 | NORML News: The Budget Growroom |
 By the 'Naki Bush Doctor
NORML News Autumn 2003
How to build a cheap compact grow room out of MDF board, and a box fan.
The budget growroom consists of 5 sheets of 1200 x 1200 MDF board., and the heart of the system is the box fan.
This fan is mounted in the back wall usually with the bulb pointing forward. This is the intake, exhaust and oscillating fans all in one. These fans are usually only a couple of inches thick so don’t take up space which is very limited in this set up. With a rotating grill with sections pointing in different directions (This is the key - some box fans don’t have this type of grill so look out for this) the air is blown all around, no where misses out, this is important in a tight space as u can get hot spots.
You can do hydro in here, but since we’re on a budget soil is the go - with one vital piece of equipment for winter - a heat pad makes plants grow faster other wise they can take forever. So four pots is perfect with trays under each for watering. When putting the box together don’t seal it up air tight or else the fan wont be able to move the air in and around and out - or if it needs to be sealed to stop light leakage use some ducting tube which can be bent to stop light travelling down and out the end it wont break the bank.
Because the light is so close to the plants, especially when mature, the fan MUST run when the light is on. Good air flow is the key. This refreshes CO2 (vital for healthy, fast growth) and removes heat - if leaves look small and tight then heat is stressing them - don’t try to fix it by over watering. This is the main problem with soil indoors - less is more - let soil dry before watering not to the point of wilting though, feel the weight of the plant to get an idea. When feeding, wet the soil and then apply the feed and then let to dry before watering or feeding again. Also when watering only, not feeding, put water into tray, this keeps the soil from being compacted allowing oxygen down to the roots.
To keep soil pH correct use dolomite lime when filling pots (1 cup per 10L soil). This adds calcium for strong cells, good resin production later in life and general health of the plant with the plant being more resistant to mould and fungus. Calcium, once incorporated into plant tissue is immobile so a constant supply is necessary for continued growth Concentrations of calcium are higher in older foliage, so it is the newer growth which first shows deficiency symptoms. Calcium also plays a role in activating enzymes, regulating the flow of water movement in cells and is essential for cell growth and division. Calcium also helps as a buffer when excesses of other elements are present and is therefore an important component of a plants’ root structure. Dolomite also contains magnesium for chlorophyll production which makes absorption of light more efficient. It also keeps the pH good which in turn makes a good environment for massive root development which makes more nutrients available and we all know what that leads to - big smiles.
One last thing, DON’T PULL OFF LEAVES, this doesn’t make better flowers, it causes the plant to put energy into growing more leaves to get light energy to make the flowers, only sick or damaged leaves are to be removed.
Next issue the role of leaves will be discussed in detail. Go hard.
Have you tried this growroom set? Got a better idea for a growroom? Share your experiences in the Growing Marijuana Forum
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