Advice for beginner? Autoflower grow

[bongtastic]

Hello all! I have been lurking the 420magazine site for quite some time now, reading and learning as much as I can before I start my first grow! I've come to the wonderful community here for much needed advice and tips!

This will be my first grow and I have decided on building a grow box and using an auto flowering variety. It seems to me this will be the easiest way to introduce myself to the world of growing.

First and foremost, does anyone have any tips on building a grow box specifically for a dwarf variety? I would like to grow 4 plants in 1.5 gallon pots and I'm thinking the dimensions will be something like 4' wide, 2' deep and 3' tall. I have considered sog/scrog as well, but am not very familiar with either technique.

I am planning on using CFL's. Or.... at least... that is what I was told to use. I really don't think I have any business investing in something expensive like HID lighting.

I am really up in the air right now as to growing medium and am open to suggestions. (How about some miracle grow? ) This is true about nute selection as well. I am a bit lost here as I see there are a lot of varying opinions about nutrients, specifically how often to add, what types to use, when to change the combination of nutrients, etc.

From what I understand, experts are able to pump out 20, 30 even 40 grams with most dwarf auto flowering varieties, but I'm keeping my expectations low... at about 10g/plant. Does anyone have any input on this point?

As far as seed selection goes, I wanted to use Joint Doctor but it seems they don't ship to the US. I have run across some other sites with quite a few varieties of dwarf auto flowering, but it's hard to know who to trust. Can anyone recommend a decent, safe place with quality auto flowering seeds? I would love to try Lowlife's Auto Ak47 variety, but I have heard mixed opinions on Lowlife's quality.

Suggestions, advice, tips, flaming is all welcome and appreciated!

 

[MysticMars88]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

do not use miracle grow. go to your local hydro store they have many varieties of soil. i recommend using fox farm ocean forest.

for your lighting go to home depot pick up some red 100w or higher cfls. they work i used them for my veg cycle. i used 4 bulbs on 4 plants. they can be really close to the plants but not touching. or go on ebay check out the led ufo lights they work great, check out my photos so you can see.

as for seeds or plants, just ask your friends if they can give you the seeds they get in their bud, just make sure you know what it is. or if you are a patient hit up the dispensary you'll have a wide selection to choose from.

as for your grow box. go with you measurements get some good work from any place that sells lumber, use screws so you can take it down at any time. get some reflective mylar and make sure you have good air circulation.

hope this will help you.

 

[MysticMars88]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

oh ya bout nutes just follow directions and always go a little less than what it tells you. use nutes about 2nd week of plant growth.

 

[bongtastic]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Thanks for the input! I would totally go with bag seed, but I am pretty adamant about using an auto flowering variety and I doubt I'm going to happen upon those type of seeds.

Thanks for the suggestion on Fox Farms, I've heard it quite a bit so I can be assured it's a safe bet.

So, will these cfl's indicate they are of the "red" variety? What exactly does that mean? (I'm assuming they give off more... uh... light... in the uh... red spectrum or something? ) Also, do you know how many lumens your cfl's give off? I've seen everywhere from 1100-5000+! Is the most important thi ng the wattage or lumen output?

I've heard those UFO LED lights are supposed to be great.... they should be for $150 each! To rich for my blood. Is there a cheaper LED light source out there?

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Screwnuts33]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Welcome to the highly addictive world of growing. Best advice I can give as a new grower myself, keep it small and simple for your first run. CFL's are fine but I would prefer a multi-bulb T5 light myself. Better coverage and only one plug. Soil is the easiest and most forgiving medium. I read as much as I could and determined the Fox Farms Ocean Forest was a very popular brand and a very successful history. To keep variables to a minimum I also went with Fox Farms nutes as well. What ever brand you choose try to limit your variables where ever possible. Build your box and outfit it with lights and fans before you start germing seeds. Do a test run of at least 24hrs with the box empty to make sure all systems are running properly and your temps are in check. Invest in a PH meter. Read, read, read, and read some more before you start. Don't be shy about asking questions but use the search feature first. I found growing to be far more fun than I expected. I am already planning my second grow and haven't harvested the first one yet.

