New Grower, planning my new grow space

[The70’s]

Well, soon enough NY will be allowing us a small number of plants and Rec use.

I would like to begin building a small grow room. Basement is dry and always 68°, 45% humidity.

I know Indica is nowhere to start, but i would like to begin there....

I really enjoi fabricating, electrical work ect. Hometheater is my main hobby, so details are part of that hobby too

I would like to start with 4-6 plants

Wts, lites, grow tent ect.......i really like the idea of cloning a nice SOG :0)

 

[Old Salt]

to the forum...

I strongly recommend a grow tent. The floor area will depend on the size you want to grow your plants. You need at least 2 sq ft per plant. For a SOG I'd go with four or more. I have four plants in a 2' X 4' floor space, using NugBucket's manifold method. The height of your tent depends on how you grow. Five foot high tents and under are good for SCROGs. For anything else, I'd recommend the tallest tent you can fit in the room. You'll also need to monitor the temperature and humidity in your tent. I use Acurite with a remote sensor in the tent.

For lights, you have the choice of HID or LED. For HID you'll need about 50W/sq ft, while with LEDs you need about 35W per sq ft. With LEDs look for the actual wattage drawn from the wall, not the manufacturer's equivalent to HID. Most will advertise the manufacturer's equivalent to HID. For example the X6 1800W Dimmable COB light I use at full power in my 2' X 4' tent only draws 300W from the wall. Take a look at Timber Grow Lights. They have kits as well as prebuilt lights. Quantum boards are also a popular choice.

I use 70% coco coir/30% perlite as a grow medium. This basically is a hydroponic grow method, without constantly running air and water pumps. This is worry-free from power failure, which can kill your plants in less than a day in a regular hydroponic grow. I use all General Hydroponics nutrients for one stop shopping if something goes drastically wrong. I use oral syringes to measure out my nutrients.

For pots I'm using DIY 3.8 gal caged grow bags.

Don't go cheap with duct fans. The cheap ones generally are very noisy. Use a true duct fan, not an in-line booster fan.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Well, soon enough NY will be allowing us a small number of plants and Rec use.

Congratulations!

 

[Growingasmile]

Well, soon enough NY will be allowing us a small number of plants and Rec use.

I would like to begin building a small grow room. Basement is dry and always 68°, 45% humidity.

I know Indica is nowhere to start, but i would like to begin there....

I really enjoi fabricating, electrical work ect. Hometheater is my main hobby, so details are part of that hobby too

I would like to start with 4-6 plants

Wts, lites, grow tent ect.......i really like the idea of cloning a nice SOG :0)

4-6 plants I would go 10by10

 

[Old Salt]

4-6 plants I would go 10by10

The maximum size I'd recommend is a 4' X 6' or 5' X 5' tent when starting out. Don't scrimp on the other stuff. This will let you get some experience without spending $5,000 or more. You can expand later if you find you like growing. I'm pulling 8oz or more every 5 months from a 2' X 4' grow tent. Pay attention to the access to your tent. You will have problems pulling plants in a SOG out of the tent for pruning.training, With a 4' X 6' or 5' X 5' tent you should be able to get at the plants from the front and back of the tent. You can also get a second smaller tent for veg/cloning.

The choice of lighting depends on whether you want to pay up front, or use an installment plan (power bills!).

 

[Growingasmile]

The maximum size I'd recommend is a 4' X 6' or 5' X 5' tent when starting out. Don't scrimp on the other stuff. This will let you get some experience without spending $5,000 or more. You can expand later if you find you like growing. I'm pulling 8oz or more every 5 months from a 2' X 4' grow tent. Pay attention to the access to your tent. You will have problems pulling plants in a SOG out of the tent for pruning.training, With a 4' X 6' or 5' X 5' tent you should be able to get at the plants from the front and back of the tent. You can also get a second smaller tent for veg/cloning.

4x8 wasnt enough for 2 plants for me by I suppose it depends on strain and container size

 

[TorturedSoul]

...and how much light-energy your budget and home's electrical system is able to support - and how much you are willing to sacrifice in terms of "grams per watt per day" in order to extend the vegetative-growth phase so as to end up with plants that will, by harvest time, average a 16-square foot canopy size.

Sure, you can end up with some huge colas for indoor-grown plants. But the highest-capacity pipe I have has a bowl that will only fit approximately half my thumb in it .

