first grow: northern lights; advice requested

[Scarlet Sky]

Things that you can buy at Walmart. (Only in US )

Soil: Supersoil(miracle grow) (60%) + Perlite (40%)
Nutrients: SuperThrive
Lighting: 4 ~ 6 x 26w(100w output,6500k) CFLs and get utility clip lighting fixtures.
PH: PH down, Pool test kit (Get PH Meter if possible)
Timer: Get Digital timers.
Fans: Small cheap fans that rotates.
1 x Digital Thermometer/Humidity Meter
1 x power surge protector

And get Fox Farm Big Bloom from some hydrophonic shop..

For additional help, take a look at BongHitBoy420's thread..
http://boards.cannabis.com/closet-ca...ng-thread.html

superthrive is not a fertilizer, it's a supplement, to be added to nutes. it doesn't contain npk, just hormones and vitamins.

[uzybear]

i think heat could be an issue as summer is coming, cfl is certainly attractive that way

[Scarlet Sky]

my first indoor grow was all cfl. i did very well, the only differences between cfl and hid in my experience, is yeild. i got more than four times more with hps than with cfl.

[uzybear]

i haven't been able to pin down an answer on the electricity issue, but would it actually be MORE efficient to have one HPS for flowering than a number of cfl's? (per light produced?)

i'm concerned about heat. it can get pretty warm here. i shouldn't have much problem pulling in air. i can have one or two big box fans in the window, and run air-tubing (what do you call that silver accordion stuff?) into the closet, but it may not be very cool air


another q: should i run fans all the time or just when lights are on?

[Scarlet Sky]

i run an oscillating fan 24/7

as for the power consumption and all, hps is waaaaay better. especially if you consider yeild. you'd have to do two to four cfl grows to add up to one harvest from hps.

as for temps, you can make a cool tube... and the silver stuff is called flex ducting

[uzybear]

well, that idea definitely appeals. cfl (or heck, considering the shape of the closet, just regular flourescent tube, say a few warm and cool t-5's) might be right for veg. then one hps for flowering. if i have say two plants, in a closet what would be a hps i could get away with for flowering? could i get buy with 200w or so?

the hps seem pretty cheap too. i definitely like that way. i just need to make sure things don't get too hot. i can take the doors off the closet and just use black vinyl, or heck, i could forget teh closet all together and just cordon-off a section of the room right next to the window. now that's an idea. i'm on the second floor and get quite a lot of air. with that window open and fans running it might be excellent. in fact with a couple box fans in the window blowing fresh air directly on my plants i wouldn't need an oscilator either necessarily


i'm definitely concerned about things looking suspicious though. this is however a VERY pot friendly town, and the maintenance folks are stoners, and i'll put a lock on the bedroom door, but still


if i just draped black vinyl (mylar inside) for a grow-space it'd also give me the ability of making it larger or smaller depending on the plant growth.... no reason to use the closet perhaps....

[Scarlet Sky]

i personally would go with no less than a 400w hps, but with two plants, if short, can be well lit by a 250...

remember, safety first. there's no such thing as pot freindly in our government's eyes. i just dismantled my op this morning; i'm being ivestigated for power consumption... boo hiss.

[uzybear]

just hang some screws in the celing and hang a single flouro array for veg, and a single hps-hood for flower. simple....... oh the wheels are turning!

[Scarlet Sky]

i use two double 48" flouro fixtures and four ge daylight bulbs for veg in summer.

the cat's ass, great lights for the money. one double fixture and two bulbs runs 20$

[uzybear]

as far as power consumption:

1. how much would i expect my electric bill to go up during veg? (with flourescent 18hr)

2. flower? (250w hps 12hr perhaps?)

that seems little enough to go undetected. of course, there's danger. frustrating.