joe-grow's first grow

Long time reader, first time poster. Long time smoker, first time grower.

So, I've finally decided to take the plunge into growing. I spent the last month just reading up on the postings here, as well as some magazines I picked up at a local hydro store. This board was the most helpful, and I hope to repay that help with a grow report which I hope helps at least one other person out. During this time, I'm sure I will ask for assistance from some of you out there, and I hope that I am as fortunate to receive some of the very knowledgeable responses I've seen thus far. The magazines which helped me with my learning included Maximum Yield, The Growing Edge, and The Indoor Gardener.

Where to begin was my first big question. I've heard that this plant grows anywhere and quite easily. However, I didn't just want a weed growing, I wanted a plant. (I hope that came out like it sounded in my head). It turns out that if you are going to do it right, there's a LOT you need to learn. Even after all the reading I did, I still felt that there was so much to learn. At one point, I realized that you have to put down the books, and just jump in. I have the good fortune of being able to invest in this project as needed. However, I did not want to throw money away. I'm sure I will, in hindsight, feel some money was misspent, but I had to start somewhere.

This report will be as detailed as I can possibly make it. The only thing that I plan to leave out are specifics that could identify anything about me, or where I am located. While I understand all too well, that there are ways to track someone on the Internet, I am hopeful that nobody who can obtain that information has any malicious intentions towards me and my project. When I read about Zandor's break-in, stealing all of his crop, which he needed for medicinal purposes, I, as many others, wanted revenge on the low-lifes who would do something like that. I've never seen anything but help come from Zandor, either through his postings here, or his Grow Report podcast. All I know is that karma has a way of coming back to bite you. Whomever did that, will most certainly get theirs. In any event, it really spooked me to be cautious, while still giving something back to the community which helped me get started.

The method I've chosen is hydroponics, and more specifically aeroponics. I realize that for a first time grower this is a challenge. Well, one of the reasons I got into this was the challenge. I expect I will stumble, instead of building up from soil. Who knows, I may scrap this direction and switch to soil. But, for now, I'm going with the aeroponics. I chose this method because it seemed less complicated than the other hydroponics methods, with no complex watering schedules or draining setup. In addition, it seemed that, of the hydroponics methods available, this seemed to produce the best results, as far as crops. I am a little concerned with how I am going to change the nutrient mix as necessary, but I'll go into that in another post, when I cover the gear I'm using.

Next post .... my parts list.

One of the things that I found difficult to determine was what hardware would be necessary for this project. I noticed many people posted grow reports which started out with some of what they started out with, but I didn't find one that was complete. That could be because many people, like me, don't know about everything they will need to get started. My first attempt, which I thought was complete at first, turned out to be missing some key items. I would imagine I still don't know some of what I'm missing yet. Hopefully, someone will chime in and fill in any missing parts, before my next trip to the store.

I have learned about some of the basics, such as lights, pots, thermometers, and fans. However, I still have yet to come up with what I will need for nutrients. I did pick up some nutrients, but I'm not sure if what I have is all that I will require. I still have some time, since I can not start my seedlings just yet. Speaking of seeds, I plan to start with bag seed. This is to get some practice, before I try with seeds that cost me money.

The other thing that puzzled me was the lighting. Recently, there was a posting about fluorescent lighting for the flowering stage, specifically T5 lights. The thread seemed logical, but then there was some existing members that tried debunking the intent of the thread. So, I went with the popular High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps. My outlay so far (not counting the money spent for seeds) is about $1000 (US).

Anyway, on with the list. Here's a list of hardware from my first shopping trip ....

• HyrdoHut
• Vortex Exhaust Fan (400)
• Garden of Ease (aeroponic planter for 4 plants)
• HPS Light Kit (Gavita 600W bulb, w/built-in reflector, along with a Megalux reflector)
• Lumatek Ballast
• Digital Thermometer (w/humidity levels and high/low memory)
• Timer (dual outlet)
• Elf Carbon Filter (for HydroHut)
• 4 Clamps (for vent hose, exhaust fan, & carbon filter)
• Rapid Rooter Tray
• 2 - 10' chains (for light)
• Pack of S-hooks (for raising and lowering light)
• Pack of Cable Ties
• 4" venting hose (like what would be used for dryer vents)

In addition to the hardware, I picked up the following nutrients & solutions (all are from the General Hydroponics (GH) line, unless noted) -

• FloraGro (1 pint)
• FloraBloom (1 pint)
• FloraMicro (1 pint)
• pH Down (1 quart)
• SUPERthrive (not GH, not sure who the manufacturer is)
• pH Tester

