In The Beginning

[ThaTinMan]

THE HARDEST thing to do, is to get started. Now this is for the Simi serious folks. Costs are under 500 clams for equipment! Dude that's cheap!! For the exception of a tent or room ventilation, very important that there is good understanding..... that's it's a gonna get hot! But budget gives a humidifier a small heater, a fan, seedmat with controls, pots, container, dirt and even Root enhancer.
De humidifier, a/c etc, etc are not included in budget. Think Vivosun and Amazon to buy.
315cmh light kit for under $200.
Root Enhancer @Kelp4less.com.

There are more and more crazy, lucky and absurd claims of having the best way ever to START. Let's say seeds.

The very best way to get any grow started....

Seeds: using a UVA Bulb, yes a UVA BULB. Take a small plastic container with a plastic grill of some sort that fits into container. Place grill so it has a slight slope resting at bottom. Place a water or solution soaked paper towel, folded to fit over grill. Keep about an inch of water or soaking solution I suggest.
Now, if your smart, use a product at kelp4less.com for soaking and feeding, the Root enhancer there is above board.
Now, soak seeds for a day, keep in dark area.
Now, place seeds on higher side of grill. Top of container should covered but not be sealed! Place seed mat underneath with a short gap between container and pad (so they will not fry.)
Immediately use UV light. The UVA Bulb should be in to 60-80watt at 385 nm area so you do not need to be so close, 40 watt might fry because it simply cannot get close enough!
Buy a bloody LUX meter for pete sake!
Now lower until you reach 1150LUX. Run for 15 minutes only! You see the magic number is 385nm, which is also.....PAR. Multiply PAR by 3.05 and you get 1150lux.
May have to open container when doing so, might get too hot...
Then they stay completely dark for another 23 hours and 45 minutes.
If using kelp4less, will pop in 24-48hrs! Second day, same thing 15 minutes. Keep at 78-81°, Place seed pad thermometer inside container, on grill.
You could continue on for days like that, they will continue growing.
After that, plant in 4" pots, not for plugs, they get too long!
Using a 315CMH at 4k lux with humidity at 75RH at 78-81° for pots.

If temps are kept correctly, if humidity and lights are kept in place, (unless a problem occurs and you need to lift em) then you will have a genuine, cheap and easy way of getting what you want "In The Beginning."

TheTinMan

 

[ThaTinMan]

So, when ling bumps out on top, then you can literally drop to 6500-7000 LUX.
THIS IS TO GET ONE STARTED.

Always try a single plant first. Inkbird has very simple controls for humidity and temperature. Tenting should check these out, 2 separate boxes.
These do something special that other controls do not have...
If temperatures need to go up, it does that, but also will have a separate plug, that turns on if it gets too hot! Same with humidity controls. To run appropriate fans or heater or cooling or dehumidifier. All for less than 100 bucks at Amazon.

 

[ThaTinMan]

Now, after much ado, I am seeing what I am expecting.
So dialing in at 7000LUX measured from bulb to to a 4" pot sitting below. That's 48" exactly plus some. Plants will grow into the higher LUX. No real need to raise, unless they are yellowing.
Need to keep 45% humidity or 75rh. Get a lux meter for pete sake....
But after the abuse, the changing of lights and depths of how far they can take it with LUX, there is now no doubt that these lights are the best thing ever made!
Over watering, flushing and never drying out for weeks with some. And they ate it all up with no serious problems in the end.
If you buy any other light setup, you are a fool! For 180 bucks per unit WITH BULB, is too damn cheap NOT to try one. Just plug it in. Yanks about the same for a 400watt in amperage, with 240v it comes in UNDER 2 amps apiece. Cannot get better than that.
I bought 2. Hung 4' apart and strung both ends together to give a wide spread. Need to be like 5' from top of 4" pots. That is better than most.
Cannot beat the white light, it is that generous and forgiving for first commers and yes, Pro OG folks to need to check it out, for less than 200 bucks, it's so worth it.
Still in recovery mode with plants. Will keep up on this posting...
Cheers

TinMan

 

[ThaTinMan]

Now with that said, the tent is a great start, but seems there is a problem with the MORE expensive tents, they leak a gas that will kill your crop!
Also I am testing REFLECTION that seems to be a major problem.
So I am testing now (only with CMH LIGHTS) with flat white reflection, nothing special, just flat white.
I am using paper temporarily, but where I found a major problem was with the good reflection liners. I love Orca, but with CMH it caused major problems!
So I blacked out the bottom to 7' high around my space. TO find out EXACTLY what the deal is with these lights. Check out my other string "HALP! CMH lights...."
Nothing to add as far as a solid solution, but with any silver shiney, CMH spikes those and the reflection seems to be damaging, to a degree (yellowing).
Think about building a "box" with "green" drywall and a 2x4 frame. 4 panels of drywall. Frame around 4 walls. 8'x4'. Leave tops open, but frame across open door, which is the 4th panal, which you make to remove. Paint flat white directly onto boards. Hang light, open holes near bottom, fan out from top.
Do not use pressure treated! Paint outside wood with primer. Will hold pretty tight without bugs penetrating wood.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Question - What came first the seed or the plant ?

 

[Southerncough]

Awesome and well thought out work here! Only note i would add is to try a reasonably priced quantum board LED and you'll have much less infrared heat to deal with in a small tent. Seriously i can touch my light without getting burned. It's uncomfortably hot but won't burn, etc. I was always scared I'd accidentally touch my old 315 bulb and get hurt!

