First time grow, setting up

[JamesBong502]

Hey guys/gals, just wanted to swing by and let you in on my new endeavor. This will be my first hands on grow for my self.
I just got my tent set up and still undecided in most other aspects. There’s so many different directions you can turn now.

LED or HID
Soil or coco
Autos or Photos
The options are a little overwhelming and I know what works for you may not work for me. Still doing my research.

I still have a lot of acquiring to do but feel free to drop any advice or just say what’s up.

Cheers,
James

 

[LTKNG]

Hello James, Welcome to 420! a good place to get ideas about set up is the grow journals, as they demonstrate different set ups that successfully produce crops.

Cheers!

 

[Alafornia]

Welcome. I'll offer my answers.

CMH/LEC - not on the list, I know, but IMHO the best of both worlds - energy efficiency plus great light with penetration
Soil - make or buy (especially make) a super soil and all you have to do is water the plant - NO feedings to fret over
Photos - lots of people mix it up, though. photos give you more control but really whatever works for you

 

[88WW]

Welcome to 420,

I just joined yesterday and totally new to growing myself. I did research for about 3 months before getting my set up picked out.

What helped me was maintaining a fun mind set, but also with a scientific approach. I will be keeping a journal on everything I use and do for refrence.

My advice would be to write out a little mission statement for yourself, this is to find out what end result you are looking for. Knowing what you want to end up with will help streamline your shopping.

 

[MochaBud]

Hey guys/gals, just wanted to swing by and let you in on my new endeavor. This will be my first hands on grow for my self.
I just got my tent set up and still undecided in most other aspects. There’s so many different directions you can turn now.

LED or HID
Soil or coco
Autos or Photos
The options are a little overwhelming and I know what works for you may not work for me. Still doing my research.

I still have a lot of acquiring to do but feel free to drop any advice or just say what’s up.

Cheers,
James

to James take your time and look around plenty to learn here

 

[MochaBud]

Welcome to 420,

I just joined yesterday and totally new to growing myself. I did research for about 3 months before getting my set up picked out.

What helped me was maintaining a fun mind set, but also with a scientific approach. I will be keeping a journal on everything I use and do for refrence.

My advice would be to write out a little mission statement for yourself, this is to find out what end result you are looking for. Knowing what you want to end up with will help streamline your shopping.

I started in my pantry with sum bag seed and a couple CFLs using miracle grow and clay pots...man are they hard to transplant from ...I took the long road and ended up in tents with HIDs and using organics I still don't keep track of what I'm doing my girls tell me what to do as well as when to do it I still have much to learn but after 10 years I have a grip on it

 

[Nunyabiz]

LED, no question.
If you must feed a salt based bottled nutrient then go with coco with 30% pumice and 5% precharged biochar.
If you use soil then stay away from the salt based nutrients, just use amendments, inoculate with mycorrhazae, or use a super soil in the bottom 1/3rd of the pot.

For first grow I'd do a photo-period, I think autos can be awfully touchy.
Photo-periods you can mess with a lot more without each small mistake screwing you, you got time to bounce back and figure what you did wrong and fix it.

Use fabric pots, they create a much better root mass.
If using coco use a 5 to 7 gallon fabric pot.
If using super soil use a 7 to 10 gallon fabric pot.
If going full Living Organic Soil especially if doing no-till then 15 gallon fabric as minimum.
Get your soil tilth right in a fabric pot and you really cant overwater unless you lose your mind.

 

[JamesBong502]

Thanks, for the replies everyone. After scanning some Grow Journals I’m going to go for LEDs and coco with photo period.
Which brings me to this question, although I know it’s not the best out there I’m leaning towards a kingsled 1000w full spectrum light. Would that suffice in a 4x4x7 tent until my funds are there to upgrade.
Thanks again

 

[Nunyabiz]

That's actually about 185w, small foot print.
If you cant go over $150 then you're probably better off going with a Mars Hydro TS1000 which I think you can get for around $120 and should be a better cheap light.
To properly cover a full 4x4 you need about 600w.

 

[JamesBong502]

That's actually about 185w, small foot print.
If you cant go over $150 then you're probably better off going with a Mars Hydro TS1000 which I think you can get for around $120 and should be a better cheap light.
To properly cover a full 4x4 you need about 600w.

