ok im about to buy about 900 dollars worth of grow supplies this will be including everything i will need to grow in side of a cab cooltube, ballast , nutrients, etc. now the question i have is i have an htgsupply store about a halfhour away from my house i would love to go there and shop and get my supplies from there and it would be much more discreet since i dont have to ship anything, but i want some good quality products too. so what do you suggest getting my items online or getting everything at htg supply?
I'd pay cash only, the cops like arresting people that grow weed. Ever been in jail? Let me tell you, you don't wanna take any chances. Be as paranoid as possible, then you can enjoy your grow op without shaking legs.
Figure out how many watts of light you want then I would suggest getting a name brand digital MH/HPS ballast. The advantage to buying in the store is no shipping, you get to see in person what your buying, can ask questions etc... For beginner nutrients I like the Techniflora Recipe For Success starter kit, it has all you need from beging to end for a small grow, if doing a larger grow then the bigger bottles would be more cost effective. A cheap MH & HPS bulb will last you about 3 grows. A good digital PH tester, calibration solutions, some PH Up & Down solutions, PH is important and its not something you want to skimp on with cheap soil testers, dropper kit solutions or test strips. The two top rated brands are Hanna and Bluelab. You might get a better deal on the tester buying online but for the calibration solutions and the Up & Down solutions buy localy.
I much prefer to order online. Cops with a bug up their ass have been known to stake out the parking lot of a hydro store and either follow someone and pull them over for "weaving" or else just run the plates so they know who they can go hassle on some future date. There is nothing illegal about buying lights, soil, fertilizers, etc. I have no worries putting such items on a credit card. Soil I get at a nursery so no worries there, lights and ferts and such I have shipped.
Platinum Grower's Package - 1000W - 4 x 4 Tent - Free pH Meter! - IndoorGrowSource.com - Hydroponics Headquarters! a little more than you wanted to spend.. but its a good package..
wow that is a nice package but the problem is i have already bought my cab its an armoire about 7feet high and 6 feet wide reason being i live in an apartment and i cant have a tent just hanging around you know. from seeing all of the responses im guessing i shouldn't go to the store correct? the thing is its really convenient but seriously if the quality is junk then i will most deff not go.
They will have some stuff you can use and buy localy that will be cheaper then ordering online. Some people are more cautious and some a little paranoid about buying stuff locally, I`m not. Where I live we have a hydro store about every 5 miles, lol. The only thing I wouldnt buy at HTG is their really cheap ballast and hood combo deals, I watched a few advertisement videos of theirs and the few I saw just looked real cheaply made. The cool tubes look fine but they also carry alot of name brand stuff. For ballasts I would go with a name brand digital dimmable ballast. They are a little more pricey but they will use less electricity then a older style magnetic ballast and dont run as hot.
I like shopping at places like Craigslist for the anonymity. You can make up a different email address and pay cash. I've always ordered online without any issues (well, yet anyway). DiscountAN.com and AdvancedNutrients.com work for me. What you might want to do is to buy a few things from a few different places, or you might want to scam someone else into ordering it for you. LOL
If I were you, I'd go up to HTG Supply and buy what you need there. I have the 3 gallon bags and the 250w MH/HPS grow light from them and it works great. They have grow light as well with cool tubes etc...their quality in product and customer service is awesome. I ordered a 150w HPS grow light from them and like a week later, the 250w MH/HPS became the same price. I called HTG supply and I sent back the 150w and they sent me the 250w combo without ANY issues. And your lucky to not have to have stuff shipped which is another good reason to go there. They have everything you need and all you gotta do is strole up in there with the cash and walk out with everything you need. You can even ask them for advice once you get in there rather than just making decisions yourself. Sooooo I'd say go there and get your stuff. Either way, cheers and good luck on your grow. PM me if you have any other questions.