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Just joined growery last night, and I'm looking for a good "guide" on growing. This WILL be my first time, so any good kits, seeds, etc that you could recommend would really help.
thanks
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Stuff that's hidden, murky, and ambiguous, is scary because you don't know what it does.
Why don't you give us some more info on that. Answer these questions and we'll be able to guide you better.
What's your budget like? What's the size of your grow area(s)? How many plants do you wish to grow at a time? How do you want to grow(Soil/Hydro/Agro)?
-------------------- andyistic said: Ok so let me bring you idiots up to speed.
The admins are tired of this shitfest being made the joke of the weed community on the Internet.
Well I would say either a 250 watt HPS or as many T8 Flo lights of the 4 foot length that would work, maybe two racks with a total of 4 tubes, use chains so it can be adjustable.
Soil, use one of the recipes found on this site, Sphaghum Peat 65%, Perlite 35% plus a few other goodies. Plenty of info for good soil mixtures.
Figure out ventilation as well.
Research about water and PH or atleast make sure you let your water stand 24 hours if from the tap to let the chlorine vapourize.
Then determine Nutes. Want easy? Go with Fish Emulsion 5-1-1.
Germinate the seeds for 24 hours. Also...grow 5 or 6 plants so that you are sure to get some females unless you buy femme seeds.
Honestly, a few hours of research on this forum alone will increase your chances of success tenfold.
-------------------- "I never post unless high. Well that does explain a lot then."
"The best part about going to sleep each night is knowing that my plants will have grown more when I wake up in the morning."
"I smoked it then I became so tired that my eyes shut down automatically without my consent" - My Chinese GF, Oct 23, 2009
Quote: Well I would say either a 250 watt HPS or as many T8 Flo lights of the 4 foot length that would work, maybe two racks with a total of 4 tubes, use chains so it can be adjustable.
i agree with the MH/HPS light 250 to 400 watt would work nicely.
I never recommend flos however and here's why.
Quote: INEFFICIENT FLUORESCENTS
Ed,
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH) lights might be good for some growers but for me I like to save my money and use fluorescents. I have two four foot lights in a 4'x3' grow space. Is this enough light? (5 plants total) How tall should I grow the plants before flowering?
Yello Thumb, Las Vegas, Nevada
Fluorescent lights do not save you money. Although they are cheaper to buy, they are much less efficient at converting electricity to light. The full amount that you spend on light is the total of the cost of the equipment plus the cost of power. On this basis, fluorescent lights are much more expensive than HPS or MH lamps.
Fluorescents can be used to grow a crop, but they don't produce a good yield because the plants don't receive intense light. Not only are fluorescents inefficient as compared with HPS lamps, but they are low wattage. Four 4 ft. fluorescents use a total of 160 watts. This is only 40% of the electricity of a 400 w. HPS. Years ago, I recommended a minimum of 20 watts of fluorescent per square foot (psf) for budding. Later, I said, 30 watts fluorescent or 20 watts HPS psf. Now I recommend 40-60 watts HPS psf. The more intense the light, the more energy it delivers. Plants are fueled by light energy, which they use for photosynthesis. With more light, the plant is able to produce more sugar, which it uses both for energy and tissue building.
If the garden is to be lit by fluorescents, for results which are considered adequate in the twenty-first century, it will need two more 4 tube fluorescents fixtures. The lights will have a total input of 40 watts psf. Since there are only five plants in the garden, they should be encouraged to bush a bit, so they have a wider canopy. On the other hand, too much branching produces spindly buds. The lights are kept about 12 inches from the top of the canopy. This can be a little awkward if plants are different heights. One way to solve the problem is to raise the containers of the shorter plants.
Well we all know the arguments for and against Flos etc and that debate has been hashed to death. Does not change the fact they are used. Also that article is using obviously t12 40 watt bulbs and dates it as T8s are a leap better and t5s even more effective.
Ideally you use HPS if that fits your budget. I have a grow project (check grow journals) that is using 6 32 watt t8s and I plan to work it like a LST canopy grow zone. Doing some research and I tend to believe that my 4' X 2' canopy grow is going to be more even and controllable with the flos covering the entire space evenly rather than using a 250 watt HPS that is stronger in the center.
