Noob - Requesting Help

[WarChief]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to grow for the very first time, like many others. I'll start off by admitting I don't know shit about growing cannabis, let alone anything else. I've been researching a little bit, trying to learn what I can (which is how I found this website) but could obviously use some advice, tips, etc.

So my game plan is to grow two strains of auto-flower indoors. I'm not sure which ones just yet, but I do know I want to grow an indica and a sativa. I'm looking at growing 12 plants in total, maybe a few more, not sure. What I would like to know is more equipment related than anything else, I suppose... for now at least.

What kind/size of grow tent should I get?
Can I grow both strains in the same tent or do they need separate rooms?
What kind of lamps should I get? I'm looking at 600W LED Grow Light but I am open to suggestions. From what I understand one of these will do 2 plants, so I'm looking at 6?
What kind of soil should I use? If different for each stage, please list those.
What size pots should I use for auto-flower?
What carbon filter would you suggest?

I'm new to all of this and would really appreciate any and all help! I want to do this right from the git-go. One website I found said that you should look at each plant as an investment and treat it as such, which I plan to do.

Thanks for your time guys! I look forward to your replies! If you need any further info, just let me know and I'll reply ASAP.

 

[WarChief]

Whoops. I just saw I broke the rules with the link to the LED's I'm looking to use... my bad Admins. I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't happen again! Your post said its okay to discuss the products I'm looking at as long as it's not linked, does that also include pictures of them? Please let me know, either via PM or by editing this again, thank you!


Update:

The grow tent I'm looking at getting is a Matrix Horticulture 8x8.

The lamps I'm looking at are the VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series. They are 600W LEDs with full spectrum coverage.

I was also able to research more on the strains I'd like to grow; I'm thinking of going with Amnesia Haze for the sativa and Northern Lights for the indica. Though, I'm also considering White Widow instead of Amnesia Haze... decisions decisions. What are your thoughts on these strains?

I read that for auto-flowers you want to put the germinated seeds into the final bucket from the git-go, can anyone confirm that for me? I also still don't know what carbon filter to get... like I said, I'm extremely new to this. Any suggestions?

I guess this would be a start to my own grow journal? In any case, I'm super excited!


Admins: Like I said, if I need to take down the pictures, let me know and I'll do so ASAP, or do so yourself. I'm not here to create waves so I'll comply as best I can!

Thanks guys!

 

[LB07]

What is your budget on lighting? How handy are you? Blurple LEDs will GROW marijuana, but you can for sure invest your money in higher performing lighting! You can send me a PM. I'll help yah out with.

 

[WarChief]

Well, I'm looking at getting the most bang for my buck. I'd rather not spend $5k on lights, but I'd also rather not lose a whole crop to shoddy lights that are $50 / each either. I'll check out the LED's you suggested though. I've never heard of them. Also... a very noob question, how do you PM? I can't find the option on your profile.

 

[LB07]

Blurple leds are the lights you are looking at. They make a purplish blue hue when they are lit up.

I was asking your budget to recommend a light for you.

I was also asking your ability to work on things because you can build a light for a fraction of the cost.

 

[WarChief]

Oh, see? New as fuck.

Okay, hmm... budget would be around $2k I suppose. I'm fairly handy, so any suggestions you got I can definitely look into! BLURPLE... lol makes sense.

 

[LB07]

With 2k to spend if that is $usd I'd build a COB light fixture. It may take a little soldering and screwing some things in, but you will be building one of the most efficient lights possible, and yield exponentially more than a blurple LED or even a HPS light. You'll save on electricity as well ..

I'd personally look into CREE CXB3590, or VERO 29. The vero will cost a bit less, and come close to the Crees performance. 3500k spectrum is good for flower .

I'd wander over to YouTube and look up "growmau5." If you spend a couple hours learning how to build a cob, and watching his videos, you'll know everything you need to know about COB lighting. He took me from idiot to genius in a couple days of watching.

 

[WarChief]

Then I shall do that! I'll look up the lights you suggested as well. With auto-flowers, do you know if their yield is capped out? Looking for seeds, the sites say "This can yield up to 120 grams per plant" but can I go beyond that with better lighting?

