Grow tent

All the info you are looking for are found in the beginner stickies, you just have to read

 

Or if you're lazy...

Wow that's an expensive tent for so small. Are you restricted to that space? You can use whatever lights you want but in that small of a room I would think anything over 400W would be overkill and have heat problems. I'm not sure what type of racks you're referring to. I would also say more than 4 plants would be a real tight squeeze. I would ventilate using some ducting and a fan, size/power will be dependent on what type of lighting you use.

I run 4-6 plants under a 600W in a 4x4 space and ventilate w/ a 600cfm fan...works great. Not that you have to do the same just an example of why I think weaker lights are in ordrer for ya...gl...and feel free to ask ?'s...

 

I dont have a lot of faith in people that are too lazy to read all the zillions of guides here on GC....people need to realize that growing is not for lazy people. It takes a lot of knowledge, time, planning, dedication and hard work to pull off a successful grow.

If you are lazy, than growing is not for you.

 

I'm going to write you a small novel here for your benefit but I do suggest you do much more research before beginning.

Grow Tent: I have a 2'x4'x5' grow tent which is big enough for 4-6 plants (maybe even 7) in 3 gallon pots. Got it brand new for only $80 on eBay. It works great! Covered in Mylar, 3 6" duct holes, and two vents at the bottom that can be opened or closed. Grid on top to hang lights. No light leaks whatsoever! I suggest going on eBay and buying it, you'll save money.

Types of Light: Depending on your budget, which I'm guessing is high sense you were considering overpaying for that small tent, you have different options for lights. Main types of lighting is HID, CFL (flouros), and LED. LED will save you electricity however are expensive and a pain to find really good ones. CFL are decent, however give off less light than LED and HID. HID is the most common and is what I use! General rule of thumb is at least 150 w per plant. I grow 4 at a time therefore I use a 600 W MH and HPS with cool tube and reflector. With HID there are two main types of bulbs. MH (Metal Halide) which Is optimal for vegetative stage. HPS(high pressure sodium) which Is optimal for flowering. They give off light in different spectrums however going into detail may confuse you. I would suggest buying a setup that has a ballast for both HPS and MH, hood reflector with cooling tube, MH and HPS bulb. You can also find these items on ebay. I also have a 2" T5 flouro which I use for my seedlings and first few weeks until out of germination stage.

Ventilation: okay now for ventilation! Depending on how big your room is you will want to ventilate accordingly. This is what a decent ventilation system will include: Carbon filter(filters smell), inline fans (you will want to replenish your tent air at least 5 times a minute) for example if your tent is a total of 40 cubic ft like mine, then you need at least a 200 CFM (cubic feet per minute) inline fan. Remember that the cool tube in your light system is a certain size (mine is 6" in diameter) therefore I bought a 6 " inline fan and 6" ducting. Purchase and thermometer to control temps. Temperature should be between 72-78 degrees(remember that when plants are present in the room, humidity and temps will go up). Also buy a hygrometer to measure humidity levels (keep humidity between 50-60% for veg. stage and during flowering much lower at 30-40% to prevent mold). You should really research more on ventilation! It is very very very important!

Growing Medium: I suggest Fox Farm Ocean Forest for soil. I cut it with Fox Farm Light Warrior because it helps with draining and makes sure the soil isn't too hot for the plants. Use at least 3 gallons per plant and plant in separate containers! Tip: germinate in a small party cup (solo cup) and once the plant grows into it, usually about 2-3 weeks, transplant to final container! This will allow your plant to have fresh soil once it is mature enough to use up it nutrients!

