New Grower Do I need a grow tent? How many plants in my space?

[Amendment64]

I want to grow in a typical sliding door closet...the space is about 24"x48"x48".

This is the lighting I'm going to be using:
http://shop.haightsolidstate.com/Haight-Solid-State-PPF-400Rv2-LED-Grow-light-PPF-400R.htm

Questions:
I want to grow as many plants in 5 gallon Smart Pots as I can fit in this space. Any idea what that might be with some DP and Dinafem autos?

Is there any real advantage to growing in a tent in my situation? The closet won't be ventilated beyond opening the doors and the little air that gets through the closed doors...so will a tent make a difference?

Of course I'll put a fan in the space but don't anticipate temperature problems...but do I really have to maintain the humidity in the grow space to within a certain range? If so, will I be able to do that with a grow tent in this small space or can I do it without the tent?

Thanks for any input!

 

[GoAuto6]

8+ small auto's, 3 to 4 super's .........lighting is generally 50 watts per square foot so at 2'x4' your at 8 square feet thats 400 watts ...... you 'r gunna need some more LED's... and no you don't need a tent.

 

[alley_walker]

Hey!
First of all, when I first seen the LED you were going to use I was like"Pfft".. But now I'm curious after reading the specs. Ya, it's a home jobby but the componets look great! But my question to you is, are you concerned about smell at all?

 

[Amendment64]

I'm going to deal with the smell "when I get there". My apartment literally has no ventilation (no AC and electric-powered heaters, but no shared ventilation system at all, just a window and 2 doors). Worst case scenario, if the smell gets too bad and an ionizer and Ona stuff doesn't do anything I'll move them to my brothers who lives in BFE.

I've since considered moving up to the 180w LED from the same company. I just have to pony up the $300.

 

[GoAuto6]

There's always cfl's, and T5's are kicken ass....just a thought .not trying to sway you..but price wise?

 

[The Squid]

My only concern really is getting enough fresh air in and warm stale air out. Just leaving the door open won't really cut it I wouldn't think. And definitely can't close the door without proper fans for ventilation.

 

[swampman]

What's up bro ...i just grew in a closet about ur size ....but I grew with HPS so I had to damage the walls for some ventilation ..i basically cut a hole to vent into the attic ..
I'd have to say u have some balls growing in an APT ...monthly maintenance or just being so close to people who might not be cool
As for the Ona gel is some nasty smelling chemical gop balls bro and it isn't very reliable.
Depending on ur strain I would invest in a filter .....
Some strains are very good with smell but they ALL SMELL ...
If you have to opportunity I'd just start them in BFE like u stated ...but I also like looking at my babies 50 times a day lol ....
Good to do some research before u drop the beans I wish I had done more but u still gotta grow em for the best research. Good luck bro glad u Part of the BEST CANNABIS FAM

 

[Chronczar]

If uour gonna do it, do it right!! Get a tent and filter. It will save u with a bunch of headaches. Get a tent through it in a corner put a blanket on it vent it out a window boom no worries...

 

[Son of Hobbes]

As for the Ona gel is some nasty smelling chemical gop balls bro and it isn't very reliable.

I disagree. I have used the ONA blocks, ONA quart jars, and ONA misters for months now in my house and tents for several months now and they work AWESOME. The ONA blocks are great for small areas like bathrooms or dirty laundry and last a LONG time (two months into two new blocks in two different locations and still fresh as a daisy and they smell great (linen scent.) I use the ONA quart jars (linen scent) in two of my tents, a 3 foot by 20 inches by 5 foot tent and a 4 foot by 4 foot by 7 foot tent and they both work VERY well. In the smaller tent; it's ALL you can smell. I had three flowering photo strains in there and with one exhaust fan, passive air intake, and zero carbon scrubber, all I could smell is linen fresh ONA and ZERO bud smell. That's with big fat sticky budding plants, Blue Widow, Pineapple Express, and Critical Jack Herer. I used the quart jar in the 4 foot by 4 foot by 7 foot tent with 26 flowering autoflowers and there it does show some slightly diminishing gains, but it still definitely cuts down on the smell. I use the ONA mist nebulizer in that tent in that tent as well and that is actually the real smell killer. I have it set up in front of a blowing fan, so every 30 minutes it sprays out a mist that instantly is circulated throughout the tent and cuts out smell. With the tent closed with good negative air pressure inside the tent, even with 3 open passive air intakes I smell NOTHING outside the tent with 26 plants in full swing.

It comes in different scents, so if you don't want linen scent you can get the regular neutral odor scent. ONA is also an eco-friendly seal certified product and environmentally safe. It's essential oils.

The quart jars of ONA gel will last about 30 days average with the lid completely off. The gel is basically big versions of those liquid absorption crystals you can buy for house plants or making gel packs. They soak the crystals in the solution, the crystals expand, and as you open the jar and air circulates over them, the solution evaporates into the air, pulling organic molecules towards it. You can get a quart jar for about $20 off of amazon.

The mist nebulizer was about $20 for the mister and $10 for a can of ONA spray. I think the spray is FAR more efficient in terms of dollar versus length of odor fighting power; but you may be more sensitive to the spray and/or scent and since you are in an enclosed apartment, consider what cover-up smells might be like flooding your walls.

It's just my opinion, but you REALLY need to think about smell NOW, not later. You are in an apartment with shared interior wells with very little to low insulation, even without shared ventilation. Smells going to travel through to your neighbors like an open door if you don't do something about it. Maybe look into some strains that statistically have low odors or odors that don't smell like pot. I have a plant in one of my tents that smells like spicy pepper. I'm not saying ONA is your cure-all, but you should at least research options and make a game plan. Don't fly from the seat of your pants and you'll have less "oh shit" moments and more "oh YEAH!" moments.

 

[Son of Hobbes]

I also agree with hemi78, you don't NEED a grow tent, but a grow tent gives you a lot of advantages. You will have a nearly completely enclosed space with which you have much great control in the environment for your plants to grow. You will have pre-fitted openings typically for 4" and 6" in-line fans and ductwork. You will have an extra layer of protection against light leaks when it comes time to switch to flower, you have an extra layer of protection for SMELL, and you also have an enclosed area in which you can create positive and negative air pressure systems, which is also critical for controlling smell and air borne contaminants. My tents have an extra fabric drip tray which helps keep run-off water from spilling onto the tent floor, or importantly from reaching the tent seams where it could leak onto my floor. My smaller grow tent honest to goodness looks more like a clothes wardrobe instead of a grow tent.

If you're going to do it and you're willing to go this far, do it right, don't half ass it or take shortcuts. The shortest path is not always the most convenient down the road. Just my