assorted pickandmixseeds for a 600W indoor

It will be my first grow. But I did loads of research and plan on making it complicated:

Vegging with a 600MH Diamond reflector
Flowering with a 600HPS and maybe add the 600MH. (I am considering to order all equipment now and get two ballasts so I can add the MH in the last weeks to just hang vertically down between plants.)
Room is 5'x4' some 6' high.
Soil with BioBizz

Seeds will be from http://www.pickandmixseeds.co.uk/ , so I might as well get plenty of different ones.

The idea is to germinate and veg them together but gradually harvest them during flowering to let the longer flowering flower and have the space.
So I thought to get some autoflowering strains because I have nothing to smoke now and then some classic indicas and sativas.

I have no idea what I am talking about but it would be cool to use all space+light. So I fantasize:

Start with some 30 plants if regular or 15 if feminized.

When they are small the 600W should be enough. Veg for 4 weeks 20/4 as a compromise for the automatics. Then after two weeks of flowering the Low Ryder will be smoked and so the others will have more space. Then I'll harvest the indicas and let just 1-4 sativas grow to 4'-5' with 4 colas like Uncle Ben. (The indicas and LWs will be untouched/natural.)

Now I understand the key would be right strains and timing. Both things I newbie know nothing about.

Below my preliminary selection of seeds. Favorites are Night Shade, LW2 and SLH. Please share your thoughts!


Sativa

Super Lemon Haze 3x7.5EUR (60-70days)
Hawaiian Snow 9EUR (80 days)
Arjan's Ultra Haze #2 7EUR (80 days)
Utopia Haze EUR8 (90cm 80days)
G13 Haze 10euro 70-80 cm/days both
WW sedsman 2.50 euro

Indica

NightShade 4x 7EUR (55cm 65-75days)
LSD 1x7EUR (60cm 65days)
Blueberry 13EUR (55-70)

Hybrids
A.M.S. 3.50, 8-9 weeks
Big Bud 11euro (110-150cm 50-65days)
Big Bang 3uro 9weeks
Jorges Diamonds #1 12euro 60 days


Auto

Low Ryder #2 11EUR
Low Ryder #2 & AK47 11EURO hybrid
White Dwarf 9Euro indica
40cm 60 days

Sounds good, but keep it simple (KISS). Treat your faves like you would tomatoes - no fancy stuff, no exotics, do not force with foods or excessive light, etc. It's a weed, treat it as such. Know your NPK values and micros in the foods you use, cutesy labels and fancy product names are for losers.

Germ in a pot that is at least 16cms. tall, NO paper towels please.

Where did you get the Diamond Lights hood? I thought they went out of biz?

A light meter that registers to 10K f.c. is a great tool for your toolbox.

What I do is start the faves under a 400W MH and bring in a 600HPS as needed. Also, I use mobile side reflective panels so that I can maximize reflective light. As the garden's footprint expands, the panels are adjusted outwards. As I harvest, the panels are moved inwards, always keeping the panels adjacent to the plants. You could probably get by with only one lamp, depends on the quality of the hood.

30 plants in 20 s.f. is way too crowded. You're inviting stretching issues and fungus pressures.

Have fun,
UB

Thanks for the advice and rest assured it will be followed.

But what about my actual questions: strains, number of plants and timing? How can I practically implement this gradual harvesting fantasy? How do I time it to harvest sativas after indicas after automatics? Should I germ the sativas a week later? Consider that I want to top the sativas above the second node like you!

I am not planning on flowering 30 plants on 20 sqf! I thought 30 before sexing or else 15 feminized. But I'll do any numero you tell mi tio. Just name the numbers of autos, indicas and sativas (o even better strains) and if feminized or regular please! (BTW I am well informed about fem/hermies. But I just want your take on whether it'd be easier to sex regulars or keep hunting hermies). I thought to get LR2 feminized and the rest regular.

I didn't get the Diamond Lights yet. I am only putting my order together from here:http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Grow-Lights-182/Grow-Lights-189/Diamond-Grow-Light-567.asp

But I saw dozens of other retailers offering them. If you feel like advising me on equipment, I'll post my list. It is a long list though.

PS I plan on vegging with a 600MH to be able to use the same ballast and reflector for flowering.
(Even if I do get two ballasts, I'll get 2x600W to have a backup in case of failure. I want to be 2xsafe because I am absolutely determined to have some smoke by June. If you wonder why - try my soapbar! )

By "LW" in my first post I meant "LR", sorry.

petrushka said:

Thanks for the advice and rest assured it will be followed.

But what about my actual questions: strains, number of plants and timing?

