New Grower First time growing!!!!

[D1rocchino]

Hello everyone i am a new member to this forum. So this is going to be my first time growing these plants at all and i wanted everyone to hear about my setup and tell me what you think about it. I built a box that is 2'X2'X3'. I can still make it probably a foot taller if needed. I will be running 4 CFL bulbs on 20/4 (2 75w 6500k and 2 23w 2700k). I also will be using either miracle grow medium or fox farm ocean forest. I will be mixing in perlite to either one i choose. I will be using the fox farm trio for my nutes (big bloom, tiger bloom and Grow big). I also have one 120mm computer fan for my intake and another for my exhaust. I will be growing grass o matic's auto AK in a 1.5 gallon air pot. Let me know what you guys think about my setup.
Thanks

 

[namvet]

Everything looks good but don't use mir grow that has slow release fert in it thats not good for auto's.Go with ffof with perlite.good luck.

 

[The Squid]

Hey there and welcome to the AFN. You should love it here. Sounds like a decent little setup you got there. I would make it taller if you can for sure. They're gonna grow and you have lights too. Your lights are good.

Do not, I repeat do not use MG products. They contain slow release nutrients and too many and are too hot to start your auto seedling in, they will be toasted and get stunted. Fox Farms Ocean Forest is fine, but again, too much nutrients already in there to start your germinated seeds in. Look for something like Light Warrior by Fox Farms or Jiffy seed starter mix. Use either of those for the first 2-3 weeks then you can safely transplant them into your Ocean Forest. If you can find Promix or Sunshine mix in your area those are great too and even better but that's just IMO. Those two in and out fans may work like that but it could be better using them both for exhaust and having another opening for passive intake. Airpots are great. You can only grow one or maybe two in there. Good luck and let us know if you need anything.

There is a search bar and a ton of great info and grows logged in journals here for you to read and learn. I suggest reading as much as you can before getting started and after.

 

[D1rocchino]

thank you so much for the information i have been doing alot of research. You were saying how i should start in jiffy seed starter then transplant into the Ocean Forest. I was reading up on the transplants people did and i read about the double red cup method, idk the real name. The guy cut the complete bottom off of one cup and put that into another red cup that had drainage holes in it. I was wondering if this was a good method.
thanks again.

 

[D1rocchino]

Any other opinions?

 

[Muddy]

Welcome to AFN and the New Growers forum. I see you've already gotten some good advice regarding your soil. I would also suggest you make your box higher. When you take into consideration the height of your pot, say 8", the plant, another 18, 20 or more, a little space between the plants and the light, then the lights themselves, I think you can see that 3' won't be enough.

The tiered planting method is great, especially for new growers. Use 2 cups, the bigger the better. Cut the bottom off the inside one, and put a few drainage holes in the outer one. Fill them with a 50/50 mix of Ocean Forest and Light Warrior. When it's time to put them in their bigger pots, just remove the outer one and place the other into your pot. This method work very well, especially if you're using regular seeds and don't want to commit a large pot to a plant that could turn out to be a male. If you're using feminized seeds, no reason you can't go straight into your final pots.

 

[D1rocchino]

so i put the inside cup into the soil of my pot?

 

[The Squid]

Yes, the inside cup that already has to bottom cut out.

 

[D1rocchino]

well im probably going to add another foot to the height but im excited for this grow to start!

 

[Bikini Fettuccine]

Hey Dirocchino, my box is the size that yours will be, 2x2x4 and so is my cousins, check out our grows we each have 4 plants if they get too big it will be a problem but my autos have stayed fairly small. He has photos in his box and one of them is 32 inches tall and he is growing with cfl's as well. Check out his thread, straights magic dragon and giggle juice.