Pre-Grow build, hints are welcome!

[doppiomalto]

Hello everybody! Wannabe grower buddy here!

I finally got convinced and decided to start growing myself (or at least try to...), maybe because of the quarantine and I have a plenty of time or just because of the quality (and price) of what I can find out there doesn't convince me at all anymore. I spent the last few weeks (at home :smoking reading and collecting informations to finally end up yesterday buying a couple of toys for my first grow!

My equipment for a 4 autoflowering grow right now consists of the following parts (I ordered everything by myself based on what I've been able to get/understand during the weeks so If you have any suggestion feel free to let me know).

Equipment:
Growbox: 80x80x180 from Secret Jardin, Hydro Shoot
Air treatment: Blauberg BiTurbo 10cm 187m3/h + active carbon filter 250 m3/h + aluminium ducting + tape, and I should be fine with the smell. Clip fan, in-line extractor Blauberg tubo 10cm 102m3/h because I thought that an additional air-in fan would be a good idea in case I will have to deal with temperature and humidity.

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I still have to decide between:
1. Sonlight Hyperled G3+ 270W - 360€
2. Sonlight Quantum Board - 296€
3. Mars Hydro TS 1000 -150€
4. Mars Hydro TSW 2000 - 250€
5. HLG 260W QB V2 Rspec Led - 313€ (+50 delivery)
6. Spider Farmer SF 2000 - 370€
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Soil: BioBizz Light Mix 50L
Nutrients: BioBizz Grow 500ml + BioBizz Bloom 500ml
Pots: 4x 11,6L SmartPot

Tools:
Igrometer, soil ph tester, water ph tester (strips) and 4x pulleys.

Problems unsolved and questions...
1. I need an hint on which lights to buy...
2. Would you suggest me to also buy some perlite and mix it with soil before planting?
3. I do have a couple of 85W 5500K CFL lamps from a softbox I bought long ago, but I think they are useless in this case, isn't it? I also have two of these led panels, they are dimmerable and can hit 3500K. What do you think? Any benefit?

Can't wait for this first time grow to start. I hope I'll be able to achieve at least some acceptable results, I know your help will be super essential in other to fix the disasters I will make! :smoking:

That's all for now, thank you all for reading and have a nice day!

 

[420Forever]

Hello everybody! Wannabe grower buddy here!

I finally got convinced and decided to start growing myself (or at least try to...), maybe because of the quarantine and I have a plenty of time or just because of the quality (and price) of what I can find out there doesn't convince me at all anymore. I spent the last few weeks (at home :smoking reading and collecting informations to finally end up yesterday buying a couple of toys for my first grow!

My equipment for a 4 autoflowering grow right now consists of the following parts (I ordered everything by myself based on what I've been able to get/understand during the weeks so If you have any suggestion feel free to let me know).

Equipment:
Growbox: 80x80x180 from Secret Jardin, Hydro Shoot
Air treatment: Blauberg BiTurbo 10cm 187m3/h + active carbon filter 250 m3/h + aluminium ducting + tape, and I should be fine with the smell. Clip fan, in-line extractor Blauberg tubo 10cm 102m3/h because I thought that an additional air-in fan would be a good idea in case I will have to deal with temperature and humidity.
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Lights option 1: 2x cheap Amazon lights you can check them here
Lights option 2: Sonlight Hyperled G3+ 270W
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Soil: BioBizz Light Mix 50L
Nutrients: BioBizz Grow 500ml + BioBizz Bloom 500ml
Pots: 4x 11,6L SmartPot

Tools:
Igrometer, soil ph tester, water ph tester (strips) and 4x pulleys.

A couple of questions...
1. I need an hint from you guys and it's about the lights... Would you suggest me to go for the option 2 and invest on an expensive lamp from the beginning or option 1 will do the job anyways?
2. Would you suggest me to also buy some perlite and mix it with soil before planting?
3. I do have a couple of 85W 5500K CFL lamps from a softbox I bought long ago, but I think they are useless in this case, isn't it? I also have two of these led panels, they are dimmerable and can hit 3500K. What do you think? Any benefit?

