Getting sorted for 2nd grow

Hi all, as some of you know I’m still on my first grow, it’s not a million miles of, so wanna get ahead and get stuff ordered. So here’s my set up and plan. 1.2x1.2x2m tent, 600w hps air cooled hood, 6inch rvk fan and rhino Pro filter, 2x 6 inch fans. Right im only wanting to do 3 plants max I’m thinking autos again as I did these first time round and my tent let’s abit of light through the stitching so I’ll save photos for another time. So for buckets what size do you guys recommend?? I’m thinking 20l or 30l fabric smart bags?? Soil wise I’m thinking to stick to bio bizz light mix as its done the job 1st time round, would you add out extra to this like pertile??? Nutes I’m going to use av sensi grow and bloom, overdrive, big bud b25 and voodoo. Seeds I’m thinking from seeds man going for the classic auto pack, northern lights, white widow, Jack hera if you guys recommend any others or seed banks hit us up :+1: and I’m going to start my seeds in them little nursery bags which are 8x10cm and transplant straight into the 20 /30 l bags. Out else you guys recommended? Cheers

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Okay so a 4x4 tent 3 - 4 plants works good in thst space yeah

Why HPS lighting and not LED’s? Is this a cost issue for you? Hid lighting has only one advantage and that’s cost. Safety, yeild, heat, power consumption, thc/cannabinoid content etc are all better with LED’s.

I would strongly suggest an AC infinity T6 rather then anything else, the controller makes environmental controls much much much easier…

I would also stick with 1 clip fan per plant to increase plant strength and avoid bud rot issues

Are you sold on soil? Why not run coco it’s much easier to control and the yeilds are better.

An is a good line it’s just expensive, you could save money on nutrients and spend that on equipment, again if you have to run nutrients (which you do even in soil once your in flower) you might as well run coco. I love soil but it’s sub par for cannabis.
Perlite or vermiculite is always recommended at minium 30% of the medium

I would recommend Jack’s 321 line, and add in a potassium silica product. You could get fancy and get some mkp as a bloom booster but not needed.
Jack’s is a 3 part dry nutrient, you don’t pay for water it’s high quality cheated nutrients that’s very affordable and produces great results. Also one of the easiest on the market to mix. Feed the same thing from start to finish. Lots of support on here and any other growing forum running Jack’s.

Let me know what you think, I don’t mean to tear your plans apart but you did a really smart thing posting before you buy. If I had done that and someone would have gave me the same advice years ago I would be soooooo happy.

The nursery bags are awsome
Seedsman is a good genetics
Your on the right track, but LED’s, coco, dry nutrients and a better environment control fan would make you enjoy growing alot more

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Hi nicky thanks for the reply👍 err Iv gone for hps for the cost straight up was cheaper im in the UK too so it helps with the heat, I shall have a look at the ac infinity too. We’ll I was thinking about coco but don’t really know much about it appsrt from like you said increases yeild, have to water more often and have more control with nutrients, err I would be wiling to give it ago, if could help us out onit like what coco do you recommend and what do you mix with it? Cool I have just had a look at jacks I carnt seem to find much here in the UK what sells it, I was using biobizz before but got the sensi grow a and b couldn’t get the bloom but was going to get it all for next time, why I fort to using soil I won’t need to use as much nutrients from the start anyways and take it if you have to feed more frequently with coco suppose you’d save that way if that makes sense? I did start of with a viperspectra 450w in a little tent I looked at the hlg but just abit out my price range for time been

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Here she is at the min, baring in mind it’s still 1st grow went of to abit of a shit start, had a really small tent too, she’s hungry as I got new nutes and just testing them out but these got vegged under led but bought the hps and switched them to flower, there northern lights auto but they didn’t wanna switch so there currently on a 12/12 @Nicky

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@Not2SureYet @Nicky would you recommend any of these?

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Thanks for the solid reply back.
First things first your plants are hungry they need more food, glad they switched into flower for you now. I see you already have the HPS ahhhh gotcha okay then. Otherwise I was going to recommend Kingbright on Alibaba they are a industrial led manufacturer (think street lights around the city etc) but sell really good quality knock off HLG’s that come available with more bells and whistles if you wish yet they are super affordable. Anyways moving in.

