Old guy newby, gonna need lots of help

[Curly Beaver]

I do not scrog. Different strains mature at different times. You may have a Sativa strain that needs 80 days to flower or a fast indica strain like ak48 that is done in 47 or 48 days. I try to run a perpetual garden where there is always something in veg and in different phases of flower. Right now I have 4 plants in my 3x3 tent and they are filling it up. 1 should be ready in another week or so and the others will be 2-4 more weeks.

Pot size is up to you. There is the old saying "The bigger the root the bigger the fruit" I think this is true. I have mostly used 2 gal pots in the past. My Blue Blood is in a 3 gal pot is is substantially bigger then my others. I am starting to put all my flowering plants in 3 gallon. Your larger space, you could easily go with 5 gallon pots.

For me, the mixture I use is 1 Part Fox Farms Ocean Forest (FFOF) 1 Part Promix BX and 1 Part Perlite. I used the FFOF striaght the first time and it was too hot for the small plants. Mixing is has work great. I do try to reuse what I can. After I chop a plant, I shake as much of the dirt out of the root ball as possible. It is a good Idea to flush the used dirt to get your excess Nutes out (especially since this dirt has "flower" nutes in it and you are probably going back to veg).

I see they have all three products that you have recommended on Amazon.com. Are there other places that you would recommend checking or just go with them? I am a member so I get the free shipping on the Prime items. Also, if I go with #6 5 gallon pots, how much product (pounds?) of each would I need to order to fill them all up? While I am getting the soil squared away, are their other nutrients that I will be needing, or will this be it?
Thanks.

 

[Dave Groomer]

I see they have all three products that you have recommended on Amazon.com. Are there other places that you would recommend checking or just go with them? I am a member so I get the free shipping on the Prime items. Also, if I go with #6 5 gallon pots, how much product (pounds?) of each would I need to order to fill them all up? While I am getting the soil squared away, are their other nutrients that I will be needing, or will this be it?
Thanks.

If you have free shipping, go for it. This stuff is heavy and can cost a lot to ship. I go through 3 bags of FFOF in the time it takes me to go through 1 bale of the Promix and a bag of Perlite. You should have enough for a couple grows with 1 bag of each then depending on how well you recycle you will need to buy more FFOF. Figure 7.5 G / Cubic Foot. I use the Fox Farm Trio of Nutes Grow Big, Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom. You will also need a Cal/Mag supplement. Lastly I would get a good PH meter.

 

[Curly Beaver]

I have read favorable comments on Grand Daddy Purple, but Herbies has it for $161 for 10 seeds. Is there somewhere that I can just buy one or two?
I'm also considering Blue Dream and a Northern Lights. Are there any companies that are better than others or are all seeds created equal?
(I understand they'll have to be grown at different times.)
Thanks.

 

[Dave Groomer]

Since you are looking for something for your pain, I would try 2 or 3 different things and see what helps. Try something high thc, something high cbd and something with a mix. I think the Blue Blood is one of the best mixes (10% cbd and 20% THC) It helps my MS discomfort a lot. My wife likes Train Wreck for her stiff back (high thc). Also, don't forget our good friend Google. Try typing in "best Strian for..." OR is _____ good for. Also, if you google Herbies mix and match it will take you to their site where they sell individual seeds. If you are getting feminized seeds I would get 2 (1 for a backup in case of mistakes.) If you are getting regular seeds I would get at least 5 since you won't know if you have a female till you start preflower.

 

[Curly Beaver]

Thanks for these suggestions Supergroomer.
I like the idea of growing 2 strains for pain, maybe one of them helping to sleep at night as well. I would also like to find a couple of nice "fun" plant that my wife and I could enjoy during the day...to provide laughs and a good time but that won't knock you out. Could you give me some ideas there too? I suppose if I tried to really spoil her....she loves any food with lemon so a lemon flavored strain wouldn't hurt. My first grow would be for pain, the 2nd for "fun" unless they could be raised at the same time.

I got the room pretty well ready to go. The last few days I opened everything up and put Mylar on the walls and ceiling. There is enough left to do the floor too, think thats neccessary?