Thanks for all the info by the way! I really appreciate it! I want to do this right from the very beginning and I figured asking the experts would be the best case for me!

 

[LB07]

Also if you want to skip all the building a light, and buy a turn key light that will outperform a HPS is buy a PLC-6. This light is one of the best lights I've seen built by a company. My cobs I'm building are based off this light.

PLC 6 - Pacific Light Concepts

Each one of these lights will cover a 4'x4' canopy and produce over a pound of dry herb ..

A DIY setup like this would be $3-$400.

Autoflowers are really picking up steam on their capability. I wouldn't be surprised if 3-4 ounces were easily attained from growing one. Some even boast of numbers higher than that!

 

[WarChief]

So for my 8x8 tent I'd need 4 of those PLC 6's then, correct?

 

[LB07]

Ahh crap you are right, I was thinking 8x4!

 

[WarChief]

Okay! I'll take all of this info, research it, and watch those videos! Thanks for your help, LB! I'll post more updates and questions as they come along. Have a great day!

 

[LB07]

Also you need 50 posts to send Personal messages. When you get there send me one. Go tell some people their weed looks nice .

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Also you need 50 posts to send Personal messages. When you get there send me one. Go tell some people their weed looks nice .

Hence the investigation posts......great advice LB lol.

I don't know a pile about cob lighting, but I do know that the higher you lift your light in order to get more coverage obviously the par and lumens values would go down. You want to maximize your lights capabilities while minimizing the distance that you pull it away from your plants. You will find The Sweet Spot as you screw around with your lights.

Your tent, wow talk about jumping in with both feet lol. An 8 x 8 is an awesome idea, especially if you only plan on always flowering autoflowers. Plenty of room in there for 12 good size plants. If it were me, I would go with something smaller maybe a 6x8 or even a 4x8 so that you can also have a separate cabinet of a much smaller size for your vegetative state as well as your seedlings and clones if you ever plan on doing photoperiod plants. When I first started, I was convinced that I would only do autos because of their ease but as you look further and further into it you will discover that phenotype plants are a lot more fun and I find them a little bit more capable of producing bigger yields.....for now. Autos are also a lot more temperamental because of their Ruderalis Gene. So that leads me to two things, it's easier to screw them up with pruning Etc, and also yes what you read about them not liking to be moved is true, once one has germinated, I would put it in its final pot. For an auto, I would go with three to four gallons minimum.

Soil.. ... I forget, have you decided?

Lighting....budget is a big one here. LB has given you some great advice, I mean you can spend $3,000 on one light if you want to.

My two best pieces of advice that were given to me were read as much as you can stand every day until your eyes want to close, and whatever you do be patient. Trying to rush something will cause nothing but problems for yourself including over-watering under feeding overfeeding too much light too much heat etc etc..... You will find your sweet spot as I said before through experimentation only.

That ought to be enough to read for now LOL? Let us know if you have anymore questions, we are both subbed into your thread automatically by replying to you. Look forward to seeing how you do.

 

[LB07]

To piggy back on what this fine gentleman said above me. I didn't wAnt to damper your goals of a 8x8 but I fully agree. I'd personally start with two 4x4s and see how that carnival rides. You could use one for veg and one for flower and have a perpetual setup going. With a hug room you're limited to one environment for growing. You could pump out two pounds every few months with a 2 tent setup. Starting a cycle start to finish with only one tent will most likely take 5-8 months depending on veg times and flower times.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Second piece of advice, once you start growing absolutely 100% start a journal on here but also keep a paper journal for yourself that you can write everything down in. One or the other could be more detailed than the other one but always write it down so that you can refer back to it in future grows. Also, going back on your notes if you forget to water or who was watered when Etc will be a great advantage to you.

Also, any type of Haze strain usually is more complicated, and has a much longer flowering period than other strains available. White Widow and Northern Lights are two killer indicas that have proven to be great strains for the beginner.

Check out Growants thread. They are a site sponsor and they have killer lights. You will also get a really great discount if you are a 420 member. Gee is really impressing a lot of the people on here because of his involvement in so many threads.

