Tips on keeping cool?

[Growgirl]

I just finished my first grow with the help of Growweedeasy. OMGoodness! I'm hooked on growing the best buds. I'm starting out on the cheap with a 2x2x3ft. cardboard box lined with reflective bubble insulation Mylar stuff. 4" exhaust, 8 cfls at top, hole in side at bottom for air flow and fan inside. Added additional fan at top but still wasn't enough to keep it below 80 degrees. Found out quickly that I had to leave the doors cracked open to allow cooler air to come into box. I started with five plants and ended with one. Four were males. This shocked me because I thought I had bought female seeds. Oh well. Anyway the girl that was remaining was not my healthiest choice but I had to nurse her. I just today cut her down and now starting the drying stage. I'm dying to try it. Buds are there for sure just weenier than should have been if it were one of the healthier plants. Any advice on how to keep cool would be a big benefit. Thanks you for the information that is so easy to digest!

 

[Nartak]

Hey growgil,welcome to the forum

! Im not a cfl master but if you could get the fan "sucking" from the cracked open door,i mean directly touching the two sides (corner) and blowing it in it will suck it in faster even though it's not an intake/exhaust fan!I tested this with my tent!Either that or if you have a velcro opening use that with the same way,the fan tightly against the wall of the tent sucking in air straight from outside! Have any spare ducting ports you're not using? or spare space in the ones you are using? Open them!

Another thing is if you can do what i said above,sucking in air with the dryfan,try setting it to blow just above the tops of your plants,if you are worried about windburn set it on maximum speed right ON the bulbs (always trying to create a flow from outside to the exhaust fan)!

Easiest thing to do if you are not worried about bug,pets,kids,pests,parents or w/e,leave the door open as needed until your room is cool...I believe our member kingfish was the one who said his tent is always open during veg for that exact reason!

Also,80F is the PERFECT temp regardless strain.I believe 28 could hurt even tough strains at some point and below that you are loosing warmth that wouldn't hurt the plants...

Im a total newb,just got in my 5th week of veg today on my first grow,all thanks to the awesomeness of the jolly potlovers of GWE and Nebula + Sirius for hosting us!!

nad

on your first

 

[alltatup]

Welcome, Growgirl!!! I'm on my second grow, and I will never forget smoking my own bud for the first time (after following GWE's dry and cure tutorial); it was amazing. I can't even conceive of going back to purchasing "out there." Sounds to me like you did real good at identifying your males and swiftly getting rid of them. I only harvested 2.5 oz on my first grow, and I LEARNED SO MUCH!!!

I have a room in my house where my grow box is, and I was closing the door. I figured it would be ok because it's winter, but it wasn't. It got too "close" in there with no air circulation, and my roots got too warm and I had to deal with a little root snot (rot). As soon as I opened the door and allowed cooler air to circulate through the room, things got way better. I'm sure the experts on this forum will have more advice for you.

 

[Nartak]

hey alltatup sorry for hijacking to ask a question on what u said...That snot in the roots...You might not know and that will be fine but im curious,even 5 days after changing my res water in the drip irrigation system there are "dirt" bubbles here and there,not to many to worry,not to little to go unnoticeable...Is that what root rot comes out like when flushed/dripped with water?

 

[NebulaHaze]

I'm not sure if root rot leaves a trail like that. The main thing to focus on as far as root rot are your roots. If they look solid and white (and plants are healthy on top) you know you are good to go

Maybe post a picture of a dirt bubble in a new thread? Could it be dust from your hydroton?

 

[NebulaHaze]

Welcome Growgirl! As far as keeping things cool, is the fan on top pointing out? It should be venting the hot air away from the grow space (not blowing air in). You also want to have an intake hole near the bottom so cool air can get in to replace the hot air that gets vented out.

Is it possible to post a picture of your setup?

Just curious, who sold you those seeds? That terrible you ordered 5 feminized seeds and got 4/5 male plants! I'm sorry that happened to you, that should never happen with a reputable breeder!

But I'm glad you did have at least one plant that gave you buds! Congratulations on a great harvest and we're glad to have you here!