Nutrients: Again I suggest Fox Farms trio Nutes which include Grow Big for all stages of growth, Big Bloom for veg. stage, and Tiger Bloom for flowering. Those are your main Nutes. However, I use General Hydroponics CALiMAGic because it gives your plants micronutrients such as iron, magnesium and calcium which are crucial for plant health! Now listen carefully! When watering, do so until 15 % of the amount you used drains out the bottom. When feeding, do so until it begins to drain out the bottom. Here is a general watering and feeding schedule! Do not feed(give nutrients) for the first 3 weeks of plant life! Your plant will burn as its getting all it needs from soil. Okay, so water and wait 4-5 days usually, or until soil is dry. If the soil is good and dry then feed. Again wait 4-5 days or until soil is dry and water. This is a general schedule! Observe your plants to see if you are overwatering or over feeding! You never want to do this! A good way to prevent overwatering is to feel your pot when the soil is dry and when it has just been watered. Once the pot feels like it did when the soil was dry it is time to water again. I water with distiller water to ensure a neutral pH level by the way.

Light Schedule: okay here's your light schedule. Once your sprout is out of the soil or whatever you use to germinate ( I use general hydroponics rapid rooters) then it is time to give it light. I use cfl during germination stage and give it light 24/0 which is all day. Some use 18/6 for temperature issues however 24/0 has been proven to grow plants more vigorously . Once out of germination i have transplanted to finally 3 gal. Pot and put it under my 600 watt light with the MH bulb in for 24/0. You can use 18/6 which is 18 on and 6 off to save electricity but again I prefer 24/0. Now once you grow you plant in veg stage for about 3-4 weeks or 6-8 weeks total including germination( longer if you want it bigger) then it is time to switch to 12/12. I use HPS bulb with 12/12. Flowering usually take 7-9 weeks depending on strain!

Any other questions?! I just wrote a small book so hopefully I can get some rep in return?!!!

 

Np bro...and don't stress about asking ?'s that what this forum is for...there's a ton of info out there(a lot conflicting) so it is nice to be able to ask specific ?'s...plus not everyone has tons of time to read on a cpu all day.

If you plan on growing for a while might as well buy once/cry once...and get the biggest/best you can find/afford...while still not wasting money. I've used the Secret Jardin tents and they've worked great for what that's worth. Feel free to post here(sub'd) or pm me if you have any more ?'s about ventilation or grow room setup.

 

Some real good info above. Fox Farms Ocean is good bagged soil I've used it and would cut it w/ perlite and FF Happy Frog but have since moved to making my own soil(easy, affordable, and reusable). I also use 5gal pots now indoors but those are all decisions you'll have to make for yourself...you're def on the right track.

 

As long as you don't have light leaks your tent is fine, take NTT420's advice and go ebay or shop online. I spent a ton of money on nutes and such early on, now that I mix and reuse my soil that's a savings. My only expense indoors now is electricity. Growing doesn't have to be confusing or expensive.

 

He uses the T5 to germ...don't leave your 600W 3" above your plants or you'll cook them...I do 10-12". I do 20/4 or 18/6 for veg I think they need a lil rest...

 

I use a propagation kit to germinate my seeds. It comes with a bottom tray, 2"x2" plug tray, and a humidity dome. It's made by General Hydroponics. Not to expensive. The plug have a small precut hole where you drop your seeds. Prior to dropping seeds I completely soak plug with neutral water . Make sure the seeds get no light and keep in a warm dark place(80-85 degrees). You can put a heating mat under to! Once there's a sprout and good root growth, I transplant the whole plug into a party cup with my soil and allow plant to grow more.

My lights came with two yoyo style hangers which allow me to move my lights up and down to desired height. With cfl I keep about 3" from top and with my 600 w I keep about 12-16 inches. This allows plants to receive more light, and reduces stretching which can be bad in restricted space. As long as you keep plants in 24/0 or 18/6 they will remain to veg . Switching to 12/12 will induce your plants to flower

 

You can reuse soil by simply adding some humus(earthworm casting/compost/etc) and some nutritional amendments. T5 is a flourescent light you keep that one low...don't put HID that close....

 

T5 is the type of fluorescent bulb. It gives off less heat, light(however great for germ.) and uses less electricity. I keep it 3" from plant.

 

Not necessarily just for germination, but great for germination as your young plant doesn't need as much light. May I suggest the Cannabis Grow Bible! Great book with the best information on everything you'd ever need to know. Has pics and breaks everything down so that even first timers can be successful