First timer here, critique my grow tent please!

[MrOldBoy]

Thanks for all the feedback. So from what I'm gathering I should only put 2 plants in a 2x4x6 tent? How much can I expect to yield? Should I do 3 or 5 gallon smart pots?

Pot size depends on grow style - if doing dirt, larger pots better if doing coco then smaller pot works ..... Yield will depend on strain and your growing abilities - 2 ounces to 12 ounces, it really depends on you but 3-4 ounces is considered good

 

[automan2]

Personally, as a first grow, I'd go simple as possible...perhaps 3x3gal. Smaller pots are easier to handle and to know when to feed/water. Don't grow for yeild, grow for healthy plants...yeild will come.
It'll be slower than you wish but they'll get there. Get a grow under your belt and you'll find with the right tent conditions, you'll learn they grow themselves with very little care.
Oh I still run to my tent often just to look and sniff but only adjust when something needs it.

 

[MrOldBoy]

Personally, as a first grow, I'd go simple as possible...perhaps 3x3gal. Smaller pots are easier to handle and to know when to feed/water. Don't grow for yeild, grow for healthy plants...yeild will come.
It'll be slower than you wish but they'll get there. Get a grow under your belt and you'll find with the right tent conditions, you'll learn they grow themselves with very little care.
Oh I still run to my tent often just to look and sniff but only adjust when something needs it.

Three Gallons will be easier to handle this is true but if soil they will dry faster so kinda of a toss up but your point about learning is well taken as is 3x3 verses 2x5 but we also must remember what strain are you planting ..... Ripley‘s OG in a small pot not recommended but 24K would fit nicely and grow quickly in a 3 gallon ......

Lots to consider but we all agree go simple and nail your environment and then expand with your experience!

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and I'm looking for some help. I'm about to get into the hobby of growing cannabis and right now I feel overwhelmed with all of the information! With that said I have been doing research for over a month and it seems autos are the way to go for a first timer. Now this is where I am at... I have purchased two different strains from MSNL, GDP and Magnum, both are atuos. I plan on setting up my tent in a spare bedroom closet, so I've decided on 2'x4'x6' for the dimensions. I have purchased two QB96 Elites from HLG for my light source. I plan to grow in coco plus perlite and use calimagic. Staying with General Hydroponics brand I plan to use their flora, bloom, micro combo for nutes. With all of that said here are my first round of questions.

1. Does my tent need to be 6' high? Can I get away with 5'? I say this because I have shelving I would have to move. Also, I only plan to grow autos and in the future maybe get a second tent and try photos. The second tent could be bigger for flowering stage and my smaller, first tent could be used for veg stage in a perpetual setup.

5ft is fine. My tent is 6.5ft but I haven't grown anything that has needed all the height.

2. I plan to use Smart Pots but I'm not sure what size to buy. From what I've read it should be 3gal or 5gal. Can someone maybe give me a little more incite on this to help me decide on what pot size to go with.

i would go with 3 gallons for coco, 1 and 2s have dried on me too quickly compared to 3s.

3. This one ties in with #2, can I grow four autos in this size tent? Ideally I would like to grow one of each strain to get the most out of the amount of seeds I have. However being it is my first time four, two of each strain, would give me backups in case of any issues I may encounter.

I've grown with 6 x 3 gallon pots max in a 4x4. Three will probably be fine.

4. From what I've read it's cheaper and pretty easy to make your own coco/perlite mix. But I see Amazon sells Mother Earth Coco Plus Perlite Mix for $35 and the bag weighs roughly 26lbs. This would save me having to drain and mix it. I could be wrong but wouldn't that bag cost me about the same amount as it would to buy a couple bricks of coco and perlite? And wouldn't it save me buying the calimagic as well?

I buy bales of Botanicare coco coir for $20 from the hydro stores as I haven't the need for perlite. You still need to rinse and charge your coco before planting. You need CalMag throughout the grow because of the nature of coco.

Those are it for now. I have a few more but I don't want the post to get too long. TIA everyone and I can't wait to hear your guys' advise!

