New Grower First time grower seeking wisdom

[xizzix]

My pals and I have managed to secure a couple spaces in which to start first time grows (for us all).
I've done some research and decided that the benefits of auto-flowers are too tempting to pass up.
-----------
The intent is a rotating continuous single plant harvest every two weeks or so.


Specs: (two separate locations)

Space #1 Closet style- Space roughly 5 foot tall x 3.5 foot x 2.5 foot deep
Space #2 Small room- Space roughly 8 foot tall x 4 foot deep x 6 foot wide

We're currently in the "ready to start putting it together" phase- but I need to know what I'm building before I start.

-------

In space #1

I plan on trying to rotate in a new plant every two weeks in perpetuity, for 4-6 total plants with a harvest of one plant every two weeks.
Considering short/fast strains (such as lowryder 2, diesel auto, white widow, 60 day wonder etc)- but haven't made a final determination.

In space #2 I plan on doing the same thing- plus adding a pair of larger auto flowering (such as heavyweight fast and vast, big bang auto, THC bomb auto etc) on a one month rotation- meaning I don't plant the second till the first is a month old- again in perpetuity until I'm worm food, or my pals cremate me for fertilizer ...

------

making this first strain decision is key in all the decisions to follow.

Suggestions are more than welcome.

Indeed- that's why I'm here!

What I'm looking for specifically are: Strains with-

Fast germinate to harvest times
Small size plant with decent yield (space #1)
Good performers in dirt

And a medium/large (for autoflowers) with excellent yields, also good in dirt

There is an abundance of information in the net- but it's all commercial style selling points- I want real live reviews/opinions.

potency isn't really an issue, as we are all (unfortunately) used to extremely poor commercial strains.

------

We plan to work up to Hydro, and improve our outfits as we go- so dirt for now

 

[Chester]

Asking questions before starting is the best way to do it ... sounds like you're planning on working harder than needed if your goal is only to have plenty of top shelf bud on hand ... w/ your closet space I'd start w/ 3 - 4 gal pots ... probably cut it down to 2 after a grow or two ... if you're new to growing your first grow may be on the small side but after a grow or two you'll be producing a 1/2 lb every 10 weeks out of 2 plants ... that's assuming decent LEDs and proper nutes w/ good seeds ... I do 3-4 gal pots in a 5'x2' space w/ about 4 oz per plant yield ... growing a butt load of bud is the easy part ... assuming you're not looking to go commercial learning the process of grow and dry and cure is more important than cranking out a huge amount of bud ... w/ LEDs you should aim for about 50 true watts per square foot ... I use Advanced LED lights ... Mars Hydro is an affiliated dealer here onsite and has good lights ... I recommend choosing an experienced grower w/ a similar space and copying them as closely as possible for a grow or two ... saves a lot of head aches. We're all happy to answer questions .... start w/ dirt w/ no fertilizer ... use 25% perlite min. ... fill your pots to the top ... one good grow will pay back your entire cost so don't go cheap if you can help it ... your soil is the heart of the grow .... use one recommended here ...

Many growers here went from newbie to buried in bud inside of two grows ... make sure you have a space to dry and cure ...

 

[woody]

Hey dude welcome to AFN continuous grows are great i try to do it myself. 2 plants every 4-5 weeks.
Grow space 1 would be really tight with 6 plants in there at the 6 week mark. (Depending on pot size and strain) its generally recommended to leave a plant 2sq foot
Have you considered using grow room 1 as a seedling/early veg room and room 2 for full bloom room.

 

[xizzix]

Thanks for the immediate and knowledgeable replies.

No intention to go commercial, but we may sell any excess to cover ongoing costs (filters nutes etc), but sales increase risk- I'm a low risk kinda guy, so this isn't my intent.

The smaller closet grow will hopefully fully supply 3 daily users on an ongoing basis. (this is a buddies space)

The larger space will be for another 3-4 users supply. (this is my space)

I'm planning on simply giving it away to those of us that smoke- we're sick of paying someone else for crappy bricked up commercial herbals.


My thought was plant a new seed every 2 wks and keep them rotating.
So I'd have a seed in dirt, a 2 wk old, 4 wk old, 6 wk old, 8 wk old to harvest- turning a couple oz every two weeks

If I can get it done with less- that's great.

I've looked at some picture logs on a couple of the smaller strains (30-60 cm) and space doesn't seem to be much of an issue if I keep them staggered out

 

[woody]

As far as seeds go theres a vendor on here mitch at mephisto genetics. Hes a great guy at talking you through what strains would suit your growing needs. His genetics are top class and if your ordering bulk hes great value for money and really generous with freebies

 

[Chester]

As a rule of thumb .... The smaller the pot the lower the yield ... it takes about 10 weeks to grow an auto ... so in 10 weeks you can have 1 small plant ready to harvest or more larger plants ready to harvest ... if it were me I'd wait 'til I had produced a bucket or two of buds before I went perpetual ... you can always start the second grow when the first one is 7 weeks old ...


