100% Grow Virgin

OK I am new to growing. I have never grown a thing. I want to grow for personal use only. I need to grow an average of 1oz per month. Here is what I think I want to do.

I am going to grow up 2 females of good seed. I want to clone those and have two flowering stages, for more consistent output.

I want a drip system for the mothers and clones on a 118/6 light cycle with fluorescent lights.

An ebb and flow system for the flowering plants on a 12/12 light cycle with HPS light. There is no reason I cant have the two stages of flowering under the same light is there? I am going to set up two different reservoirs so i can have the nutrients adjusted for each stage.

I have an insulated room with vents in and out and 220v and 110v.

I have a CO2 tank with flow meter.

The questions I have are:

Do you see any issues with my aforementioned set up?

Do you have suggestions with my light wattage?

What nutrients should I use? Are there any "fool-proof" nutrients out there?

I live in the DFW area so if you local and can suggest any places to go send me a P.M.

I know I am missing a ton of info so anything you notice try to fill in the blanks please.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

there is a hydro nutes kit out there made by "Techna Flora" called " recipe for success" it cost about 30 bucks at your local hydro store, or find it online. It consists of about 8 bottles of veg and bloom nutes, and very easy yet detailed instructions on how and when to use them. as far as the light.... you might want to try 2 smaller lights that you can adjust (one for the new plant, and one higher for the taller finishing plant) but other than that.... it sounds like you know what to do... and obviously you know where to come if you need help. Good luck!

What wattage would you suggest for just a few plants? Will 250 give me good results, or would 400 just be better?

Really depends on the space provided. Im on my first grow now but have learned a lot during the growing period.

My space is rather small and I picked up a 400w, plants loving it.l I could have gotten a 250 but figured what the hell. The price was about the same anyway,


What size is your growing area?

growspace dimensions are really the answer to that. you have a great idea btw! i'd say a 24x48 space with two 150's would reap you well over an ounce every month or so. 2 SCRogs side by side even.

ok what is scrog?

My grow space is going to be pretty small. The room I am working in is 8X12X8, the grow area I am going to use is most likely going to be 2X2 per stage.

Where do most people get their nutrients? I was thinking about ordering online but wasn't sure if there was a cheaper route that has less of a paper trail.

I am also worried about ordering seeds. Is is safe or would I be better off trying to grow something I find local? Is it safe to get them sent to my house, I don't know where else I could have them sent.

try and find somewhere that will accept cash through the post. thats the best way. try to leave as few electronic traces as possible!! there is always an element of risk so try and keep it minimal. you could easily order like this from a seller in Holland, but it will man waiting for the post.

I am sorry if I am asking stupid questions but I do not know what you mean buy it through the post?

I am going to home depot this morning and I am planning on getting some supplies.

Hoax said:

ok what is scrog?

My grow space is going to be pretty small. The room I am working in is 8X12X8, the grow area I am going to use is most likely going to be 2X2 per stage.

Click to expand...

Scrog (Screen of Green) is a training technique where you use a net or screen, and train your plants under it until they bud. This will ensure that the majority of the plant is as close to the light as possible, and will help maximize your yield. Instead of having a plant with one main cola plus loads of small air buds, you will have a screen filled with many small-ish, uniformly-sized buds. It's also a great technique to use when you are limited by height, or for lower wattage lights that cannot penetrate very far.

For a 2x2 space, a 250 HPS will be ideal.

Nocturn3 said:

Scrog (Screen of Green) is a training technique where you use a net or screen, and train your plants under it until they bud. This will ensure that the majority of the plant is as close to the light as possible, and will help maximize your yield. Instead of having a plant with one main cola plus loads of small air buds, you will have a screen filled with many small-ish, uniformly-sized buds. It's also a great technique to use when you are limited by height, or for lower wattage lights that cannot penetrate very far.

For a 2x2 space, a 250 HPS will be ideal.

Click to expand...

What kind of screen are we talkin? Something like window screen or something like chicken wire that it can poke up through?

I have also been thinking would it maybe not be a better idea to grow up maybe 6 plants and only flower in one stage? that way I only have the extra cost of more lights? If I flower in one stage should I bump it up to the 400w HPS? Would supporting the flowering cycle with some CFLs at the base of the plant so it wont be stretching for light? I know that it is not recommended to flower under fluorescent but what about as a supplement?

I have seen a bunch of grow vids using florescent for the mother plants and clones is that a good way? It seems like it worked great in the Urban Grower's vids.

