starting out on my first grow... advice?

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by atm21, Sep 2, 2008.

  1. soo like the title says i am about to start my first indoor attempt and was wondering if anybody could help me out. I am relatively in the dark but i have the general idea.
    i have several plants outside and was wondering if they could be transferred inside?
    second i have a 5 x 5 area to grow in... how many plants could i fit?
    what would the best lighting be? HID and MH 400 watt? 600 watt? or would a 150 watt be fine? third is soil... how important is the NPK balance? i have 5 gallon pots. should i go with 12/12/12 or like a 10/10/10 with perlite at a 4:1 ratio?
    and last but not least fertilizer... i have no idea which works the best or where to even get any
    please help a new commer out.....
     
  2. I was where you are about 6 weeks ago. You need to read like you've never read before!! Start with the stickies, Grandpa's grow guide is a good one to start with.

    I'll answer some of your questions to get you started, but I'm a beginner too. You're best bet is research. :)

    You want roughly 100watts per plant. I have used an hps light for my whole grow, but I believe hps is better for flowering, you may want to start with cfl's, there's a great sticky guide for these too.

    Yes the NPK ratio matters. You want higher N, than P and K for veg, then higher P and K for flowering, always start nutes very diluted and strengthen only when you see how the plant responds.

    5 gallon pots are a good idea. I don't know how old your plants are, but I would go for organic soil and control the nutes yourself.

    Keep us up to date with your grow and Good luck! :smoking:
     
  3. good grow size and you can fit 10 - 12 plants easy. look at my grow box for flowering. 3 x 3 and i fit 10 plants like nothing.

    as for light? ide go with a 1000 HPS. yea you dont need it now but youll want it later and you might as well do it right the first time. If not then a 600 is ok as well.
     
  4. Listen too freedom, and get your hands on a cannabis grow book, or read your ass off on the stickies and such..

    Important.. transferring plants from outdoors if in the ground is near impossible to accomplish if they are not in pots. you will kill the roots. Now if they are in pots you can bring them in but they will stress a bit from leaving the sun.. Also you will be bringing bugs into your house and risking complete failure without killing them first.. Which is not easy my friend... And with your area to grow a 1000 watt is best but a 600 would do well... Metal halide is good for veg and High pressure sodium for flower. With the hps winning in overall growth.. Now you will need good ventilation. This will be achieved with inline fans. Such as the vortex, can fan, or squirrel cage fans.. To pull or push air from your HID(lighting). If you can finish these plants outdoors please do. Then buy some beans off drchronic.com through nirvana for like 30 bucks and start a fresh grow indoors.. With all elements in control.. with nutrients go with a liquid fert if you can through your local hydro store... If you dont have one some garden shops carry hydroponic ferts that work great in soil when mixed in water and left as a tea for 24 hours..

    Please read and do as much overall study as possible than we can help you with critical type issues that are more in place rather than just ideas.. But ask away as we will be glad to help
     
  5. thanks for all the help i am going to try to move only one of my tomatoe plants inside if and/or when it dies then i will move from there but i am going to take phish's advice
    and just start fresh
    another question... for light reflective purposes should i use tinfoil, or just a white back-drop? is there a site anybody can recommend to purchase necessary supplies? all in one spot and yet be discrete about it? or is there any homemade fert. tips that anybody can give me???
    i will keep up everybody up to date and upload pics on my next visit
     
  6. #6 OG'er 4rEaleR, Sep 2, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 2, 2008
    OK... *CLEARS THROAT*

    I could have prevented myself so much pain if I would have used the right soil in my 1st grow... I go for Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil... best all around and you can find it at some hydro store... Call ahead and check....

    As for lighting... space like that I take it you have about 8' of height huh?? well.. 600 will do the trick...

    www.insidesun.com <- Very down low, best prices around

    Vent system is important to cool down temps in room and even more important for adding a carbon scrubber that gets all the smell out of your room...

    Im slightly curious to know about how your growing arrangement works!? Will you be vegging outside and flower inside by choice? And if not Id ask you...


    Have you thought about splitting the room into 2 parts; for VEG and flower??
    More efficiency...
    Less conspicuous..


    Or is Security just not an issue?? <- I wish of a day !

    Report back when you can!

    E.
    PS: MYLAR is what you want... Foil reflects heat, mylar reflects lights... get it = )
     
  7. thanks for clearing up the mylar foil thing
    well i live in the upper MW see so i dont think that there is enough natural outside light to finish the plants naturaly... so i was going to move them indoors
    they are comming along nicely but i am just a little nervous
    they arent in a pot they are in the ground
    my plan was to cut a large perimeter around the plant so i could just take the roots and the soil that they were in and but that in a pot or even a 5gal bucket to make things easier..... move them inside and start them right off on the 12/12 cycle and then go to church and pray that it works

    is this a believable or reasonable process? or am i nailing jello to a tree?
    also any recomendations on an indoor strain and/or where to get one?
    or even clones?? i
     
  8. i was thinking about going through
    HTGsupply.com
    how does this compare to other sites?
    it seems like a one stop shop
     
  9. Foil reflects both heat and light - radiant heat is simply infrared light.
     

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