Yet another newbie to the forums introducing himself

[Sigma]

Hey folks,

to cut straight to the case, the name's Sigma and I decided to join the forum after about a week of following it. I must say, it's quite amazing to see a forum dedicated to a plant. Even though I'm from a country where people gather in the tens of thousands and sing about weed, lol. I'm no medical user, luckily.

As most people I suppose, I joined due to needing help. About two weeks ago I decided that I want to get started growing my own supply (indoors). I've watched about every documentary there is to watch, but still need some help. I've a space of about 6' by 3' and 6' high. I don't care that much about quantity, but do want to have a decent supply. Obviously the more the better, as long as it doesn't compromise on quality.

I think I've decided on regular (non-autoflower) plants but I'm confused about the lights and how much space to dedicate to what. It should be 50/50 on flowering and vegging, right? At least that's how most people do it. I'm not so sure if that's right in the amount of space I have. My biggest problem lies within the lights. I have no clue on what to get. Some people say that 5000 lm/ft^2 is enough for decent buds, others say you should have at least 10000 lm/ft^2 and others even go into the 100k range. If someone would be kind enough to give me advice on that, it would be really awesome.

If you want (or if it's general practice) I can keep a journal to learn from my mistakes and so that I can laugh at them in the future. Well, that's about it. Thanks for giving me such an awesome first impression

Thanks a lot in advance and have a nice day,


Sigma

 

[Wacky Kush]

Welcome Sigma , off the cuff I'd suggest a 400 -600 watt hps with an air cooled hood for your space. In regard to dedicated space for veg and flowering it is not mandated. Take a look around and read a bit. There is an overwealming amount of consideration for every individual situation. The dedicated space for vegetative growth is for more of a prepetitial grow.

Anyways, read for a bit and welcome.

 

[Sigma]

Thanks a lot. I'll look around on the forum. That's one of those things I didn't do enough. If anyone else has something to say, I'd love to hear it.

 

[trichomes]

your plant/s will not veg with 12/12 light timing, 24 hours of light to veg, then 12/12 to determine sex, then you r ready to grow the girls & kill the boys. I suggest you paste the answers & questions to your next "post" I pasted the info. we need to help you best, or you read the link that is in green font, (I think) You chose the best site for great people to share & learn.

How to Make a Grow Journal

What strain is it?
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages?
Is it in Veg or Flower stage?
If in Veg... For how long?
If in Flower stage... For how long?
Indoor or outdoor?
Soil or Hydro?
If soil... what is in your mix?
If soil... What size pot?
Size of light?
Is it aircooled?
Temp of Room/cab?
RH of Room/cab?
PH of media or res?
Any Pests ?
How often are you watering?
Type and strength of ferts used?

This info will make it much easier for accurate help to be given when needed and keep the members interested in your grow.

 

[Spimp]

to
A great community with friendly people and tons of information!

Id love to see you start a grwo journal. But we need to get some more info in ya first! There are many things to consider before anypurches of equipment are made. Do you rent? whens the leae up? whats the budget? how high can your plant grow in your space? Etc, etc,. I suggest you check out a couple of these links and youll have a better idea of what I mean:
How to Grow MJ

Heres the absolute basics of Phot (regular) MJ light schedules. Less than 12 hrs of dark = vegatative growth. Exapmle 18(light)-6(dark). 12hrs or more of dark =flower. ex 12-12.
Personally, Im a cfl grower and started with bagseed. Mostly so I could work out any kinks before wasting a 15$ bean.

 

[Sigma]

I could've sworn that I already replied with all of the specs, but anyways:

To reply to Spimp first: I rent my house. I have no clue on what you mean with "When's the leae up?". The budget is approx $300, excluding a carbon filter I have laying around. The plant can grow to six feet before coming within a foot of the light with my current idea for the grow box.

And now to Trichomes:

What strain is it?
- White widow
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages?
- Hybrid of sativa and indica. 35% and 65% respectively.
Is it in Veg or Flower stage?
- Not yet applicable. I'm not in a hurry for when I get to this phase.
If in Veg... For how long?
- Idem
If in Flower stage... For how long?
- Idem
Indoor or outdoor?
- Indoors
Soil or Hydro?
- Soil is the choice
If soil... what is in your mix?
- Some local stuff without nutrients but with Perlite. I'll add those later.
If soil... What size pot?
- Probably three or five gallon pots.
Size of light?
- I haven't decided on this yet as this is my biggest problem. According to what I've read, it's best to go with those "warm" fluorescents and simply control veg/flower with how much light they get.
Is it aircooled?
- Depends on what lamp it is.
Temp of Room/cab?
- Not yet applicable
RH of Room/cab?
- Not yet applicable.
PH of media or res?
- Not yet applicable
Any Pests ?
- Not applicable. As for in the house, I've never seen a damn bug around here, let alone mold.
How often are you watering?
- I think I'll use the 'Lift the pot' method or simply feel if it's dry inside.
Type and strength of ferts used?
- Not applicable yet... I think.

