I’m a new grower, I grew indoors once back in the late 90’s with unknown seeds and very little knowledge. The results were below mediocre. I’m so happy to be a part of this group. I’ve been doing a lot of research and reading. I bought a 4×4×7 tent w/3000 watt full spectrum led light w/cooling fans and a 195cfm exhaust fan w/ 3 speed control and carbon filter vented outside. I have a heated/cooled basement and a humidifier and a dehumidifier if needed. I’m on well water that is 7.2 pH. I bought the Fox Farm ocean forest soil and the trio of nutrients, 3 thermo hydrometers-2 are bluetooth for inside both tent’s for alerts on my phone and one for outside, 3 osolating fans, 4in1 soil tester, adjustable pullies for lights, starting seeds in Epsoma organic seed starter potting mix, digital pH and TDS meter, calmag/iron 2-0-0, pH up/down. Starting 4 feminized White Widow seeds then transplanting to a 1 gallon pot then to a 5 gallon cloth bag in 16" plant saucer’s. I built a 2×2×4 enclosure with a 1000 watt full spectrum led light w/cooling fans for vegetation so I can make my 4×4 a flowering tent. Five questions:
Do you think this is a good set up for 4 plants at a time in each tent?
Is it ok to use the exhaust system in the 4×4 flowering tent to draw air from the 2×2 vegetative enclosure also?
What is the best weekly watering/not watering/feeding/flush schedule and how much?
I read that you should only use half of the recommended dosage of the Fox Farm trio so you don’t burn your plants. If you use the recommended dosage should you flush more often?
How far should my lights be from the top of my plants in the 2×2 vegetative enclosure and the flowering 4×4 tent?
Any advice or things I should add or do or not do is greatly appreciated. Thank you all and have a great day!
What exactly is the light you have? What is the plug draw? (how many watts from the wall?)
Do you know the TDS of well water? PH is easy to deal with. Though you should also pick up PH up and down along with cal mag.
No reason why not.
Not necessarily and is based on your setup; in particular the quality of light.
Follow their published grow schedule and make sure it’s printed out in the TDS scale your meter reads: they have 500 scale and 700 scale. You don’t want to confuse them.
This likely isn’t enough air exchange for flower. About once every 2 minutes complete air exchange is recommended.
Thank you for responding. My 3000w pulls actual 200w and the 1000w is 70w, bought the 4×4 with the 3000w as a kit and just downsized to 1000w for the 2×2. Got them from ebay, not sure of the make of the light. (Unbranded)-trying to keep cost down.
My well water TDS 0018/EC 0036. Box instructions don’t tell me if it’s scale is 500 or 700, it’s the Vivosun yellow and blue combo from Amazon. I already have pH up down and calmag. I haven’t received my seeds yet but I should have them by next week, just trying to get a good game plan. Thanks @Myfriendis410
I second that! You have water just tailor-made for soilless or hydro IMO.
So let me rant for a second when you grow indoors, everything is secondary to good light. Without decent light in the correct spectrum you will grow lanky, loose, airy, unhealthy flower and will be chasing nute burn throughout the grow.
Now that I have you attention: light is the engine that drives all processes. With adequate light, the plant will maintain a healthy rate of photosynthesis, sugars are produced which are then used to make flower, due to healthy metabolism the plant will uptake nutrients at a much higher rate and not get nute burn because the plant is using the salts.
Now that said, you can’t cheap out on lights. In general, if the light is ‘blurple’ it is not something very desirable. That’s about 15 year old tech. Companies like Horticulture Lighting Group, CHILled Logic, California Lightworks and a few others produce lights using the latest ‘top-bin’ diodes with simply amazing properties. Expect to pay $1 per watt for these lights. The good news is these lights are so efficient that you draw just about half what the blurples do. This is a long thread and you may want to skim, but extremely worthwhile reading:
Spend some time on this forum and you will gain a wealth of knowledge before spending money.
Following someone like @Hellraiser would be beneficial too.
Should I use the 3000w and 1000w together in 2×2 of the blurpul I already have and can’t return and buy one suitable for flowering in the 4×4, preferably LED?
Look into HLG and their line of SUPER BAD A$$ lights.
I just picked up an HLG 260w V2 RSpec for $300 and change.
That single light is enough to adequately grow in a 3X3 or a 2X4 grow tent with ease.
Yeah everyone has got you covered man. Only thing I will add is I desired an HLG board, but they were out of my price range… Sucks saying that, but hey, priorities. Not to mention I didn’t do the smart thing and plan ahead like you so everything was a scramble to get the right components at a price I could afford.
Anyways I digress… If you don’t want to get something like an HLG or such, I would recommend something from SpiderFarmer. They make good boards using Samsung diodes. Not going to be as good as something like an HLG, but will surely grow some great bud… I’m using a SpiderFarmer SF1000(100 actual watts) which is just enough for flower in my 2x2. They make larger models of course.
Before you get a HPS and kill your electric bill, check out SpiderFarmer LEDs.
They make some pretty decent stuff for the price. Also, Carambala makes decent
boards too.
Too big for 2x2. If you want to do hps for a 2x2 you would want more like a 250 watt. If you want to try leds, I would recommend going with hlg-135 kit.
So I did some more research and I cancelled my order for the HPS and went with 4 Carambola 1000 watt LEDs. They have very good reviews and were compared to Mars and Spyder Farm. They pull 120 actual watts a piece/480 watts total. I’ll try these and add 2 more if needed. Thanks for the recommendation @PhillyRock
4 1000’s are way cheaper than the 4000 model and the only difference is the bracket that attaches the 4 boards. All 4 1000’s for $220 w/ free shipping, the 4000 model was over $300.
The Carambola LEDs are pretty decent. They will do a good job on your grow. I’ve got a good deal of grow time under the one I have and I still use it
from time to time for side project plants.
There is only one down side, they generate heat.
You need a good exhaust system and you’ll never have to worry about the negative effects of the heat they give off.
I have a 200 cfm 4" w/carbon filter vented to the outside and only 1- 45° bend in a 4ft run of duct, pretty much a straight short run to the outside. The top of my tent is flush with the bottom of my hvac main trunk line duct so if it gets to hot I’ll just cut in a 4" adjustable baffle straight into the tent and I can control the temperature to exactly what I want in the tent. Thanks for the info @PhillyRock
I’ve been doing a lot of research and reading. I bought a 4×4×7 tent w/3000 watt full spectrum led light w/cooling fans and a 195cfm exhaust fan w/ 3 speed control and carbon filter vented outside. I have a heated/cooled basement and a humidifier and a dehumidifier if needed. I’m on well water that is 7.2 pH. I bought the Fox Farm ocean forest soil and the trio of nutrients, 3 thermo hydrometers-2 are bluetooth for inside both tent’s for alerts on my phone and one for outside, 3 osolating fans, 4in1 soil tester, adjustable pullies for lights, starting seeds in Epsoma organic seed starter potting mix, digital pH and TDS meter, calmag/iron 2-0-0, pH up/down. Starting 4 feminized White Widow seeds then transplanting to a 1 gallon pot then to a 5 gallon cloth bag in 16" plant saucer’s. I built a 2×2×4 enclosure with a 1000 watt full spectrum led light w/cooling fans for vegetation so I can make my 4×4 a flowering tent. Five questions:
when you grow indoors, everything is secondary to good light. Without decent light in the correct spectrum you will grow lanky, loose, airy, unhealthy flower and will be chasing nute burn throughout the grow.