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

EDIT: If you happen to have any recent pictures of a plant that fills a 16 ft.² space - and it's even halfway-decent looking - it could end up being a shoe-in for our Plant of the Month contest. You should enter it (IMHO).

 

[Old Salt]

4x8 wasnt enough for 2 plants for me by I suppose it depends on strain and container size

You can harvest as much from a 5' X 5' tent by training and controlling growth as you can from a 10' X 10' tent with uncontrolled growth. Add a 2' X 4' or 4' X 4' tent for veg/clone, and you're ahead of the game with lower setup costs, and lower operational costs.

 

[Calvados]

Well, soon enough NY will be allowing us a small number of plants and Rec use.

I would like to begin building a small grow room. Basement is dry and always 68°, 45% humidity.

I know Indica is nowhere to start, but i would like to begin there....

I really enjoi fabricating, electrical work ect. Hometheater is my main hobby, so details are part of that hobby too

I would like to start with 4-6 plants

Wts, lites, grow tent ect.......i really like the idea of cloning a nice SOG :0)

I hope you’re right?

You need to consider how much weed you need, and what it’s for. If it’s personal use how much can you smoke? You can easily grow a pound in a 4x4 tent in just part of the year.

 

[The70’s]

This is so cool, the enthusiasm !!!! So far im hearing two tents, no prob at all, the basement is mine, and my indigenous wolf spiders that are in my basement. I’ll load a video when i get forum savvy.
If ur saying i could harvest every 3-4 months, an ounce will do. If i get two ounces, i will def share with friends, or stock up on some “weedbutter”.
Im really looking for a new hobby, i have some friends interested in growing to.

Indica is my real goal, i have read and read, the short stout plant and effects sound perfect, i’ve read about its native habitat.

im so looking forward to this new hobby, its super technical, sounds like the “devil in the details” is right up my alley !!!!

Thanx for all the encouragement on my first post

 

[Calvados]

You will get a lot more than an ounce every 4 months in a 4x4 tent. More like 2 oz of buds per plant at a minimum. I’m finishing my 3rd grow and I think I’ve managed 4 oz per plant with 4 in that size tent. This is what it looks like drying.

180119 Drying.jpg

• Calvados
• Jan 18, 2019

Judging from what people say on here, that’s nothing special. If that is the extent of it, I suggest you start with the 4x4 and go through a cycle. A good tent is not expensive. Adding stuff is easy.

I’d go through your first cycle quickly, so you stop paying for weed. Then you can take your time.

 

[The70’s]

to the forum...

I strongly recommend a grow tent. The floor area will depend on the size you want to grow your plants. You need at least 2 sq ft per plant. For a SOG I'd go with four or more. I have four plants in a 2' X 4' floor space, using NugBucket's manifold method. The height of your tent depends on how you grow. Five foot high tents and under are good for SCROGs. For anything else, I'd recommend the tallest tent you can fit in the room. You'll also need to monitor the temperature and humidity in your tent. I use Acurite with a remote sensor in the tent.

For lights, you have the choice of HID or LED. For HID you'll need about 50W/sq ft, while with LEDs you need about 35W per sq ft. With LEDs look for the actual wattage drawn from the wall, not the manufacturer's equivalent to HID. Most will advertise the manufacturer's equivalent to HID. For example the X6 1800W Dimmable COB light I use at full power in my 2' X 4' tent only draws 300W from the wall. Take a look at Timber Grow Lights. They have kits as well as prebuilt lights. Quantum boards are also a popular choice.

I use 70% coco coir/30% perlite as a grow medium. This basically is a hydroponic grow method, without constantly running air and water pumps. This is worry-free from power failure, which can kill your plants in less than a day in a regular hydroponic grow. I use all General Hydroponics nutrients for one stop shopping if something goes drastically wrong. I use oral syringes to measure out my nutrients.

For pots I'm using DIY 3.8 gal caged grow bags.

Don't go cheap with duct fans. The cheap ones generally are very noisy. Use a true duct fan, not an in-line booster fan.

Wow, thats alot of info, im taking notes!!

Thank you

 

[Calvados]

Yes. Everything. I pull them out to water and inspect them. I’m growing in a spare room. Frankly, this is way more than I’m going to smoke. Having said that I’m still smoking stuff I grew two years ago, so it does keep. Curing and storing is another subject. It is a great deal of fun. If you consider what you are paying for it, growing your own is the way to go (if you have the time).