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That you'll have to find out on your own. Me, I wouldn't put in more than about 10.

How can I practically implement this gradual harvesting fantasy? How do I time it to harvest sativas after indicas after automatics?

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You put 'em all in together and harvest them as the become ready to harvest.

Should I germ the sativas a week later?

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Consider that I want to top the sativas above the second node like you!

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No. I mix indicas with sativas all the time and germ them at the same time.

I am not planning on flowering 30 plants on 20 sqf! I thought 30 before sexing or else 15 feminized. But I'll do any numero you tell mi tio. Just name the numbers of autos, indicas and sativas (o even better strains) and if feminized or regular please!

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Doesn't really matter, just plant what you think you can handle. I do SOB (Sea of Bush) so I plant fewer but grow them bigger.

(BTW I am well informed about fem/hermies. But I just want your take on whether it'd be easier to sex regulars or keep hunting hermies). I thought to get LR2 feminized and the rest regular.

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Based on keeping a consistent photoperiod, I'm not sure you want to include autos with the rest. I guess it wouldn't hurt to mix them up. You'll just get the autos out of their sooner is all, and then the indicas and sativas last. Reason why I mentioned the moveable panels.

I didn't get the Diamond Lights yet. I am only putting my order together from here:http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Grow-Lights-182/Grow-Lights-189/Diamond-Grow-Light-567.asp

But I saw dozens of other retailers offering them. If you feel like advising me on equipment, I'll post my list. It is a long list though.

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If it's the old Diamond company, you can rest assured they have done some fine design work. Most hoods are built like crap.

Good luck,
UB

Thanks! That helps me!
And I agree: Bush is a SOB.

petrushka said:

Thanks! That helps me!
And I agree: Bush is a SOB.

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For the record, I liked Prez. Bush for many reasons. He was wrongly demonized by a far left wacked out press.

Ben

Actually I just liked your "SOB" tio and I didn't really mean to offend anybody's role model.

IMO Bush was wrong about almost everything but not about invading Iraq (and obviously Afghanistan). Whereas Clinton was right about almost everything but not about not-invading Rwanda in 1994.
As far as "liking": I heard from people who met people who met GWB that he is a very charming man. But I am sure that you are aware that people like GWB would never want to legalize cannabis. As of today I am paying income tax to pay the police to prevent me taking my medicine and then I am paying my dealer for hiding my medicine from the police and lacing it with all sort of toxic and addictive crap. And that does not charm me one bit.

Looks like Uncle Ben has you covered. As I often say, I rather have one GOOD opinion than have to sort thru a raft of bad ones to get it.

As a first-timer who just pulled down about 8 zips under a single 400W, I can't say enough about keeping things simple. Not that your setup sounds super-complicated, but it's almost inevitable to run into issues during a first grow. The simpler things are, the quicker you can figure out what's going wrong and correct it.

My extra two cents: Be careful with those nutes -- if you're using good soil (you didn't mention what soil you plan to use -- it's an important choice, I think...), you don't need ANY nutrients until at least 3-4 weeks, possibly longer. I don't care what any label or bottle says about that; remember that they're in the business to sell you as much as you'll buy. When you get to the point where you're confident it's needed, don't start any stronger than 1/4 of the recommended strength, no matter how many faux MJ leaves they put on the label. Most commercial nutrients are way too strong for MJ -- that's where that "weed thing" comes in. It's a plant that grows in tough-ass environments, and isn't nearly as fond of babysitting as we are.

Good luck, man. Sounds like you've got some resources to put into this -- that helps. It's exciting... I think I know how you feel.

Thank you!

Uncle Ben was invited twice by PM to post here. In fact I started this thread mainly counting on him because I find his methods to be the most rational.

However, what I am looking for is a more specific advice/set of instructions on how it could be done. Like for example:
"Get 3xLR2 feminized, 5xSLH fem, 3xBB reg, 5xNightshade reg, 5xWW reg. Germ and veg for 4 weeks, top SLH when 5nodes, sex plants, go 12/12. After 2 weeks smoke the LR."

You see I lack any experience with the timing of these things. Most other things I already know from extensive research and a book.

well man that sounds like a good setup!im nearly sure theres only the one type of shamrock soil in there! yea i use the bio bizz myself!as fo the timing thing theres so many factors that you cant put a def finishing time on anything each strain has different pheno types that could have different finishing times! i have two lowryders that didnt show sex till day 30 and now theres only 18 days left till day 60 but they deff wont be finished by that!

Well, I'm about to start my fist grow and all I have to say is that everything's not preset. I mean, it all depends on how the plant is handeld. The number of plants for each strain is up to you, look up their yield and see their potency.