Now that I know your in the UK I’ll have to take that into consideration, I feel you on the cold front because I’m in Canada.

I would strongly recommend autopot UK getting a 4 spring pot system you will find it’s worth every single penny. Water/feed once a week.
If you can find a good quality nutrient line then the cost for hydro becomes negligible, bio buzz is a good one but I don’t know it’s price range. Try looking online for EU hydro companies and find out what type of dry nutrients they have available there are lots of good options out there and dry nutrients are soooooo much cheaper than this stuff in bottles.
It would be a big change running autopots and dry nutrients in coco but it’s actually really easy, even easier then feeding soil plants (a nightmare to be honest).

I can’t see the fine print on all those coco products but this is what you should know so you can examine them yourself.
You wanted buffed coco, super important otherwise you’ll end up with calcium and magnesium issues.
Canna coco is a quality brand but any buffed coco works.
The eco thrive there is already pre mixed and would be your easiest option, may be a good choice for your first grow or two and then as your looking to cut costs and already have other variables under control it won’t seem like there are so many different moving parts to learn at the start.

In summary, get an AC infinity T6
Get a autopot spring pot 4 system
Buy some eco thrive you may get away with a bag but also may need 2.

Then the only real thing you have to focus on doing some of your own research is finding a dry nutrient that is available in your area.

The cost is a bit overwhelming to buy everything but I can fully assure you that your grow will be sooooo much easier and more successful so much faster than if you decide to go soil and not autopots. Then down the road you can save up for a new LED in a year or so. HPS can be dangerous and bulbs can break/catch fire it happens even in Commerical grows. While the chances are slim I would say it should be your goal in the next year to replace that lighting.

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@Nicky, ok probably a really dumb question, but i am currently growing in soil, so what do i know. you mention that you really like the nursery bags. if you are using an autopot, do you used the plastic pots that come with the setup, or do you just use all the kit but substitute grow bags? or are the nursery bags just for starting.
i know… sooooooooo many questions.

Thanks

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Cool cheers nicky same to you bud, yes mate I just upped there feed today was testing it out with it been new, haha I know I had 3 in there, there 3rd one was Done just after Christmas :joy: all near enough planted same time too, but yeah cheers nicky, yeah it’s hard to get things like you guys even hlg most of them said they wouldn’t ship it to UK but Iv seen some UK guys use them so don’t know, cool yeah Iv been having a nosy at your joural in the pots looks pretty cool, defo something to think about in the future when have some more pennies, but I reckon I’m going to stick to soil, could I still not use the coco without the autopots ? And for a 4x4 and 3 autos what size bags would you recommend please? I know the set up might not seem much like but I have just upgraded, the tent was like 75cm square and had the 3 in that one with a vipaspectra 450 :joy: so for the budget and to finish these other two of I just got a cheap bud box lite tent and a air cooled hood and 6 inch filter for it, for better space and :crossed_fingers: some better buds than the one, what was done around Christmas time.
here she is she’s not to bad I was proud, to say its my first go too but she was just abit airey, she felt tight before I cut it down but she loosened of this was with the 450w

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Some nice little buds there. Congrats on the harvest. This is the coco I am currently using. I was using the grow-it but can’t get it right now. I like the bricks since they are cheaper to use. It looks like your plants are a little hungry there. If you switch to coco. You will do better with the big bud coco as to the regular big bud. I have sued both. This is only my 02 here. If you change to coco. You will probably only want to do 2, to 3 plants max. You will need to be able to get in the tent to remove the run off. with autopots. You can do 4 since you don’t have to worry about run off.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088ZQK9W6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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If they switch to soilless, they’ll need a TDS/EC meter, a pH meter, the calibration supplies, and pH Up/Down. I don’t use any of those when I grow in soil. I don’t use synthetic nutrients either.

Don’t misunderstand, I prefer coco coir. But it’s not less expensive than soil initially (although soil and organic amendments add up too).