Thanks to all of you. I'll hope I've answered all I need for now. I'll change this as soon as as possible and I'll keep you folks updated. Now I'll go and read those links in that thread Spimp gave me from start to finish.

 

[Spimp]

The reason you didnt understand me, is I left a valuable "s" out of the sentence. How long is your lease? Id hate for you to have to move midway through a grow. Glad to see you doing some reading. If you have any further questions, Ill try to help you sir. Good weed.

 

[LadyJane420]

Hello Sigma,

I'm just another newbie here to say hi and I'm sure you'll find the answers you need here and some very experienced, knowledgeable people to help you.

If you want (or if it's general practice) I can keep a journal to learn from my mistakes and so that I can laugh at them in the future. Well, that's about it. Thanks for giving me such an awesome first impression


Sigma

I would recommend having a journal. I laugh at my mistakes but in truth the plant still grows and every mistake I've made has added to my knowledge base.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Sigma]

Don't worry, I won't have to move out unexpectedly. Thanks a million for your help so far, especially you, Spimp. I'll keep you all updated

 

[TanR]

Hi Sigma,

I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of members welcoming to you to the 420 magazine site and community of members.

I'd like to offer some thoughts on your initial questions/concerns. When it comes to lighting, I've yet to hear or see a situation where there has ever been "too much light". There can most assuredly be too much heat, generated by big HID lights and inadequate ventilation, but I believe it's always going to be poor ventilation that causes the issues.

My understanding re: the lumens per square ft. is that 5,000 is about the absolute minimum during the budding cycle. You can get away with much less during the vegetative cycle although there is a risk of a plant stretching a lot (undesirable) with less than 3,000 or so lumens per sq. ft.

As far as splitting your space - As Wacky Kush pointed out, you only need a dedicated vegetative space if you want seedlings or clones growing while your other plants are maturing/budding. If you can grow enough to meet your needs each round to not require growing in a perpetual manner then you can start and finish each grow in the same area. Also remember that smaller seedlings and even clones simply don't require as much space as a fully mature plant if you do decide to split your space. I can easily veg 10 or 12 small plants in an area maybe 2 ft. by 3 ft. but can fill a 4 ft. x 4 ft. tent with only 2 or 3 of those plants.

I hope this helps and will certainly watch for a journal should you decide to start one.

Be well and happy growing!

When reviewing lighting options, please remember that most of the High Intensity Discharge lights available tend to produce a square or only slightly rectangular light foot print. You've got a space twice as long as it is wide, so if you decide to use the entire space you might consider two slightly lower powered (250 watt-400 watt) lights rather than one bigger one that will leave the ends of the space with less than ideal lighting.

 

[Wacky Kush]

Very good advice from TanR, seedlings and clones can be maintained in a sunny room supplemented by floros or cfls. Once established you would need to give them the dedicated space required for explosive growth...

Hi Sigma,

I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of members welcoming to you to the 420 magazine site and community of members.

I'd like to offer some thoughts on your initial questions/concerns. When it comes to lighting, I've yet to hear or see a situation where there has ever been "too much light". There can most assuredly be too much heat, generated by big HID lights and inadequate ventilation, but I believe it's always going to be poor ventilation that causes the issues.

My understanding re: the lumens per square ft. is that 5,000 is about the absolute minimum during the budding cycle. You can get away with much less during the vegetative cycle although there is a risk of a plant stretching a lot (undesirable) with less than 3,000 or so lumens per sq. ft.

As far as splitting your space - As Wacky Kush pointed out, you only need a dedicated vegetative space if you want seedlings or clones growing while your other plants are maturing/budding. If you can grow enough to meet your needs each round to not require growing in a perpetual manner then you can start and finish each grow in the same area. Also remember that smaller seedlings and even clones simply don't require as much space as a fully mature plant if you do decide to split your space. I can easily veg 10 or 12 small plants in an area maybe 2 ft. by 3 ft. but can fill a 4 ft. x 4 ft. tent with only 2 or 3 of those plants.

I hope this helps and will certainly watch for a journal should you decide to start one.

Be well and happy growing!

When reviewing lighting options, please remember that most of the High Intensity Discharge lights available tend to produce a square or only slightly rectangular light foot print. You've got a space twice as long as it is wide, so if you decide to use the entire space you might consider two slightly lower powered (250 watt-400 watt) lights rather than one bigger one that will leave the ends of the space with less than ideal lighting.

 

[Sigma]

Well, thanks a lot guys. I'm gonna post what I think is best, let someone confirm whether that's wise if you're up for it and then get growing. So, let me summarize:

1. The space's six by four (I've removed some stuff, made the available space larger). In order to light everything, use more lights of less wattage. The more light the better.
2. Use HIDs for everything, as vegging/flowering is regulated by hours of light per day.
3. Vent with passive intake, active outtake and don't ever leak light as it'll mess up the plant.
4. Don't overwater or use too much nutrients. Also don't use soil with added nutrients. Make sure that the pH value of the water is as neutral as possible.

