completely new to the forum and wanting to grow indoors in the UK ... have been reading a lot of threads, posts and guides ...along with various videos on youtube,....feel confident than 2weeks ago but,,,,, 1, still stuck on growing medium,,,what is best to use and is easy to access in the UK ? i know PH levels are crucial so need something that fits the purpose well. 2. when you germinate the seed and and then plant it in a small pot ,,,at which point do you transfer it to a bigger pot? 3. looking for a medium grow kit with all the equipment included i,e fan, extractor etc,,,any suggestions? (for the UK obviously) 4. looking at HPS lighting and will go to 600w for a btter yield however at which point do you put the plant under the lights...right from the start or ??? also should you start with a less powerful bulb such as 400w then move up ? ANY help would be much appreciated.
1 Fox farm ocean forest is good and basic im in usa though 2. I started in party cups, 15 days later transplanted to 3 gallon smart pots, might no longer though. 3. Personally i woulsnt buy it all in one kit. 600 watt phantom ballast ( can use hps or metal halide) you can use hps the whole time, personally im on my first grow so im using 350 watts of cfl. No nutes for about 3 weeks unless they start turning yellow or look like they need to be fed ( look it up)
What size is the space you have to set this up? Are you looking for a grow tent, or just setting up inside a closet or something? A 600w would be good, but you should get a dual ballast so you can run metal halide during veg, then high pressure sodium during flower. Starting seeds in a 16oz cup, it can take as little as a week to fill it with roots... and the point at which you fill it with roots is really when you should transplant. As for grow medium and nutrients, a peat based soil less mix like promix or sunshine mix. (I'm not sure what's available in your area) along with an auto ph fertilizer makes things very easy. For example, check out the products at www.advancednutrients.com
I agree with Ocean forest or happy frog soil by Fox Farm Repot when the plant outgrows the solo cup. When the leaves get bigger then the cup its about time to transplant
Looking at a grow tent. Which has space for around 4-6 plants. Heard a few complain about peat based products. Saying it's easier to get a soil based product which is similar for growing tomatoes as both plants have similarities in terms of medium required. ? Is there a definite need to start off in smaller pots and then transfer ? Or can u not just start from a big pot ?
Hey I'm from the UK dude best of luck to you. 1. I order canna coco off the Internet for something like 15 quid a bag but then I buy all the canna nutrients too. But I get the sample bottles off eBay because the full size bottles are expensive. 2. I like to start in mini pots for a week (about an inch wide pots) then transfer to your big pots and I like to sink the plant in the new pot a little upto it's leaves. And you don't need to start in small pots like you asked you can start all Inot big pots if you like. 3. Go on ebay and type grow tent kits and loads come up man pretty cheap example: http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/261582141743?nav=SEARCH 4. Go for most powerful and get a controller where you can turn it down (dimmer switch)