Need Help Please!

[rcpilot04401]

Alright...finally, my state, Maine...is finally getting their collective heads out of the collective asses...and I'm slowly making my way towards being a patient, and finally kicking this Vicodin habit I've been on for almost 5 years now for chronic pain...so here's my question. I'm just starting out, and have no idea what I'm doing..I've done all the reading with all the lights and everything like that...but I'm just starting out, and I don't want to make such an investment until I know what I'm doing...so where do I start? I'm getting so many suggestion from friends and stuff, but their basically telling me what I've already read...so I would like some feedback from people who have already "been there, done that". Will flourcents work? I only get 10% of my check each week, so it'll take a while to save the money to actually get where I eventually want to be, but what are the basics to get started? Any help would be greatly appreciated..thanks.

[FeelingGreat]

you can get %90 of the info you need from one of the books out there. I would recommend "The cannabis grow bible", which you can probably find on the internet, that is how i got started, it is very comprehensive. it will cover most stuff, from picking a strain to curing the buds.

are you planning on hydro or soil? as I've never used a hydro system and can't help on that topic from experience, I've done 7 grows all in soil and i've been pleased with the results 6 out of 7 times.

[roddrumon]

Basic plans are easy. However, it greatly depends on your situation.
If you are not concerned with light leakage and smells then your situation is simple.
Get a 5 gallon bucket, cut a whole in the lid to fit a hydroponic type basket. Fill the basket with some growth medium, some like ceramic pellets.
Get clean water. put it in the bucket.
Get good seeds - from wherever.
a big new movement in seeds are the autoflower seeds. For a nub, these are probably best. They have decent quality and feminized seeds are unlikely to be hermaphrodites so you should be able to have one plant and get a female. (males are actually the not the worst thing in the world... you can separate them and save the pollen from mature male flowers if you ever want to make a batch of seeds for yourself)
Get good nutes (nutrients). Some of the best are specific for seedling, vegetative growth, and flowering stages.
Decide on lighting. There are many many options. Today it appears that a quality UFO or other photosynthesis specific LED array system is best for energy and heat concerns. However, these units are expensive.
Additional info on lighting:
many people use Metal Halide bulbs for flowering due to their excellent color, penetrance, and high wattages available.
many people use CFL due to their low energy consumption and good heat control. Also they are cheap. The problem is that you'll need either very powerful CFL (250watt) or you will need many of them. It might be better to use CFLs due to the benefits of heat control. Commonly CFLs are good because if you build an array of them you can place different wattage bulbs and use different colors of light (like 2500K for flowering and 6500K for vegetative growth)

Ultimately the setup can be as complicated as you can imagine or it can be as simple as planting a seedling in a 'big gulp' cup and placing the plant in the window sill... (although you probably won't like the result)

:) If you want a turn-key with as little cash as possible think about buying a small Aerogarden and then get extra light sources... to control light and smells you can put a large garbage can upside-down on top of the whole thing. If you cut a whole in the, now top, of the garbage can you can hook up a basic inline duct fan and a 50$ active carbon filter like the Elf, or Goblin (more pricey). The whole thing shouldn't set you back more than 250$.
Also, to maximize light performance you can line the inside of the garbage can with reflective mylar. :)

:rasta: this is the best, simplest system i've ever found. And yes it was my idea to simply place a large plastic garbage can over the grow system. if you use a small growing plant like a dwarf lowryder then you'll have plenty of room.

RCpilot - i'd say you best bet in the beginning is to start small and work your way up to more sophisticated systems that will eventually support more plants and require a larger investment, after you have several successful grows and no problems...

[rcpilot04401]

thank you for all the help...I do have have all the growing books that I could get ahold of at my local borders...but in reading them...they seem more aligned with large scale operations, I was just interested in what others did for the own personal garden...I have no intention of selling what I grow, it's that I'm tired of all that brick weed out there...I hardly ever see any good quality stuff, and I have some good connections. But buddy is bringing some "diesel" over tonight...or what the person he got it from called it...But with my doctor giving me the OK to switch my Vicodin for Cannibis, I plan on growing some seriously medical plants...it will be a learning curve, I've prepared myself for that...but I've always had good luck with growing any other type of plant...well what ever I do...thank you for all the help, I will post any pics that I take...even the bad ones...just to show you how I'm doing...so please wish me luck you guys.

P.S....also, when you talk about grow mediums...I'm not exactly sure were to buy that stuff, it's not like I can goto my local home depot and pick it up...this isn't that big of a town....but...I'll give it a try...thanks.

[roddrumon]

if you take a look at the aerogarden, you'll see that it comes with (almost) everything you need to get started on a small grow.

http://http://www.organicgardengrower.com/product/2411-00B

[radiodoug]

Hey, RCPilot, you can be supplied with Medical MJ by a caregiver, until your plants are ready. Maine caregivers. They deliver, and they are really nice. They want to help. Unbelievable prices for Super Snow Dog and OGKush. Call them. Ask them what their prices are. You'll be shocked!

I wish I had the money to go all through the exams for my Glaucoma. It's just too much money right now. I'm in a real bad way, right now financially. I'd be getting MJ right now, if I could...:(

Doug

[roddrumon]

I don't want to make such an investment until I know what I'm doing...so where do I start? I'm getting so many suggestion from friends and stuff, but their basically telling me what I've already read...

you are already on the right track.


Will flourcents work?

Fluorescents will work. However, watt for watt they do not produce as much usable light as other setups. So, you'll end up spending more money in electricty. Some of the most expensive systems out there light high quality UFO from AdvancedLEd.com will cost more, much more, but save electricity and keep cost down in the long run.