I am using space that was a closet adjacent to stairway, so and I gained a few more feet. It is 3.5" wide but now 8" long. The last 3 feet taper from 6" down to 40" so that'll probably just be for storage if anything. Got the light yesterday, fan & filter should be along shortly. I need to get some seeds on the way!! I am thinking I'll just do 4 plants initially, try to get a handle on everything before I crowd them in. I am also considering 4 of the 5 gallon smart pots.....suond OK?

 

[Dave Groomer]

My favorite strain that I have grown so far is Nirva's Ice. Great flavor and strong. Day time you really want something more Sativa. I have a Critical Super Silver Haze and a Sleestack Skunk going right now for daytime. Look for something that has "couch lock" in the description for something good for sleep. I like Train Wreck at night. The blue blood can go either way. Smoke a little or a lot will depend.

The rest all sounds good. I don't think you need to use Mylar on the floor. White paint would do fine.

 

[Curly Beaver]

If you have free shipping, go for it. This stuff is heavy and can cost a lot to ship. I go through 3 bags of FFOF in the time it takes me to go through 1 bale of the Promix and a bag of Perlite. You should have enough for a couple grows with 1 bag of each then depending on how well you recycle you will need to buy more FFOF. Figure 7.5 G / Cubic Foot. I use the Fox Farm Trio of Nutes Grow Big, Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom. You will also need a Cal/Mag supplement. Lastly I would get a good PH meter.

Is there a particular pH meter that is good? I didn't realize there were so many kinds.

 

[Curly Beaver]

The room is coming together now. The light is up and I am pretty sure that I can build a platform a couple feet off the floor to sit the plant pots on. I want to try to have it set up much like my raised bed vegetable gardens so I don't have to get on the ground or bend over so much (bad back.) The ceiling in the room is 8" right now and the light is raised to 6'. If the pots are 12" high I could mount the screen midway at 4' and have 2 feet between the screen and light. Is that enough room, or should I drop the screen down further, or raise the light higher? The whole point is to try to set it up so I don't have to bend over so much.
(platform at 2 foot, top of 12" pot = 3', mount the screen at 4', the light will easily raise to 6' and maybe a little more.)

 

[Dave Groomer]

The room is coming together now. The light is up and I am pretty sure that I can build a platform a couple feet off the floor to sit the plant pots on. I want to try to have it set up much like my raised bed vegetable gardens so I don't have to get on the ground or bend over so much (bad back.) The ceiling in the room is 8" right now and the light is raised to 6'. If the pots are 12" high I could mount the screen midway at 4' and have 2 feet between the screen and light. Is that enough room, or should I drop the screen down further, or raise the light higher? The whole point is to try to set it up so I don't have to bend over so much.
(platform at 2 foot, top of 12" pot = 3', mount the screen at 4', the light will easily raise to 6' and maybe a little more.)

If you put the light on a yoyo ratchet you can raise and lower the light at will.

 

[Curly Beaver]

The room is coming together now. The light is up and I am pretty sure that I can build a platform a couple feet off the floor to sit the plant pots on. I want to try to have it set up much like my raised bed vegetable gardens so I don't have to get on the ground or bend over so much (bad back.) The ceiling in the room is 8" right now and the light is raised to 6'. If the pots are 12" high I could mount the screen midway at 4' and have 2 feet between the screen and light. Is that enough room, or should I drop the screen down further, or raise the light higher? The whole point is to try to set it up so I don't have to bend over so much.
(platform at 2 foot, top of 12" pot = 3', mount the screen at 4', the light will easily raise to 6' and maybe a little more.)

Yes, it is on a ratchet system. I just wanted to see if this will work "BEFORE" I go to the work of building a platform that will securely hold up six 5 gallon buckets. Does this sound doable to you or am I pushing by having the screen that high? I just thought of another benefit of the raised platform, and that is I can leave the front open and store supplies between the floor and platform.
Thanks.

 

[Dave Groomer]

i can't help much with the scrog. i just let them grow with a little training here and there,

 

[Curly Beaver]

OK, I think I'm going to proceed with this thought, if it is too high I can always cut the legs down to lower the height.

