New Grower Getting ready for my first grow, input welcomed

[Minmatar]

I am looking to start my first grow, and I invested in the 20pack of short stuff seeds from attitude seed bank, so I presume that I have at least one great seed in there somewhere. I am looking to abide my my local laws as best I can for growing my own medicine. I can have 12 live plants in my possession at a time. So that we are not getting into a large discussion of Michigan's laws, I can have 12 things with roots. I would like to avoid germinating 12 at once so that I do not risk killing all of the babies on my first go.

I have a 400W dimmable digital ballast that I am using HPS in. I also have foxfarm nutes (trio)

This is what I am looking for tips with,

I have whatever space I want indoors and I would like to enclose the grow but not manditory. What dimensions would be ideal for my 400w hps? Autos will be the only thing in that grow area ever.

I am not able to use the soil that FullDuplex gave instructions for making this year. What commercially available soil could I use and have to make minimal additions to?

I saw that FullDupex had a feeding schedule for what he gives his ladies, would this schedule work for plans that are not in his soil blend. Will that schedule be effective on a commercially available soil?

I am not looking to get the biggest yield this grow, just learn as much as I can and still have healthy, happy ladies.When I finally get my seeds in and have everything ready I will attempt to make a "grow one" thread for getting help during the actual grow. Thanks for looking in here and adding helpful hints!

 

[greenthumper]

Hey man welcome to the site. If you got your fox farm nutes from a local shop they probably have fox farm soil. I would get fox farm light warrior and mix it 50/50 with fox farm ocean forest. That's what I used for my first grow and it worked out well. Just make sure to check the ph before you plant, different bags give different readings sometimes. I'm not sure of the best space for a 400w HID but I'm sure someone else will be able to help you out. :smokebuds:

 

[adz]

Your in the right place man, you will get all the help ya need! I cant advice on soil as I grow hydro.
I think your light will cover one square meter at most.

Just remeber less is more dude an autos like light feed and generaly no nutes till they show sex

 

[low_and_slow]

Another soil option is something like Promix BX or Sunshine Mix #4. Either are 'soil-less' potting mixes that will not burn or stunt a younger plant; however, they do require fertilizer for best results once the plant matures.

If you wanted a little more "just add water" type soil, you could go with Roots Organics potting soil...you can even just grow in their bags, they have holes for water, you just cut the top off and drop a seed in. Might be a little too "hot" for autoflower seedlings, so you could start in some Light Warrior or Sunshine Mix and transplant once they have 3 or 4 nodes. With the Fox Farms Trio, I would probably stick to Promix or Sunshine mix as those nutes are all you'll need to feed your plants through harvest...starting in a rich organic soil might be too much, you'll easily overfeed.

The most important part is soil pH. Low-grade soils are high in bark or inert material (rocks, gravel, sand, loam). You want a soil that drains well and has a pH in the 5.8-6.8 neighborhood...something like ProMix is going to be on the lower end, whereas Sunshine mix for me has generally been in the 6.0-6.1 range. You want to pot up your soil first, wet it until you see runoff, then check the runoff pH and compare to your water's pH. That will give you an idea of the sourness or sweetness of your soil. Do this several weeks before you plant, it will give the soil time to "activate" and wake up. It will also give you plenty of time to more or less do a "dry run" and ensure the pH isn't going to kill your plants as soon as you germinate them.

 

[Muddy]

Welcome to AFN. A 400 watt HPS will effectively light a 3' x 3' area. Assuming that you grow in 3 gallon pots, you can easily fit 5-6 plants under it. With smaller pots you could put more but just know that the pot size has an impact on the plant size, bigger pots, bigger plants. HPS lights put out a good bit of heat, so good ventilation is necessary. If you choose to partition off a place for the plants you should either paint the walls white or line it with a reflective material like mylar of Panda film. Just know that an enclosed space will trap more heat. Weed plants do smell a good bit once they start to flower to that may be another consideration. Odor is easier to eliminate in a small, enclosed area that it is in a large open room. To eliminate the smell a good carbon filter is necessary.

Regarding soil, I use Pro Mix and recommend either it or Sunshine mix. As mentioned, these are considered soil less mixes and do not supply any nutrients, so it will be up to you to supply all the plants needs. Other mediums, like Fox Farms, contains organic materials like composted manure, worm castings and guano. They supply some nutrients so less feeding is required. So to a large extend your feeding schedule will depend on what type of soil you decide to use.

I can't stress enough the importance of proper pH. A good pH meter is a necessity. Should something go wrong with your plants one of the first questions will be what your pH is. I would recommend something like a Hanna Combo meter for testing liquids. You can use it to adjust the pH of your nutrient feeds, as well as testing the run off from your pots to determine your soil pH. A soil probe is also good to have as it will give more accurate soil pH readings than checking run off. The only one I recommend is the Control Wizard Accurate 8.

Again, welcome to the forum.

 

[toke]

BIG HIGH to ya and welcome to AFN... you can tell by all the great info your getting you came to the right place, enjoy.
TOKE OUT

 

[Minmatar]

Thanks for the great input so far, and enthusiastic welcome to your site! I had gone to a recent grow shop looking for help and input and well. I had a bad experience to say the least. I was told of a different one from a friend so I will see how that is. I am seeing that there are so many different option and variables. I am sure that this will be a great learning experience and a lot of fun. I will get down to the grow shop and look at soils and soil-less mixes to see what they have, and prices they have to see if that will be a factor in my setup. I know that everyone will have a strong preference to their medium, just like every artist has theirs.

From experience is there one that would be easier than the other in terms of a completely new grower? I now have an idea of what floor space I will need for them, I can measure out some stuff in my basement and get planning. I have a large wash basin there so water is within easy reach. I do not have well water, and I know that the water will need to sit out to let the chlorine evaporate off, how long is long enough, and how long is too long?

 

[Muddy]

My recommendation would be to go with Pro Mix BX and Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Sensi A and B nutrients. You may have better luck finding Pro Mix at a nursery or green house supply store, rather than at a hydro shop. While the hydro shop may carry it, it's usually cheaper at the nurseries. BX holds a bit more water than HP and works better under the hotter HPS lights. Also, a word of caution about seeking advice at hydro shops. Chances are that if they have grown anything, it's probably been photos, not autos. While there are many similarities, autos do have their unique needs and the shop people may not be aware of them.

Let your water stand for 24 hours before using. No expiration date on it.

 

[ChuckUFarley]

I don't have anything to compare it to, but the Sunshine Advanced Mix #4 has been a dream - drains well, distributes water uniformly and the BBCM's seem to like their home. Hope that helps.

 

[Minmatar]

Ahh great thanks again! I went through the list of tools for a new grow and added a few things that had slipped my mind. Sadly a soil probe will have to wait for a small time. I did get a digital Ph tester brand is Milwaukee and calibration fluid for it. I have read that you can test the soil Ph by testing the leech from runoff or mixing some soil with water. Is there a way that is more accurate or foolproof? The smell of the plants will not bother me as I do not entertain guests, and building an enclosed tent/room with a good vent fan could be a possible delayed expense. Could I do the 5-6 autos under that same 400w 3'x3' footprint and take a small impact on yield to keep the area cooler? Still exploring my options and planning before I get underway. Thanks again for the info!

also: is there a feeding schedule for trio in soil-less readily available that someone may have a link to?