New Grower First Grow, Short Rider, 400W

[Slow2Gro]

Well I'm itching to start my first grow so I figured I'd atleast start my thread for it.
I don't have pictures yet as nothing is planted yet and I'm finishing up my room.
But here's what I got going.
400W HPS cool tube reflector (flowering), 2' 4 tube SunBlaze T5HO (Vegging, although only 2 bulbs are (24W/each) 6500K other 2 are (13W/each)4100K), Timer (need to buy another)
6" Active Air in-line w/controller, 4"x12" Phresh Filter, 12" Oscillating Fan
OF soil(less) medium. Plan on going 75% OF 25% Perlite
GH FloraMicro & FloraBloom. Plan on going Lucas Formula. Also bought some Molasses (Grandma Unsulphured, think that's what it's called) and a pH control kit.
Jiffy 7 peat pellets, 1 Gallon bags and plan on buying some 3 gallon bags.

Think that's about it.
It's an under the stairs grow; closet is about 111cu.ft. It's a stealth room/closet grow.
Ordered some Nirvana Short Rider. They sent out the 16th and I received them yesterday the 22nd. I was amazed they got here that fast as I am on the West side of US. I thought I was going to have another week to work on my room.
I only got 5 seeds (all I could afford) and I've read some people weren't happy with the short riders. I thought all auto's only took about 60 days from seed to finish, but after reading some posts looks like I thought wrong. I also thought you just did 12/12 from start to finish, but have since read you do 24/0 till you sex them then you can do 18/6, 20,4 or 24/0.
Not sure if I want to grow all 5 or just do 2 or 3. Probably will do all 5 cause I'm not sure when I'll have money to buy more seeds and I want to make sure I have enough smoke to last till I can.

Is there an avg. time the short riders get done? I wanted to try to have some smoke for New Years Eve, but not sure if that's possible. I haven't smoke since beginning June, so trying to get something going ASAP.
We moved half way across country and I don't know anyone to get smoke from (that's kind of the reason I figured now would be a good time to try my hand in growing). Well I've babbled on enough. I'm just really excited to get started and see some progress. I'll post some pictures of my room when it's completed and update this post with Pictures of my grow.
Any help or advice before I get started would be much appreciated.

 

[agito]

Nice setup I have done sr once before there small but very quick plants i found the smoke nice and fruity
i think these would be done in under 9 weeks so you want them cracked asap you might just scrape new years
I would run the light 20/4 for 2 weeks then 18/6 the rest of the life of the plant you could easy get all 5 seeds in there but can you hold off smoking all the bud at once
also on the pellets when you have rehydrated them snip a small hole in the mesh in the bottom to let the tap root out (but dont play with the pellets as you damage the tap and its game over) but leave the peat in so you dont restrict growth which the pellets seem to

veg time is around 2-3 weeks i would say

 

[Slow2Gro]

Cool Thank you much for that information agito.
I still haven't cracked them yet. I'm trying to get my room finished before I start anything.
If I'm not able to make it by New Years that sucks, but it's cool. I want to make sure my room is finished and cleaned before I start.

I have a couple Temp. Controllers that I'm thinking of hooking up to a fan to keep the temps fairly stable. I just can't remember how I wire them up. I should considering I'm an EE, but it's been awhile since I've done any electrical work.

They are 15A/120V or 10A/230V compatible, 14AWG max. wire gauge. I just can't remember how to wire them up and I can't find any information on how too. Maybe I'll screw around with the Temp Controller a DC adapter and a PC fan and see if I can't figure out/remember how to wire them.

 

[JM]

couple things.... no trading or swapping in open forum... if you want to do something like that... keep it in Private messages please.... its one of the FEW rules we have here...

cheers!

as far as wiring diagrams... not sure which ones you have but maybe this will help:

http://www.hoffmanonline.com/stream_document.aspx?rRID=241076&pRID=6657

 

[Po boy]

have had great luck with short riders - always sprout, produce well, grow fast and great high. generally, my short riders finished about 65 days after germination. some were ready at 60 days and one went 75 days.

i read a lot of people who do not like Nirvana but all i've had is and excellent product. really like the high a lot

good luck

 

[NC420]

So sounds like you have the Feminized version of Short Rider since you got a 5 pack rite?
If they are the Fem'ed seeds then you should have no problems with the autoflowering aspects of them, Also I've seen very high yielding SR...

Good luck, The regular Short Ride are the ones that sometimes if not most of the time doesn't auto...

 

[Slow2Gro]

Cool thanks for the replies guys and sorry about that. Thanks for deleting it for me.
Thanks for the link JM, I've looked at that one, but it doesn't show which wires go where.
There are only 2 places for wires, So I'm just not sure how to wire in the power/ground and then the fan wires. It's freaking confusing.

So the Feminized seeds of SR are better than the regulars? That's good to hear. I so want to start germ'ing, but I figured even if they finished in 60 days they wouldn't be dried enough to smoke till after New Years.
Hopefully I'll have the room finished in the next couple of days. Just got my ducting and pH control kit today. So I think I have everything.

BTW can I germ them in Jiffy 7 Peat Pellets? I also wasn't sure if I should just germ/plant in OF and the pots I plan on growing them in, cause I thought I read it was better for either feminized seeds or autoflowers, because it's less stress on the plant.
I'm just worried about the temp in my room. I've been running the sunblaze T5's for about 36 hours and it seemed to warm up in there a bit. But I don't have a dome or anything to put over the seedlings.

 

[JM]

Cool thanks for the replies guys and sorry about that. Thanks for deleting it for me.
Thanks for the link JM, I've looked at that one, but it doesn't show which wires go where.
There are only 2 places for wires, So I'm just not sure how to wire in the power/ground and then the fan wires. It's freaking confusing.

np mate


if you have more problems or want help.. let me know... i can figure just about anything out for wiring etc...

 

[agito]

dont go straight into its the no.1 mistake people make

 

[AndyBotwin]

dont go straight into its the no.1 mistake people make

Yep, some seeds thrive when planted directly in OF, while others get fried. I would only plant right into this soil if you've got plenty of seeds and don't mind losing some. Lots of growers around here use Happy Frog for seedlings with success, and the safest method is starting them in Light Warrior.