First Time Indoor Grow - Need Your Help

[Mindblank]

Hi everyone,
My situation is that I grow for medical use usually every two years outdoors.
have had great success with LST outdoors.
have decided to start an indoor grow for a few reasons.

So I’m starting this journal and looking for advice.

Have purchased

MARS HYDRO SP 3000 LED GROW LIGHT + 2'X4'(60X120CM) INDOOR COMPLETE GROW TENT KITS​

Check out the pics and tell me if you see something I’ve done wrong.

Seeds are White Widow Feminized 60% Indica 40% Sativa
Currently soaking a few seeds to start germination.

Someone told me my light would come with a book detailing light height and dimming % for each stage of plant cycle.
Unfortunately mine didn’t.

can anyone provide me with guidelines for the various stages of growth?
Looking to grow two mid size plants using LST and hoping for around 8oz yield.

I will continue to post pics at various stages and appreciate people offering me advice which I’m sure has taken years to obtain.

First journal ever so please excuse any mistakes.

 

[InTheShed]

Hey Mindblank and to the grow journal side of the site! I'll try to answer a few questions and ask a few as well.

Someone told me my light would come with a book detailing light height and dimming % for each stage of plant cycle.
Unfortunately mine didn’t.

It's probably a good thing it didn't, because it's much better and more accurate to read the plants rather than some literature that came with the light. If you look around at grows on the site you will see that some folks put their light at the top of the tent and leave it there from the very beginning, using distance to the plants to dictate light strength based on using risers to change the distance. Others will start with the lights lower down and lower power and raise both as the plants get taller. You can decide as you go which works for you.

can anyone provide me with guidelines for the various stages of growth?

Here is a general guideline from one of our sponsors, and this lux chart from Royal Queen Seeds shows that there is a wide range of "correct":

• Clones and seedlings: 5,000–7,000 lux
• Vegetative growth: 15,000–50,000 lux
• Flowering: 45,000–65,000 lux
• Maximum recommended amount of light: 75,000 lux

My suggestion would be to either download the Photone app for your phone and watch some videos on how to best use it, or get a cheap lux meter (I use this one from Amazon for $35) so you'll know exactly how much light your plants are getting.

Looking to grow two mid size plants using LST and hoping for around 8oz yield.

Here's a good guide to LST that might be helpful:

How I perform low stress training on my plants: Lots of pics!

Greetings all! I've had members ask about how I do my LST (low stress training) on my plants so I thought I would do a pictorial on it. My pics are of two different plants but don't let that confuse you. It's just easier to demonstrate that way. Let's discuss the theory behind LST for a...

www.420magazine.com

Now to my questions:
Do you have circulation fans?
What medium will you be growing in?
What nutrients will you be using if this isn't an organic water-only grow?
Are you outside in a metal shed? If so, how will you deal with heating and cooling?

I hope this was helpful, and with the germination!

 

[Mindblank]

Hey Mindblank and to the grow journal side of the site! I'll try to answer a few questions and ask a few as well.


It's probably a good thing it didn't, because it's much better and more accurate to read the plants rather than some literature that came with the light. If you look around at grows on the site you will see that some folks put their light at the top of the tent and leave it there from the very beginning, using distance to the plants to dictate light strength based on using risers to change the distance. Others will start with the lights lower down and lower power and raise both as the plants get taller. You can decide as you go which works for you.

Here is a general guideline from one of our sponsors, and this lux chart from Royal Queen Seeds shows that there is a wide range of "correct":

• Clones and seedlings: 5,000–7,000 lux
• Vegetative growth: 15,000–50,000 lux
• Flowering: 45,000–65,000 lux
• Maximum recommended amount of light: 75,000 lux

My suggestion would be to either download the Photone app for your phone and watch some videos on how to best use it, or get a cheap lux meter (I use this one from Amazon for $35) so you'll know exactly how much light your plants are getting.


Here's a good guide to LST that might be helpful:

How I perform low stress training on my plants: Lots of pics!

Greetings all! I've had members ask about how I do my LST (low stress training) on my plants so I thought I would do a pictorial on it. My pics are of two different plants but don't let that confuse you. It's just easier to demonstrate that way. Let's discuss the theory behind LST for a...

www.420magazine.com

Now to my questions:
Do you have circulation fans?
What medium will you be growing in?
What nutrients will you be using if this isn't an organic water-only grow?
Are you outside in a metal shed? If so, how will you deal with heating and cooling?

I hope this was helpful, and with the germination!

