I have many thoughts and ideas about creating a new grow. Right now though, the main influence/restriction is money. Im low on funds (need to slow my smoke) and could use some general estimates of how much your grow cost to start up. Obviously this will be a small grow, maybe two or three plants. So please no 200 plant growhouse cost estimates thanks e'eryone. Also some small details like hydroponic/ soil and how many plants and stuff would be appreciated. one love
Honestly without having some direction, this is a very hard to answer question. There are simply too many variables... At the very least you need Lights, grow medium,containers, ventilation, thermometer/hydrometer, PH testing equipment, and nutrients (for veg and flower). That doesn't even take into account the cost of setting up your space which in most cases will need at the very least some modifications to be suitable. The best suggestion I can give you is to read the sticky posts in this section and get an idea of the type of grow you want to do. Just remember like everything else in this world you will get out of your grow what you put in. There's very little point in doing it half ass. If you're going to accept the legal risk of growing and put the time and effort into caring for them, then you may as well make sure you will get something for your trouble.
CFL bulbs at home depot ------------------------------------$8 for 6 Socket to light adapters at home depot---------------------$1 each 6 foot extension cords & surge protector at walmart ------$1 each Organic soil at any grow store-------------------------------$10-15 per bag Fox Farms both veg and flower nutes at any grow store----$50 Containers (I like smart pots)--------------------------------$5 each That's the basics. I'm assuming you have things to make a light proof grow space for flowering, a watering can, measuring spoons, and basic household items that will be needed.
Can range from peanuts to thousands. All depends on what you want. Get the book off amazon.com Buds for less.
I would say a "good" small set-up would start at around 700-800 dollars... that would include most the basics, including ventilation, filtration and HID lights... Growing is not cheap, unless you want cheap results...
Totally agree with growing not being cheap if you want it to be done right. And there are also many hidden expenses, that you propably wont have thought of before you get started. My setup, which is considered rather small(400w, six plants) has cost me about 1200 dollars. My calculations concerning the expenses before i got started were a bit way off.
Mine I consider a small grow, it is a 4w x 2d x 8h closet. I plan on doing 6 plants to start, dont know how many will be female to flower. I went with: 400w hps/mh combo used for $110 10" oscilating fan $15 6" inline 424 cfm fan $90 2 x 2" intake elbows $2 4" flange and vent tube kit $10 Jiffy starters for seedlings $6.50 solo cups $2 temp/humidity meter $7 mylar $38 Double Sided tape $10 power strip $5 extension cord $10 chain and hardware for hanging light $10 6 x 10" pots $20 Soil $30 Perlite $20 Jack's dynamic duo nutes $15 Still need to get Carbon Filter $130 6" ducting and flange $20 Total grow cost: $540.50 That's everything I can think of right now. Mine isnt a top of the line setup by any means, but should give some nice yield. If I can flower 3 plants at 1.5 oz per plant then to me it is like paying $120 an oz on the street. The second grow is where you will make your moneys worth. You can also maximize your value going with clones or femmed seeds if those are available, but I went with bag seed so i didnt have to worry about killing them.
I totally agree with you guys who say a good grow costs a lot of money, but I'm not sure I'd recommend someone who is broke invest that much money into growing when they haven't even grown one crop yet. I would think it would be better to try one small budget grow, see if you do well, and then invest more as you can. My first grow I used as much household stuff as I could and hardly spend any money. Then each season I have acquired more things as I could afford them. For a barebones grow you can do it pretty cheap. It won't give you a big yield, but it will be a good learning expierence, and then the money you save on bud while your smoking your first crop, you can spend on grow supplies for the second. I'm not saying I'm "right". That's just how I did it. It would have been nice to be able to afford everything at once, but not everyone can. I still don't have everything I want for my indoor grow, but I'm mostly an outdoor grower anyway. Outdoor is a lot cheaper way to go if you can. But of course it's too late this season.
save up cash, the initial was about 600$ since then we are up to at least 1100$ and we have a small grow done right. (6 plants tops) It will be worth it to you to save cash and do it right vs. buying crap and growing crap, when you will replace all the crap again later. it costs to grow quality shit.
