New Grower First Grow - Starting 11-12-14

[NyStylez]

This will be my First but Second grow.

My actual first grow didn't get past the seedling stage, it was a Coco grow however I didn't add any perlite, fed nutrients way to early and cooked them at around 98.F for 8-10 hours.

Current Setup:
- 3'x3'x4' grow area
- Two 150 watt all-in-one HPS lights
- 4" exhaust, using 4" inline fan rated at 80 cfm (still have to purchase a carbon filter and possibly higher cfm fan)
- Digital PH and PPM meter
- 3 gallon buckets (holes drilled into bottom and a couple inches up the sides)
- Fox Farm Happy Frog soil
- Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil
- perlite
- Fox Farm Liquid Nutrient Trio Soil Formula: Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom


Strains will be:
- Auto THC Bomb
- Auto Super Hash


I will be mixing both soils at 50/50 and then adding about 30% perlite. I plan on germinating directly in the pots so I'm going to create a 6" wide by 6" deep whole in the center and fill that with only the Happy Frog/Perlite since I've read a lot that says not to germinate in Ocean Forest.

I have a few questions though:

1 - How far above seedlings should I keep the HPS lights (150 watt x2)?
2 - Do I measure PH going in or out?
3 - I still have my Canna Coco nutrients from the Coco attempt, can the Rhizotonic be used in the soil I'm using or would it not do any good?
4 - Would a Scrog setup be worth it with any of these strains?
5 - How wet should the soil be for germination?



11-12-14 - Seeds have been soaked and placed 1/2" into dirt. (I noticed that the soil got extremely dry by the time I got off work, so I sprayed PH'ed water, about a cup into each bucket)


Pics will be coming once seeds break the dirt.

Any advice and criticism is welcome.

 

[turtle360]

I would love to know the ph of the soil right here at the start of the grow on account rumors about Fox Farm soil. You know how to do it? If you can establish the soil ph right now is in range you only need to be concerned with the ph of the solution you put in.

 

[Eekman]

:xlaugh:

Welcome to the Darkside NY, soil can be rewarding as well.

Hope to see things get big here

:Sharing One:



Eek

 

[NyStylez]

How do I get the soil PH? And would you just want Ocean Forest PH or the entire mix?

 

[NekoSempai]

I got a soil PH testing kit from my local department store. Similar to Home depot. That is if you dont want to spend the extra cash on a PH probe. I still need to get one myself.


Looks like you got a good set of plans going on.

I would go with the Berry ryder and the THC bomb..only because I dont know nothing about that hash strain. Berry Ryder is from autos Seeds right? I grew out their Candy kush and LOVED it. They have some good genetics.

:karma Cloud: to your grow my friend, and welcome to AFN. I dont have the answers to your original questions though. No experience with HPS and your soil/nute line. Nor have I grown those strains. So, not sure if a scrog would be best for those strains. I personally dont see why not. Scrog'in is great for most strains if Im not mistaken. If you want to go for the scrog. I say go for it man. Nothing to loose, and everything to gain. :tiphat::Sharing One:

 

[NyStylez]

Going to go with THC Bomb and Super Hash, I picked the Super Hash over the Berry Ryder only because of the supposed yield.

Dropping them into a cup of water tonight and into the dirt before work in the morning.

 

[NyStylez]

If the soil is getting extremely dry over a 9 hour period should I be watering about twice a day even during the seedling stage?

 

[Eekman]

Yes, you want the soil moist at the roots.

 

[NyStylez]

Sounds good

 

[LongbottomLeaf]

Lift the containers and feel how heavy they are and feel that weight water whenever the plants get really light. It is better to go by this instead of the top of the soil looking dry especially under HPS. Water if they need it but when they are little they don't need that much water just keep the soil moist at the roots. DONT over water.