Hi, yes the whole lux thing confuses me so really need some type of beginner guidance.
Circulation fans are out of stock till October so nothing till then.
medium will be soil/potting mix
Basic notes Sea Sol I guess
Yes….outside in a black metal shed……will that affect things?

 

[InTheShed]

Hi, yes the whole lux thing confuses me so really need some type of beginner guidance.

That RQS link I posted should be helpful, but some sort of meter would be really helpful (even a free one!).

Circulation fans are out of stock till October so nothing till then.

Where are you located that you have to wait a month to get an oscillating fan?

medium will be soil/potting mix

Brand?

Basic notes Sea Sol I guess

I'll look them up tomorrow, thanks!

Yes….outside in a black metal shed……will that affect things?

Sure will. Baked by the sun all day, uninsulated to the cold at night and in the winter...plants grow in a pretty narrow range of happiness between 65° and 85°F. Could be a problem depending on where you are (near the equator, Minnesota...) with no way to deal with extremes of temperature.

 

[Fenderbender]

Cool setup! Should allow for some nice bud!
Should be able to pull more than 8oz if you train them right.. I got 9,8oz with the SP-150 which is only 140watts in 100x50cm vs the 300w of the SP-3000 and a bit of extra legroom in that tent.

You could go three plants giving each 40x60 which is basically 50x50 area, or fold two plants open to 60x60cm.
Or quadline two plants.
Yeah you gonna want to have a look at what type of training you want to apply, It's definitely advisable to try to get an even canopy as possible as that way you maximise surface area , yield, energy usage and grow all even sized well stacked buds.

Good shed question by Intheshed.. temperatures might get tricky.
It's black on the outside? well let's hope it's not going to be ultra hot as otherwise things be cooking.
Yeah then the light will probably need to run at night to keep tent warm and be off during heaviest Sunshine.
You gonna need to observe the sheds and tents temperature behaviour for a while so you'll know you need to do.
edit : for a while? I mean all the time you need to know how hot it gets and how cold it gets and that will vary quite a lot in these circumstances.

 

[Mindblank]

That RQS link I posted should be helpful, but some sort of meter would be really helpful!

Where are you located that you have to wait a month to get an oscillating fan?

Brand?

I'll look them up tomorrow, thanks!

Sure will. Baked by the sun all day, uninsulated to the cold at night and in the winter...plants grow in a pretty narrow range of happiness between 65° and 85°F. Could be a problem depending on where you are (near the equator, Minnesota...) with no way to deal with extremes of temperature.

In Australia so hard to get gear from the sponsors. Fans not in stock.
most likely use Yates Premium potting mix. Recommend for roses.
Yes the days can get to 40° C here in middle of summer. Might shift it to the cooler side of the shed without direct sunlight.

 

[Mindblank]

Update…….have just purchased a LUX meter and clip on fan from Amazon.
I’ll move the tent to the side of the shed that doesn’t get full sun.
Ill also look into cutting some vents in the shed to allow heat to escape.

 

[Regrowth]

Hey, @Mindblank I'll follow along if you'll let me.
It looks like you're all setup and ready to grow some buds with that @Mars Hydro gear.
The lux meter should be optional if you want to save a bit of money.
I've heard good things about that Photone App that Shed mentioned,
and it doesn't hurt to look for other people using the same setup.

But that light is a bit of a beast too. Most LED fixtures on the market you can get close to 12" from your canopy,
however with this one you might want to stay about 16-18" away.
And that's when in bloom, while vegging you would run dimmed (for example at ~60%) or even further.
That's just going by the PAR map available on the product page though.
I got a bit too close when I bloomed with the SP3000 and my plants didn't like it too much lol.

If ever you have any issues with heat you could move the driver outside of the tent to lower temps a bit;
It detaches if u remove a few screws I believe. Mars might have some recommendations themselves.

edit: I found this which mostly matches the above.

Dimming Instruction.png

• Mars Hydro
• Sep 10, 2021

 

[Absorber]

In Australia so hard to get gear from the sponsors. Fans not in stock.
most likely use Yates Premium potting mix. Recommend for roses.
Yes the days can get to 40° C here in middle of summer. Might shift it to the cooler side of the shed without direct sunlight.