My next trip's shopping list contains the following items (so far) -

• Eye Dropper (for testing pH)
• Measuring Cup or Measuring Spoons (for nutrients)
• Disposable Rubber Gloves (to protect me and the plants)
• Tray Cover (for Rapid Rooter)
• Seedling Warming Pad (for Rapid Rooter)
• Fluorescent Light (for Vegetative Stage)
• Distilled Water (not sure about this - may just leave tap water sit out)
• CO2 Tablets (from pet store)
• Seltzer Water (to spray on plants for CO2)
• Fan (to circulate air in the tent, and make plants stronger)
• Spray Bottle
• PPM Meter
• GH FloraKleen

If anyone can think of anything I've missed, please let me know. :)

Until I get back to the store, I can't really start my seeds, since it is too cold in my growing area. My plan is to drop the seeds into the Rapid Rooter tray, and keep the tray in a dark place on the warming mat, until they sprout. Once they sprout, I believe it is save to put them under the fluorescent lights. Hopefully, someone will correct me there if I'm wrong. I also need to exchange the HydroHut for the mini version. The regular size is massive and way too big for the space I plan to set it up. I believe that I will be able to make due until I can get the replacement HydroHut, which will take me a couple weeks.

Next post .... my unresolved questions about nutrients ....

Sometimes it doesn't have to be as complicated as it sounds to achieve decent results. Here's my list from start to finish.

Seeds
Pots
Peat and Perlite
Light
Fish Emulsion and Big Bloom
Timer
Very cheap fan which I no longer use due to low temps.

Everything can be very technical if you analyze it. I just threw the seeds into the soil and after they popped, I hung the light above them. My well water is over 7, so I went with peat cause the pH is lower. It's just a weed, so if you give it some decent draining soil and artificial light, it will grow. If I were you though, since you're putting time and effort into this project to do it right, I would get some quality seeds. I can tell by your preparation that you're gonna do just fine, and with the money already invested in this project, what's another 50 bucks to get some good seeds? Can't wait to sample my White Widow and compare it to the bag seeds from my last grow.

Good Luck with your project :thumbsup:

High PTS,

Thanks for visiting! Yes, it's probably a lot less complicated than I see it right now. But, I won't get a feel for that until I get started. Since I've never grown before, I decided to start with 'free' seeds, instead of quality seeds I pay for. I have already obtained some seeds for later. But, before I learn about things like germination, detecting males, and just using my new gear, I wanted to practice on bag seeds. I have a lot more bag seed on hand than good seeds.

Once I've gotten a grow or two under my belt, I plan to try White Widow and Northern Lights #5. I noticed your White Widow thread. It's looking good. :thumbsup: Hope you enjoy the smoke. As you mentioned, I may have a tough time holding out for the cure. It's been a while since I've had any smoke, so I may try to snag some early, for my xmas holiday.

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Yeah, gonna be fun following.
Good luck.
Ctrl + D

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One of the most confusing things in my research about growing, was the usage of nutrients. The other things was how to keep bad things out of my growing environment. Keeping the environment clean of bad things is probably something I'll learn during the process. What I'm curious about now, is how to use nutrients. During my first trip to the hydro store, I picked up three bottles of the Flora series from General Hydroponics (GH).

The three that I picked up were the FloraGro, FloraMicro, and FloraBloom. In addition to those, I also picked up SUPERthrive, which I believe is for getting seedlings started (at least that's what was handed to me when I asked for something to help get seedlings started). From what I can tell, I will need to add a portion (according to the charts on the back of the bottles) from each of the three bottles throughout the the growing cycle. The portions vary for each solution during different stages. If that's correct, then how do I increase levels of phosphorus (P), to help increase the chances of females (I believe that was one of the suggestions I heard from Zandor's podcast)? Is there something I am missing that contains only phosphorus? How about the SUPERthrive - should I add that throughout the growing cycle? Based on the experiences of some of you existing growers out there - will 1 pint of each of these nutrient solutions be sufficient for an entire grow cycle, if I'm changing the nutrients/water every two weeks?

In addition to the above nutrients, I received two bottles with the Garden of Ease aeroponics garden kit I picked up. These are marked 'EN' and 'EA', and are labeled 'mycorrhizal and bacterial inoculant'. Do I need this? If so, when?

Just to confirm, in order to provide a flush of the nutrients, I should use something like FloraKleen during the last two weeks of the flowering stage, right? Should this without any other nutrients, and just water and the FloraKleen?