My friends that I have taught to grow all start w/ Nirvana's auto Blue Mystic or Bubblelicious using Nirvana's Soil and Flower tabs .... this is because they are hardy plants that give solid yields of high quality potent buds ... that said my next grow is scheduled to be Mephisto ...

 

[xizzix]

More than happy to toss out my bright ideas for conventional wisdom.
- Get started, learn the ropes, (stop overestimating our consumption?), ... crawl before I walk before I run.. (Shoulda known better- but I'm learning!)

I like the look of that blue mystic- both really, but that one best of the two.
Most of us are primarily medical users, so being able to function without couch lock is a necessity, but at the same time cant be too sativa heavy because some of us have PTSD/anxiety issues.

I checked out the Mephisto webpage, but it was more of what I've already found to be true of most sites dedicated to sales.
Best case scenarios with no real reviews to speak of. All of them are GREAT- and I'm sure they are, but I need FACTS!

That said- this site has extensive reviews I have only begun to scratch the surface on, and I've been on here all day. I will definitely check out those reviews and grow logs. (A goldmine!) Starting with the Mephisto threads.
I've even stayed away from the threads that I'm nowhere near ready for yet- Lights- yep I need em, Nutes- yep gonna use em, Dirt- of course, Hydro- I wish!, BREEDING! What Fun!!

I'm still picking strain! It's like a wonderland!

Truly, cudos to everyone involved- this is exactly what I was looking for and I've been looking for awhile.

------

Anyway!

Anyone tried the Blue Mystic (or something close) in a SCROG?
I thought that might work well in the closet space, and the Blue looks like it might take to it well.

Also, with the advice from above- I've begun to ponder two or three of the bigger auto's in the larger space instead of a small and large in tandem. I'll need to go measure and rethink....

-
They really will be two separate grows, one family (big one) one for friends (small one). So using one for a germ to veg. and the other for the flowering isn't practical unfortunately. But some trading will be happening between the two, so a small variety is more than possible.

 

[Yozhik]

I don't want to blow too much smoke up his butt - it might get a little uncomfortable for him ... HOWEVER ... if you're looking for an example of a perpetual grow in a smallish space, in soil, with consistent results, you'd be hard pressed to get a better example to copy than @TaNg !

From memory, I think @TaNg is doing a 40 day perpetual?
2 plants?

Anyway ... search for it ... and soak it all in.
Which soil he uses, feeding schedule, environment control ... its all here on AFN ... and in terms of consistency, you could do a hell of a lot worse than copying him.

Of course, there is a PLETHORA of amazing growers on here, and a veritable smorgasbord of information.
TaNg just came to mind because of the perpetual, small space, soil scenario you stipulated.

 

[xizzix]

I believe I have decided on a short list of strains by Nirvana
Blue Mystic, Bubbleicious, Northern Lights and/or Jock Horror ( I want three of the four but am still a bit undecided)

I believe some of my excitement is beginning to bleed over and the closet space has been upgraded to a "whatever we need man! Hell Yea!"

So my plan (Revised)
---------------------

As a rule of thumb .... The smaller the pot the lower the yield ... it takes about 10 weeks to grow an auto ... so in 10 weeks you can have 1 small plant ready to harvest or more larger plants ready to harvest ... if it were me I'd wait 'til I had produced a bucket or two of buds before I went perpetual ... you can always start the second grow when the first one is 7 weeks old ...

Ha! That's basically it in a nut shell- thanks again to the attention Chester has given to my individual questions in PM's.

Prepping my spaces has become my new priority now that strain is mostly out of the way.

I'm thinking about space sizes closer to the 2.5 to 3' x 4' x 5 or 6' high. I have considerable flexibility here, and dimension suggestions are welcome.

Running two ladies side by side and dropping two new at the halfway point.

I have plenty of space for germ, hang, and cure

I CAN also do Germ thru veg, and flowering spaces separately- but there's a balancing act with the lights and our budgets.

So- question time.

Given the strains I have selected,
Two planets side by side

What dimensions would be nearest to your opinions of "ideal"?
I've heard about two square feet per plant
I've read it's a good idea to keep the walls of your space close to help with light reflection (how close)

That's about it for now,
I've started looking at other stuff- lights in particular, but dimensions THEN lights- baby steps!

I am searching logs in an attempt to self teach, but any off the top of your head wisdom is most appreciated!

Thanks in advance to all responders.

 

[woody]

Hey dude i can almost feel your excitement. Picking strains is always fun!
2sq foot per plant would leave you loads so thats 4'×2' per pair or 4'×4' for a perpetual room.
Happy shopping!