first time grower

[drugsrbad]

ok heres the deal. ive got about 15 seeds that are in a piece of damp paper towel, theyve all already popped so i think they are ready to plant. i have a closet about 2 ft deep and 7 ft wide . i need to know a few things before i start,
what kind of soil should i get(home depot?)
where can i get the proper lighting?(home depot?)
how many of the seeds should i plant in that size of an area
how deep in the soil should i plant the seeds
what temperature should i keep the closet at?

any info would be greatly appreciated as im gunna plant these babies today!!!@!!!!!!

drugsrbad Reviewed by drugsrbad on 11-30-2005. first time grower ok heres the deal. ive got about 15 seeds that are in a piece of damp paper towel, theyve all already popped so i think they are ready to plant. i have a closet about 2 ft deep and 7 ft wide . i need to know a few things before i start, what kind of soil should i get(home depot?) where can i get the proper lighting?(home depot?) how many of the seeds should i plant in that size of an area how deep in the soil should i plant the seeds what temperature should i keep the closet at? any Rating: 5

[drugsrbad]

can anyone out there help me out?
thx

[Powder Puff]

Uhm, I'm probably one of the worst to answer you!

Buuut, here I am..!

What kind of closet are you talking about? 7 feet are like 2 meters..! and that's how wide it is? how tall is it?

Any ways, If you have the money, get a HPS/MH converteble, if not, get some CFL's..!

Soil should be, somewhere beetween PH 6 - 7? I think so <---- (someone maybe correct me on that) Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use outdoor soil, I did, and it sure as hell didn't work for me.. So, some potting soil, with the right PH, get that..!

Could you tell me how tall this closet is?

[drugsrbad]

the closet is 8 ft tall. so i should just go to home depot and get potting soil? what kind? thanks so far

[Sativagrowin]

ON ething that I think you're going to find out is that you should have had all this thought out b4 starting the seeds.

That said, the first thing you need is soil. I would by a good name brand potting soil with time release fert. already in it. This isnt ideal but for a novice it will help you a lot. Make sure the soil has a good mix of perlite, vermiculite, and organic matter in it. It should stay in a clump when you clench it in your fist but should break apart easily when poked with a finger. If it doesn't break apart easily you will need to amend the soil with the above mentioned items.

Second thing is the lights. You have two choices imo. HID and fluorescents. Since your intended garden will be long and narrow fluorescents could be a good choice for you. If you can hang four 4' fluorescents you could do alright. HID would be my choice. The home depot here doesn't carry any remote ballast HID systems. IF you do get an HID I would definately recomend a remote ballast because of the heat build up in the small space you'll be growing in. I know Walmart used to carry fluorescent fixtures that would hold two 4' tubes for around $10 - $15 apiece. You could get two of those and then order a decent HPS system which would arrive when you are about ready to flower.

How many seeds depend on the lights you get. If you get the 4' fluorescents then you are only going to be lighting 8 square feet of your closet. In that space I would recomend 4 seeds in 4 five gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottom. Then set those inside other 5 gallon buckets with no holes (to catch run off water). The left over space could be used for a decent oscillating fan and any other equipment. Dont forget to put up mylar, a reflective emergency blanket ( I think home depot has these if not walmart does ), or paint the walls flat white to maximize the lighting.

Plant the seeds between 1/4" and 1/2" deep.

For the seedlings keep the closet about 75 F

Hope this help a little

Good luck

[Powder Puff]

Basicly, it has to drain well, the PH must be in between that line 6 - 7 (again correct me if I'm wrong) it supposed to be mixed like something / something with perlite, and some other things.. I would just go, and ask for some soil with that specific PH, I did, and mine are growing fine!

You should maybe get some fluorecent tubes for your grow, the closet is very wide!

[Sativagrowin]

A friend of mine bought some "miracle grow - moisture control" soil at home depot and has some good looking plants. IT's supposed to prevent you from over watering or under watering. He got it at the home depot. Not sure of the pH but his plants look good.

[drugsrbad]

thanks alot. im gunna run to home depot and get some soil. i already have a fluro light and ballast that was in my friends garage hanging on the ceiling that was not being used. so it would b smart to get another 1. i have a fan alreddy so i guess all i need is to know the lighting schedule and the amount of time to keep them on each schedule. do i need light for the first few days at all, when the plants are still under the soil? thanks anything else that i forgot to ask about would be greatly appreciated. this is my frist grow and i am not expecting to get a lot of yield just the learning experience, although some would b very nice.
thanks again

[Sativagrowin]

You dont need light till they break the top of the soil. Keep the lights on 24 hours a day or at least 18 hours a day untill they are 10" tall then switch to 12 on and 12 off. Make sure they get absolutely NO light during the 12 hours of dark. If you had a more intense light you could veg them longer but with fluorescents I wouldn't because the light wont reach the bottom of the foilage after they mature and it'll be a waste.

Again, good luck

[friendowl]

if you aint gonna get a hps or mh light soon then just stop now.save your time and go buy weed.pretty much any indoor potting soil will work. you should get some lil jiffy peat pots to start.they look like wooden quartes and they pop up whenyou add water.like two bucks for 12 and they come with a lil greenhouse.