Hi, I’m completely new to all this. I want to grow indoors. I’m planning on starting out with auto flowering. I have been reading the forums and from the main site. What I’m hoping to find out is possibly a list of everything I need to start a grow of upto 3 auto flowering indoors. I don’t mind spending some money on quality lights, meters etc. I’d rather buy the right stuff the 1st time then have to rebuy multiple times. I have ordered some seeds (Blueberry bliss & Wedding Cake) but that’s it so far. So any help would be greatly appreciated especially from a experienced grower that can recommend a complete start up list, that I need to get started off on the right foot.
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Space. How much you got?
I’m going to be growing in a bedroom of a trailer/moble home on my property so probably 12’×12’ room
@Audiofreak it has full power, central hvac so ill be able to maintain temps etc.
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How much of that area do you want to light up? The whole room will be in the thousands! At least with LEDS
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@Audiofreak i just want to grow 3 auto flowering at once so how ever much. Light i need for that. I can block off the space to the needed size appropriate for that size grow. I need the guidance on how to set it up and what I need so I greatly appreciate all help!
I’ve seen the pot for pot kits. Are they my best option for a easy start kit for each plant or is there better options for the money?
You could do it in as small as a 2x4 tent or enclosure. I grow in a 2x4 tent and use a HLG 260XL RSPEC Led light. Excellent for that space.!this is how my space is set up 20210617_101524|666x500
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Welcome to the community! You will receive great help here since we all want to see you succeed.
I do indoor grows year round and did an outside grow for the first time this year but I have no experience with autos. I have a 2x4 tent and I can grow three photoperiods but it is a very tight squeeze. I’ll probably only grow two this Fall. I grow in living soil with dry amendments.
First I would recommend reading through some of the grow journals and decide what type of medium you want to grow in.
I’ll just provide you with what tools I have found valuable and the type I purchased but I am sure others will provide additional items and other products. There is no wrong way to grow in my opinion.
To start you will need:
tent - I have a cloudline 4 x 2 which will hold two photoperiod plants comfortably but IME (in my experience) three plants can be a bit tight for photoperiods - I don’t know anything about autos! Buy some “zipper grease” to lube the zippers. Also when you open or close the tent pull the zipper outwards towards you and pull slowly - I found this avoids the zipper sticking.
Pots/bags. I use 3 gallon fabric pots (also find something to put beneath them so any runoff doesn’t pool in the bottom of your tent). Also make sure to empty any standing water.
Lights - I’ll defer to the experts - don’t skimp on lights like I did! @dbrn32
Nutrients - Again I’ll defer to the experts depending on the medium you choose. I grow in living soil and use organic dry amendments. It will depend on your grow medium on what might suit you best.
Meters - pH - I use the Apera 20. TDS - cheapo yellow one off amazon. Temperature and relative humidity meter. One came with my cheapo lights.
Ventilation - I use a 4" cloudline and I wish I would have bought the 6"! I also use a carbon filter cannister when they start smelling. Cloudline has a basic model and one more sophisticated - I think the T and S models. Also a couple of clip on oscillating fans to promote air circulation in the tent.
Misc - I use a 1 gallon pump sprayer for watering. pH up and down off amazon to adjust pH or you can use citric acid and baking soda. Isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. Stainless steel trimmers (the aluminum ones eventually rust IME). Definitely a notebook to keep track of feeding schedules etc, Start a grow journal and tag in people by using the @ followed by their username. Like @JaneQP.
The most important thing is PATIENCE!
I’ve only grown clones so I know little about sprouting seeds. @Hellraiser has some great threads to read through.
In the time it took me to respond I see you have already had a few responses.
Help is always just a question away.
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So a tent or enclosure is needed for efficient growing? I guess it’s for light reflection from all sides rather then just growing in a open room ? Forgive my ignorance on this but I’m literally completely new to this lol
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You are not ignorant! I wish I would have been as proactive as you. On a whim I bought 5 clones and had no idea what I was doing. It was the amazing growers here that helped me get to harvest.
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It’s just easier to control the environment in a smaller area at first. You could also do a 4x4 and partition it for extra excess.
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I think a 3x3 or 2x4 would be good enough. Although 3 is odd number in 3x3, you may as well do 1 or 4 plants.
Once you get your grow space nailed down I can help you find a light.
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As others have said, there’s no one-size fits all approach to this.
I started with a 4x4 tent, but I was limited to keeping everything in the tent and had a hydro setup, so I lost a 1x1 square to power strips, a table, the air pump, yadda yadda. I started with 3 autos and a photoperiod plant. I’m flowering 2 photoperiods and 1 auto in that same tent now and honestly the 2 photos could fill it up if I’d been a better grower.
In a 4x4, I got a 6” duct fan and carbon filter (used Vivosun off Amazon because it was cheap - knowing more now I’d spring for the AC Infinity 6” fan if I could do it all from scratch again)
I have a 240w and a 320w LED setup to light up a 3x3 section of the 4x4 in an L shape. don’t do this. It’s stupid. Do get good lights and do follow @dbrn32 ‘s lighting suggestions.
Get nutrients lined up. There are varying opinions but you’ll get the best advice once you nail down what you wanna grow in. I’m in hydro and use Jack’s 321.
You’ll want a good PH meter, as @JaneQP said. Apera and BlueLab are both good brands. There’s a 3rd out there but I never remember the name. Hannah or something.
Get a TDS meter for measuring EC/PPMs - I went with a BlueLab to match my PH meter but I’m not convinced it matters if you spend $10 or $100 on the TDS meter.
Some include this in the “nutrients” discussion, but get some PH Up and PH Down for adjustments.
If you don’t have one, pick up a macro lens for your phone’s camera or a microscope or a jewelers loupe. I tried the microscope and the loupe and ended up with the clip on macro lens for my phone anyway. You use this for checking trichome maturity and checking for small pests - spider mites, thrips, etc.
Seems obvious but I missed it on my first round - plant tags so you can keep your strains straight as they grow.
Hygrometers (highly recommend wifi or Bluetooth connected ones)
Timers for your lights - I’ve got digital for interval timing but oldschool mechanical timers work fine too.
Fans. 6” desk fans work, stand fans work, box fans work. Literally anything to move air around.
depending on medium, get stands/wire racks/something to set your pots on to let air flow to the bottom. I’ve got my fabric pot sitting on wire cookie cooling racks.
Sticky bug traps.
I think that’s the majority of what I can think up. It’s quite a shopping list but it’s so much better to know what you’re getting into before you leap in with both feet. 
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@Graysin ’s list reminded me of some other items.
Mosquito bits for fungus gnat control. Used in conjunction with the yellow sticky traps Graysin mentioned.
Save up some milk jugs. If you use chlorinated tap water you will want to let your water sit 24 hours to off gas. I keep six filled so water is ready whenever I need it.
Depending on your humidity you may need a humidifier or dehumidifier.
I am sure five minutes after I hit reply I will think of something else.
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Much better options for you IMO than pot for pot
Sorry sponsor
It is better to source your own materials than to go with any pre made “kit” unless this is a one off and you don’t intend anymore than one grow for the novelty of it
@JaneQP i have well water in my house, and also natural springs on my property.
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That’s great! I have tap water that smells like a swimming pool LOL.
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Well I did end up ordering a kit. I figure ill give it a try and as far as the light goes, if I’m not happy with the one in the kit then I will just use it for my actual indoor gardening plants and buy the HLG to replace it with. Hopefully the kit will get me in the right direction for my first time grow. I orederd the Yield Lab 2x4 LED soil complete tent grow kit.
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