Prepping for my FIRST grow - Basic questions about set up

Grow Cycle Preparations
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Hello!

This is my first post about my first grow so im sorry if i missed anything in advance. I also mixed questions all around the book i wrote below instead of all the questions at the end/beginning.

I bought a couple of auto flower seeds from growers choice. Tangerine Dream, Northern Lights, and Blueberry.

I have an IKEA wardrobe that is empty so i plan on using that for the grow room.

It is 2.5 ft wide by 2 feet deep. The height can be adjusted using shelving.

I plan to start with one plant to get a baseline and then test new things with every new grow.

I plan on lining the grow room with tin foil - im sure there is something better but im trying to keep costs down.
So, does tinfoil work to reflect the light?

I got a 300W LED from amazon - this is the exact one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH1MQV8?tag=greenrel-20

I plan on hanging it 20-24 inches from the plant then dropping it to 12-15in durning flower. good?

I have read a bunch of conflicting content online but i think i will be doing a 20/4 light schedule for the life of the plant since this is an auto flowering plant.

since this is an autoflower seed - it just starts flowering when it wants to so what spectrum light do i use? Do i use blues in the beginning? and shift to reds at the end or full spectrum from day 1?
If i should switch spectrums, how far in should i switch?

I will probably do low level stress training just so the light can get to the smaller branches…

Should i get some lights for the side of the grow room as well or will the 300W overhead light be enough assuming i have 1 plant in the grow room? What if i decide to grow 2 plants at a time? Side lights then?

Pots - 2 gallon fabric pots
Dirt - I got the root organics 707 formula

From what i read, i should not have to use any Nutrient in the first 3-4 weeks since they are in the dirt - is this true?

After the 3-4 weeks of no nutes, i plan on using the Fox Farms Nutes found here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D93NIFY?tag=greenrel-20

I ready that i should use 1/4 - 1/2 strength every other watering - is that correct? Some journals i have read claim that they used NO nutes at all for autoflower plants using the soil i got - would that work?

I also read that i should water when the top centimeter or two of soil becomes dry - is that a good gauge?

How much water though? just pour it on until it starts coming out of the drainage holes or just a little bit at a time?

Is there any other nutes or soil additives i should i get? if so when do i use them?
If the seed bank says it flowers in 50-60 days does that mean it STARTS to flower in 50-60 days or it is close to harvest within 50-60 days?
Thanks for any tips in advance!

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Oh - and i have no fan, no carbon to get rid of smell, no PH testing tools/additives.

I will also be going on a week long vacation 3-4 weeks into this first grow - do you think the plant will get damaged if it is short on water at the end of that week?

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Let me stop you real quick. Go on vacation, come home then start your grow. I’ll try to answer your other question later. Busy at moment

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Thanks HornHead!

Follow up question.

I live in Los Angeles, i will be using the organic root 707 dirt, i filter my tap water. Should i worry about PH levels at all? If so, what PH up/down brand is good for this?

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Love it
Good stuff to read

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Get you a apera ph meter for about $45 general hydroponic ph up and down. Ph is very important

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Ph is very important @HornHead is on the money Even a cheap pH meter is better than nothing

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Added the ph meter & general hydroponic ph up and down to my cart. Am i good with everything else from the OP?

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You’re going to need to introduce fresh air. For one, it will get hot in there if closed up. Two, the plant will use available co2 and be looking for more. Easiest way to do this is with exhaust and a passive intake. Carbon filter isn’t needed, but they will stink come flowering.

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Nope, need at least 7.0 calibration solution from GH for the meter. I store mine in it and check it once a week. I forgot to check 3 weeks ago and the meter was .4 off.

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From what i read, the LED doesnt produce to much heat but i did test the area with the light and temp.

It did not reach above 85 degrees and there was a 12 degree difference between night and day.

As far as fresh air - could i just open the door from time to time to let fresh air in?

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I added the calibration stuff to my shopping cart.

Follow up questions about how to test for PH.

what is the ideal PH for this type of plant?
What am i testing? the water prior to watering or the dirt the plant is in?
If we mix the PH up/down into the water prior to watering, does the nutes go into the same water or do i do add the PH up or down in one watering then the nutes in the next watering?

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That led will raise your temps about 10-20 degrees.

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FYI the Apera comes with Standard Reference solution in 4.0 and 7.0. The bottle isn’t very large but it’s there for a 2 point calibration on the unit.

@erich, you PH your solution after all additives have been mixed in. Do not PH ahead of time because it will drift within 8 hours or so. PH range in soil is 6.3 to 6.8. You can also measure the runoff and do a slurry test to make sure everything is and remains in the sweet spot.

That LED fixture is not the wattage they call out; look at the specifications before buying. There are a lot of lights in this category; none of them very good but will grow cannabis. Heat will be an issue any time there is power dissipation on a device in a closed space. An exhaust fan is really the better choice.

You are correct that any good soil will let you run the plant out at least to flower.

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