Keep your expectations low. Make your goal that you take 50% of your crop to finish. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Listen to the growers with experience. They can help prevent you from making mistakes that may cast you your crop. Don't be overly protective with your plants. They are just weeds afterall.

 

[Steve McStoferson]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Thanks for the input! I would totally go with bag seed, but I am pretty adamant about using an auto flowering variety and I doubt I'm going to happen upon those type of seeds.

Thanks for the suggestion on Fox Farms, I've heard it quite a bit so I can be assured it's a safe bet.

So, will these cfl's indicate they are of the "red" variety? What exactly does that mean? (I'm assuming they give off more... uh... light... in the uh... red spectrum or something? ) Also, do you know how many lumens your cfl's give off? I've seen everywhere from 1100-5000+! Is the most important thi ng the wattage or lumen output?

I've heard those UFO LED lights are supposed to be great.... they should be for $150 each! To rich for my blood. Is there a cheaper LED light source out there?

Thanks for the tips!

If you're set on using CFL's to grow, you are going to want more of a blue/white spectrum for vegging, and the warmer colors for flowering.

~6500k for vegging
~2700k for flowering

the bulbs usually have the color temperature rating on the box.

As far as wattage vs lumens go, pay attention to the lumens above everything else. I've seen a standard of 2500 lumens per plant as a bare minimum. Always remember, the more light, the better they will grow.

From what I've seen, around 23 watt CFL's are the most efficient because they have a higher lumen/watt ratio. Definitely take that into consideration when buying the bulbs so you can maximize your light.

Check out my 1st grow in my sig, I used shop lights and CFLs the whole way through. a budget grow for sure!

 

[bongtastic]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Would I still want to bump down to around 2700k even with an auto flowering variety?

 

[chevy-boyzr1]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

looks like u have some experimenting to do...By the way do u still live at ur parents house? if parents arent an issue, 1) then i would recommend u 2 experiment with seeds from good pot u smoked...that way u dont have to spend money on seeds. 2) find some space cause in a lil space ur plants might overgrow it and then you'll have to find another spot, SAVE TIME. If space is an issue, u can do LST methods to ur plants to keep em short and bushy. 3) just get some organic soil if Fox farms is not available but remember keep away from those nute release soils, 1.5 gallon pots is perfect if u dont want big plants, and use 64W or HIGHER CFL's if u want a good yield. 4) dont worry about nutes yet, as u might overfeed and mess up ur plants, and if used remember feed lightly. 5) ENJOY UR GROW!

 

[chevy-boyzr1]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

REMEMBER IF U USE 23w CFL's, u will need like 8-12 to get good yield.
3 64 watters per plant= more space

 

[Steve McStoferson]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Would I still want to bump down to around 2700k even with an auto flowering variety?

yeah, the same rules apply to autoflowering strains, as the spectrum's are suited for each stage of the plants growth.. the 6500K is good for vegging, and the 2700K is good for flowering.

 

[bongtastic]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

looks like u have some experimenting to do...By the way do u still live at ur parents house? if parents arent an issue, 1) then i would recommend u 2 experiment with seeds from good pot u smoked...that way u dont have to spend money on seeds. 2) find some space cause in a lil space ur plants might overgrow it and then you'll have to find another spot, SAVE TIME. If space is an issue, u can do LST methods to ur plants to keep em short and bushy. 3) just get some organic soil if Fox farms is not available but remember keep away from those nute release soils, 1.5 gallon pots is perfect if u dont want big plants, and use 64W or HIGHER CFL's if u want a good yield. 4) dont worry about nutes yet, as u might overfeed and mess up ur plants, and if used remember feed lightly. 5) ENJOY UR GROW!

Lol, nope haven't lived with parents for over 10 years ;-) Now my wife on the other hand... lol.

I did quite a bit of research and picked a seedbank i'm really comfortable with and that has been around for quite a long time. I went with the shortstuff autoflowering mix. 20 seeds. If you want to follow my official journal

 

[jwb87]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Welcome to the highly addictive world of growing. Best advice I can give as a new grower myself, keep it small and simple for your first run. CFL's are fine but I would prefer a multi-bulb T5 light myself. Better coverage and only one plug. Soil is the easiest and most forgiving medium. I read as much as I could and determined the Fox Farms Ocean Forest was a very popular brand and a very successful history. To keep variables to a minimum I also went with Fox Farms nutes as well. What ever brand you choose try to limit your variables where ever possible. Build your box and outfit it with lights and fans before you start germing seeds. Do a test run of at least 24hrs with the box empty to make sure all systems are running properly and your temps are in check. Invest in a PH meter.