Seeds..... I have ordered a lot of success from a company locally called crop King seeds or truenorthseedbank. I would definitely recommend a site sponsor but I have also heard a lot of good things about Seedsman out of the UK. All shipped using discreet packaging. Seedsman has great deals if you are a Bitcoin subscriber. Also Nukehead seeds are an amazing sponsor and claimed to have some of the biggest buds I have ever even laid eyes on LOL.

 

[LB07]

I'm a sponsored grower by growant as well. I'll be kicking off my sponsored journal this month.

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

The fine boys above are spot on! I have to agree with them that your jumping in with both feet. LOL I'd caution you to watch what your investigating now until you know what your getting into and what your capable of. I'd hate to see you invest 4-5k then get discouraged and give it up six months from now.(I'll buy your used stuff for 1/2 what you paid though). I get wanting the best and baddest set up right off the hop but keep in mind the biger your set up and the more plants you start the more work your going to have...for instance, harvest and trimming for the first time was awesome in hour 1...at hour 6 not so much. I think cannabis is easy to grow but it still requires a bunch of effort.

If you have the time and the skills a DIY cob or other custom LED fixture can save you some money for sure. The Growmau5 videos are a great tip if your interested in that route. Also, have a look at what the 420 sponsors have to offer.

I know, so does Guy, White Widow is suuuuuper easy to grow.

Like Guy said, have a look at a bunch of Grow Journals an keep asking questions!

 

[WarChief]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply!

Okay, so lets start off:

If it were me, I would go with something smaller maybe a 6x8 or even a 4x8 so that you can also have a separate cabinet of a much smaller size for your vegetative state as well as your seedlings and clones if you ever plan on doing photoperiod plants. - Guy Cavallero

I didn't wAnt to damper your goals of a 8x8 but I fully agree. I'd personally start with two 4x4s and see how that carnival rides. - LB07

Okay, so how would that work exactly? I'd be growing less, but more often? Most of the auto-flower seeds I've seen say around ~60 days from start to finish. Also, I've read some people do full spectrum for the same, start to finish... but I imagine that probably doesn't yield the most considering the flowering requires more red in the spectrum (again from what I've read). So, would I be cycling them out every 30 days? Also... stupid question I'm sure, but when you collect from the plant at the end of the cycle, do you destroy it or restart the veg cycle again? Is that dependent on the type (Auto-flower or photoperiod)? I've seen pictures where they are completely barren and found that to be weird, though not unheard of for other plants/crops. Also, seeings how I'm on the dumb questions ride, does it matter if I grow indica and sativa strains together? Or do they need to be seperated? (Assuming all are femenized)

Oh and LB, you're not dampening my goals or plans, bud. I'm genuinely trying to come up with the best game plan here and getting help from experienced growers such as yourself is the best way I can think of, so keep the feedback coming!

For an auto, I would go with three to four gallons minimum. - Guy Cavallero

I saw on your thread you immediately put it into a 10 gallon bucket. I've read that you should expect .7 grams per gallon you plant it in... is that a good rule of thumb? (I'm imagining a 50 gallon metal drum with a 40 foot plant lol)

- Edit: Just saw on your thread that you replied to me. Your auto-flowers are in 3 to 4 gallon pots, but you are planning on moving up to 10? Is that right?

Soil.. ... I forget, have you decided? - Guy Cavallero

I have not. I've found a few "how to grow marijuana for beginners" videos that show the type of soil and supplements they used; which I need to return to for reference, but was wondering what you guys also use and your thoughts for each of the products. Like I said, asking the experts can save a lot of time and trouble!

Also, going back on your notes if you forget to water or who was watered when Etc will be a great advantage to you. - Guy Cavallero

So, assuming we don't destroy the plants every time we harvest I've seen a way of watering your plants that allow you to let it water itself. Basically, you take a clay jar, put it in the soil and let the roots grow to it. Once they grow to it, they will begin to suck the water out through the porous clay as they need it. I found that to be interesting...

On a side note, researching about what to look for when the plants are getting too little water, too much heat, etc. I've become more aware of other plants / flowers that show the same signs. It's all very neat to me, and it's an experience I'm having a great time with so far!

