I am going to be growing for the first time. after reading the beginner forums I have a bunch of questions so please bare with me. I got my hands on Northern Lights seeds. Is this a good choice for a beginner? So i will be growing in my closet. The plants will have about 5 almost 6 feet of head space. To start I'm going to germinate three seeds. I have 25 watt fluorescent lights. Will these lights work? Ive read that HPS lights are better. Before i invest in HPS lights, will the lights i have right now be able to grow or should i not waste my time and just get HPS lights? (keep in mind im on a relatively low budget). After i get my light situation figured out how high should the lights be hanging? I understand the plant nutrients is very important. Anyone know any cheap plant nutrients that they found at their home improvement/garden centers? After the seeds are germinated and planted how often do they need to be watered and how long does the lighting need to be on? Odor control is not that big of an issue for me but does anyone have and tips (cheap ways) on calming down the odor? That's about all the questions i have for right now. If anyone has any tips or suggestions for me please feel free they will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for whoever helps
Welcome to the wonderful world of ganja growing. I recommend growing in soil (potting medium) because it is MUCH easier, more forgiving and (IMO) a whole lot cheaper than a hydroponic setup. I have had pretty good success with standard fertilizers available in most garden centers. I have used Miracle Grow Tomato Food, Osmokote, and more recently Espoma Plant-Tone/Tomato-Tone fertilizers, following the recommendations on the package. 25 watts of CFL lights will Not be enough to even properly vegetate your plants, let alone provide the light needed to make good buds. A garden needs "footcandles" not watts, so you will want to calculate how many "lumens per square foot" you will have in your garden. As a general rule, you will need at least 2,500 lumens of light per square foot of garden. To get the square footage of your garden, simply measure the floor space where your garden will be and multiply the length by the width. So a 400 watt HPS (50,000 lumens) will light a 4' x 5' garden adequately. Remember, 2,500 lumens per square foot is the minimum amount of light you'll need. Typically the brighter the garden is, the faster the growth and the bigger the yield should be. Some growers suggest a 400 watt light for an area as little as 9 square feet (3' x 3'). I can't speak to the strain of MJ you asked about...I hardly ever use store-bought seeds but I hope this gets you started.