Ah another fellow Australian, the photon app @InTheShed mentioned is worth using i use it and have checked it against a lux meter and it was the same reading.
EBay has some clip on fans if you search clip on hydroponic fan I saw 2 for $78

 

[Mindblank]

Ah another fellow Australian, the photon app @InTheShed mentioned is worth using i use it and have checked it against a lux meter and it was the same reading.
EBay has done clip on fans if you search clip on hydroponic fan I saw 2 for $78

Thanks mate.
Just ordered a clip fan and lux meter from Amazon

 

[Absorber]

Thanks mate.
Just ordered a clip fan and lux meter from Amazon

I just noticed that comment after I made mine happy growing

 

[InTheShed]

Just checked on the Seasol nutes and they look like good organic nutes, though you have to make sure you get one with a good ratio for cannabis. Some of them are really high in N with very little P and not enough K.

This one looks like an okay candidate if you can find a way to bump the P with something else:
Seasol plus Nutrients Roses & Flowers

...though you might need some epsom salts as well with that.

Best bet might be to check with some other Aussie growers like @Absorber or @Trala and see what they're having success with down under.

Update…….have just purchased a LUX meter and clip on fan from Amazon.

You can try the Photone app and if it works for you, cancel or return the lux meter from Amazon.

I’ll move the tent to the side of the shed that doesn’t get full sun.
Ill also look into cutting some vents in the shed to allow heat to escape.

I think temperature moderation might be your biggest challenge, so I'd look to get an exhaust fan for the shed itself rather than rely on passive air exchange in there, especially as you move into spring and summer down there.

 

[Mindblank]

Germination is going well so far. 3 days in the paper towel and two have started to split.
I had three seeds in there but got impatient and worried they weren’t germinating so I put another 3 in.
as they split I’ll put them in some seed raising mix to start growing.
not using the light yet.

 

[Mindblank]

Germination is being slow….cool nights aren’t helping I think.
The two seeds from above post have been put in seed raising mix but as you can see results are poor.
Seeds are a few years old……not sure if that is a factor.
Keen to get growing but germination is stalling me.

 

[Regrowth]

Could the shell be stuck?
It happens sometimes but you might be able to rescue it by removing it manually.
Once you get the shell off there's usually a film that would need to be removed as well.

 

[Mindblank]

Ok so germination has had a major set back. Dogs decided to get to the pots and destroy them.
Managed to salvage this little fella.
so currently trying to germinate another 3 seeds.

So a few questions.
1. the extra tent holes/openings……..do I tie them up closed? Or do the lower ones stay open to bring air in?
2. when do I put the seedling pictured above under the lights? Now? Or when it gets bigger?

 

[InTheShed]

Oof on the dogs! If there's a dimmer on the light then you can put the sprouts under it now as they don't want much light at this early stage. Otherwise you can use a desk light to start.

In terms of the vents some folks feel that light leaks during the dark period in veg can cause a plant to hermie after flip so if you have a light proof way of handling intake I would close them up.

It's going to be best to make your dark hours during the heat of the day to keep the light driver from adding even more heat to the tent.

 

[Regrowth]

Intake air from the bottom ones. I usually have one or two sleeves open with the others tied shut.
Although running some ducting for intake is an option it's unnecessary.
I just grab air passively, without a fan and directly from the room the tent is setup in.

A little negative pressure or pull is good with the tent caving in a bit.
If you want to regain the lost space you can setup some poles to push the walls back out.
You can do it yourself with some pvc or VIVOSUN have a 'high cfm kit' that should work with a 2x4.
Mars Hydro have a kits available but it seems not for the 2x4.

The water and light they need at that size is miniscule you could use the SP3000 but be gentle.
10% at 12"? 50% at 24? Kind of guessing but you know... take it easy. A regular light bulb would do for a bit too.
And don't forget drainage holes in the cups.

Oh I forgot, @Absorber has a 3d printable high cfm solution he's shared if you have access to a printer.

 

[Mindblank]

It's going to be best to make your dark hours during the heat of the day to keep the light driver from adding even more heat to the tent.

I think this is a good idea however can I attend to the tent during dark hours? It’s about the only time I will have available to water etc.

 

[Regrowth]

Doing it that way is good too if your electricity has lower rates at night.
If you're in and out in the dark it's not a big deal. Maybe you can time things so the light goes on in the evening -
or off later in the morning so it still allows you a bit of time to see them lit up.
It's just easier to spot issues in the light and to snag some pictures lol.

edit:
Until you switch your light cycle to 12 / 12 to bloom, any interruptions are fine.
But also light in the green spectrum should let you see for extended periods of time without bugging their rest period.
Then you could spend more than a couple minutes in there without much worry even when blooming.