I've been reading up for a few months several different guides and these forums and hope to be able to start my first grow in about a month when i move into a new appartment. At first it seemed like i could handle growing until i started reading grow logs and it seemed the more i read, the more i realize I don't know. Because of this, I was thinking of getting the grow DVD on high times to get a step-by-step video guide to take me through my first grow. I was wondering if that would be a good idea or if it would be too advanced for me. Also, is that something I could order with a credit card or should I try to avoid using my credit card with everything related to the grow? I intend for my grow to be inside in a small closet about 3 feet tall using soil and lights, which I can't decide on yet. I'd like to try to start with cheaper lights and work my way up to the expensive stuff, not just throw all my cash into something I really don't know enough about yet. Any suggestions as to what materials to buy first, as it seems every guide and person has a different idea as to what is best? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.
just make sure you have proper lighting, ventilation, and regular potting soil with no plant food in it- you will feed ur plants after 2 weeks- wow there's so much to be learned- I'm still learning and i think a good idea would be to buy that DVD u were talking about, just don't use a credit card with anything related to grow, in the meantime search up Grandpa's Grow Guide here in the general indoor growing forum I think it is- it has a lot of good info-- good luck, may you grow heady herbs
Well first of all ..... welcome to GC buddy! It couldnt hurt if you got one of those grow DVD's like one of Jorge Cervantes (http://www.marijuanagrowing.com/dhtml/home.php) But most of the information you get from those videos you probably have already gotten from this site. The purpose of these forums IS to help you grow your plants step by step. Now some desicions for you to make.... In regards to your lighting... although that space is a little on the small side, considering you will need about a foot for the pot, and at least 5 inches of space for the light (and thats if your using CFLs). By the way, CFLS are compact flourecsent lights, which are very inexpensive and easy to use. Plus the fact that they give off very little heat, so they can be put very close to your plants (1 - 2 inches away) http://www.servicelighting.com/catalog_sub_sub_category_list.cfm?cat_num=020205. Another type of light to consider are small HPS or MH security lights(75 - 100 watts), but that would require some good ventilation and and a bit of cash (to buy the light and for the extra bit on your power bill). Another thing you have to decide is how many plants you want to grow. Im not sure how wide or long your space is but im assuming its pretty small so id think you could grow no more than 1 or 2 plants. Make these decisions and then report back, theres some more stuff to go over.
ohh a new grower welcome to the city dude where everybody is willin to help so heres what i got to say as for the DVD or pot growing books a complete waste of time and money just use the search buton and all you questions will be answered and for lighting I have an HPS (400 watts of course) but its nothin but a headache on your first grow cause theres so much that goes into ventilation its not even funny I suggest getting 3 or 4 85 watt bulbs from here www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=2086 there 20 bucks a pop but worth it also go to www.ebay.com and search for 85 watt reflectors P.S Im on my first grow too
oh yeah search for Large Pro Reflectors too cause they support 85 and 105 watt bulbs which are 5 bucks more than the 85 P.S I would give you the full link but Ive had troble with Ebay links there so long and they never work for me
Hey, thanks for the welcome and the help. Yeah, i know most of what you guys are talking about, which is good, i was just having a hard time deciding on the lights and whether or not to get the DVD. I'll go with CFLs the first time, that seems like the best bet. I was hoping to get 3 plants growing, as it's i think 1 1/2 feet deep and 3 feet long. Noise isnt an issue and smell shouldnt be either, as my roommates and i have the entire house as our appartment. I was also wondering, I've seen grow logs with both white walls and reflective walls, wondering which would be best. I was thinking of coating the inside of the closet with aluminum foil. Would that be worth it or just a waste of time? Again, thanks so much for the help everyone, I really appreciate it.
