Hello everyone, i have little knowledge of growing seeing as my friends and i managed to grow a plant (sativa i think) on a minimum budget, we were like 40 days into budding when the plant was stolen, i later had 12 babies just coming out of the ground in a closet grow when someone changed ideas by the homeowner resulted in them being flushed down the toilet, i am now planning to get a well paying job, so i will have my own apartment, i love the idea of a closet grow, i am going to order some seeds online, skunk being as the ease of growth( from what i heard) or some kind of northern lights (my favorite smoke)i love indica)) i have been smoking for 4 plus years and am interested in personal use only, i was just an in incident with the law resulting in me being arrested for driving with no insurance and i am currently not smoking to due to my system for an inevitable drug test. my plans are to use 75 percent of the closet for growing the goods, possibly 4-6 plants under a 100 250 hps, and possibly having a mother in a closed off section under a flu tube, i want to be able to have smoke at all times and i like the idea of cloning so i wont be buying seeds everytime i run out of plants, hydro wont fit my schedual and dirt seems to work just fine, i want to stick to mostly organic unless there is a fert i know will help bud growth and not affect my smoke, after reading plenty of overgrow, kindbud, and now grass city, i was wondering if anyone has any ideas on what im planning, i wont have a computer and im not trying to risk all this at a library (try to be mega carefull of the 5-0)so i am trying to build as much knowledge as possible before hand sorry about the long post with no rewarding pictures, if you manged to get through it i thank you because my patience is slim at times, any help is appreciated -dirty
the best way to get large knowlege base is to read a lot...then read more... we cant really tell you everything u need all at once...its easier to set up grow journal and help along the way, but it seems that that wont work so my advice is too just read read and read... heres some advice though...for lights, you should have 60-75W/sqfoot. so take that into consideration. also, get good soil with ph 6-7.5...starting container 6in in diameter then transpot into the last container you plan to use so like a 5gal one...make sure the containers have holes in the bottom...after that..just use common sense in growing and go to the library is you have what looks like a big problem...
Yo dirty, 4-6 plants under a 250 watt hps will not be lit efficiently. For 4-6 plants you need to step up to a 400 watt hps. If you are interested in a "constant harvest strategy" and doing clones, you are going to need two separate rooms (or one separated room); one for vegging and the other for flowering. Therefore, you are going to need two lights. As for soil I would just get some good organic potting soil bought at any local nursery.
would a 400 watt hps be a little sketchy for an apartment? im not entirely sure, i know im going to buy a fat old as tv and put it on a timer, i might actully have a few old power heavy appliances on timers just to keep everything look like im some wierdo who stays up all night and watches t.v or washes his clothes or something, from what ive read, i think using the closet for budding would work, i mean the walls are white , ill put 2 standup fans in there, and theres the rack your supposed to hang clothes that the light can go on, for the mother and clones i think a small cabinet or something would work out, im not really worried about light leaks or smell, i smoke stoges so that should kill the smell issue, and i will be living by myself and i wont know anyone in the area, i just know i have to do this, my love for marijuana is absurd. thanks -dirty
Four hundred watts is perfect for an apt. Go with that. They are great. In some areas of the country, electricity use is charged less during "non-peak" hours. Consider having as much of the light time as you can during these hours. To keep costs and electrical suspitions down just be conservative with the lights, dishwashing machine etc.
Fierce, so you grew 2 females under the light not 5. Had you had 5 females from start to finish you would have found that it was not great. I am not saying it can't be done. However, it won't be done EFFICIENTLY. Heck, I once grew 10 plants under a 400 watt hps but, it was not EFFICIENT. You have to keep turning the pots and switching their position many times a day because they start reaching for the light indicating they are not being lit EFFICIENTLY. He might be able to get 4 nice plants under the 250 watt though. Try it and see. I say get the 400 watt and have 4-6 kick ass plants not get the 250 watt and have 4-6 half-assed plants. Your choice though.
400W makes it hard to maintain the temp of your grow room, i know from personal experience, especially in an apartment. i just got the 250W hps now, and i have 3 females flowering just fine.
Yeah Go for the 250 and do 3 nice females or go for the 400 and do 6 nice females. Those are the most reasonable choices. Don't go 400 if heat and ventilation is an issue.
Does the jump up to a 400W HPS make a BIG difference in temp control? I know my 150W is not a problem at all, but I was thinking about upgrading to 400W so I can grow more but I only grow in a closet.
gigantic difference. my boy who is doing the 400W has a grow room about twice the size of mine (i have 250W) and even with 4 computer fans and all the windows in the room open we cant get the temp below 80.
VTEC, my grow area is about 3' deep, 6' long, and 5' tall. I sort of partitioned that area of my closet off. If thats the case maybe I'll just upgrade to a 250W.
Not so fast. That space can handle a 400 watt hps if it is well ventilated and the room is air conditioned, and you have a fan. What type of ventilationare you thinking about?
Unfortunately I cannot get too hardcore of a setup, with my 150W I just have a 10" fan blowing towards it but I generally keep the door closed to avoid people seeing the orange light. If I went with a bigger light I was just gonna add another fan most likely but once again the closed door does not offer much chance for heat to escape, and in this apartment I can't start drilling holes. Any suggestions?
Sweet, I'm happy with 3 good plants, its all for me and my friends anyways, I just want to have the best grows I can possibly get.
so im getting closer to growing guys, bought my seeds the other night so im awaiting delivery, i talked to a guy i work with and he told me in an apartment, anything 400 or higher is too pwerfull and is easy to notice, ive reconsidered my plans, i am now interested in growing 2-4 under a 200 watt hps, im going to try and buy a switchable ballast because i dont want to buy flouro's and hps just to grow a few plants, i am not worried about actully growing them as i have done it before and ive read every page of every forum online there is about growing, im considering maybe breeding a plant now because the thought of cloning is giving me a headache when i could just plant a few seeds every few weeks, any comments are appreciated and u guys can expect a full grow journal in a month or 2 pss, i bought some K2 and have heard wonderfull things about this strain, cant wait
Damn it, don't say that crap! I just bought a 400W and I live in an apartment! Making me paranoid. But I did tell my landlord (my utilities are included) that I bought another computer and will be buying a new window airconditioner, and offered to give an extra 20 a month to cover the costs...she seemed happy. Think the power company will get to nosy? By the way my apartment is in a huge old house (converted)with 5 other tennants. I think it all comes on one bill to my landlord...should be ok huh? Half say 400W is nothing the other half say it's way to noticable...damn it. P.S.-sorry if anybody is upest that this isn't properly formated with correct paragraphing Good luck on your grow Dirtystall. Post a journal...these guys are amazing.