i would go for soil if i were you, if youv never grown before. growing in soil is alot less complicated than trying to grow in a hydro set up, also growing in soil lets you get the hang of how the plant grows, its stages in growth, heights and what not to do ie over heating over watering...before you fork out for a hydroponics its good to know the basics.
All you really need is
- A grow space eg wardrobe or similar
- A light source 250w hps is a good start for 1 or 2 plants or cfls
- Ventilation, Usually a hole high up in the side of the wardrobe or cupboard with a fan pulling out hot air and a hole in the lower side of the cupboard pushing in cool, fresh air.
- a good sized pot with decent soil
- A few basic nutrients
- Finally a few seeds an a bit of luck
Thats just the basic needs to grow a plant, of course there are things like thermometers to keep an eye on temps, ph meters, EC meters and endless different nutes and bitsnpeices but that list is pretty much all i had to grow my first plant and i learnt heaps!
Good luck and ask as many questions as you can. Knowledge is power
