Hoping to start first grow! Help needed to work out kinks of details of the setup

[Bassboy1597]

Hi Everyone!
I am beyond excited to start my first grow soon, but unfortunately there are a lot of sources to look through, and after about a month of researching, I have a decent amount of knowledge, but I can't make up my mind on some of the details.
So, this is about what I was thinking about for my setup, please feel free to tear it apart, I want as good of a first grow as possible

4x4x7 grow tent
1000 w mh/hps light with air-cooled hood
I'm not sure what my cfm for this size tent should be but i was thinking around 430?
Growing 8 plants from seed in 3.5 gallon pots (at the end, smaller pots of course throughout the grow)
Grown in soil, but I also am not sure what soil and what nutes and ferts to use

Also, what's the best way to germ seeds? and how do you know when it's time to switch to a bigger pot?

Here's to a hopefully great grow

 

[labexperiment]

Welcome to 420.

8 plants are probably too many for that small of an area, unless they are an auto flowering strain, in that case I would not be sure as I do not grow autos.

A 600 watt light would be enough for that area in my opinion.

As you can see a 600 watt light covers a 5x5 area, but if you can afford one I would go L.E.D..

I believe your fan would suffice a 600 watt light, but not much more in a smaller tent like you are proposing.


If you are going with photo induced flowering plants I would recommend 4 in that size of a tent and transplant to 5 gallon pots 2-3 weeks before going into flower. Checking the root development can tell you when to upgrade to a larger pot and with experience you will not have to check the roots, you will know.

I germinate my seeds in water, once taproots appear I put them into Rapid Rooter plugs.

I would go with soil-less for my first grow, just my opinion though. And use nutrients.


Click on ME I'm a Beginner and need a Simple and Easy Soil-less Mix.


Soak all soil-less mix with PH balanced water before filling up your pots.

Put soil in the bottom of the bigger pot so the smaller pot(which is the same size pot your plants are currently in) is almost level with the larger pot.

Fill both pots up with your soil-less mix.

Then remove the smaller pot and sprinkle in mycorrhizae and seaweed/kelp mulch.

Remove your plants from the pots they are currently in and the will fit perfectly to their new homes.

Water with selected nutrients till you get run off and you are done.

This is the method I use makes transplanting very easy.

 

[Bassboy1597]

Hi Lab, thanks for responding!
If you were to recommend an LED for this space, what would it be? Should I use red/blue?
If I were to get an LED, what type of fan should I use?
I am worried about energy costs, so any tips you have on that would be greatly appreciated...
I've thought about doing CFLs because of this but the amount of CFLs I'd need to fit into that space seems annoying and cumbersome.
How do you germ seeds in water? And when do you put the Rapid rooters into smallest pot of the soil-less medium? What size should my first pot be?
Oh, and what are photo induced flowers?
Sorry bout all the question, just wanna do it right, ya know?

 

[Bassboy1597]

Oh, and root development! How do you check root development?

 

[labexperiment]

Hi Lab, thanks for responding!
If you were to recommend an LED for this space, what would it be? Should I use red/blue?
If I were to get an LED, what type of fan should I use?
I am worried about energy costs, so any tips you have on that would be greatly appreciated...
I've thought about doing CFLs because of this but the amount of CFLs I'd need to fit into that space seems annoying and cumbersome.
How do you germ seeds in water? And when do you put the Rapid rooters into smallest pot of the soil-less medium? What size should my first pot be?
Oh, and what are photo induced flowers?
Sorry bout all the question, just wanna do it right, ya know?

Oh, and root development! How do you check root development?

I have not used a L.E.D. fixture but have been monitoring a lot of journals highlighting L.E.D. . I could recommend a few journals to check out.

KingJohnC Lush Lighting LED Dominator 2x Soil Indoor Grow Journal and Review
5'X5' One Plant Scrog Pounder With LED
Dennise Growing Under A Znet4 In Soilless Medium With Growology
ZNET4 LED 200W Light Grow

I would go with a full spectrum light.


Find L.E.D. Sponsors here.


Sponsors : 420 MAGAZINE ®


Look up Gas Light Routine for energy savings. Basically you have the timer set to 12 hours on,5+1/2 hours off, 1hour on, 5+1/2 hours off. This allows for minimal lights on time and keeps her out of 12 hours dark which induces flowering.

To germinate seeds in water, let water sit out for a couple of days to leach off chlorine then shake to oxygenate the water, drop seeds in water and they will sink to the bottom within 24 hours or so(you can tap at them to get them to fall after 12 hours or so) and white tap roots should start to emerge. No longer then 48 hours or so in water. Once tap roots emerge carefully take seeds and place in Rapid Rooter plugs, keep the plugs moist until the seed finishes sprouting. Once the cotyledon leaves(aka seed leaves) have emerged fill a pot with soaked medium (Peat-moss, Perlite and Vermiculite) PH balanced water of course, make a hole just large enough for the Rapid Rooter and place said Rapid Rooter in the hole making sure to cover the plug with about 1/4to 1/2 inch of medium, leaving the cotyledon leaves above the soil line. My first pot is a 1/2 gallon pot, or a 4inch round pot. Then a one gallon then a 5 gallon pot.



A photo induced flowering plant is one where you have to switch the light hours from 18 on 6 off TO 12 on 12 off in order to initiate the flowers to grow. From all I have read they are more potent then Auto flowering plants and produce more buds. With Auto flowering plants you do not have to adjust the light schedule but that does not matter much as that aspect is easily controlled by a timer.

I check roots by turning the pot upside down once it is mostly dry and pulling the pot off the soil, if the roots are surrounding the soil then it is time to transplant to larger pots.


I think I got all your questions, if you have more just shoot away.

Good luck.

 

[Bassboy1597]

Thanks! This was really helpful

 

[labexperiment]

Thanks! This was really helpful

You are welcome, and follow a few journals and ask questions in them if you do not understand why someone is doing something. It will all help you learn.

Start a journal too if you can, it is a great reference for your next grow.

Have fun, and good luck.