So I'm trying to get into growing marijuana for personal use (And enough for a friend or two every once in a while) I'm planning on growing OG Kush (seeds are taken care of) but I only have about $200 to spare at most.. The only place I can really put my setup would probably be either my closet or the attic, i'm thinking the attic would be the best bet. I have a few questions about growing on a budget.. 1. I keep hearing about "grow tents" do I really need one of these? I understand they can hold light in longer, so could I maybe use a basic 2-3 person camping tent? 2. PH, PH, PH. All I keep hearing is PH, this seems like a very important factor. Would this cover everything as far as PH goes? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNKWZY?ie=UTF8&tag=growwcom07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BNKWZY 3. As far as lighting goes, i'll be rocking CFL as that has seemed to be the cheapest. I don't know how much marijuana i'll need to grow for personal use and then some, so I figured since I get seeds in packs of 5 ill just plant all 5 and get rid of males as soon as I can identify them. I understand the standard CFL watt would be 100 watts per plant so with that I would need 500 watts. Could 5 of these take care of lighting if positioned well? is the "spectrum" alright? http://www.amazon.com/105-Watt-CFL-Light-Bulb/dp/B003YO4AXC 4. Is there any kind of soil I can use? Some people seem to say miracle grow, some say never use it. Any good experiences with any certain kind of soil? (Same goes for food by the way, cant really get a straight answer on what to use for that either) 5. Do I absolutely NEED fertilizer? People say it really just helps the yield, but by how much? 10%? 25%? 50%!? 6. I understand it's vital to control temperature / humidity, as i probably won't start til mid October it may get cold at night in the attic. I have 2 mini electrical-heaters (use in bathroom when showering) they're very basic, plug in set setting (low, medium, high) could I use this if needed? I have timers so they could run for only so long every so often. So here is a list of what I currently own that I can use to grow: Tent (?) Timers Old lamps (will put the FCLs in and place them around plants without lampshades, or hang from ceiling, not sure yet) Miracle grow soil (Not sure if useable) Seeds Thermometer / Hygrometer 2 mini heaters (Aside from what I have and what I mentioned earlier that i'm looking into buying, is there anything else I will need?) Sorry for such a long post, this just seems too overwhelming and these are most of the questions I cant really find an answer to on google (or didn't understand, laymans terms people!!) Thanks!
I am sure everything you wondering is on internet if you do some research. You need reflectors.Mylar is the cheapest. Ph should be around 6.5. Check your tap water where you are. "Just helps the yields" that's the hole point with growing if the get as much yield as possible. After seedling you need more bulbs and a fan/air conditioner. Good luck!
Here are two sections of the forum that have a lot of information for very inexpensive growing: http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/122824-kamels-cfl-guide.html http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/ The CFL guide is based on using all CFL lighting in your grow and the organics covers just about everything to do with the actual growing WITHOUT a lot of nutrients and even just tap water. I'd also recommend perusing the stickies in this section for grow room basics as well as gotchas.
BTW, while looking for something else, Amazon told me there's a better deal for you! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FRCUHY/ref=s9_simh_co_p60_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-4&pf_rd_r=03SZBK6PSDZX16KYDQMF&pf_rd_t=3201&pf_rd_p=1280661882&pf_rd_i=typ01
I would also invest in something to test soil pH or run off. PH is essential for nutrient uptake and to prevent nutrient lockout. But yes, the pH testers u mentioned on amazon are good for testing water. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I'm fairly certain that the CFL's that you linked to on Amazon are not 100watt. Those are the same 45 watt CFL's that I use in my photography soft lights. They are 45 watt, 100-watt equivalent. When growing with CFL's, you go by the actual wattage, and not the incandescent equivalent. So, you would need two of those for 1 plant.