I had another productive day... ordered the 3 soil components that you recommended, #5 five gallon smart pots, and some seeds from Herbies. It's gonna be like Christmas in July

 

[Dave Groomer]

OK, I think I'm going to proceed with this thought, if it is too high I can always cut the legs down to lower the height.

I had another productive day... ordered the 3 soil components that you recommended, #5 five gallon smart pots, and some seeds from Herbies. It's gonna be like Christmas in July

Your are going to have a great time. While you are waiting for your stuff to arrive, read through some people's first grows. See what mistakes they made so hopefully you won't make the same ones. My 3 biggest noobie mistakes were Over feeding, over watering and not keeping temps stable. The temp was related to the grow space I was in. Now that I have my tents, that has been a non issue.

 

[indica vet]

Thanks supergroomer, now for my next round of questions (leaning towards SCROG).....
1. if I do raise 6 plants my first grow, can I pretty well mix and match any strains as long as they get started at the same time, or should I try to stick with just one or two being it's my first grow?
2. what type and size of pot should I get?
3. what medium (or mixtures) should I get for my first grow, and is it reusable or do you get new for each grow?

i wouldnt go mixing strains to begin with mate as sativa dominant vs indica dominant hybrids grow at very different rates and without much experience indoors can lead to many problems as a sativa can quickly out grow an indica and even your grow space ,best to research med height strains with similar flowering periods, for scrog i would be looking for med height "branchy attitude strains"
many plants will grow well together throughout veg but once flower hits the quick stretchers and flowerers will dominate the growspace.

 

[indica vet]

I have read favorable comments on Grand Daddy Purple, but Herbies has it for $161 for 10 seeds. Is there somewhere that I can just buy one or two?
I'm also considering Blue Dream and a Northern Lights. Are there any companies that are better than others or are all seeds created equal?
(I understand they'll have to be grown at different times.)
Thanks.

you can purchase single seeds through herbies "pick n mix "site

 

[indica vet]

heres a trade secret mate , loose the scrog and use fishing lead weights .....from the start of veg starting with tiny split shot lead weights and a bit of twist tie bend the seedling over which forces branching and spreads dominance to the new shoots as the shoots grow add weights to them also which again forces branching and spreads dominance repeat this process all the way to flower using bigger fishing weights and bits of coat hanger for hooks(as the shoots grow move the weights out) this will produce an extremely dense thick branched plant that will bear a huge amount of large cola's that will never buckle under there own weight as they have been "pumping iron the whole time, no flacid branches"
plants are easily height controlled and in my experience provides twice the bud of a scrog system.

 

[Curly Beaver]

Can any of the following be grown together?

Nirvana Ice
Jack Herer
Grand Daddy Purple
Painkiller xl
Blue Blood
NORTHERN light
Barbers liberty haze
Delahaze, Nebula, Afaghani regular. (freebies)

Maximum of 5 plants???

I really like the idea of fishing sinkers. That little trick will save on all kinds of problems.

Thanks.

 

[Dave Groomer]

Can any of the following be grown together?

Nirvana Ice
Jack Herer
Grand Daddy Purple
Painkiller xl
Blue Blood
NORTHERN light
Barbers liberty haze
Delahaze, Nebula, Afaghani regular. (freebies)

Maximum of 5 plants???

I really like the idea of fishing sinkers. That little trick will save on all kinds of problems.

Thanks.

You can grow any of these together if you don't scrog and just let the individual plants grow. Remember. When you switch to flower your plants will double to triple their size. If you keep them all to the same veg time (say 6 weeks or so but your choice) flip them all to 12/12. What I do as they grow, I will use tiles from an old bathroom project and stack them under the pots of the shorter plants so that the tops stay relatively even. This way if you have a strain that stretches more you can lift the others to match.

 

[Curly Beaver]

I think I can make my first grow a little easier by holding off on the SCROG for now.
I would sure like to grow a Sativa & Indigo at the same time.
Thanks!

 

[Dave Groomer]

I think I can make my first grow a little easier by holding off on the SCROG for now.
I would sure like to grow a Sativa & Indigo at the same time.
Thanks!

BTW. My very first grow (that I mostly ruined do to over water over fert etc) was Jock Horror form Nirvana. As bad as I nute burned that, it was still a great high.