Wow guys, I hope I can help people as much as you helped me once I get more experience with indoor growing

@Wacky: Problem is, I can't give them that space after I've made that construction. The room I'm going to keep it in is about three feet wider, just enough for me to maintenance the plants. Everything must be in that space. So one half for flowering (+- 3 plants) and one for vegging and the clones. Just as the big plants are ready to get transferred to flower, I'd take a clone. That way I keep a continuous supply, without messing with the grow space of the plants. Would that work?

 

[Spimp]

IMO #2 is not exactly the best route. Ill explain.
Vegging under fluro's like a t5 light is much better than HPS. First and most importantly, becasue of heat. A t5 is bareliy even gonna raise the room temp with no exhaust. A MH will need to be cooled and or extracted. Ive alos read that plants root better under t5 than MH. No data to back this up but it kinda makes sense. Because the t5 is gonna be right on top of them making them content to stay short and stout. A MH would need to be higher and IMO cause more veg stretch.

 

[Sigma]

Thanks Spimp, it does make sense. They also use a lot less juice. So, basically get a fixture that houses like five or six T5s and I'm golden? What about flowering, should I go with HPS there or T5s as well?

Also, congrats on winning Nug of the month

 

[Spimp]

TY. If space and money were no issue heres what Iwould have---
1 single bulb fluro for seedlings and rooting cuttings in.
1 t5 8 bulb (or 4 if you only need to veg a few plants at a time)
1 hid HPS (for me probably 400 or 600w. that handles 3 or 4 girls easily)

I gotta run but Ill hit ya back later!

 

[TanR]

Good info from both Spimp and Wacky Kush, Sigma.

+-3 plants can produce a lot of smoke, so perhaps it's time to better define, if only to yourself, your original statement of "don't care that much about quantity, but do want a decent supply. Decide how much you want/need over what time period (4 months - 6, 12?) and you can back into the rest of the numbers from there as far as plants veg'ing vs. budding, light size, etc....

 

[Sigma]

And what about this then, from another forum?

"Look, Iv'e been using t5s from start to finish and I was totally impressed. What people have to understand, is that its all about the lumens. 40000 lumens 2 inches away from the plant. think about it!" - shp from here.

 

[Wacky Kush]

I'm a firm believer in what ever get's you through the night. ( different strokes for different folks )

Every application has it's needs....

I prefer a 400w MH with a 600w HPS in a dual air cooled hood covering a 3'x3' don't make it necessarily right for you....but it works nicely for me.


PEACE OUT

PS, that link may be a no no ? IDUNNO ?

And what about this then, from another forum?

"Look, Iv'e been using t5s from start to finish and I was totally impressed. What people have to understand, is that its all about the lumens. 40000 lumens 2 inches away from the plant. think about it!" - shp from here.

 

[TanR]

Hi again Sigma,

I have to agree with Wacky Kush here. There are any number of ways to get this plant we all love to grow. I have to remind myself sometimes that it is a B]weed[/B] that has grown without any help from man for thousands or if not 10's of thousands of years. It will grow in ditches, rocky terrain, etc... At some point high performance equipment is about improving the results as opposed to being "the only right way" of nurturing the plant.

A number of growers on this site use only Fluorescent lights from start to finish with great results. Some are High Output (HO), some are Very High Output (VHO), I've even seen labels like Super High Output (SHO), and some use compact fluorescent bulbs like you'd put in a table lamp. Given enough light, a decent grow medium (be it soil or whatever) and a few basic nutrients, the weed wants to grow.

One of the few disadvantages to using a fluorescent fixture during later veg and budding relates to light penetration. Fluorescents of all types suffer greatly from the inverse square law of light. That is to say as the plant grows and the fluorescent light is raised to maintain the 2 inch distance from the top, the lower portion of the plant receives a progressively diminishing intensity of light. It's true for HID's as well but the lumen output of say a 600 watt HPS bulb is in the 90,000-100,000 lumens range as opposed to the 40,000 indicated in the above quote for the T5. So HID's will provide more light to the lower portion of the plant even though they are further removed from the top of the plant than a T5 needs to be kept.

There are several ways around this limitation so I'm by no means suggesting that a HID is the "one and only way" to successfully grow with a decent yield. HID's are just another way to go.

I recognize that all the choices in "how and what" to use in growing can be a little overwhelming. For me the choice came down to identifying how much I wanted to spend on tools that had proven to provide both the quality and quantity of bud that I desired to grow.

Hope you find this helpful. Be well and let us know if we can assist.

 

[Spimp]

And what about this then, from another forum?

"Look, Iv'e been using t5s from start to finish and I was totally impressed. What people have to understand, is that its all about the lumens. 40000 lumens 2 inches away from the plant. think about it!" - shp from here.

Its not 40,000 lumens. Its symantics. Each bulb is producing 5k. Its different than when you have a single light source giving off 50,000lumens such as a hid bulb. You will be dissapointed if you flower with a t5.

Im running 312w actual of CFL and Im convinced I would get more weight with a single 150w HPS. Fluro buds are almost always fluffy, light, and shrink like crazy due to the lack of penetration any fluro has.