 

[ThaTinMan]

UPDATE!
Well over the past couple of days there has been some major changes. I have been scrambling to cover all my threads, just to keep up.
Disaster struck me a couple of days ago....
Now what have discovered is major changes with whole system, please pay attention...
Using cmh bulbs. Reflection HAS TO BE DULL METALLIC! floor a rattan color. This has been a total bitch to find.
Other news.....

5 years ago when ceramic was just comming out, I had always heard there were 2 bulbs you HAD to have for a grow. A Blue and a Red.
Apparently the marketing morons thought to HIDE these truths.
Why? Too expensive. We complained bitterly. But the bulbs were much more expensive then.
Guinesses made a move, they picked 1 bulb, the 315, 3100 with a LOWER frequency. That's for FLOWERING! The 315, 4200 is for VEGGING!
That's why 2-4hours dark was simply not enough time to burn off extra energy.
People that have had success, use dull METALLIC reflection AND have over 6 HOURS DARK TIME.
3100 is lower 4200 frequency. Lower is more raw and powerful.
So I am keeping 4 hours dark today. Getting 4200's tomorrow.

 

[ThaTinMan]

Question - What came first the seed or the plant ?

The seed. Blown from another planet's destruction billions of years ago. Stayed frozen in asteroid and warmed up going through the earth's atmosphere.

 

[ThaTinMan]

A true "seeding", exactly how all plants and animals came from.

 

[ThaTinMan]

So let's reflect back.

Awesome and well thought out work here! Only note i would add is to try a reasonably priced quantum board LED and you'll have much less infrared heat to deal with in a small tent. Seriously i can touch my light without getting burned. It's uncomfortably hot but won't burn, etc. I was always scared I'd accidentally touch my old 315 bulb and get hurt!

Well, what I am somewhat committed to the 315 cmh. But change bulb to a 4200 NOT a 3100 for VEGGING.

 

[ThaTinMan]

Basically it's like this...
A tent or a box is the best start. Dull metallic for reflection. Use a 4200 bulb. So buy a 315CMH fixture by itself and add the 4200.
Now you can start vegging. This I am going to do tomorrow night, change bulbs. Check out "HALP or CMH LIGHTS..." my other threads to keep up....
Very important aspect to getting it RIGHT. If you want to use just 3100's, then be SURE you have 6 hours dark!!!
I am presently at 4 hrs dark. I will see if I have to do the same for 4200's.
Seems it's all about reflection and frequencies (3100 to 4200).

 

[ThaTinMan]

AC from house should be able to keep cool, to a degree. This is if you have a room to use. A good idea is to have co2 sheets tacked to OUTSIDE of box or tent. Holes provided near bottom, spray sheets with water,,cow dribbles downward because of weight alone, gets sucked into intakes.
Have a few harvests, then build another box, but also put in a split ac system only for that room. Bring online when second box/tent is up and running. Throw air to ground for intakes. Hot air is collected on ceiling drifts to ac inlets.

 

[ThaTinMan]

So, when ling bumps out on top, then you can literally drop to 6500-7000 LUX.
THIS IS TO GET ONE STARTED.

Always try a single plant first. Inkbird has very simple controls for humidity and temperature. Tenting should check these out, 2 separate boxes.
These do something special that other controls do not have...
If temperatures need to go up, it does that, but also will have a separate plug, that turns on if it gets too hot! Same with humidity controls. To run appropriate fans or heater or cooling or dehumidifier. All for less than 100 bucks at Amazon.

Look AT UPDATES!

 

[ThaTinMan]

UPDATES:

Let's talk about MEDIA. I have recently changed to an outstanding mix. Been right under my nose the whole time...

Sunshine #4 is a popular brand and has always been a great standard. But! If you add Warrior, in 1 sq.ft. bags, then you REALLY have something that puts a punch in growth throughout.

So the mix is a 3.8 cu.yd. bag of Sunshine to 2 sq.ft. bags of Warrior.

Seems to work exceptionally well so far with me.

 

[ThaTinMan]

UPDATE for LIGHTS:
With much ado, and complete well covered area, I went with a few changes.
So I ended up with using Vivosun's Diamond reflective liner. Unbelievable how it made a difference.
Then I shortened legs on tray. Added to make a total of 4-315CMH Lights with 4200 (blue) bulbs.
Spacing 4' apart. But I am closing the gap between 2 sets, bringing bulbs sitting right at edge of sides, of tray.

This is the biggest thing. Completly giving up on LUX readings because it's not a box, it's an open room.

So this is for "open room" grows ONLY!

Measure between 32" to 36" from tops of plants to bulbs. I believe that's the secret to these things. In a box it WILL PROBABLY FRY YO CHIT! So dont do that....

 

[ThaTinMan]

Ok, an over ride in making sure lights are not burning...

A kid told me this. It's a perspective that I had never really thought of before...

Buy a cheap lazer thermometer for 15 bucks. No all you have to do is make sure those temps measured at highest leaf, stays below 80°.

You can get ambient temps as low as needed, to get that accomplished.

So you CAN lower, but keeping a dead eye on those temps and look of leaf, or ot will fry mercilessly any plant material over like 85°. Sux the life right out of nodes..