Im learning a lot on my own, but now I have questions

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by dave40k, Feb 10, 2014.

  1. I've been doing a bit of research and watching lots of videos the last week. From what I've gathered, growing seems really easy.
     
    I am looking to grow just for myself and my wife, so I don't know what kind of setup is going to be an appropriate size. We will likely only be smoking once or twice in the evening, and maybe not every day. I've been in the military for the last 3 years so it has been a long time since I have smoked. I used to smoke all day every day and an OZ would last 3 weeks. I'm guessing an OZ would last ~2mo now with both my wife and myself.
     
    I'm all for simplicity, effectiveness, and longevity. For these purposes I had thought a grow tent may be the best idea. After doing some research, Secret Jardin seems to be the brand for me. Because I like to keep things simple, I found a kit that I think would be the best way for me to go about things: http://www.perfectgardens.com/grow-tents/grow-tent-packages/premium-4x4-grow-tent-package/
     
    Would that tent be a bit of overkill for my purposes? How many plants could I fit in there? Would the 3x3 tent be a sufficient size? I don't mind if I grow more than I need, but I'm just not seeing any point in buying a bigger tent than I need and growing a half pound more than I need every cycle. On the other hand, I want to make sure I don't get anything too small and then have to upgrade.
     
    I love that the grow tent kit I linked is pretty much all inclusive. From my research, all I would need to buy in addition to that would be seeds, pots, growing medium, nutrients. What other things would I need to account some money for?
     
    The actual growing seems pretty easy and almost foolproof if you've got half a brain. A couple questions I'm having is how big of pots would I want to get? I'm assuming 2gal. When you first put the germinated seed in a pot, what light do you use? Is it the regular veg light? Will using a HPS light only work just fine, or is it without a doubt worth spending the extra ~$30 for a MH light in addition to it. There is also a 3x3 tent kit bundle available but I see that only includes a 400w HPS, would that be enough to use in a 3x3 tent? I'm sure I will think of many more questions.

     
  2. I recommend the MH for veg, much bushier growth with proper distance from the plant... it puts out a LOT of heat so be ready to deal with that (totally worth it in my opinion).

    Besides the tent, you'll need soil, pots, nutes... I'd also recommend a decent pH pen / pH test kit. That's the biggest issue most new growers will mAke including myself. Oh and try to avoid tap water if your PPM is too high... I avoid mine all together and use distilled water bought from the store.
     
  3.  
    Yes, I knew about checking PH but it didn't occur to me when I wrote all that out. Do you still need to check the PH with using distilled water? I'm about to be a broke-ass buying distilled water may not work actually. That's part of my predicament. I am about to leave Afghanistan, then a few months later leave the military. That's two huge pay cuts in about 4 months time so I'm trying to juggle this idea of spending ~$800 (including shipping and the few store-bought things you mentioned) versus finding a cheaper alternative. Long run, I don't think I could go wrong with ponying up for the decent setup. Plus, let's be reality here, I may think an OZ will last two months, but once I'm sitting on a harvest of several OZ I'll be smoking like a chimney again.
     
  4. Distilled water pH is fine for plain watering... there will be no ions in the water to mess with the pH. Most people get a RO system for their home, it's like 200 on Amazon ... I don't live on my own so didn't want to install that. pH is pretty much the most crucial thing to master when growing... wrong pH and your plant won't be able to take up required nutes which will build up in your soil causing it to eventually die.

    Best of luck with your grow... I hope tHE good medicine let's you realize how pointless war is :)
     
  5. Oh forgot to add, don't try to fit too many plants into one tent. Instead, train one or two plants with LST to drastically increase your yield. I put 3 plants in a tent that size and not a good idea lol

    Sent from my LG-D801 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  6. You can build your own grow box a lot cheaper. I'm going to convert an old fridge. Read this guys threads....  http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-medical-marijuana-growing/1033041-indoor-gardening-without-bottled-nutrients.html
     
    Has a lot of information. I was going to go hydro, than aero..then hydro...but after reading this, I'm going organic. You can always find used equipment on Craigslist too. People sell it all the time. Just buy what you need to supplement. A new bulb, new pots..stuff like that.

    And Thank You for your service! Good luck with your grow, and see if you can't get some seeds stuck in the chewing gum on your boots :ey: :ey: :ey:
    These people don't know what real Kush is......... :confused_2:
     
  7. #7 Thicken Dense, Feb 10, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2014
    Yea, if you grow organically you don't have to worry about ph or burning your plants. That thread fearjar linked is a great source of information on how to feed your plants.
     
    I would suggest a 3x3 tent, 400w mh/hps, 6" fan and filter. With that setup you could potentially grow enough with one harvest to last a year in your situation, which is better than constantly growing small amounts IMO. The price for a setup around that size can range anywhere between $400-$800, depending on the quality of the equipment you buy. Here's a website I use... http://www.hydroponics.net/items/
     
    edit: I really like the idea of a 600w 4x4... generic filter though, never heard of "hypotek" ballasts either. I would rather have a quality 400w 3x3 than a generic 600w 4x4....
     
  8. Sweet thanks for the info. I'm going to look more into that organic growing. Wife and I are vegan and buy most of our food organic. Right now I'm kicking around the idea of either getting a tent and putting some CFLs in it, maybe trying to get a cheap refrigerator to convert, or still following through with the original idea of buying a complete grow tent kit. While money is an issue, it's only because I hate being broke. I got about $5k in the bank and haven't filed taxes yet. Nothing at all to be excited about, but the point is I can definitely swing for a quality setup if I so choose.
     
    Speaking of quality setups, what do you think about this kit? http://www.perfectgardens.com/grow-tents/grow-tent-packages/premium-3x3-grow-tent-package/ to me it seems a 3x3 will suffice and save $100+ compared to a 4x4. One question I forgot to ask before that is quite important: how long can I go without checking on plants during a grow? I'll be ready to start growing at the end of the summer, but I will be going to visit family for probably about a week for Christmas. Can't leave a grow unattended that long, huh? I'm browsing through the site you just linked me gonna add some things in a cart and see what it comes out to. I'm super bummed that the links I've been putting up would cost ~$100 for shipping
     

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