I’m a brand new grower, and first I cannot tell you how helpful this forum has been. You guys rock, with all the amazing knowledge you’re willing to share. I have composed a list of everything that I think I need to get, to start my new adventure. I will be growing in a 4’x4’x73" grow tent, and I will be starting with White Widow Autoflower. If you could please critique my list and let me know if I’m missing anything, or if you think I would be better off with a different product, I would greatly appreciate it. I will also have some questions, at the end of the list. Thanks in advanced.
Grow Tent: [Plant House Indoor Grow Tent - 4’ x 4’
@BeerGeekGamer, beer and smoke, we’re going to be friends! Am a newbie, but wanted to say welcome, tag me in your progress and see you around. I will be doing autos soon!
Welcome to the great adventure.
Your list seems pretty thorough.
A couple suggestions
You may want to consider getting one of these Holmes fans. Best fan I’ve found to cover the tent and mimic the outside breeze. You’ll want a smaller one like you posted too.
Starting out you’ll want plant saucers. Get some that allows about 2-3” wider than your smart pots. FYI you won’t need to actually hook up the carbon filter until going into flower and that will help the filter last longer.
Not sure about your location as far as humidity but you may need either a humidifier or a dehumidifier or both. If you do need a humidifier get one that if unplugged and then plugged back in it retains settings and starts back up in case you want to then hook up a inkbird type controller that regulates settings…in other words an analog old school one not digital type.
You’ll also want a hygrometer that gives you temps and humidity levels at the tops of the plants. You can get a simple one that you have to be there to look at or get one that you can read remotely.
I have this one
There are also ones that you can link to phone to see anywhere you might be like the sensor push.
The one I have works through my house and the base is upstairs and the remote sensors are in my tents so I can monitor my temp/RH and dial things in to this VPD chart as close as I can.
Ok now here’s my take on grow style and will relate to your brewing your own beer for consumption.
Do you buy synthetic chemicals to brew with or do you like to use natural ingredients to brew?
If you use synthetic nutrients to grow you’ll need to deal with the PH pen and the PPM meter and a whole bunch of extra work etc versus growing with a living soil using natural nutrients that feed the soil Critters and not the plant like an IV.
FF Trio as well as PH up PH down will all be detrimental to any critters biology (good bacteria and fungi etc) that may be present in the soil in the beginning due to not being natural.
Anyway your build looks pretty good and using those chemical nutrients will work but just throwing out my thoughts.
Also the links you included in your post may not be allowed…FYI…forum rules and all
@BeerGeekGamer I had to take down your first post due to the unauthorized links contained. You are more than welcome to put that list up again and list the company name and product without the link.
You have limited time to edit. I took care of and restored. In the future, please keep links limited to Amazon, Dealzer, or aliexpress. Informational only links usually good too as long as there’s not advertisements or click thru for competitors.
@Skydiver how much work/harder is it to do a natural soil? I haven’t really looked into it, because I just figured I wouldn’t have the patience to figure it out for my first grow. I would like to eventually go completely organic.
It’s easier regarding the extra work you have to do growing with salt based chemical fertilizers like always checking ph and ppm in and water to run off and checking that again for ph ppm.
There are places you can buy premade water only super soil if you want easy and organic living soil.
Here are a few
Kind Soil
Build a Soil
Michigan Water only soil
Purple cow
And more out there.
You could also buy a premix and use the ocean Forrest (you’ll use the OF for most of the above too as a base soil)
I found this premix the other day and will be doing a few plants to try it out…
You can also now or down the road buy the individual organic nutrients that you would mix into the base soil (OF) etc that would add enough nutrients for the entire grow and again most are set up to just add water within a certain PH range.
The whole idea growing like Mother Nature intended (outside) is that the critters in the soil need to eat…they eat the nutrients and poop that out and that is now bioavailable to the plants to use.
I use RO water so I don’t check PH as there isn’t enough ppm (solids) in RO or distilled water. If running tap water I run through a filter to remove chlorine or if not filtered let it sit for 12-24 hours or bubble in a bucket for a couple hours to off gas the chlorine.
Do a search on this site for growing organic etc etc many sources of info to look through
And what hell raiser is asking is that Autoflower are less tolerant of early issues whereas Photo period seeds you dictate the time they go into flower and you’ll want good strong healthy plants before you change light hours so if something happens you have time to correct before entering the flowering stage.
Thanks for the info. As for the autoflower, already got the seeds. Went that route cause all the stuff I had read said autoflowers were best for beginners
If after you germinate them you’ll want to put them in their final pots and if not and will use small container…
If your going to put the germinated seeds (cracked open and tail root is out) I suggest using cow pots…no transplant shock. If you use solo cups like a lot here do just be careful when transplanting them. The less shock they go through the better.
Just wondering as I see so many new growers starting with autos when IMO they would better served with a photo that you have more control over and photos are much more forgiving, maybe next time. But regardless, welcome to the grow scene and get some buds grown.
Your so right man. I never ever check ph or ppm. I do use good reverse osmosis water and I know that my water averages over 8 ph going in. Living soil is the key. Think of it this way if you can wrap your head around it. Your not growing marijuana. Nor are you growing any other plant. Your creating soil conditions that are found in nature all the life in real soil is amazing.
Food for thought and your girls. In nature nutrients for plants are never delivered in water from above. There in the soil. I understand there are exceptions to that rule but cannabis is not part of the family of plants considered exceptions.