I guess if you wanted to smoke before everything was ready with the LowRyder, you'd need a few of them because they don't have that much of a big yield. Then again, how much do you need for like 4-6 weeks? It's all up to you and you're preference. If you have problems during your growing you can be so much more specific and then we can help you. So yeah, you should get a few of each plants when they are regular, and double the amount of seeds you germinate at first. That's what I would do .

Good luck, seems like you have alot of fun ahead of you.

Umm... One kind you say. OK. You don't mix it with perlite, vermilite or somethin?

What you make of that?

Ohsogreen said:

.
mix in some well aged compost, perlite and peat moss or well rinsed coco coir fiber.
.
Your soil - 40 percent
compost - 20 percent
perlite - 10 percent
peat or coco coir - 30 percent
.
This will provide you with a soil that holds water & nutes, but drains well to. This is important to prevent root rot, from overly wet soil.

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petrushka said:

Thank you!

Uncle Ben was invited twice by PM to post here. In fact I started this thread mainly counting on him because I find his methods to be the most rational.

However, what I am looking for is a more specific advice/set of instructions on how it could be done. Like for example:
"Get 3xLR2 feminized, 5xSLH fem, 3xBB reg, 5xNightshade reg, 5xWW reg. Germ and veg for 4 weeks, top SLH when 5nodes, sex plants, go 12/12. After 2 weeks smoke the LR."

You see I lack any experience with the timing of these things. Most other things I already know from extensive research and a book.

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You're welcome. I couldn't have gotten my product off the vine without the help of other growers, so I try to help wherever I can. I'm also a fan of UB's philosophy -- simple, but based in good science and very practical and rational. I also share his suspicion of all the MJ "voodoo" out there.

Just so you have a better idea of what's ahead of you, it really is impossible to lay things out that step-wise and exactly. There are too many factors around setup, the quality of your grow room, and such to really give you a timeline. And while I def support working with seedbank strains and trying to better define your grow thru good strain selection, these things are not iron-clad. There's still a lot of potential variation within these strains, no matter how stable the seedbank sites claim them to be. You will really see what I mean once your plants get up to 2-3 weeks and beyond -- they will really start to express their individuality.

One thing I would suggest is not to get hung up or impatient based on what seedbank sites tell you about maturation times. You can't key any part of your grow process to these claims. It's ballpark at best, and overly optimisitc for the most part. Impatience is a grow-killer - that's what will drive your worst mistakes.

Bottom line, these are plants and every plant has a little will of its own. The timing and process of a lot of things will vary no matter how much we try to control them. Incorporate that into your mindset going in, and it will go much more smoothly.

Kriegs said:

Just so you have a better idea of what's ahead of you, it really is impossible to lay things out that step-wise and exactly. There are too many factors around setup, the quality of your grow room, and such to really give you a timeline.

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Yep. Ya know what they say about "best laid plans". You just have to choose your equipment carefully, plan your garden and grow your plan.

One thing I would suggest is not to get hung up or impatient based on what seedbank sites tell you about maturation times. You can't key any part of your grow process to these claims. It's ballpark at best, and overly optimisitc for the most part. Impatience is a grow-killer - that's what will drive your worst mistakes.

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Seedbank maturation times and other "cultural facts" is based on hype, not fact. No two gardens are the same. Just a variance of 10* in temp, lighting, or water one way or the other trashes anything a seedbank has to say about their stock. The descriptions are designed for one thing only - sales and of course photos of sticky bud. Noobs equate lots of trichomes with potency. Nothing could be farther from the reality. It's what's in the resin heads that count, not the visual appeal as it relates to trichome field density.

Bottom line, these are plants and every plant has a little will of its own. The timing and process of a lot of things will vary no matter how much we try to control them. Incorporate that into your mindset going in, and it will go much more smoothly.

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Good, down-to-earth advice.

well man whats the story with an update how are things going?

petrushka said:

Thank you!

Uncle Ben was invited twice by PM to post here. In fact I started this thread mainly counting on him because I find his methods to be the most rational.

However, what I am looking for is a more specific advice/set of instructions on how it could be done. Like for example:
"Get 3xLR2 feminized, 5xSLH fem, 3xBB reg, 5xNightshade reg, 5xWW reg. Germ and veg for 4 weeks, top SLH when 5nodes, sex plants, go 12/12. After 2 weeks smoke the LR."

You see I lack any experience with the timing of these things. Most other things I already know from extensive research and a book.

Click to expand...

Develop a schedule on P3...LOL!