I think I have everything ready for my first grow but I wanna run my setup by you guys to make sure I'm not missing anything. Here is the cabinet i'll be using I have 1 18W and 3 26W cfl's (5000k), 120mm intake fan, 120mm exhaust with homemade carbon scrubber. I also have a Febreeze True Air filter that i will also use. Temp inside with lights on is 79. Will be using Garden Safe organic potting soil and will mix in some perlite. I plan on using Miracle-Gro tomato plant food since I already have some laying around (for future grows i'll be doing Fox Farm) So does everything look in order? I'm trying to germinate some seeds in paper towels as we speak.
Its a decent setup to start, once you start growing you will start doing small mods to your convenience. Btw is are your walls lined with aluminum? I would suggest it just because it gets wrinkled and causes heat spots. You can simply paint your walls flat white for an easy method. Hope this helps, happy growing!
I used an emergency blanket because i heard it was a good alternative to mylar, so i thought it might be better than white paint. I didn't really give it much thought or research though. It was cheap enough that i can always take it down and get some paint.
yeah it's not bad, used it, mylar is king though. also did you leave the lights running for a long period of time or just about an hour? cfls will get even hotter once you leave them for hours and hours. i suggest leaving them on for a day before you plants in there and see how the temps are, I think 70-78 is best, eighties is okay and high eighties is just pushing it.
Alright cool. I'll just leave the blanket on, was kind of a pain to work with. As for the lights, I left them on overnight and temp was still at 79 when i woke up. I moved the thermometer near the top of the case near the lights and was getting 81. I'll try to move the probe (using a cdn digital thermometer) so its hanging dead center in the case and get a reading from there. *The temp in the center of case is 75
Youd be better off waiting for better soil. MG can either be easy or a pain in the ass the entire way. You might think your doing fine then about 1-2 months in it dies off. Walmart sells in small bags...forgot the name non nuted soil. There very small bags enough for about 1 gallon container. Be better off getting that. Your temps are fine if there higher then 80 maybe up to 85 youll be just fine. If your growing more then one plant you will eventually need more CFLs..but those are cheap to get.
yup i agree, miracle grow will either work or fuck your plants up entirely. thats why i never use it. non nuted soil is best in my experience, just buy a good nute line (ff, an, humboldt nutes, general hydroponics) and some calmag/silica blast.
Are you talking about the organic miracle grow? Thats why I chose this soil, because i didn't want to go with MG although i've heard good things about the organic stuff. Eventually I'll add more lights as I would like to have 2 plants going. Plan on adding at least 3 more, but for now I just want to get some experience under my belt before i start throwing down more money. Same thing with nutrients, my next go around will be Fox Farm. Thanks for all the input guys.
so what your saying? you are relying on Organic MG to feed your plant start to finish? Im afraid the experience your about to get under your belt wont be a good one.
Get foxfarm ocean forst. A huge ass bag of it is like 16 bucks. MG your wasting your time Also those CFL's are WAYYYYYY too high. You want them a few inches from the tops of your plants
Sorry for confusion. This is the soil I have Garden Safe. I have Miracle Grow Tomato plant food that I plan on using but I might go ahead and order the Fox Farm trio next paycheck. Is this a little better for the lighting? I'll find something a little sturdier when i start the actual grow but you get the idea.
There is no difference with Organic MG and Non Organic MG. All that means is the materials that they used were "organically" sourced not man created. Organic Phosphorus is the same chemically as non. Where as one say is mined the man made perhaps is chemically synthesized. As for money...it will end up costing you more when they die off. FF Ocean Soil Pro Mix is the way to go. Nutes dont cost that much either. Do it right first go around will alleviate having to do it right the 2nd go around.
Yeah, do it right the first time and avoid synthetic fertilizer to save your self some headaches, some money, and your plants nute burn. they are very different from organic fertilizers, for example phosphorous, it's not the same at all if you compare the organic materials used in a soil mix, to the phosphorous in bottled nutrients. totally different ball park of growing.
I learned my lessons the hard way. As far as the cardboard box you're using there, I've learned any cardboard in the grow room is not a good idea. 1. mold. 2. collapse. 3. nuf said
I use Synthetic and not a worry. Get massive yields from it to. Your wrong about them being very different. Thats the biggest counter argument to organic. Take a completely different area since right now just poped into my mind. MSG. MSG can be derived from organic means or made chemically. There exactly the same chemically...you could take MSG taken from tomatoes, or seaweed and take the lab created one and chemically speaking there identical. Now consumers think MSG is bad but what they do not realize some of the highest sources of MSG are tomatoes. So if you ever wonder why tomato powder is added into soups, chips, seasonings...its the MSG there adding just not labeling it as that as the Feds do not require it.
Considering that everything you eat or drink is fed with all sorts of stuff most things that are plant orientated or labeled as food from say a hydro store is just fine. Just make sure its orientated for that plant and proper stage of growth.
[quote name='"Airf0nz0"'] Good looking out, didn't even think about that. Will use something more stable to use.[/quote] U Sud invest in some led grow lights! Check my led grow test out ul get an idea on what I mean I've jus started flowering