Stealth setup in apartment - some beginner questions

[Ellemisens]

Sup. I'm completely new to growing and I'd like to ask for advice. I live in a big apartment and don't get many guests, but I want to be extra careful. I'm looking for a strain that's:
- not too smelly (I want to use one or two carbon filters anyway) - this is very important
- not too big (fits in a 60x60x120cm / 2x2x4ft. cabinet, including lighting etc.)
- somewhat foolproof, as this is going to be my first plant (I hear that autos aren't good for beginners. is that true?)
- good for muscle relaxation

So far I've read Robert Bergman's Marijuana Grow Bible and I have some questions:
- is a single plant worth the hassle? I don't know how many I can fit in a cabinet mentioned above
- if a seed is advertised as feminized, does that mean it's 100% confirmed female and I don't need to worry about pollination, getting a male etc.?
- is a ~100 CFM fan + filter good enough for a 1-2 plant setup? I used this site as a reference: https://www.growweedeasy.com/exhaust...FM-exhaust-fan
- I was considering getting CFL bulbs because I'm on a budget, but from what I understand they're controversial. should I suck it up and invest in more professional lighting?
- how long can the fan stay off without affecting the growth AND how long until the smell starts being noticable (assuming I use two filters)? I'm asking because I know that fans produce very noticable noise

[bboyfromwayback]

No matter what, don’t use cfl’s. If you can’t afford a good led then a 150w HPS is cheap and will do great for a single plant without too much heat to deal with in your setup.

Being in a apt you have issues to worry about that I don’t. Even if it’s legal where you are so scent isn’t a issue as far as getting busted, you don’t want people smelling your grow then breaking in and stealing it when you aren’t home. For that reason I’d definitely use two filters at all times, one in the tent then one on the outside of the tent.

Tent wise for a single, big photo or a few autos I’d go with a 3x3 tent with a 6” exhaust system. The 2x2 you mentioned will work but will get tight quick. I like space to set a fan and small dehumidifier inside my tent plus have space from the walls to the leaves

[Tersky]

Agree with bboyfromwayback to an extent. Cfl's are good for seedlings but not that great for flowering. I started the same way you are trying, small cabinet ect, and quickly found out i could not get good results with the setup i had. I now have two tents, one being 2x4x5ft and one 3x3x6ft. I def recommend the taller one esp if you are new to growing and dont know how to maintain an even canopy but understand your restrictions as fat as being in an apartment.

As far as lights go, dont cheap out on lights. This is where they get their food and cannabis needs high intensity lights (at least 35 -60 watt per sq ft). Not having the right lights can produce airy buds which was my struggle until i ponied up for actual grow lights. I personally use MH/HPS and LEC lights with a preference for LEC due to increased trichome production. HIgh intensity also usually means high heat and a required distance from plants or they can get burned. This means ventilation, temp control and grow space height are important factors in producing quality dense nugs. Sure you can grow in a small enclosure, but for a beginner it will be difficult and you may not get the results you are looking for.

[dilvish]

Essentially jerry-rigging a set up may be fine but if you really want to produce plants that have good yields you need to invest a few bucks. If it's legal to grow where you are, forget what guests think as long as it is out of sight. Cannabis can smell but as long as you can close the door of the room it is in you really shouldn't have that much of a problem.

CFL's will certainly allow the plant to grow but you won't get a decent yield as they lack full spectrum light and light really is the food for cannabis. Nutrients just give it a boost (like vitamins).

As far as seedbanks go, most of them have a good reputation for selling what is advertised as long as you stick with well known seedbanks like Seedsman.com (there are many others).

Good luck

[Catfish22]

A little spray of Ozium will help if you need to clear the air quickly.

[Ellemisens]

Can you tell me more about strains? Are there any that aren't too smelly? This is my main concern since noise and conspicuousness aren't that big of a deal.

[dilvish]

If I had to pick one I would say Northern Lights. It tends to come up often when you search the internet for low odor cannabis strains. I have grown it twice (Autoflower) and haven't found it to be very smelly. Even the authors of the main website recommend it https://www.growweedeasy.com/example...nnabis-strains