 

[The70’s]

Yes. Everything. I pull them out to water and inspect them. I’m growing in a spare room. Frankly, this is way more than I’m going to smoke. Having said that I’m still smoking stuff I grew two years ago, so it does keep. Curing and storing is another subject. It is a great deal of fun. If you consider what you are paying for it, growing your own is the way to go (if you have the time).

Ok, look like i can always go 5x5 or 4x4 and start with a single tent as you did, what lite do you use ?
I have read about lites offering dual veg/flower, is this something for advanced growers

 

[Calvados]

Ok, look like i can always go 5x5 or 4x4 and start with a single tent as you did, what lite do you use ?
I have read about lites offering dual veg/flower, is this something for advanced growers

No. You want one that has a veg and bloom switch. Different spectrum of lights for the phases of growth. There are tons of different types of lights. I have 2 Mars Hydro II 900W that I got on ebay for a song. Lots of different opinions. I like the look of Quantum Boards. A fellow grower on here is using them. I am jealous. You need to read up on them. Lots of different threads here to browse. I would start with the journals on here. There are plenty of newbies sweating out their first grow. You will get an idea of what its like.

 

[MassMedMan]

Ok, look like i can always go 5x5 or 4x4 and start with a single tent as you did, what lite do you use ?
I have read about lites offering dual veg/flower, is this something for advanced growers

Only reason you'll need multiple tents is if you run perpetual harvests. Meaning one tent is dedicated for vegetation plants on a 18/6 light schedule. The other tent is for flowering plants, running a 12/12 light schedule. With this system, once you harvest from the flower tent you are able to "reload" from the veg tent.

The dual veg/flower refers the lighting needed during that time of growth. Nothing advanced at all. Typically, during vegetation time you run veg only, then when you goto flower you'll flip the flower switch leaving the veg on also. Some folks late in flower will flip the veg switch off running flower only to simulate late season outdoor light conditions. Inside, yer trying to do what the sun does naturally. So the plants perform as they would in nature. Lots of good info here by helpful growers. Good luck

 

[The70’s]

There are plenty of newbies sweating out their first grow. You will get an idea of what its like.

Lol, i laughted out loud hahaha thats funny

 

[The70’s]

I was looking at 4x4 tents, seems zippers and light leakage is an issue, are there prefered tents here that have tough zippers, if thats really an issue......

Wts i do love fabricating, building designing ect, if DIY gets me a better result please chime in, if you feel there is no real need, that a $200 4x4 tent will certainly work for me. I just did a walk around my basement where my tent(s) will be going, i have tons of room :0)

 

[Old Salt]

I was looking at 4x4 tents, seems zippers and light leakage is an issue, are there prefered tents here that have tough zippers, if thats really an issue

I haven't had an issue with it. My $99 CAD 2 x 4 x 5 600D grow tent had very little light leakage, except through the vents which were open to the room. I used 2 7"-6" duct reducers to hold the openings open. The exhaust had a 6" desk fan zip tied to it. The zippers have lasted 3 years, and would still be going strong if I was using the tent.

The 1680D 2 x 4 x 7-8 grow tent was more difficult to put together due to the heavier material and extra zippers. Some help would have been appreciated with that awkward beast. It is also more time consuming to open. It has five zippers to get ino the front instead of one. If I find I don't need the height, I'll go back to the lower cost 600D tent in a 6.5' height. I'm not sure yet, but I may rework a 4' x 6' X 6.5' tent into a 28" x 6' X 6.5' tent.

 

[Calvados]

I was looking at 4x4 tents, seems zippers and light leakage is an issue, are there prefered tents here that have tough zippers, if thats really an issue......

Wts i do love fabricating, building designing ect, if DIY gets me a better result please chime in, if you feel there is no real need, that a $200 4x4 tent will certainly work for me. I just did a walk around my basement where my tent(s) will be going, i have tons of room :0)

I think you may end up designing something yourself, but you will always be happy to have the tent. It has lots of uses. The main thing is to get a grow under your belt. The easier the better. You will have plenty of problems and unknowns to fret over. Most people (myself included) get a tent, extractor, filter, grow medium - soil of some type, PH pen, and ... drum roll ... light. You need to read up on them. More to the point how to interpret what they do (their footprint, par value, energy, heat).

Since it’s going to be legal the police won’t be a problem, but someone who thinks you’ve got a pound of buds might want them. So not talking about it is advisable.