If you buy CFL's now they can always be used as side lighting for your next crop. It's not a waist of money. Even the best HPS grow room can use side lighting. Everything on my list can be utilized in a high quality grow room. You can grow a first small crop with $100 and get more than $100 worth of decent buds from it. If you don't have money for an expensive set up, that's still a savings, and a way to save up for a bigger set up. This persons first post stated that money way an issue. I highly doubt they can start up with anything like what you guys are saying. If someone doesn't have the money for all that, there is nothing wrong with starting small.
Dude CFLs work great for growing. I'm using CFLs to veg with and HPS with CFLs to flower. Working great so far! I found a 150 watt HPS for $96 after shipping. Its for a 2' by 2' grow space which is exactly what my closet is and its self ballasted. For a small grow op, its pretty good. I don't regret buying it in the least. Its working wonders. New pistils everywhere
I have a couple of grand in my setup so far. That is not counting the cost of the building or the window a/c units that I am using. I went a little bigger than I probably should have. I am using a 12 x 30 building, got it divided into 3 different areas. Hoping to get some plants budding in the next month or so, it would be nice to start replaceing the money I have spent, plus there is a lot I still need to do to finish the building properly.
ok I'm going to put my .02 cents .I started my grow with 10 cfl' 6500 and 2700for $15.00 and some good soil from walmart called kellogs which is almost like ff but cost 4.97 but I bought bags in the sun for 1.00 and some plasctic pots for 1.97 and the bottom for drain 98. surge protector and the sockets for the cfl was about 15.00 from home depot but you can buy them at walmart for much less,perlite for 3.97 and 3 clones for about 10.00 check on craiglist or disp auto are the best and a desk fan.I spent a total of 80.00 and I bought some cheap brackets from home depot to put my cfl's around and after 60 days got almost 1 oz from each plant.hope this helps.
You guys are crazy... A damn decent grow op for a couple plants could cost as little as 75-100 bucks.. but obviously the more you put in, the more you get out. Also, technically finding stuff around the house isn't costly... Improvise that shit.
lol, it's ironic, ain't it? An experienced grower who can afford anything can grow pot with just about nothing. Noobs on the other hand, often need expensive training wheels to reach their target yield. A $100 setup in the hands of a pro is a huge leap from the hands of a noob. It's no coincidence that most noobs who post their problems are using cheap shit. LOL@ telling them how cheap and easy it is
OP, I am starting my first grow like you are in about a week. So far my setup has cost me 150 dollars and I have around 50 more dollars to spend late in the season when I buy some fertilizer and a few more lights. I have improvised with containers and power strips and screws and tape and things like that around my house but all in all everything I bought I made sure it was a cheap as I could get it because I don't want to spend a ton of money on my first grow either. I did however purchase good seeds from a reputable dealer and a good growing medium (Fox Farms Ocean Forest) because in my mind (and my research) these are the two more important starters for good bud. I am adding more lights for flowering because I want a "BOOM" in the end when my buds start getting huge. Bottom line, it's not expensive, pick a high yielding "noob" bud (easy to grow) and you are set. I am pumped, I am starting four plants, mango strain, and they are huge yielders, going to LST them too, so you can really really get a good bang for your buck if you bother to do research and do it right.
Why all the negativity? Can't we all just get along? What's wrong with having a few laughs here and there? Exactly what is constructive about your post, other than the ego boost you get from telling people to shut up? You remind me of people who think the internet is for serious business only, and anything that you personally find distasteful is a waste of bandwidth. Thanks for the epic self-serving hypocrisy and detracting from the constructive dialogue in this thread. Also, you're off-topic. On topic: OP, you will find a balance between budget and skill, but that will come after you learn patience.