Should a growroom be fully enclosed?

[tokealot]

Hi guys. Back again. I am still working on a saving enough for a light, 400w HPS Son T. However, I have heard of grow cupboards and stuff like that but can you grow plants under a light so the breeze can take the light-generated heat away, and supply fresh air for free! No fans even? Or would I be ripping myself off? I have a room that gets morning sun, 7-10am and afternoon sun from about 2-6pm. If I use a growlight for 18 hours + the bonus sun, could I expect a half decent yield as such?

 

Anyone else tried this at all at some stage? Feedback appreciated. :-D

[Luke Skywalker]

You need an extraction fan and intake of either passive or passive/active nature. (A hole in the cupboard low down to let air in.)

 

By all means grow without one, but you'll just have very hot, very dry and very sad plants which need tremendous amounts of water to survive, and will never produce like they should.

 

Get a good extractor if you're growing with hid lighting, it's a must. Unless you live in a snowbound area, you'll have problems which are almost impossible to solve without one.

[Tom]

Yeah, good ventilation is every bit as important as good lighting.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Even just go to bunnings, and get a 20 dollar exhaust fan. Cut it in the top of your cupboard, and drill holes around the bottom of the cabinet to allow the air in. The air will drawn in through the holes, and although they don't need to be in the floor, they will hide better there..IF THE FLOOR CAN TAKE THE HOLES.

 

Otherwise, just drill the holes around the back and sides of the cabinet, and when the doors are closed, the fan at the top will exhaust the hot air, and by sucking the air in throguh the holes u drilled, it will suck the air over your plants leaves, slightly vibrating them. Giving the plants movement, they need for healthy stem development, and also good CO2 flow.

 

You can drill as many holes as the exhaust fan is in surface area. You'll know if u have enough by the sound of the motor of the fan working harder when u close the cabinet up. if it sucks hard,and not enough air is entering to compensate, the fan willwork harder, and burn out quicker. but even if u loose a fan each grow (and you wnt in along shot), thats just 20 bux a grow, and the crop will improve dramaticlaly.

 

I've been growing in cabinets for a few years now like that, and have only just now included a fan cooled hood and intake fan. And I've always had good yeilds. But u really do need air flow of some kind. Even if u have to leave the doors open and blow a pedastal fan on them.

 

But it's when the doors are closed they need it most huh.

 

Try the simple idea I mentioned if u havent got much scratch. 20 bux isnt much.

 

cheers

rob

 

PS as for light, I'd love to have the combination of natural ight and a HPS. I think you'll do very well.

[tokealot]

Ok, thanks for the feedback guys but I think that the post I originally made mislead some as to the answers I was chasing.

 

WHen growing indoors under a light such as a Son T for e.g...... Is a fully enclosed grow cupboard or room essential? In other words..... Can I keep a couple of plants under a growlight in a room without the reflective walls all around it?

 

I have a medium sized room with excellent ventilation. and morning and afternoon sun bonus. Would a growlight support plants in this environment was the question I wanted to ask but lost the plot along the trail somewhere?

 

All feedback welcome!

[Brainstorm]

Sure you can grow in a room instead of a cupboard

 

However you need to be able to darken the room completly during the night when you start flowering (usually 12 hours of light x 12 hours of dark) - flowering will do best if no light enters the room at all during the night period . If you can do that then all should be ok.

[tokealot]

Ok, cheers for that Brainstorm. :-)

 

Is there anything else that I should consider with my plans?