Thanks I see that info on the listing now that you mention it wasn’t sure what that referred to. I have a budget of $260 right now for a light and inline fan kit. Just thought that was a good deal

 

[88WW]

I started in my pantry with sum bag seed and a couple CFLs using miracle grow and clay pots...man are they hard to transplant from ...I took the long road and ended up in tents with HIDs and using organics I still don't keep track of what I'm doing my girls tell me what to do as well as when to do it I still have much to learn but after 10 years I have a grip on it

Some people learn differently then others.no need to laugh at other people who do things differently then you.

for a person who is "well known" on this board laughing at new members because they do things differently is interesting.

you comment very passive aggressively. Instead of laughing at my advice, just give you're own advice.

 

[JamesBong502]

Hey guys just wanted to give an update on my situation. I got my exhaust fan and light set up and after reading some reviews and diving down the YouTube worm hole I’m pretty impressed with the Mars hydro ts1000(I’ll be adding a 2nd by the time my seeds arrive or plants cover a 4x4 area.

Had the light on about 10hrs so far and the tent has only raised 1 degree with no exhaust.

Now it’s just a waiting game I guess.
Cheers

 

[Carcass]

Damn,you've been busy since Wednesday-That's a sweet setup you've got going.
I really like the light- MarsHydro is good stuff!

 

[JamesBong502]

Damn,you've been busy since Wednesday-That's a sweet setup you've got going.
I really like the light- MarsHydro is good stuff!

Thanks, I’m really wishing I’d ordered my seeds about 3 weeks ago at this point

I’m impressed I’m glad @Nunyabiz gave the recommendation, in budget and pretty efficient from reviews I read.

Nutes, circulation fans, and another light are the only thing left on my list to get it going.

I’m getting a little antsy now. Haha

 

[Denzil72]

wow that is nice! i have 2 1200 watt leds that light a 3 by 8 space in an 8 by 8 room, which is more than i need i think lol. ive always grow 6 bigger plants then flowered them but im trying my first sea of green so i agree led all the way

 

[JamesBong502]

wow that is nice! i have 2 1200 watt leds that light a 3 by 8 space in an 8 by 8 room, which is more than i need i think lol. ive always grow 6 bigger plants then flowered them but im trying my first sea of green so i agree led all the way

I’m with you I’d rather have a little more then needed then not enough at all, glad I learned you don’t go by the wattage on the light but from the wall before I purchased anything

 

[Denzil72]

thats something i havent checked so im not sure what they draw. im honestly just realizing how important ph is i use spring water and my plants have always done well but ordered a ph meter and the up and down solution to fine tune it if needed

 

[JamesBong502]

Yeah it will determine how well the plant can intake the nutrients my tap water comes out around 7.0 so hopefully by the time I mix my solution it will drop it down between 6.0-6.4

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Hey guys just wanted to give an update on my situation. I got my exhaust fan and light set up and after reading some reviews and diving down the YouTube worm hole I’m pretty impressed with the Mars hydro ts1000(I’ll be adding a 2nd by the time my seeds arrive or plants cover a 4x4 area.

Had the light on about 10hrs so far and the tent has only raised 1 degree with no exhaust.

Now it’s just a waiting game I guess.
Cheers

Excellent progress! Now the next step is to start a grow journal and get that into your signature.

Did you find a grow journal similar to what you are doing yet?

If you are doing coco you will need a lot of high quality water.

Do you have an RO water filtration system yet?

Have you picked out your nutrient lineup yet?

Where did you get your seeds from? What strains did you choose?

You can put a lot of that info in your grow journal

There is a link in my signature to the grow journal page ... enjoy

 

[JamesBong502]

Excellent progress! Now the next step is to start a grow journal and get that into your signature.

Did you find a grow journal similar to what you are doing yet?

If you are doing coco you will need a lot of high quality water.

Do you have an RO water filtration system yet?

Have you picked out your nutrient lineup yet?

Where did you get your seeds from? What strains did you choose?

You can put a lot of that info in your grow journal

There is a link in my signature to the grow journal page ... enjoy

Hey @SQl2kGuy ive read through a few old ones almost identical to my set up.
I don’t have an RO system but I have 2 17 gallon totes of tap water I’m letting the chlorine evaporate off of as we speak.

I’m going to be using Advanced Nutrients pH perfect sensi coco line.

I got nirvana seeds
•Skywalker OG photo period FEM
•Big Bug photo period FEM
• Blue Mystic AutoFEM

I’m looking forward to the making of my grow journal, I know if I keep it up to date then you guys will be there to cover my back. I’m enjoying it here!

Thanks and Cheers