After a long year off, I’m finally able to budget some equipment. Over the next couple months I plan to buy everything I need piece by piece as funds allow.
So far I have: Zazzy 36"x60"x78" Grow Tent ($110) - I chose this one because it maximizes what I can fit in the space… kind of an odd size. I also like that it’s only 3 feet deep, easier on the back than leaning into a 4’x4’.
Next up for purchase when funds allow is the extraction fan. I’m thinking of getting the Vivosun T6 fan filter kit without the fancy controller ($137)
After that I’ll need lights; I had been planning on going with the Viparspectra XS1500 Pro ($97). Three of them in total, but I’ll purchase one to start.
Then I’ll need something to grow in. I’m going with living soil this time, so I’m thinking of putting 3 x 30 gallon pots in the tent. They should squeeze in nicely in the 3x5. Comes in a pack of 6 ($30)
I’ll need a few new miscellaneous things to get everything setup; Timer, surge protector, clip fan (~$50)
For the dirt itself I was thinking of going with Build a Soil. My local hydroponics shop carries light recipe $10 cheaper than their site. I’d need 3 cu ft for the first pot ($124). Alternatively I could get a 2.2cu ft coots kit and aim to mix up enough dirt for all three pots.($300 for all 3 pots if I use perlite and cheap castings). I’m leaning towards just grabbing a few bags of light recipe to start.
I think at this point I should be good to plant. After planting I’ll want a few supplies for top dressing, maybe some straw mulch, castings, craft blend (~$75) Throw in some red wigglers ($18)
Eventually I’ll add 2 more lights($194) and fill the other 2 pots with soil($248). In the end I’d like to get a passive watering system for them, I’ve been thinking the Thirsty Ollas ($129) look pretty cool, why not give them a try.
After your first grow you will want to get rid of them, so don’t waste your money. Get better ones to begin with. It’s probably the most important hardware for indoor grows.
3x5…I’m jealous. Think of the light footprint(s) you will need and i’d get 30-35W per square foot. ~300W-350W will light a 3x3.
On the topic of lights, they say 150w…careful, companies can be deceptive. Is that “equivalent”, draw from the wall, or output? What frequencies do they use?
Get the controller, even if you have to find one used on marketplace it’s 10000% worth it. You won’t hold your environment steady without one your temps and humidity are going to be all over the place.
Buy once cry once. In a 3x5 you’re going to want around 500w, look at the medic grow mini suns, or look on marketplace for like a used hlg 650rspec or get whatever flavor of 4 bar light aci/mars/sf/vivo has this month (there really aren’t many great options for a 3x5 when it comes to lights, your better off just getting a 4x4 it’s essentially the same size of canopy 15sf vs 16sf and there are way better and easier to find equipment and options for that size space). Stay the hell off Amazon when you’re light shopping, even if the brand sells on Amazon order direct, if direct ordering isn’t an option then you’re looking at the wrong company.
Clip fans get hurricane 6in fans off Amazon, as previously stated get the controller then you don’t need a timer and can set the exhaust fan speeds to react to hold temps and humidity stable.
$300 sounds excessive AF for 3 containers id definetly for the build a soil route but try and find the 3.0 not the lite, if that’s not an option look for Bio 365 Bioflower (1.5cf bags, generally cost about the same, in my opinion a bit better than build a soil as far as a starting medium and soil goes, use their craft blend to re-amend it and re use the base over and over no need to buy new soil every time)
Get some African night crawlers also, they go further down in the container. See you’re already thinking about craft blend hell yea, if you’re running worms in your container probably don’t need worm castings, if you keep the worns happy they will reproduce and you can sift some out after every grow and add them to a worm bin and just make your own worm castings.
I’d just make some or buy some self wicking bases works way better and cost less.
Thanks for the replies guys. 3’ deep is the limit of my space, so 3’x5’ was me “maximizing” it.
For the lighting, there used to be some good videos from migro, I can’t seem to find them anymore, but the viparspectra xs1500 pro was rated one of the best budget 2’x2’ lights. I’m not exactly lighting 2’x2’ spaces, but I did plan to throw one over each 2’ 30gallon pot. Otherwise I’d love to have twice the budget for a 350 diablo or something in here.
May try some BAS 3.0 in one pot and lite recipe in another, they’re priced the same locally for me.
I thought about a wick bed, but it’d run about the same cost as the ollas, wood, pond liner, few bags of perlite. Plus I don’t really have any DIY tools anymore. They moved out.
Ditto on the controller. For years I constantly fiddled around with humidifiers and exhaust fans , trying to keep temps and rH in check and vpd in range.
This grow I got a controller and once its dialed in its a game changer!
Shout out to @AutoGrowerMo he gave me excellent input that helped me decide which controller fit my situation.
The type of lights I have (COB) generate powerful beams and a lot ofheat. They would have been great daisy chained high up in a greenhouse.
With any horticultural lights, ballasts generate a lot of the heat. Look for LED lights with ballasts that can be placed outside the tent.
The bar style lights spread out the heat generated by the diodes so theres no need for fans and heatsinks. They also spread the light evenly so there aren’t hotspots and you are more free in how you place the plants.
You can tell what my next lights will be right? Still a few years left in these though.
Yeah my old lights were cobs, but I had them nearly 10 years. They had 30-40,000 hours on them. Basically were heaters by the end.
I’m thinking 3 x 30 gallon pots(24") might be too much, they’d barely fit in a triangle pattern, and would be crammed against the tent wall. 2 x 40 gallon pots(27") side by side may do better.
So adding the controller ups the fan filter kit to $200. Changing the pot size is the same for overall dirt cost but slightly more needed for the first pot to get started.
For lighting, I tried to revisit migros youtube but I can’t find it at all. Found some other videos on the viparspectra xs1500 pro and it still seems like a solid budget light. I could get one for starters, then save a couple months for a 350diablo($550)… Or I could get a bar style light designed for a 3’x3’(~$200) and aim to put a second beside it?
What size space are you trying to light ? Multiple small lights are almost never as good as 1 big light unless you’re in a 4x8 or larger there is no reason for multiple lights.
I use multiple small lights (6 x 200w) because they fit between floor joists above my 30"x60" grow areas. Big lights would reduce max headroom by 8 or 10 inches. My joists are 24" on center, so 21” maximum width for my lights.
I’d almost have something built and hang them like an inch below the joists that’s only an inch thin and fashion them in such a way the driver sticks up between the joices. Unless you let the plants grow all the way up to the joices you probably really wouldn’t loose much space unless I’m not understanding what you’re saying. Run your duct work, electrical and stuff above the lights between the floor joices, could even put fans up there blowing down and maybe free up space or get stuff out of the way from between the plants and the light if you’re using wall fans or pedestal fans.
My ducts are behind the walls, so I don’t need space for them. I don’t usually need max headroom, but it’s nice to have it for occasional taller plants.