Planning my first grow - Noob advice needed

[ScurvyKnave]

Planning first grow - some questions

Hello all,

I'm in the process of buying/setting up my gear for my first grow. Here is my plan based on what I've learned in the forums along with a few noob questions:

What Strain is it? Auto to start - Candy Kush and/or Northern Lights
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages? ~70% Indica methinks
How Many Plants? 4
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Planning stage
If in Vegetative Stage... How Long?
If in Flowering Stage... How Long?
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil,
If Soil... What is in your Mix? FFOF and Happy Frog mix 75/25
If Soil... What Size Pot? 3 Gal
Size (Wattage) of Light? How Many? G8Led450
Size or Square Footage of Room? 25 Sq foot closet vented into spare room, only using about 9 Sq ft to grow.


The closet I'm using is larger than I need and is painted white - should I block off my grow area with reflective material or just stick with what I have?

I'm thinking 4 plants - will my G8 LED 450 be enough for 4 or should I consider fewer plants?

I've done a lot of reading on pots, planning on using smartpots. Is it better to start in smaller cups and graduate up or can I start with my 3 Gal pots for the whole process?

If you see any potential problems or have advice it is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

ScurvyKnave

 

[Graytail]

Welcome to

You've done a great job figuring it out!

You have plenty of light for your 9 sqft and I wouldn't worry about reflective stuff for the open end.

4 plants should be ideal for that space. Mine typically take up 2.5 sqft each.

You should start them in smaller pots and let the roots fill the pot, and then transplant into the final pots. I'd recommend something in the one gallon range if you're going to finish in 3 gallons. You'll get better soil aeration that way. Bigger pots won't dry out fast enough for young plants.

So far, so good.