important things are lighting, temp, venting and the space. so would spend my money in that order.