Grow Mediums Need some advice

[AutoNewbt]

Hi all true newbie here with a question and need for opinions, I am ready to start my first grow. I have never grew anything except maybe mold on old bread but I've been reading and reading some more and think I am ready to try. I am on limited budget and have a spare closet that I will be growing in. I have seen some great DIY projects on here but due to my condition(spinal injury) and lack of building knowledge it would be impossible for me to build my own.

I have been looking on ebay and found a couple auctions that look close to what I had envisioned. What I need to know is does anyone have any knowledge or think that I could be successful with one of these or similar in my closet. I have seen some name brand systems but the cost to start is a little steep. Please let know your thoughts and sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place. Just need some ideas before I commit to buy and then regret it. These are the top two I've found. http://www.ebay.com/itm/36-TALL-8-P...743?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3383cfbd0f and http://www.ebay.com/itm/18-x-18-x-3...025?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d548c709

I would really love to use leds since I have seen so many great grows here and they seem the perfect height for my closet and my ability to reach it. Thanks for any advice

 

[CheekyOwl]

I'd wait for someone else to come along as I don't know all that much. But I can't see any info on those listings about the power of the lights. Your budget seems decent, I dunno how bad your condition is or if you have any willing friends who can help, you could just buy the kit seperatly then you know what your getting. A 250w CFL, hydroponics kit (some kind of bubbler with an airstone). Cheap grow tent + fans and carbon filters. Other than that nutes, both veg and flower. Seems like all you'd need, and pretty much all they are supplying but they do it as a complete kit. I've always been wary though of "kits" for anything, whether that be audio equipment which is what I've done for a living most of my life, or computers, anything really. Kits tend to suck, but wait for someone who knows their stuff to come along

 

[Mr Piggy]

Don't buy those! You'll regret it. As a newbie I suggest you start with growing in soil. It's more forgiving of mistakes, which we all make in the beginning. I'll see if I can scare up a good packaged deal, but in the mean time I'm sure some of the new grower mods will chime in.

 

[AutoNewbt]

Don't buy those! You'll regret it. As a newbie I suggest you start with growing in soil. It's more forgiving of mistakes, which we all make in the beginning. I'll see if I can scare up a good packaged deal, but in the mean time I'm sure some of the new grower mods will chime in.

I'd wait for someone else to come along as I don't know all that much. But I can't see any info on those listings about the power of the lights. Your budget seems decent, I dunno how bad your condition is or if you have any willing friends who can help, you could just buy the kit seperatly then you know what your getting. A 250w CFL, hydroponics kit (some kind of bubbler with an airstone). Cheap grow tent + fans and carbon filters. Other than that nutes, both veg and flower. Seems like all you'd need, and pretty much all they are supplying but they do it as a complete kit. I've always been wary though of "kits" for anything, whether that be audio equipment which is what I've done for a living most of my life, or computers, anything really. Kits tend to suck, but wait for someone who knows their stuff to come along

Thank you both for the advice, Cheeky I am pretty much on my own at the time which is another reason I really want to be able to grow my own medicine and be totally self sufficient in that way. Mr. Piggy thank you very much I'd love to see some package deals, I contacted the seller and he or she said I could get the unit without Hydro and offered to drop $50 off the price of the led box do you think I could do a soil grow in it that way or is it just best to stay away completely? Thanks again :group:

 

[Nam80232]

Doing a really simple but effective grow closet is where I would start. Some tinfoil, a good light , good soil, good seed, ph meter, nutes,and a good air pot is all you need for a great grow!

 

[AutoNewbt]

Doing a really simple but effective grow closet is where I would start. Some tinfoil, a good light , good soil, good seed, ph meter, nutes,and a good air pot is all you need for a great grow!

That seems almost too simple but I am looking at the corner of my closet and I know i could tack some foil there only thing is I thought foil was bad with hotspots and the such, not doubting just making sure what sort of light would you recommend? I have seen where some like a lot of 23w cfls and some like the larger like 200w.

 

[Nam80232]

When speaking about clf's always look a actual wattage. Bigger = more light, more light = better grow. It's true tinfoil isn't the best, but hey it's cheap and easy! If you can swing it I'd go with a led, even a UFO style. The led guys here could lead you to the best ones. Ill see if I can round one of them up for you.

 

[mooons]

If you think it is too simple and have an itch to build as I often do, there are very basic set ups to build with very minimal tools involved. For example you can make a frame (as in box) out of the smallest dia. pvc tubing and cover it with white/black poly film (or panda film) and hang a simple light above of your choosing (probably in this case cfls or LEDS) from there as a basic structure you just need air flow (if smell is not a concern).

Plastic film- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002A6AF2U

A pvc skelton build (had to out source sorry AFN)- http://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/20779-pvc-skeleton-panda-film-skin.html

Then just build the structure to your needs/want and rock and roll. Then you just need light and air flow for the setup

Hope it helps man hope to see you make progress

 

[gradolabs]

Hey dude - you can definitely build your own set up on the cheap. I'd get two to three 125w CFLs and reflectors and three big air pots or root bags, fill them with soil or coco coir and get some cheap nutes like a GO Box or some Sea Grow 4-26-26. You'll be growing in no time. If you don't already have gear check out RCMCollective.ca - they have good autos from some of the breeders represented here on the forum.

If you can catch some rain water you can probably avoid most pH problems and some (not all) growers don't even bother to modify their tap water.

If you have any lighting questions, or you want to know of good some good midrange LEDs (to avoid heat issues, and significantly raise efficiency) hit me up. Red eyed C and a few of the other mods can defo answer your lighting questions as well. They'll try to get you to buy a top of the line Grow Northern but I would too. :thumbs:
:smokebuds:

Also learn to recognize some basic deficiencies like nitrogen, calcium and magnesium. These issues are all too common in initial grows.

Remember to take pics too!!!

 

[Jim Dandy]

Keep it simple! Tin foil can cause hot spots but as far as I know its with high intensity discharge/HID lights like high pressure sodium/HPS amd metal halide/MH. CFL are not as intense. I ran my indoor grow in three footlockers cut out so they stacked up. I rigged a 150w hps security light to a 6" heat duct booster fan with a peice of bent metal for a reflector causing it to sit on one side and put a decent sized cfl in a shop reflector under the fan.i lined the insides with peices of those shiny windsheild sun blockers and put normalplastic vent covers in the botto foot locker. It worked. I also ran a 400w MH in a closet I painted white with a cheap clip on fan and left the door cracked. That grew me out a male I collected pollen from. Prefab set ups cost more than you can do it for. Nam80232 nailed it.