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hey ive been reading post and other stuff u guys give alot of great advice..i want a cheap set up... what lights and stuff can i get from home depot or wal mart..or any garden stores? what type of soil and fans and stuff i might start a box grow..lol im not sure first time getting seeds free from friends
but i have like not much finaces to do this with so could u please help any advice and tips would be a great help thank u so much..
I was hoping someone like BobBong or one of the CFL growers would help you. I only use cheep lighting for clones and seedlings.
To me the least you can spend is 300-500 bucks for a setup.
For a single plant or two HD has a light by "Lights of America" it's a security light with what they claim to be 500w of lumens. It's a fluoreX light
The cost is about 40 bucks. Use Mylar, Panda plastic or flat white paint to cover the walls.
Do not use anything with the word Miracle Grow in the name.
You want to mix the soil with 50% perlite and have plenty of dranage in the soil.
Monitor the temperature at the top of the canopy and don't let it get to hot.
thank you zandor and what is a good temp to keep it at..? this is my first grow and when i start ill post pics of some stuff i want to try oh yeah whats some good nutrient stuff to get to as im going to home depot and i live in new hampshire btw..
oh yeah and what type of soil can u get in my area that ppl have had success with anyone from nh??????
How much can you actually spend for start up? I know several real inexpensive ways to grow, but you sacrifice yield the less you spend...Give us an idea of what you can actually spend for nutes and lights...lighting is the most important desision you will make..you can buy enough start up nutes for entire grow for under 50 bucks...you can buy a decent light for around 100 bucks or less on ebay... cfl's are the new thing and seem to work great, 4 of the cheaper(but the biggest they have at least 45w from homepot w/ receptacles, wire 100 bucks...also, you can grow in the corner of a SECURE air conditioned room, instead of a box for less, because you don't have to use exhaust fans or Co2...imho.later
The Ph chart covers Hydro and dirt farming.
The best advice I can give is don't use Miracle Grow potting soil.
My personal preference is sterile soil mix with 50% Perlite for quick drainage.
Good soil with some nutrients
Ocean Forest Potting Soil from fox farm. This is 100% organic
Sunshine #1
This is a good soil mix with Canadian sphagnum pear moss and dolomite lime for Ph control.
No mater what you use add Perlite to improve drainage about 50/50 mix. The idea is when the soil is moist you should be able to take a handful of dirt and crush it in your hands. Hold your hands about 12" above the pot and release. When the soil falls back to the pot about 50% of the soil should fall apart. The remaining chunk from your hand should break up easily. That is how I test my soil and know if the mixture is right or not. You want the soil to hold water but not for a very long time. You want to water every 3-day's on average so the soil must drain quickly. If the soil is not dry by day-3 then don't water. The chopstick method or a soil meter will tell you when it's safe to water again.
Make sure you have plenty of drainage to remove the water and avoid nutrient build up that can turn toxic. Most people forget about the outer edges of the pots and only have a center hole for drainage. That's not enough to me. When I grow in soil I drill extra holes in whatever pot I use. I drill around the edges lower sides and the whole bottom. I do use the double bucket method where the top bucket fits into the bottom bucket and the bottom bucket catches the run off. The roots can stick through because there is an air gap and that's a good thing. You do need to empty the bottom bucket every week but that's about it.
Grow bags are a good cheep way to grow, punch a few extra drainage holds in the very bottom but that's about it. I like the 3-gallon size but you need to have a way to catch the runoff and keep lights from reaching the roots that will stick out the bottom of the bag. Normally when the roots stick out the plant is big enough to have leaf coverage to block the light. A simple trash bag will cover the soil and block the roots from being hit by the light.
Most important thing about dirt farming is don't over water. Fungal gnats suck and are hard to get rid of and most of the time the cause is over watering. They live in the dirt and feed on roots. I don't know of anybody who lost a crop to fungal gnats but I guess it could be done. They are more of a pain in the ass then anything else. In a young plant I believe they would do damage because they live off the roots but in an older plant like mother or a flowering plant the root zone should be established.
You don't want the temperature to rise above 85f and below 60f. The best range is 69f-79f with 72f being the very best. Try to keep the 24 hour swing with in 10 deg over 24 hours.
Good luck
thank you once again zandor... im gonna try to start growing and if everything goes well ill post some pics in 15 days..thanks again
1. CFL's are far from cheap. A 125W 6400K bulb is $125.00. A 200W 6400K bulb is $220.00.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zandor
Quality CFL's are more expensive than MH or HPS.
2. Now that Lights of American bulb is indeed cheap shit light :)