So given the details of the OP grow space, depending on his preference, Flos, CFLs and HPS can all work.
4 X 32 watts T8 flos = 128 watts and would provide an even cover for the area, could LST. The setup will cost less than 1 250 watt HPS and 128 watt consumption is less than 250 watt consumption last time I checked.
Yes raising and lowering containers, LST and anything you can do to keep the canopy even is required and is easy to do. Adjustable chains can allow you to raise and lower your lights as well. Flos are cooler than HPS and require less venting and if in an open space grow, you wont need to cool them at all (atleast I do not).
The article posted also states to have the flos at 12 inches from the top of the plants which is completely wrong. Expect string and stretch at 12 inches. I keep my lights 1 inch away from the canopy.
There are pros and cons to all set ups and what works for one grow op might not work as well in another setting.
Rough cost of a T8 flo setup based on my Home Depot and what I do:
3 Flo Ballast racks (each hold 2 T8s): $16 each, $48 Total 6 T8 flo bulbs at $4 each, $24 Total
$72 total for lights and watts = 6 X 32 watts = 192 watts power consumption.
-------------------- "I never post unless high. Well that does explain a lot then."
"The best part about going to sleep each night is knowing that my plants will have grown more when I wake up in the morning."
"I smoked it then I became so tired that my eyes shut down automatically without my consent" - My Chinese GF, Oct 23, 2009
Ok. But OP is not in a position based on budget for that kind of setup and I am not interested in having a flo vs hps debate as the two systems are used in different ways and I do not in any way claim flo > HPS...just is a viable alternative depending on some situations.
-------------------- "I never post unless high. Well that does explain a lot then."
"The best part about going to sleep each night is knowing that my plants will have grown more when I wake up in the morning."
"I smoked it then I became so tired that my eyes shut down automatically without my consent" - My Chinese GF, Oct 23, 2009
Well honestly guys, I'm not looking to grow some crazy G-13 shit. Just normal stuff where its great for personal use, and with friends.
I have done my research as far as what I'm gonna need,(and with all the help from you guys)
The last thing I'm worried about though, is the smell. I heard it REEKS of Budd, when you start growing. Is this true even if its only 1, or 2 plants? Any ideas on how to vent it out if I'm growing in a closet or something?
--------------------
Stuff that's hidden, murky, and ambiguous, is scary because you don't know what it does.
You can easily pick up a 250w hps for less than 200$. Yes fluoros will work and produce a fair crop, the light intensity just doesn't cut it. The bud sites on top of the plants, and those within 3-4" of the light will produce fine, where the remaining buds lower on the plant will be airy/fluffy/ less potent. Like the others have so strongly mentioned () fluoros will work fine, but once you switch to a HPS, it's a night and day difference. If you don't go with a HPS right off the bat, your going to want to upgrade soon down the road, so you might as well just save yourself the trouble and get one now. Also, fluoros won't necissarily save you money, they are just cheaper to buy initially. You are paying on a scale of KW/hr, however many watts you use hourly is what you are paying for. The more lumens you can pump out per watt, the better...and HPS lights put out many more lumens per watt than fluoros. Good luck trying to achieve dense buds with fluoros.
Also as far as smell goes, that is quite strain dependant. Some strains smell more than others, however with just 1 or 2 plants, you have hardly anything to worry about.
yah, you would normally use extraction fans and carbon filters. A cfl grow wouldn't need a very powerful fan, and you can build carbon scrubbers for relatively cheap.
A small DIY carbon scrubber will handle 2 plants and is cheap to create as others have said. It is probably one of the more easier aspects of your project. 1-2 plants won't be a huge deal anyhow unless Skunk weed or a really smelly strain.
-------------------- "I never post unless high. Well that does explain a lot then."
"The best part about going to sleep each night is knowing that my plants will have grown more when I wake up in the morning."
"I smoked it then I became so tired that my eyes shut down automatically without my consent" - My Chinese GF, Oct 23, 2009
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) fluoros will work fine, but once you switch to a HPS, it's a night and day difference. If you don't go with a HPS right off the bat, your going to want to upgrade soon down the road, so you might as well just save yourself the trouble and get one now.
