Would love some input to new grow area

[Shorty2385]

Hey guy I've read n read this pages for month and it's a bloody ripper. . Have learnt to much and I really enjoy the grow journals can't wait to do my own.
I've always dabbled with outdoor grows but am looking at setting up a new indoor tent grow. Not to interested in brands as I get people use all types of LEDs for example and each brand has its followers. . My question is this could I get some advice on what I would need to get started then I can cross reference with my list. . I'm not on a massive budget yet but I just plan on buying the best I could afford. . I'm looking at growing 6 @ a time if that is a help cheers I know it's such a broad I know sorry I just would like to do it correctly from the start. Cheers

 

[Steve Green]

Have you decided on how you want to grow? I.e. Soil, hydro etc? There's a great thread on here somewhere about a diy undercurrent rdwc system if you're handy with diy, looks like the lower maintenance rdwc option. Ebb and flow systems look pretty simple to setup also. I also think coco is a great option as an introduction to hydro as it's fairly stable. There's always good old soil.

Have you decided on lighting? Hps seems to get the best flowering results but has a few more things to think about in the way of heat management, probably depends on your climate. Led is a point of great debate, I use it and like it. Big ones will still generate some heat but less so compared to hps. Higher purchase price but less power costs. Cfl lighting is another option, far lower cost to setup but not sure about yield possibilities against other options. Deciding on this will impact the next thing to think about....

Ventilation - very important. Depending on the size of your tent, your local climate, number of plants and lighting choice. I have quite a small tent (80x80x160cm) but still went with a 6 inch inline fan with passive intake as I have a fairly large led for the space. Basically, you want to be able to turn the air completely through the tent every 3-5 minutes. Calculate this based on the rating on the fan, you'll need to factor in any inefficiencies in the setup. Example, every bend in the exhaust Ducting will deduct 5% of its capacity, a carbon filter (to scrub smell) will take maybe 15-20%, lighting etc. Ill try and find you a great article I read on this. If you're running a big hps light you may consider a cooling tube for this, which will need exhaust capacity out of the tent and ideally out of the room the tent is in.

Smell - if smell would be a concern you'll need to consider a carbon filter. It's best to setup most inline fans to such air through the filter rather than push.

Air circulation - massively important for a couple reasons. To keep fresh air circulating evenly around the plant, this also helps avoid mould in flowering. Plus cannabis is a wind pollinating plant so having some "wind" across the canopy is a must in flower. A basic household oscillating fan will do.

Nutrients and additives - this is a big part to do with your style of growing, and a whole topic in its own. I use general hydroponics trio with a couple additives for my pissy little dwc setup. They're fine for me, many have their own preference and brands. It's a jungle of science vs theory and marketing campaigns, as long as you do your research on what the plant absorbs and why you can make informed choices. Many people swear by using the "Lucas formula" and nothing else, which is just 2 of the gh trio only so it's really up to you and your budget.

You'll need some timers for lights, feeding systems etc depending on what you decide. I recommend getting decent digital ones as cheap ones can fail and cause you plenty of ball-aches.

Then, depending on your climate you may want to consider ways to raise or drop humidity. In my climate it's mostly pretty good but the cooler nights can get humid so I run a small dehumidifier. The plant can deal with a lot of conditions, but in heavy flowering you do not want high humidity as this can cause mould (bud rot) and fuk all your hard work. Your lighting choice may help with temps if you live in a cold environment. Ideal conditions:

Max temps 30c (23.8 ideal lights on), minimum temps I'm not 100% but I think maybe 14c (ideal around 18-20c lights off, I think)
Ideal humidity - clone/seedling 70-80%, veg 40-70%, flowering 40-60% and some say lower for the last week.

As you can see it's a bit of a rabbit hole if you want it to be. As I mentioned the plant will still grow if many of these things aren't perfect, and ideal conditions can vary from strain to strain. In my opinion, the genetics and environment are the first most important things. A good base nutrient mix, always start low strength and build up (less is often more with this. If you're using soil, get the right mix and don't just get cheap garbage from the hardware store unless you're sure it's the right mix.

I'm sure I'm missing something, hopefully that helps as a start. I'm pretty new myself, but I always like share what I learn.

You mentioned 6 plants, what sort of space are you working with?

 

[Steve Green]

Sorry, just read that you've grown a bit outdoor... Hope I wasn't just telling you shit you already know.

 

[fanleaf]

What is your budget?

Cheapest for 6 plants I would say;

4X4 tent
600W mh and hps
4 inch exhaust blower/scrubber
fan
then the typical pots, pans and soil and nutes

Next affordable I would say;
4x4 tent
About 600 true watts of LED
same everything else

 

[fanleaf]

Have you decided on lighting? Hps seems to get the best flowering results but has a few more things to think about in the way of heat management, probably depends on your climate. "Led is a point of great debate"

Not really, I think the debate has been done for a while now. Actually LED seems to get the best flowering results. LED grown is also usually more dense and great for terpines.
"best flowering results is a pretty wide scope".

 

[Shorty2385]

Thank you very much for your reply am going to properly read after work I know I'm keen on led and medium I'd like to use well unsure was thinking dwc but not 100% sure

 

[Shorty2385]

So I'm thinking I'll get a tent around the 2metre mark? . Was thinking an led but unsure as I'll probably only have a spare 400-500$. Carbon filter n fan, need to decide on nutes n style of grow. .

 

[420Amard]

Really all this is great.... but how much do you smoke or need is the questions a 4x4 can supply ya with a lot of smoke.