tin foil is sort of a no no. heres why.... the fact that it is metal and the fact that it crumples makes it create hotspots on your plants, possibly burning them. What your seeing as the reflective walls are mylar. Mylar is fairly inexpensive, its that emergency blanket stuff. You can get it at pretty much any home building store, rona, home depot, lowes, whatever. Painting your walls flat white may not be quite as good as mylar (im actually not sure) but it does reflect just fine, so its your choice. As for smell... when you have 3 plants in full bloom, they will probably (depending on strain) stink up your whole house, and maybe more. SO just to be on the safe side you should probably get SOME kind of odour control. Be it a deionizer, carbon scrubber, or something else.
most definitely you will need to get rid of the odor, my first grow was with only passive venting, fan blowing air in attic, towards the end, I was burning incents 24 hrs a day to disguise the smell. On the plus it was great weeed
hahaha, wow, that's amazing, I didn't realize it was so strong. Thanks, Fido, I always look for your posts in every thread, since it seems like you have a phd in botany or something, you know so much about it. Ok, I'll get mylar then. Since i'll be using CFLs, will I need to get some cool(blue) and some warm(red) ones or do those work as both in one? from what I understand, blue stops the plants from stretching while red helps the plants to grow. So, here is my next round of questions. Should I invest in a Ph and EC tester for my first grow? I don't mind spending the money, I just want to learn the basics first, not jump right into the deep end. Are the Foxfarm nutrients considered the best? Is there any sort of schedule to watering or is it just testing the soil with your finger mainly?
Ok, so you can keep CFLs 2 inches away from the plant, will that burn it if i have 100 watt bulb that close? there are so many different wattages, I'm not sure which one to get, but I know it depends on the size of my room. Also, should i get a hood for the light to help direct all of the light at the plant? From what i've read, hoods make hot spots which will burn the plant, but those bulbs are also very low on heat. And last, I would like to know for sure whether or not it would be safe to put that grow DVD on my credit card, since I live in the U.S.
1. Yes good idea getting blue and red spectrum lights. You almost had the concept when you said "blue stops the plants from stretching while red helps the plants to grow." The difference between blue and red is blue the correct spectrum for vegatative growth (giving short inter-nodes of leaves) and red is the correct spectrum for flowering. Either color by themselves will work just fine to grow you a plant. But to get the most out of your plant, you should have a combination of both. 2. An electronic PH meter will DEFINITELY pay for itself in the long run, but if this is your first grow you could just pick up some litmus paper (harder to use and less accurate, but also less expensive) 3. Sorry no idea about foxfarm being the best (although Ive heard of them a lot, so probably) 4. Its a combination of both man, you kind of have to make your own watering schedule. At first just stick your pinky like an inch into the soil, if you feel any moisture then dont water, if you dont feel moisture, then water. After a couple tests like this you'll have a good idea of how much water your plants use and can develop a schedule. Typically its about every 5 - 7 days. <HR style="COLOR: #ecfcb2" SIZE=1> Ok, so you can keep CFLs 2 inches away from the plant, will that burn it if i have 100 watt bulb that close? there are so many different wattages, I'm not sure which one to get, but I know it depends on the size of my room. Also, should i get a hood for the light to help direct all of the light at the plant? From what i've read, hoods make hot spots which will burn the plant, but those bulbs are also very low on heat. And last, I would like to know for sure whether or not it would be safe to put that grow DVD on my credit card, since I live in the U.S. 1. A 100w CFL bulb? Youll probably want to keep that a bit farther away. An easy way to check, is if you stick your finger near the bulb and you can keep it there without discomfort then its ok for your plant. If not move it until you can 2. Getting a reflector or "hood" is a very very good idea. The reason being, the light that comes out places where there is no plant is wasted. Like its not getting to your plants directly, thats what a relflector does, it changes the direction of the wasted light and focuses it on the plant. The only way a reflector would create hot spots is if its not a real reflector (made out of something shitty like tinfoil) 3. I can't tell you that for sure, and neither can anyone else. What I can say is that although your probably fine, I dont think ordering it to the house your growing the pot in is the smartest idea. If your still scared just head over to a local headshop or hydro store and pickup your DVD. Last but not least, lol, I, by NO MEANS have a PHD in botany or any PHD in general. I learned a lot of my knowledge from this very site and just plain ol' experience.