I live in SC (USA) where nothing cannabis is allowed legally either for medical or recreational use. My decision to grow indoors is based on year round growing potential plus having a discrete system.
I am only interested in a plant or two at a time. I have a couple of real basic questions that are probably typical of a novice. Since I have limited experience with indoor growing, I’m seeking your expert advice on a couple of areas.
Is there a source you suggest that I may read about small indoor grow tents and complete systems I may find at a good value. I’m not wanting to pinch pennies, but not looking to spend extravagantly when not necessary. Is the LED my best lighting choice these days?
Would it be easier for me (beginner) to use potting soil medium vs a hydroponic system? My guess is hydroponics may take additional skills and experience to balance and get the nutrients all in order. Like I say, I am just getting started and any advice you can help me with is keen.
First off you shouldn’t tell people you growing in an illegal state.
For a light just build a HLG led and for medium to grow in. Do you know what PH and PPM mean? If you want to learn go hydroponic. You’ll need to know it for soil too. I moved indoors and went strait to DWC hyrdro and love it.
Id go soil for your first go round. And purchase everything separately, you’ll get it way cheaper. Plus, all the led lights that come with those tents are junk, they’ll do the job, just not very well. You don’t really need to know ppm and such. I’ve been growing for a couple years now and I’ve never messed with it
Any suggestions for a LED grow light that is adequate for 1 or 2 plants in an indoor tent? I haven’t bought anything yet but figure a light is my first consideration followed by the rent
What would the size of the tent be? That would matter as far as ventilation purposes and how much heat will build up in the area; as well as light coverage.
You have to be serious about it and not get frustrated. You will fail many times. I’ve been doing it for over a year now everyday is a new experience. Just get a small exhaust fan like one of those 270 CFM fans 6 in exhaust out of a 3 by 3 tent into your attic and keep it on all the time. If you are going to worry about smell then you might get bigger fan with filter, all on amazon. Open a vent on the side of the tent and put a AC air filter over it duct tape it. Make sure the ambient temperature is around 77 degrees and your humidity between 50 and 60 for veg then flower you got to get it even lower or you get bud rot. Get you a couple 5 gallon fabric pots and look at Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil to start out with. Get the Big Bloom and the Big Grow fertilizer for veg and use the Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom for flower. It is all a learning curve but you have to start somewhere. You have to know the pH every time you water and feed and shoot for 6.3 - 6.5 for soil. Don’t give any fertilizer for 3 weeks until the plant can handle it and only give half strength for the first time. Your plant will grow into a beautiful plant the soil has already got some nutrients in it. From that point on it’s a start. You will learn from experience the only way. People will get you started on the right foot but as you go you will find some things are wrong and some things are right. PPM is good if there is a problem and you need to know how much ppm is is coming out at bottom revevoir. Good luck happy growing
I was in the same 1st grow boat lol Moms had some soil so I grabbed a pot & enough for a plant and took it home. Other than the soil, I went naturally. Window Sunlight & in the closet for the blackout hours. Here’s my top atm
Looks like @zparkie2 and the grow bible have you covered. I’d only add that 50 watts per square foot is actual draw, not whatever name the light has/ For instance, I’d be stunned if the 1000 watt LED listed above draws more than a couple hundred actual watts.
Thanks for the tips to get started. Setting up a small indoor grow system reminds me of when I started home beer brewing some years ago. I had no clue where to start, so I bought a beginners complete kit. The kit was ok for the first beer or two, then I realized I needed a more solid direction with better equipment which I bought slowly as I grew. But the kit got me started and I am glad for the most part I started that way.
With your collective help I think I can skip the complete kit and save. An example of an overkill: a kit I checked out had a Ph meter…BUT I have a really nice Ph meter I use for home brewing so that’s $150 tacked onto a kit I don’t need. Stuff like that.
Someone asked how serious am I? I continue to read and push toward my goal of setting up a very small 2 x 2 tent (or small in this range) to get my feet wet. I can always expand if I like this hobby, and my initial LED light could be used and others added if/when I expand. I usually go for middle of the road product selections so I buy solid products but skip the extravagant bells, whistles and automatic backscratchers. Products of high quality but not an overkill of unnecessary features are usually the way I roll. I am serious enough to get started and invest as necessary, but this is a recreational hobby and not income generation or a necessity.
I’ll ask for suggestions on small grow tents but height needs to be no more than 5’ tall. 2 x 2 sounds ok to start, so a nice LED light to fit that space is my hope. Any suggestions are surely welcomed!!
I have a 2x2x5 and I use a 135 watt, 3000k quantum board. It’s a little more expensive, but not that much. If you’re serious about growing I highly recommend it over a Chinese blurple light.
As @zparkie2 said, the CANAGROW 360W COB grow light is ideally in my budget for a light. Thanks for this suggestion.
Any other suggestions for a nice quality small tent will be appreciated.
I have a temp controlled cabin that is not near neighbors for smells are not a real issue. But I do want good ventilation and not exactly sure how to accomplish this. But I think most of my components are on Amazon, and if anyone can link some suggestions…I am indebted. THANKS!!
Sure, but the light is not available on Amazon. It’s from growers light. Com, and that link is not allowed on this forum. You can go there and just look for that quantum board.
Excellent! I was anticipating more than the combined investment for the tent and light, but this seems to be a great starting point along with grower recommended and tested equipment. Thanks to @raustin and the good folks on ILGM, I have a good direction with these two components! Thanks so much!!