Also, any type of Haze strain usually is more complicated, and has a much longer flowering period than other strains available. White Widow and Northern Lights are two killer indicas that have proven to be great strains for the beginner. - Guy Cavallero

Hmm, I'd really like to grow both a sativa and indica. I want a sativa for that boost of energy and the indica for sleep aid and relaxation. What makes the Haze strain more complicated? Do you have suggestions on what strains I should look at? What's good to grow but also has really good benefits, from your experience?

Check out Growants thread. - Guy Cavallero

How would one go about finding said thread?

Seeds..... I have ordered a lot of success from a company locally called crop King seeds or truenorthseedbank. I would definitely recommend a site sponsor but I have also heard a lot of good things about Seedsman out of the UK. All shipped using discreet packaging. Seedsman has great deals if you are a Bitcoin subscriber. Also Nukehead seeds are an amazing sponsor and claimed to have some of the biggest buds I have ever even laid eyes on LOL. - Guy Cavallero

Awesome, I'll check them all out! Right now I was looking at ILoveGrowingMarijuana and Royal Queen Seeds. There was another thread I saw several days ago about a company in the UK... I can't recall the name. I'll need to find it again. I couldn't find the company, but the owner/company posted on a couple of marijuana growing sites. They are exclusive in auto-flowering, and I shit you not, one of his plants had 9 forearm sized buds. Maybe I can find that picture... it was amazing.

I'm a sponsored grower by growant as well. I'll be kicking off my sponsored journal this month. -
LB07

I'll be looking forward to that! You've been a huge help for me so far, I shall read journal; your words of wisdom, as if they were an ancient tome of magical power and knowledge! lol

(I'll buy your used stuff for 1/2 what you paid though) - GrEeNdAyZ

Funny.

If you have the time and the skills a DIY cob or other custom LED fixture can save you some money for sure. The Growmau5 videos are a great tip if your interested in that route. Also, have a look at what the 420 sponsors have to offer. - GrEeNdAyZ

For sure, bud. I'll definitely be checking out those videos and sponsors when I get a chance!

Like Guy said, have a look at a bunch of Grow Journals an keep asking questions! - GrEeNdAyZ

I will, for sure! You guys have all been a huge help so far, and I'm super excited about all of this! I'm taking my time with it, and want to make sure it's done right.

Thanks guys! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and impart your experience / thoughts on my own project!

 

[JohnnyC]

What up WarChief?, if you do the light set up like LB said you will be all set, cobs are the way to go my man. I have blurple leds myself and make out just fine but In time I'll be going down that route because it's just better overall.
I'll try to answer a few questions you had, as I'm gonna be starting my 4th grow and have learned a lot from the members of 420. My first grow was all autos and your decision to start with autos for your first run is smart, if I were you I would just keep your light cycle on 18/6 as I'm a true believer that all plants really enjoy there dark period wether it's photos or autos.
At the same time you'll be saving a little electricity too. My first run with autos I had them on 20/4 but i feel like the white widow autos and nyc diesel autos I grew under 18/6 my second time around responded better when I low stress trained them.
I'm simply just telling you what worked for best for me and I got pretty good yields. Best thing about that is you'll have plenty of space if you get the grow tent you mentioned earlier and if your really feeling ambitious you could throw some photos in there at a later date under the 18/6. The autos will finish first then when your done vegging the photos you can flip to 12/12 so they can start flowering.
I Try to keep my tent at a max daytime of 79 degrees constant. Anything above 80 you can do but Keeping your temps down In the space will not only help with preventing pests from taking over, your your plants will just respond better overall. When lights are out I try not to go like 8 degrees lower than the 79 daytime temp this will help keep your internodes tight (less stretching)besides that with constant fresh air in and hot air exhausted youll do just fine buddy. Just keep your relative humidity in check also keep it high in veg or if your growing clones then slowly reduce in flower. I personally reduce rh the last two weeks of flower helps with trichomes production .
Your right about starting your autos in the same pot they'll finish in I prefer 3 gallon fabric pots the yield from the 5 gallons is not much of a difference and will also save space in your tent. I grow all organic with a living soil that only prefers phd water with my crazy life and a newborn I can use my time with the plants training them rather than mixing nutes hope this helped you Chief