1st grow

[should]

Hey, i just ordered everything I'm gonna use, could u guys just look it over and give me some tips.
I'm gonna grow 2 ppp plants indoors under a 250w hps light
I'm gonna use 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes in the bottom and miracle grow moister control as soil (the bottom of the bucket will have an inch of mulch for drainage and the miracle grow will b mixed with perlite). For nutrients I'm gonna use fox farm and I'm gonna use the instructions given on the website http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/soilfeed.pdf
for odor control I'm going to use Febreze TrueAir Tobacco Odor Filter so hopefully that will work...
Is this setup going to work well?

should Reviewed by should on 03-31-2008. 1st grow Hey, i just ordered everything I'm gonna use, could u guys just look it over and give me some tips. I'm gonna grow 2 ppp plants indoors under a 250w hps light I'm gonna use 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes in the bottom and miracle grow moister control as soil (the bottom of the bucket will have an inch of mulch for drainage and the miracle grow will b mixed with perlite). For nutrients I'm gonna use fox farm and I'm gonna use the instructions given on the website Rating: 5

[Acezx]

you'll want to start them out in something smaller, also ive used/still use the MG moisture control (some around here scold it) but mines done well on it anyway about the soil it already has about 10% perlite u really only want 25% I read so don't go overboard the mulch might cause ph problems I was going to use that and someone told me not to (weedhound?) anywho my 2cents. :smokin:

[Rusty Trichome]

I wouldn't start them in the 5 gal. buckets. Start-out with cups or small pots, and transplant when necessary. Let soil dry a bit before transplanting...this keeps the rootball intact.

In emergencies I use MG, too. I've also been forced to start seedlings and cuttings in it. It actually works better for my clones and seedlings, than the super-rich medium I usually use. (I refuse to pay $6.00 for a ziplock-baggie-sized bag of seed starter mix) Anyone that says the MG doesn't work has a hole in their head. You just have to remember what you are working with, and adjust to suit needs, and don't overwater.

Curious: Why not just use a 1" to 2" layer of rocks in the bottom of the buckets for drainage? Any type of soil in the bottom will restrict airflow thru the roots system, and prevent proper drainage.

Since MG has some nutes already, I don't add nutes for about 3 weeks to a month, (unless seedlings and clones start showing defeciencies) then start with 1/2 strength Fox Farms veg. and micro-nutes, and watch for how the plants react. Best to sneak-up on the maximum dilution strength your plants can handle, then to start-out too strong in the first place.

During the summer, the moisture control mix is ok, but during the winter, or when starting seeds or clones, I add approx. 20% more perlite, for better drainage.

[grey1223]

While I haven't used MG I know it works as Rusty said plus I knew someone who used to use it. I remember one time I put 1" layer of perlite in bottom of pots and boy was that perlite full of roots and drained well.

[daihashi]

While I haven't used MG I know it works as Rusty said plus I knew someone who used to use it. I remember one time I put 1" layer of perlite in bottom of pots and boy was that perlite full of roots and drained well.

I can never find a perlite that's thick enough to not constantly flow out of the holes when I Water the plants.

I'm thinking of using hydrotron at the bottom of my pots for my next grow.

Just another option for him to use aside from rocks and perlite.

edit: On another note I'm not sure hot hydrotron at the bottom of my pot will effect my runoff ph, might not be such a good idea after all.

[Rusty Trichome]

Rocks are free, and they work great if rinsed well beforehand.
Not sure that looking for more things to spend money on, is fruitful in this case. Even if you have to buy the rocks, they last forever. (pieces of broken terra-cotta pots work well, too) :thumbsup:

[should]

thanks for all the replies, also a friend told me to use bat guano. when should i use this?
so what your saying is use rocks on the bottom instead of mulch, start them off in around 4 inch pots first before transplanting to the buckets, and start the nutes half strength after around 3 weeks? (sounds right but i just want to make sure i dont screw up my first grow by mis-reading anything)
also, when starting out with seedlings, how far away from the soil should i keep the 250w hps?
i really appreciate all the help, thanks guys

Edit: also look for my grow log when i start everything up! (should be after all the supplies are shipped to me, which hopefully is in a week or so)

[Rusty Trichome]

Keep the lights high enough to avoid burning the tops of the plant, and to avoid rapid moisture loss. A general guideline I use, is to put your hand under the light, (the back of your hand facing the light) If after 30 seconds, the heat is too much for your hand, it'll be too much for the young plants. I'd guess start at 16"-18", but this is only a guess.
The distance will change throughout the grow. Young, tender plants will need the light further away, but mature plants are heartier, and can take a bit more heat. You'll have to adjust the lights (or the plant's height) often.

In my outdoor shed, during the winter, I keep 400w lights about 8" to 12" from tops of flowering plants, but during the summer, I can only get them about 14" to 16" from the tops.
In my veg closet, my 400w MH light was kept about 24" from tops of clones and seedlings, 16" or so for adolescents, and about 12" for those about to go into flower. (same closet, same light)

Good luck with it. :thumbsup:

[should]

alright, thanks rusty. one more quick question...since the MG already has nutes in it, i think it may be too much for the plants to add bat guano to the soil, should i just dizzolve it in warm water and spray it on the plant leaves every so often? and if so, when is the best time to use it?

[Rusty Trichome]

I've never used as a foliar, but guess you could. Then again, I've never used guano. They grow pretty good with the nutes aquired thru the roots, tho. Especially with the MG, as you'll want the plant to use all the nutes in the soil asap. If any defeciencies are noticed, foliar or soil applications (nutes) will likely need to be increased.

If you must, you could add the guano into the soil mix you'll use for it's future transplants, but don't over-do it. Also, adding it to soil that will be used for seeedlings and clones will likely make the soil too 'hot', possibly causing death.

By the way...what Fox Farms products did you get?