Help with setting up a first grow
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If you want people to help, you will need to provide some information.
Indoor or outdoors?
Medium? Soil, coco, living soil etc…
What materials do you have?
How many plants do you want to grow?
Do you have lights already? If not, check with the growers here before buying anything. They will be able to tell you if it’s good enough.
What’s your budget?
Where will you grow?
I know it sounds like a lot, but being prepared before beginning to buy will save you a world of pain and you will enjoy your grow a lot more with the right materials!
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Was thinking about gorilla glue and sour diesel auto, 3 plants, indoor and the rest am not to sure been doing some reading and researching and there is so much information that it gets confusing, so just looking for any useful advice cheers
I’m new grower myself. I would first decide what size tent. Then lights can’t say this enough lights are one of the most important decisions. Don’t rush into buying a cheap Amazon burble. Most lights on Amazon are are extremely deceptive about,well just about everything.
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Also Welcome to ILGM FORUM. There will be people that can help. If you will think about what your goals are, medical condition, just want save money, growing for just yourself or others. The first good decision you’ve made is to not jump in head first and make as many mistakes that many people have.
Is there any type of light that you can recommend for me to use on 3 plants indoors, any advice would be much appreciated, as I truly love the plant and want to do it justice and enjoy the rest of the process, thanx.
U can light up a small tent nicely w some quantum boards if u have some cash to spare or a 315 w cmh will do nicely as well.best two options imo.
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Honestly, we need to know what your budget is and what size tent you will be using. You could grow 3 plants in 2x4. But if you can afford and have space for 4x4 I believe you should start with 4x4 . Even if you don’t absolutely need, it’s nice to have a little extra space to move around in.
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Hi there thanks for the reply appreciated, yeah so budget £300,500, at most, I don’t know what would be best option for 2 indoor plants it’s just for me so any help would be great, as I say I would like to know best place to get tent, light, and all I need, asking a lot I know cheers
If cost is a concern then a 2x4 and one HLG 260xl will do the trick for 2 plants. I agree with @Bulldognuts though. A 4x4 is only another 50 quid or so and it will leave you with some room to expand later and you’ll have more room in which to tend to your plants.
Most of the tents off of Amazon are fine. Lights; not so much. Don’t buy a burple whatever you do. They don’t flower plants too well.
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Can you advise where is best for light and what’s the best on the plant, was thinking auto flower for first time of gorilla glue any advice on that strain?
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Blue Dream is known to be a forgiving plant. It also happens to be one of my favorite medicines. I have not grown Bergman’s autoflowering version though.
If you are using a space you can completely seal for light, I would recommend growing photoperiod Blue Dream. The reason is that if you struggle early on, you just vegetate the plant longer.
I usually recommend a HPS/MH combination digital ballast lamp or a CMH lamp for people on a tight budget. They are slightly more costly to operate because they require a little more wattage than the more expensive/efficient LEDs, but they produce excellent results. They run hotter too, but issues with heat are solvable.
I have always had a problem with folks starting out with autoflowering plants. I believe you would be several steps ahead if you used photoperiod plants for first grow and here’s why:
Autos need to be grown with optimum conditions without issues for the entire grow. This means that if your watering schedule or amount is off, the plants will stall out and never grow. Anything you do that is not to the immediate benefit of the plant will stunt it.
Photos on the other hand can be abused, poorly lit, badly fed and you will still get some kind of yield. You can grow the plant or plants until it fits the space of your grow and you can then flower and harvest for maximum results.
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So what led would you recommend as I want it to best under the radar not my meter reading going through the roof, I mean in electricity terms how much are we talking a day for 2-3 plants and is blue dream a good thc strain, thank you for your reply
If I didn’t care about having three different cultivars, I would start with the light I can afford and see how many plants that can cover.
I think the Mars TSW 1000 and 2000 are budget friendly. I think the HLG LEDs are probably better lights, but they cost a bit more upfront.
I like the sound of what your saying, so are you getting more weight this way or better quality? Do you have a favourite strain and who’s the best seed bank, would you recommend a complete grow tent kit from amazon and an led 600 light elsewhere? Don’t like keep asking? After? But I absolutely LOVE green but sick of paying through the nose for crap so any help would be appreciated cheers
You are at the best seed bank. The link is at the top right of your screen.
I would stay away from kits from Amazon. You are going to get a lot of stuff that you will upgrade before too long. The lights and pH meters offered just aren’t what makes for a good grow. You are better off piecing together your own “kit.”
You will be both more and better green with quality lighting and tools to help you manage your grow.
Strain really depends on your individual preferences.
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Yes! haha
Invest in lights. HLG is the state of the art right now and is where I would start. Here’s a comparison:
Amazon blurple light. Needs 50 watts from the plug and not what the light maker says it’s ‘equivalent’ to. These use 10 year old lighting technology.
HLG uses the latest technology in lights with the most efficient power to heat loss ratio, highest output in a tailored spectrum for growing cannabis. These lights require 25 to 30 watts from the plug. They are also adjustable output for different demands.
I built my own lights and the first month I ran them my electrical bill went down $60. The plants in the picture below were grown last winter in RDWC with those lights set at 200 watts X 3 for 600 watts and they only saw that in peak flower. My yield from the 3 was 15 grams shy of 2 pounds and is the most potent weed I’ve ever used. My brother took one hit of the Crystal and he blacked out and fell; skinning him up.
As far as cultivars go, my tastes have changed over time towards more sativa dominant strains. My all time favorite is Sour Diesel and ILGM has great genetics. I love Purple Haze, Game Changer, Crystal (a high THC high CBD strain).
I prefer photoperiod to autos and due to height restrictions typically SCROG my plants. Currently I have one Super Pineapple Haze going in a 2 X 4 in DWC: I should yield 14 to 16 zips from that plant.
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