Finally, about changing the nutrients/water in the aeroponics planter. According to the directions, I should connect a hose to the pump which normally sprays the roots of the plants. There is a hole in the center of the planter to run this hose to the pump. What if that does not clear out the entire planter? Should I make sure it is completely empty, before I refill it with a new supply of nutrients & water? If so, what do I do with the plants while I'm emptying the planter? I would have to remove the tray where the baskets sit, so that I can dump out the reservoir. I've heard that roots should not be exposed to light. Should I do this while it is dark in the room? Also, what should I do with the nutrients - how should they be disposed? I read somewhere on the boards that it's not a good idea to just dump them down the sink, or funky things might sprout up down there.

Thanks for dropping by! Other than responding to answers/questions from others, there's not much more I'll be able to post until my next shopping trip. I don't want to start my seedlings until I get a warming pad, since it's getting colder here. As soon as I get those started, I should be able to post some photos from then on.

Recently, I picked up some more parts, and returned one. This trip allowed me to get the remaining items I needed to get started. :dance: It also taught me a little lesson. Total costs so far is about $1175, not counting seeds.

I learned that I should have considered all the testers I needed before buying any testers. I knew that I needed an EC or PPM. What I didn't know is that you can get a pH and EC tester all in one. That wasn't a very costly mistake, but for anyone on a tight budget, it is worth considering. The pH test kit was only about $8, so it wasn't that big of a loss.

I had to return the HydroHut. :( The standard model is just way too large. I need to pick up a mini when they have them in stock again. I may just order that online. I've noticed at least one place that was less expensive than the local shop. In exchange for the credit I received for the hut, I picked up the following hardware items from my list ...

• Heat Mat (for seedlings)
• Dome (for Rapid Rooter)
• pH/EC/TDS Tester
• Measuring Cup
• T5 Fluorescent Lamp (4 bulbs, 2 feet long)

In addition to the hardware, I also picked up some more nutrients and other consumables ....

• Flora-series (same as before, but in 1 quart sizes)
• FloraKleen (1 gallon)
• Hydroton Rocks (10 liters)
• Distilled Water (1 gallon)
• Seltzer Water (1 quart)

The Garden of Ease came with some stones to put in the baskets, but I've never seen anyone on here use them. The guy at the hydro store never heard of them, nor did he even know they came with the kit. So, I picked up some of the Hydroton Rocks (listed above already). I'm a little nervous about the baskets. They are 3" in diameter, and I don't believe I've ever noticed any other grow posted here use something that small.

So, now that I have what I needed, I have set up a temporary space to start my seedlings. The space isn't very good, but it's all I have until I get the new hut. I mounted my lamp. Then, I placed my seeds in the starter plugs in the Rapid Rooter. I put some of the distilled water into a spray bottle (which I found around the house) and added a drop of the SUPERthrive. I sprayed the starter plugs with a light mist and put the dome on. Then I placed it on the Heat Mat.

I only planted 6 seeds this time, just in case I've made a mistake. I emptied out the Rapid Rooter of the other starter plugs and stored them in a zip lock back for another planting. I left the seeds in the room to germinate, and left the lamp off. I'm pretty sure that I read that you should leave the seeds in the dark until they sprout. If not, someone please feel free to correct me.

I have attached some shots of what I have so far. The first photo is of the Rapid Rooter with the Dome attached and under the T5 lights. The second photo is a close up of the seeds in the Rapid Rooter cubes.

First, let me correct myself. Apparently, I misunderstood the hydro shop tech about the EC/PPM tester. The one I picked up does not test for pH, only EC/PPM. So, scratch that lesson earlier. I suppose I should have read the instructions prior to making that post.

Well, it's about 12 hours after I dropped the seeds into the Rapid Rooter starter plugs. I placed the thermometer under the hood to keep an eye on the temperature and humidity. The temperature under the hood is 81F and relative humidity (RH) is 80%. Outside the dome, temperature is 71F.

I've read many threads about germinating seeds, and am not sure I've started mine correctly. I've read about the paper towel method, and others who have dropped theirs directly into the starter cubes. Also, I've noted that some turn their lights on, only after they start to see the seed sprout, while others turn it on from the very begining. Currently, my lights are still off. Hopefully someone will chime in and advise me about any corrections I should make here.

I guess the first time always makes you nervous, eh? (germinating seeds, that is)

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Light has only to do with photosynthesis, not root development.
However, I believe the natural condition for a seed is to be half a centimeter down in the dark soil, with light just above.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by joe-grow

I guess the first time always makes you nervous, eh? (germinating seeds, that is)

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Yes, i remember way back when. Twas full of wonder and confusion, after the first time though it's easy. I'm going though the emotions again with my first time cloning.:smokin:

To germinate:
I just soak mine in a glass of water until the seeds crack and you can see white, then i put em in damp paper towel set in a sandwich container). Set the container on a heat source (external hard drive). Once you see a little taproot then transplant.

I'm sure both ways will work, especially with starter plugs....good luck:thumbsup: