Hi there.

I've a question in regards to my new project. I'm trying to grow a few vegetables that are not exactly 'growable' where I live, and so I decided to try and re-create their eco-system indoors.

I am almost done, I've made a cupboard out of wood and literally no external light comes into it, on each side of the box I've installed a fan so that air can circulate in and out, and I've installed a not-so-elaborate, yet reasonable watering system..

Now comes the tricky and as I am about to find out, not so fun part.. Lighting.

The box itself is 4' wide, 2' deep and about 4 1/2' high. It's farely big.

The inside has been painted white so that light will reflect.

I've been told that growers have a MH set-up for seedlings and vegetative growth, and HPS for flowering. Now.. HID lights are extremly expensive, at least where I am at.. I'm not exactly sure if I am in the right NG, but I'll ask anyway.. I live in Melbourne, Australia and.. I don't know of many places where they even sale these lights.. I've been looking around websites, and a cheap one (which you can switch from MH to HPS) retails at around US$300.. Around AU$500, and is more than what I can afford..

Does anyone know if a: i NEED to have these lights, or they're just the recommended types? b: a place where I can find either cheap ones, or second hand ones? c: the direction to the correct forum where this question can be answered properly? :P

Thanks for your time and help..

Reply to
Peter Pan.
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Nope, you won't need those lights, fluorescents will work, unless what you are trying to grow is marijuana! ;-0

John

Reply to
John Watson

-snip-

They'll work with that, too. [so I've heard.] What I also 'heard' was that closing the whole box in might work to keep things out of sight, but the unmistakable smell will escape no matter what you do.

For growing great, healthy looking, but not all that great tasting, tomatoes, I've added a 60watt incandescent to a pair of 4' flourescents in a 6' grow box. [I used shoplights- which go for about $10 USD- & whatever bulbs were in them]

I heated mine from the bottom with an old waterbed heater under a 3-4" sand bed.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Aha, spoken like a man with vast "growing" experience! ;-)

John

Reply to
John Watson

Hhm.. Well, I don't suppose anyone has experiences in growing pot without having to go through the expense of buying hid lighting? Suppose I could buy a kit and put it together..

Reply to
Peter Pan.

I was only kidding with you, I really don't know but you could probably google "pot cultivation" for info.

John

Reply to
John Watson

I've a few books, all that tell me that HID lights are best.. They don't really say much about alternatives..

Reply to
Peter Pan.

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