lights and soil for small grow op

[jtErA]

i got two seeds that came out of some purp headies

iv grown before outside with decent results

what kind of lights and soil should i get for one plant in a 4' by 5' foot grow space

suggestions?? :rastasmoke:

[stinkyattic]

In my sig there's a link. REad it!
That soil is hard to screw up with, but you can pretty much only get it east of the Mississippi. Otherwise 'Happy Frog' plus some added perlite is nice for inside.
The extra perlite is fro extra drainage, because EVERYONE overfeeds indoors when they are learning and you WILL be flushing!!! :D

[k-biz]

I'd suggest a 400 watt HPS with an enhanced blue spectrum. You are looking at 130 bucks or so for your ballast, bulb, and hood though. Well worth it if you think you may grow more than one plant in the future though. You can use a compact fluorescent if money is an issue.

If you've never grown indoors before, go with a soiless mix. How you mix it is up to you.

[jtErA]

I set my room on fire once with a light. (Not growing related) So I'm kinda paranoid about hot lamps on while no one is home. Is the 400 watt hps hot because the grow area is not well vented.

Tell me more of this soil less mix?

[burnable]

fire risk aside, your plants will not grow well without good ventilation. HPS lamps are relatively low heat if there is good ventilation. I use just a 250 w lamp over a small space and if ambient temps are below 85, the grow area stays below 85. Ventilation is crucial, though. Don't bother growing if you can't get fresh outside air to your plants.

[jtErA]

Its not really in a enclosed area, no door to the closet so its just as vented as the whole room which is fair. Hopefully fans will help enough to support the plants needs. What kind of spike in the electric bill can I expect from continued use of one lamp on a monthly basis

[burnable]

Yeah what I do is just keep a window constantly open and have fans blowing in the closet into the grow. The fans pull the fresh air into the closet. My op with a 250w hps and my veg box with 250 w worth of cfl's increased the power bill by $30-40. you can balance it out by exchanging all the incandescent light bulbs in your house with cfl's and turning you computer off when not is use, and any other energy-saving ideas you might have. I don't feel ecologically guilty about using more power since the power plants here don't emit greenhouse gases. Hydroelectric and windmills mostly.

[twoguysupnorth]

ventilation is important weather it comes from a cracked door or system. then you need to think about the light that may or may not come in from the windows for dark period. in a room of its own and some fresh air and fans a 400w isnt very hot. i dont know about the electrical costs of a 400w but a 150w and a fan was about 5$ so basicly triple that for a 400.