Hey guys, cant get enough of this information! And heeeeres my questions:
I have the same kind of setup going & I have a 4 bulb 2 foot T5 in my box for 4 plants, hoping to be enough. But I have plenty of CFLs if you all suggest I need supplemental lighting.

To keep it simple & quiet Ive changed my game plan to Soil from Hydro (though I still have all my hydro equipment) and Im looking to learn all I can for my Automarias (such as nute feeding/soil base).

I had already bought the Advanced Nutrients Micro, Bloom & Grow Nutes for my hydro setup, will it be alright to use these with an organic soil Auto grow??

Also Ive got a PPM & PH meter, but what about knowing when to water appropriately.

looks like u have some experimenting to do just get some organic soil if Fox farms is not available but remember keep away from those nute release soils, 1.5 gallon pots is perfect if u dont want big plants, and use 64W or HIGHER CFL's if u want a good yield. 4) dont worry about nutes yet, as u might overfeed and mess up ur plants, and if used remember feed lightly. 5) ENJOY UR GROW!

This first run of mine will be a huge experiment! 1.5 gal pots will be good for a 3 foot plant?? Thatd be great!


Not trying to jack the thread, and sorry for the long post, just want to learn what I can so I dont hurt the ladies. Thanks everyone!!

 

[Jozo-sha]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

Or make you grow even simpler and easier by using FFOF and OC+. Just adjust your water to about 60-80ppm of total (calcium) hardness, pH to around 6 and Bob's your uncle.

For more information, read:

Using OC+ Thread

 

[xboxsetupsuck]

Re: Advice for beginner?: autoflower grow

you can buy individual led lights on ebay ive just built a set 84w output for less than £50

 

[22naru]

Re: Advice for beginner?: Autoflower grow

if you have some money go for LED bro.

 

[MrRudeSnowman]

Re: Advice for beginner?: Autoflower grow

economics 101 - growing cannabis with insufficient light is a waste of time and money, you either do it right or come harvest day you learn this on your own. get that ufo led thing and live happy ever after. CFL's are good for seedlings and stuff, but you wont find many people going CFL all the way. And for a good reason.

 

[billybudtoker]

Re: Advice for beginner?: Autoflower grow

Hello all! I have been lurking the 420magazine site for quite some time now, reading and learning as much as I can before I start my first grow! I've come to the wonderful community here for much needed advice and tips!

This will be my first grow and I have decided on building a grow box and using an auto flowering variety. It seems to me this will be the easiest way to introduce myself to the world of growing.

First and foremost, does anyone have any tips on building a grow box specifically for a dwarf variety? I would like to grow 4 plants in 1.5 gallon pots and I'm thinking the dimensions will be something like 4' wide, 2' deep and 3' tall. I have considered sog/scrog as well, but am not very familiar with either technique.

I am planning on using CFL's. Or.... at least... that is what I was told to use. I really don't think I have any business investing in something expensive like HID lighting.

I am really up in the air right now as to growing medium and am open to suggestions. (How about some miracle grow? ) This is true about nute selection as well. I am a bit lost here as I see there are a lot of varying opinions about nutrients, specifically how often to add, what types to use, when to change the combination of nutrients, etc.

From what I understand, experts are able to pump out 20, 30 even 40 grams with most dwarf auto flowering varieties, but I'm keeping my expectations low... at about 10g/plant. Does anyone have any input on this point?

As far as seed selection goes, I wanted to use Joint Doctor but it seems they don't ship to the US. I have run across some other sites with quite a few varieties of dwarf auto flowering, but it's hard to know who to trust. Can anyone recommend a decent, safe place with quality auto flowering seeds? I would love to try Lowlife's Auto Ak47 variety, but I have heard mixed opinions on Lowlife's quality.

Suggestions, advice, tips, flaming is all welcome and appreciated!

I been buying from "The Attitude Seedbank" for the last 3 yrs with nary a problem. PEACE!