My answers in bold

 

[Simplicio]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and I'm looking for some help. I'm about to get into the hobby of growing cannabis and right now I feel overwhelmed with all of the information! With that said I have been doing research for over a month and it seems autos are the way to go for a first timer. Now this is where I am at... I have purchased two different strains from MSNL, GDP and Magnum, both are atuos. I plan on setting up my tent in a spare bedroom closet, so I've decided on 2'x4'x6' for the dimensions. I have purchased two QB96 Elites from HLG for my light source. I plan to grow in coco plus perlite and use calimagic. Staying with General Hydroponics brand I plan to use their flora, bloom, micro combo for nutes. With all of that said here are my first round of questions.

1. Does my tent need to be 6' high? Can I get away with 5'? I say this because I have shelving I would have to move. Also, I only plan to grow autos and in the future maybe get a second tent and try photos. The second tent could be bigger for flowering stage and my smaller, first tent could be used for veg stage in a perpetual setup.

2. I plan to use Smart Pots but I'm not sure what size to buy. From what I've read it should be 3gal or 5gal. Can someone maybe give me a little more incite on this to help me decide on what pot size to go with.

3. This one ties in with #2, can I grow four autos in this size tent? Ideally I would like to grow one of each strain to get the most out of the amount of seeds I have. However being it is my first time four, two of each strain, would give me backups in case of any issues I may encounter.

4. From what I've read it's cheaper and pretty easy to make your own coco/perlite mix. But I see Amazon sells Mother Earth Coco Plus Perlite Mix for $35 and the bag weighs roughly 26lbs. This would save me having to drain and mix it. I could be wrong but wouldn't that bag cost me about the same amount as it would to buy a couple bricks of coco and perlite? And wouldn't it save me buying the calimagic as well?

Those are it for now. I have a few more but I don't want the post to get too long. TIA everyone and I can't wait to hear your guys' advise!

1. Even 6 ft isn't tall enough. (6 ft Tall Tent) - (1.5 ft tall buckets) - (Light 0.5 ft from ceiling) - (Plants 1.5 ft from lights) = (2.5 ft tall autos)
I've had one get 7 ft tall. Some autos can get much bigger than photos if they flower late.
One of my tents is 2' x 4' x 7'20", and the plants are getting light burn (I've since dimmed the light).
I have another 9 ft tent that's too short.
My average hydro auto size is about 4 ft, and coco might come close. Topping and training won't contain a plant if there's no extra room.

3. You could get four shorter mephisto strains in there, but 2 is the most I try to fit in. The main issue is likely to be germination, but Rapid Rooters can help. You will have emotional difficulty killing a plant that's past the seedling stage, so don't germinate too many. Some people germinate 2 of each plant they want to grow, and then keep the better looking.

 

[Stilg7]

Thanks again for all of the information and advise. I plan on using the Ac Infinity Cloudline T6 for an exhaust system. Would I need a fan or fans, in addition to that exhaust system? If so could you guys offer some advise on best bang for you buck fans, with my tent size being 2x4 and my lights would be 2x 96QB elites.

 

[MrOldBoy]

Thanks again for all of the information and advise. I plan on using the Ac Infinity Cloudline T6 for an exhaust system. Would I need a fan or fans, in addition to that exhaust system? If so could you guys offer some advise on best bang for you buck fans, with my tent size being 2x4 and my lights would be 2x 96QB elites.

You’ll want several fans ...... In my 2x4 which is oversized it measures 28.75” by 53” but in a big 2x4 I had five fans plus exhaust system . You want plenty of air movement and my gal, 12 oz, dry finished from Mephisto - link below btw if you wanna check out but she had five fans blowing in her constantly, lightly from all directions including below to avoid moisture accumulating between the leafs, leaf sweat ......

SEARCH for Monkey Fans - they clip on side poles, take up zero space - you want to try and avoid fans that require floor space when working with a small growing footprint .....

To capture the heat and run lights cool you’ll want a fan up high blowing down and you’ll also want one near a fresh air inlet and a few others moving air around logically thru the tent with perhaps even one pointing towards an exhaust ..... You’ll want your tent between 78-82 degrees during most of the cycle, cooler as she flowers but heat from the lights will help and fans move air .....

Hope the helps!

Peace,
MOB