A scrog screen should be something like chicken wire, pea netting etc. Ideally the holes should be around 2 inches wide, and the plant should be trained with one bud site per hole, as much as possible. When you flower, you allow the buds to grow through the holes.
Check out the google image search results for "scrog" (link), which should give you a better idea of what i mean.


Since larger HPS lights are more efficient than smaller ones, you would probably be better having one larger flower room, rather than 2 small ones. You could use a 400 or even a 600, depending how much end yield you would like. The 600 is the most efficient HPS, in terms of lumens per watt, so will give you more weed per watt of electricity used.

A 600 should supply you with far more weed than you will need, but it will also allow you to collect a decent backlog of well cured bud. It will also make it possible to shut down your grow every so often, for holidays etc, without running out of weed.

You shouldn't need to supplement with flouros, regardless of which HPS light you use, although it won't hurt if you want to. They will be wasted at the base of the plants though, so if you do incorporate them, i suggest they should be around the sides of the room, at canopy level.


Flouros and cfls are fine for clones and small mother plants, and are good for vegging in general, as long as you keep them nice and close to the plants.

Thanks for all the help folks.

I have been looking at seeds and trying to figure out what I want to purchase. Should I get indica or sativa or a cross? i have noticed on some of the crosses it is indica first or sativa first, does it matter or does it mean it is primarily one or the other?

Could I put the plants that I am vegging on 24hr light?

Will CO2 make a difference in my grow operation or am I just wasting my money and just do it simpler for now and add complexity to my grow op later?

I know I have alot of questions and some might be repetitive, I am just trying to learn as much as I can.

Thanks

Hoax said:

Thanks for all the help folks.

I have been looking at seeds and trying to figure out what I want to purchase. Should I get indica or sativa or a cross? i have noticed on some of the crosses it is indica first or sativa first, does it matter or does it mean it is primarily one or the other?

Could I put the plants that I am vegging on 24hr light?

Will CO2 make a difference in my grow operation or am I just wasting my money and just do it simpler for now and add complexity to my grow op later?

I know I have alot of questions and some might be repetitive, I am just trying to learn as much as I can.

Thanks

Click to expand...

The strain is entirely up to you, and will depend on lots of things, including seed budget, type of high you would like, flowering time etc. I recommend a relatively cheap, quick flowering strain for your first grow, so you can get results quickly, and if you mess up, you won't have spent too much on the genetics.

I wouldn't bother with CO2. It can be beneficial, but only when all other environmental factors are perfect. Instead, I would advise you to concentrate on good airflow and ventilation.

Vegging on 24 hours light works fine, although you can save money by vegging on 18/6, since there won't be much difference in the end product. I've seen studies that indicate that a 20/4 schedule is best for end yield, and this is the schedule I use myself. 24 hours light works okay though.

I would get a 400w HPS and then just cycle the plants through the flowering room. For instance, put 2 plants in every two weeks, and remove 2 every 2 weeks( when they are ready to harvest. Then you could harvest every two weeks. Continuously clone before initating flowering. 220v uses less amps and power. Doesn't make any difference for 1 400w. SOunds like you have a good space and room to expand. Good luck
Take a look at my grow in sig if interested.

you can always add co2 later, not a necesity. Vegging under flourescents will work wonderful. I am using ( 48" fliurescent tubes for my clones. a 400w MH in a large parabolic reflector, and then a 1000w HPS for flower.

the bigger the lights are always better. get 400 watt hps for flowering and a 400 watt mh for vegging if you can get a 600

600w HPS sounds like a must.

I know I said I want to do a hydro set up, but I'm watching these grow vids and the mixing the nutrients seems like alot to do, or rather to complex.I would also like to be able to go to my local home depot and get the supplies. I am starting to think growing in soil might be easier for my first time out. There should be no reason I can't switch over to hydro later if I am successful.

As far as strains I would like to have two, I can't go every where rip roarin stoned! I enjoy going out in public after a toke so I like more of a body stone and still being able to think.

I am daily smoker but I have not had alot of experience with specific strains. I will see what I can find and post it here and see what people know about em.

Is it easier to do soil? I just don't want to get in over my head. It looks like soil is the easiest initial way to grow. I don't want to be lazy because I know this will take work.

I am also interested in doing it organic. Is there a way to do hydo organic or just soil? Can I use the same water soluable(sp?) nutrients that I would with soil?

I am sure everyonefeels nervous. Is there a major cost difference in soil/hydro. Money is not a huge issue I just don't want to spend big bucks to find out I don't like a method. I want to make the best informed decision possible.

Thanks for all the advice and patience.