Total newbie in every way looking for advice please

[jjay200]

Hello all, I've been reading this forum for quite a while and it seems to have a very helpful and decent community vibe which i like so I'm now going to throw myself on the coals and ask for some advice... be gentle!!!


a while back I got bitten with the hydroponics bug and am really interested in using it as a side hobby, while researching anything and everything it was very obvious that 99% of the good info is from weed growers! Now, having lived my life to 34 and only ever smoked about 5 spliffs in my life I have ZERO knowledge bar what I have read in the past few weeks yet I'm very very intrigued by growing some for myself.

I was going to try an attic grow of around 6 plants or so from seed bought from a supplier donpaul.p seems to recommend highly and often.
My plan is to germinate in a propagator till a few inches high then shift them to the attic where I hope to grow them in a bucket method of some kind as I have drippers and pumps in abundance and it should be fairly straight forward. As for lighting I think ill have to go with fluorescent tubes ( bog standard kitchen lights ) as I can get a ready supply for free. Will this be enough as the pennies are in short supply since losing my job, fiancee, house and just about everything I held dear and now I'm fighting depression on a daily basis. Growing things is slowly helping me feel a bit better about myself.

Next up is what seeds should i start with? I was thinking the auto fem jobbies ( lack of knowledge is making me think these will be easiest?? )
The attic I plan to use is totally private and quite small as its part of an extension, what about heat levels?? I live in Ireland and its now starting to get to the colder time of the year.

I think that will do for now, no doubt I'll have more questions soon but ill get back to readding as many posts on starting as I can get my hands on.

thanks in advance guys and girls

JJ

 

[PurpleGunRack]

Hi and welcome to 420

There are lots of DIY threads here where people build grow rooms for next to nothing and getting good results.

Those lights you can get for free do you know the wattage is, and what spectrum they have?

If your attic isn't insulated it'll probably get too cold, but if it is you should be able to do with a small heater or running a HID light, the flourescent lights produce very little heat. The plants prefer 18°C-28C°.

Auto's might be little bit easier as you don't have to switch the light time schedule to induce flowering, but they are not as fast as the breeders claim.

Hope you get something going soon

 

[Richard Richardson]

Fluorescent tubes are an excellent source of light - get as many freebies as you can fit safely in there

Ideally you will be able to split your attic and have a Veg and a Grow area. If not, then autos are a good idea.

Also, going 12/12 from fem seed in buckets will give you a quick harvest with less electricity.

A small adjustable oil radiator is handy for winter, if your attic is not otherwise heated.

 

[jjay200]

No idea of the wattage and spectrum yet but it will be the usual kitchen type lights as the neighbor is an electrician and just hangs onto the old lights as he does not have the heart to bin something that's not broken!
As for a split area, yeah that could be doable although I'll probably not be able to judge when to switch them over!

Thank you very much for the replies and advice, I really appreciate it guys.
Purple - you mentioned auto's are not as fast to grow as is claimed, would you recommend a different type for a first bash???
Also what the heck strain would be nice for a first timer? as I certainly dont intend to smoke all I grow I'm bolloxed if I'll not be trying some of my hard work!!!!! I have a few friends that will appreciate some free smoke now and again!

 

[PurpleGunRack]

What you're looking for is a number like 2700K - this is the colour spectrum measured in Kelvin, high numbers are mostly blue(cold white(good for veg) and low numbers are mostly red/warm white(good for flowering) and a mix of both is good for growing, just keep the plants very close to the light

Auto's are cool they just need a couple more weeks to finish properly, but you can certainly grow some nice bud in 70 days, but giving them 90 days just makes the end product so much better it's worth the wait.

I can recommend THC Bomb Auto from Bomb Seeds it seems to be able to deal with a lot of abuse and produce super frosted, dense, sticky and VERY stinky buds. I can't tell you about the high though as it's drying right now
I just grew some auto's advertised as being fast and the Amphetamine from Cream of the Crop will give you some decent bud in 70 days or less in a budget grow setup.

 

[jjay200]

EXCITING!!!!! my seeds just arrived! Now I guess I can start doing something with all the ideas in my head! I have 1 incredible bulk, 1 vip torpedo (both auto fem) 1 samsara holy grail and 3 afghani regular seeds.
I think I'll germinate just 2 (no idea what ones tho HELP!!!) for now and see what happens. But what technique is my best option? Soak in a cup of water? Scuff up the seeds shell? Straight into rock wool? Towel method ? So many choices and so little clue as to what is the best option.

 

[PurpleGunRack]

The auto's can be on almost any light/darkness schedule, but I think 16/8 to 20/4 is what most people use, and that's a fine veg schedule for non-autos and the auto's won't mind when you flip to 12/12 to induce flowering in the non-auto's.

With proper seeds I have 100% germination rate with the paper towel method, the other methods probably works just as well.

Happy growing

 

[OldMedUser]

High JJay

For you I'd go with a couple of autos at first. Keep the fluoros on 24 hours/day to help the the attic temp an even heat and just toss a heater in if you need it. You should have everything ready before popping beans tho. Autos like to start in a bigger pail to get the best growth and yields out of them. Regulars are great for starting in small pots then moving up in stages to larger ones.

I prefer to scuff up my seeds and start then right in grow media. Screened ProMix in my case. Don't handle your seeds with bare hands to keep skin oils and germs off them.

L8r

 

[MRXC]

sounds nice for a first grow. if you are growing in your addic a growbox or cabinet is nice. also ventilation is something you will need. but the fluresent tubes are oke for your first grow. my best friend did his first grow with fleurs from a fish tank and some cfl's and a pc fan totaling 140 watts and ended up with 70 grams of weed .

but if you could get your hands on a HID system that would be awsome

good luck with everything man and enjoy your plants