This diagram shows how a closet can be separated into two sections. The smaller bottom section is lit 24 hours and holds the Mother plants and cuttings, you may use fluorescence. The top section holds flowering plants in a 12 hour cycle, and is lit with a 250 or 400 watt MH. Using a fast maturing variety six to eight weeks max, Expect to harvest 6-7 crops per year!
An old fridge in the garage or basement works great. Hydro setups and CO2 can easily be incorporated This setup has six plants but can hold up to 12!. Each plant will produce up to an ounce every 6-8 weeks!
This guide will help the new or experienced closet grower set up a simple space, at least 2 ft by 4 ft and 5 or more feet tall, into a private Ganja Farm. You may use an existing closet, a movable box type closet, or even an old fridge works great. Divide the closet into two light proof sections, one smaller than the other, if you use a fridge this is perfect.
For lighting you will need at least one set of 4 ft fluorescent tubes and ballast for Vegetative growth.
You also need a 250 or 400 watt Metal Halide bulb and ballast for your flowering period.
You will need a small fan to remove air from your closet and to gently blow the plants when the lights are on. this is to keep the room cool (25*C) and supply fresh CO2.
This can be a fan sucking air from the room or an exhaust fan that draws air outside the grow room.
The first crop will take 3 months from seed to harvest. Make sure you have good seeds suitable for indoor growth, and only use seeds from the most potent marijuana.
If you can get cuttings from a growing friend then you are a step ahead.
Start seeds directly in peat pots or your soil/soil less mix, under 24 hours light from the fluorescent tubes. Tubes can be 2 inches from seedlings.
Grow your plants for 3 weeks fertilizing after the first set of leaves show.
Miracle Grow or any complete 20-20-20 fertilizer should be fed in a weak solution with every feeding. Organic fertilizers are also recommended. Be very careful not to over fertilize.
After three weeks transplant the plants into larger pots (or rockwool cube in hydro setup).
Then place plants under 12 hours lighting from the Metal Halide.
Whether your 12 hour light cycle is in the day or night is up to you. But make sure that you can take care of watering and caring for your plants in the light! Do not interrupt the Dark period. This will delay the flowering process and it will take forever to complete.
About a week after you start the flowering process you will spot males with small green pods that hang. Remove them only when you are sure that they are males. They are not garbage, in fact the males are quite potent before the females reach their max potency!
Harvest the males just before they release pollen. The females will become evident as they will grow bushy, producing many white pistils. They will grow more and more bushy and develop a main cola. Don't prune, bend plants if they grow too tall. Select a fast maturing variety such as Alaska or Skunk #1.
But how do I get 5 or even 6 or 7 crops per year? you ask...
After your first harvest, Select your best female for potency, vigor and early flowering. Don't just pull plants from the roots, leave the bottom 3-4 branches and a few flowers. Revert your prize female to vegetative by placing it under a 24 hour light cycle. After a few weeks several fast growing shoots will appear, these are perfect for taking cuttings from your plants.
Take several 3 inch cuttings and root for 3 weeks under 24 hours light. Keep the original Mother alive for future clone crops. Keep clones in the vegetative cycle for 3 more weeks, then place in the flowering section (12/12 regimen).
Now you can have a crop every 6-8 weeks, depending on the variety you grow!
While you wait for flowering to complete, you take another set of clones from your mother which is kept in 24 hours light always, and by the time they root and grow somewhat the flowering crop will be ready to harvest. This is how you keep your flowering room constantly producing buds with no down-time in-between crops!
Check out Ed' grow tips online - affordable hydroponics in your closet!
DO-IT-YOURSELF C02 GENERATOR (for your closet operation)
Every green leafed plant uses carbon dioxide in its daily life. 0.5% of our air is carbon dioxide. Plants are able to utilize up to 5 times the natural amount and can grow 5 times faster - provided that sufficient light, nutrients, and water are available to support the extra growth. Generally speaking, a plant will grow faster with added carbon dioxide in its environment.
Yeast is a living, eating, breathing and reproducing organism. They consume sugar and water and excrete carbon dioxide and alcohol. Yeast is used in the production of alcohol. Buy some brewers yeast at a make-your-own-beer/wine store. You will have to get a large jug with a small mouth, a rubber cork with a hole in it that will fit in the mouth of the jug, and six to ten feet (your decision) of flexible tubing in which the carbon dioxide will travel. All of these can be found at the one store. You are basically reviving the dry yeast in the package so that they will eat the sugar you give it and produce carbon dioxide meanwhile. Ask the person at the store that you want to produce carbon dioxide for some house plants. They will give you what you need.
1. Fill the large jug with slightly warm water. Not hot, not even warm, just a bit warmer than lukewarm. The warmth wakes up the yeast.
2. Now add sugar to the water . One part sugar to every five parts of solution.
3. Empty the packet of yeast in the jug and stir.
4. After a few hours the yeast should be active and producing carbon dioxide. The production of carbon dioxide can be observed by actual bubbles floating to the surface.
5.The only thing you have to do now is maintain the life of your yeast population. Dump out some of the solution and add fresh water so that is does not become stagnant. Add a few teaspoons of sugar. Do this every week or two.
6.Theoretically, your yeast population can last for an eternity!
