New grower - Questions

[CoreyCorey]

Hey 420Fam,

This is my first post and I'm grateful for all the insight, know-how and comaraderie each and every one of you display.

My questions are as follows:

1. I plan on using a DR60 (Secret Jardin) in an area that will be cool from the season (50-60 deg F maybe even lower at times) but not outside. Would the heat generated by my setup (which also includes a 100 watt HPS light and 2 180 watt cfl's) be suffient to even grow?

2. Will my tent provide enough space (2x2x5) to nurture 3 plants?

3. I have read many reviews favoring Air Pots. I have also read articles about light damaging roots. My grow will be soil. Won't the roots eventually make their way outside the holes of the pots?

I'm looking forward to not only sharing my grow jounal with you guys but also putting all of your reasonable advice to good use.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Peace

 

[Gadfly]

Re: New grower. Questions.

The lights should be enough but your tent will run hot unless you properly exhaust it.

You could do 3 plants if you keep them tiny. Personally, I would do one larger plant. Height is going to be an issue to keep in mind. I have a 3x3x6 tent from the same company and when I'm working w sativas and some hybrids space becomes an issue. I've squeezed 5 plants in that space and it diminished my yield because they eventually started growing into each other competing for light. I've managed to use my space much more efficiently using the SCROG method. I have that same 3x3 space fill wall to wall w only two plants and they seem much happier--in fact I may do one monster plant next time around.

I don't know shit about air pots so no help there. I do grow in soil however and I always have roots poking out the bottom drain holes of plastic containers and the sides of smart pots by flowering time. They just stop growing in that direction. I use that as a sign that I have a large healthy root system. After harvest I always inspect the rootball for signs of sickness or deficiency anyways.

I hope this helps you on your journey and I look forward to seeing your growth.

 

[CoreyCorey]

Re: New grower. Questions.

Thanks for the words Gadfly.

I think it'd be more beneficial to myself in both experience and yield to just grow one larger plant. Once I get my setup complete I will begin my grow journal for you to see. I do plan on having an exhaust with a carbon filter. I may even include a very small space heater to keep things warm while the lights are out.

 

[Richard Richardson]

Re: New grower. Questions.

Hi Corey

Welcome to

Gadfly always gives good advice

 

[CoreyCorey]

Re: New grower. Questions.

Hey RR,

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[CoreyCorey]

Re: New grower. Questions.

I'm thinking (when my lights are off) of having a very small flat panel heater w/ thermostat on a timer set to 80 deg. f.
I'll have the exhaust fan off while my heater is on as well as only running it 15 minutes every hour during the day. Using the HPS at night during flowering to avoid the real temp drop.

 

[Richard Richardson]

80 F is too hot for nighttime, IMHO. That is an optimal daytime temperature.

I'm not so sure that a nighttime drop in temperature is detrimental to plants.

Outdoors it gets pretty cold in spring and autumn.

 

[Omar X]

Air pots are fine, if they grow out they just get air pruned which is what the whole aim of air pots are.

U want them to grow out and get air pruned instead of just wrapping round the pot.

The only issues people have with them are that the material ones and a pain to move larger plants, which is not a prob for u, and they also can get damp.

I use the plastic airpots which come flat and are rippled with lots of holes over them, they are excellent.

I've used both types of airpot and normal pots and would never use normal pots again, I prefer the plastic over the material ones.

Only issue u may have is that at first they are a pain to water, as it comes out the hole, but when u figure out how do it, it's fine.

 

[Omar X]

80 degrees is fine for nighttime, maybe a bit hot but won't cause issues.

There's so many dif theories on what temp is best and I try and keep my tents at around 74-75 degrees constantly, even at lights out, although it generally drops to round 60-70, but if I had air con and could control it 24/7, I'd set that sucker to 74 degrees.
Cooler growing temps will prevent most bug infestations too, my plants appear noticeably happier at around 75

Cool temps at night can cause stretching too, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, whatever ya after. But personally I think keeping a plant at a constant temp has got to be better than drops.

After rereading the ops last post, I would rather have my fans running 24/7 so there is constant fresh moving air, than a warm tent, keeping a small heater on all the time along with the extraction running all the time will prob work out ok, as long as it don't get too cold u'll b fine