Hey all. Love the forum and support.
I just found this site and for the first time felt confident enough to buy seeds. I’ve been wanting to grow for some time. So after ordering the seeds and Plant food I ordered a bunch of supplies. I’m just not sure if I got the right supplies. Here is my list:
Winado 4’ W x 4’ L X 6.5’. H Grow Tent
Hydro Crunch 600-Watt HPS
VIVOSUN 4 Inch 190 CFM Inline Fan with Speed Controller, 4 Inch Carbon Filter
I got FOXFARM Ocean Forest potting soil to place in the bottom 1/3 of the pot and
FOXFARM Happy Frog potting soil mixed with Vigoro 2 cu. ft. Organic Perlite for the rest. I’m planning on using 3 gallon pots.
My Blue Dream seeds arrive last night and a few are in a cup of water germinating.
Overall, your equipment list looks OK. Keep an eye on temperature in the tent. HPS produces a lot of heat and you may need another fan or a larger fan. You will also want a TDS meter and a pH meter. Also start thinking about what line of nutrients that you want to use.
I’ve got a 6" inline fan to bring in air but I don’t like it because it’s loud. I’m looking for something else. I do have a Hydro Crunch - Soil Moisture Light pH Meter 3-in-1 Soil Tester Kit. Do you think that will do?
Those 3-in-1 devices are not useful for measuring pH. They are barely any good for measuring soil moisture and light levels. Many of us (including myself) got those when starting out. It turned out to be totally useless for me.
@LateNightGardner - I found these on Amazon. Would they be a better light option?
SZHLUX Grow Light 2FT 80W (2×40W) Full Spectrum LED Grow Light, Linkable Sunlight Plant Light for Indoor Plants, Grow Light Strip, Grow Lamp with On/Off Switch - 2 Pack
I would find a simple horticulture led blue light bar to had some of the blue spectrum to your HPS fixture you have on your list.
Here’s a comparison of an HPS bulb and full spectrum led grow light.
The McCree curve is a quantum efficiency lighting curve used in botany and should be used only as an initial foundation for understanding photosynthesis rates by wavelength. It is far more accurate than charts for chlorophyll dissolved in a solvent or charts for green algae, and it is common for these charts to get mixed up.
If you are looking for a good full spectrum horticulture light I use Hyphotonflux HPF4000 LED Grow Lights 4x4 ft Flower Coverage with Samsung LM301B Diodes & MeanWell Driver, Dimmable Daisy Chain Commercial Grow Light Bar, Enhanced Red Full Spectrum 3000k 4000k 660nm
Yep. The HPS is gonna need lots more cooling and is used mostly for flowering. The HYPHOTONFLUX HPF4000 is full spectrum and will provide more light and in rhmmthe spectrum for your full grow cycle.