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That product was just okay, IMO. It had a lot of peat, and it was a pain to manage one large brick. I’ve noticed some companies sell bundles of smaller bricks that add up to 10lbs. I’m also interested in finding a quality bagged coco.

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Cheers matey, Yes it was other day but I upped there feed today so see how they go, cool ill look into it more then and give it ago, do you recromend adding stuff to the coco? Like pertile ect? And what size bags would you go for for 3 auto plants in a 4x4? Cool that’s okay as I go in there to empty the run of every water when I feed anyways every 2 days, cool yeah it’s definitely something I’ll look into abit further down the line :+1:

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@KeystoneCops So far it seems ok. I can’t get any thing else good any where that is not extremely over priced. I used the viagrow and did great with it. Every where is out of the 11 lb bricks. I really like that natures premium. But it is really un reasonable when you can get it. I was getting it from amazon. I tried 6 separate times thinking they would send me the right stuff. I always got sent the coco chips. I figured I would keep making them pay to get it returned till some one fixed things. They never did. They still show coco coir and send the chips.

I use the vermeculite with my coco. About a 60/40 mix. I buy the big bags and store every thing in 20 gallon trash cans. This is what I use. I get it cheaper here locally when they can get shipments in. I have used this too and was happy with it. You can use 3 or 5 gallon pots with coco. I like the 5s. If you need to skip a day feeding in them. You are covered. The 3 gallons dry out a lot faster but do as well. If you are able to water every day once they are big. My plants seem to get growing faster in 3s.

This was 3 plants in my 4x4. I now only do 2 to make it easier on me. plus I have a lot of tents now lol

This shows 4. Once the back 2 were harvested. The front left took up almost the whole 4x4 and the front right the better part of a 3x3. I had to give each one their own tents. These were all in 3 gallon hard pots. I got root bound in all. Now I use soft pots and only use hard pots if they are 5 gallon or bigger

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0094F1RLI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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@JackAndSan autopots come with a fabric option, at the time they didn’t so I just found fabric pots that fit. Although the diameter of them is unique so only some pots fit them you will have search high and low. My local grow store carries pot pots, or maybes its pots pot, anyways they are slightly smaller diameter thus they fit in the XL trays.
If your buying new buy a “spring pot” system as this comes with fabric pots. If you can’t then you will have to also source root socks from autopots or a dealer, otherwise roots will grow into your trays and cause a flood.

Nursery bags are the best method to start a seed post germination. Then you just transplant the whole bag, it grows right through it. No potential shock.

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I hear you no sweat.

I would suggest some same points as @Not2SureYet run coco and vermiculite, the vermiculite will do the job of the perlite but it will help space waterings out a tad bit more because it holds water where as perlite doesn’t.

Also 5 glon soft pots, ensure you set up a rack system so you can easily collect the run off without lifting the plants out of drip trays every time.

Soil CAN be cheaper but that’s if you want to go the organic no till method, it’s possible yes but the chances of an in experienced grower growing in soil with no salt based nutrients from start to finish and not having deficiencie issues as well as a decent yeild is extremely rare. If this was going to happen he wouldn’t be posting here he would be reading all sorts of information and doing it himself. It’s possible I understand that but highly unlikely and takes much bigger containers.
Otherwise your feeding one way or the other, if you feed soil salt based nutrients that’s pointless you might as well be in coco. If your in soil and feeding organic teas and organic nutrients your spending a bunch of money so you can go hydro for better results unless organic is a mortal issue to you.

That’s my 2cents

I live in Edmonton Alberta its cold here in winter HPS is nice for heat wise but I’m saving for the T6

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Really! I’m in red deer! Wow someone near me holy.

I run LED’s even when I get - 40c for 3 weeks straight like last winter. I mean unless your growing in a shed with no heat or something lol

Link. Me to your grow journal!

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Hi @Nicky I was looking at nutes and come across the canna coco bundle, but thennnn, I came across this. You was on about dry feeding would this be any good?

Can you find master blend?

hydroponics euro dot com

People use that with good results @Holmes your using it right?

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@Nicky yes I do, not sure about other country availability though!

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