View attachment 1182434 View attachment 1182435 View attachment 1182460

Can't wait for this first time grow to start. I hope I'll be able to achieve at least some acceptable results, I know your help will be super essential in other to fix the disasters I will make! :smoking:

That's all for now, thank you all for reading and have a nice day!

heya @doppiomalto and to afn! i meself am an old skool cfl junkie i uze 6500k cfl'z for veg & they work a treat and ur 3500k led panelz will work great for flower and yes, alwayz add perlite to aerate the soil so the rootz can b r e a t h e otherz will chime in & meanwhile, anything u need, jus give a holler

ppp &

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@doppiomalto Welcome to AFN. I don't see the price for the second light? So many lights will grow cannabis it comes down to how much heat can you handle in the tent, how much money you have, the price you pay for power and the lights you have access to. In a small tent like you have LEDs are a must. Try to match this spectrum as close as possible:

Yes, use perlite. You should purchase and use the entire line of nutrients. Vendors spend millions of dollars developing a "line" of nutrients that work together. Leverage that investment.

Bio-bizz for Bio-biz lite mix.

They show using nutrients to push flowering? In my real life experience this does not work. Time the presence of the different nutrients based on the stage of the plant not the calendar. Use Bio-Grow or Fish-Mix not both in veg. Use the week 2 formula for week 3 as well and maybe even week 4 depending on the stage of the plant. Then resume the chart. I would start with 60% of the recommended dose and bump it up each week until you see tip burn or reach 100% of the chart.

What you need to learn about watering will come with practice. Here are the basic rules: Never let the soil dry out. Soil and or coco can become hydrophobic if allowed to dry. This means it repels water. This in turn will create dry pockets in the soil and roots there will die. If your soil - coco have accidentally dried out use a surfactant to help re-wet it. I like yucca powder. Don't let soil remain soggy by watering too much too often. Root rot, damping off, molds, fungus gnats and other problems start in soggy soil. When you do water water the entire pot. How to learn when to water starts before you plant the seed. Fill your container with fresh soil/coco and weigh it (heft it) this is the lightest weight and consider it a dry pot. Now slowly water until the soil/coco will no longer absorb the water and run-off begins; weigh the pot (heft it) this is the maximum water, the wettest the pot can get. The difference between wettest and driest is the maximum water weight, for ease of explanation lets just say the water weighs 20 pounds. When the pot loses 10 pounds (half of the water weight) it is time to water again. There is an art to watering.

I will sub in and be here to help you. Good luck

 

[automan2]

Bio Bizz Light Mix already has perlite mixed in....and drains well out of the bag. Always water/feed slowly to minimize compaction....growing in 2-3ltr pots, light mix has enough nutes to last 2-3 weeks. Good stuff.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Bio Bizz Light Mix already has perlite mixed in....and drains well out of the bag. Always water/feed slowly to minimize compaction....growing in 2-3ltr pots, light mix has enough nutes to last 2-3 weeks. Good stuff.

I did not know it already had perlite? Probably do not need to add more then.

 

[doppiomalto]

@Mañ'O'Green @automan2 thanks for the informations, really helpful!

My last and bigger concern now are the lights.

Shall I go for two of these from Amazon, 99 euros/each or shall I burn 400 euros and go for only one of these http://www.sonlight.it/led-coltivazione-sonlight-hyperled-g3-270w-26523.html? And anyways can't find the spectrum for these Sonlight.

What would you guys suggest me to in this case?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Mañ'O'Green @automan2 thanks for the informations, really helpful!

My last and bigger concern now are the lights.

Shall I go for two of these from Amazon, 99 euros/each or shall I burn 400 euros and go for only one of these http://www.sonlight.it/led-coltivazione-sonlight-hyperled-g3-270w-26523.html?

What would you suggest me to do guys?

For that much money I would look into HLG Quantum Boards if you are handy at all or even Mars Hydro has better specs for less money.

 

[automan2]

Not familiar with either...like drag racing, there isn't a substitute for horsepower except more horsepower! So I'd go with the biggest power draw yet read lots of valid reviews and then consider any heat problem.
I too use 6500k floros for veg...moving to 3500k cobs/qb for flower.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Look at these:

https://www.mars-hydro.com/led-grow-light/mars-ts-series-led-grow-light

 

[doppiomalto]

What about this one? It's very cheap but looks like it's in the perfect spectrum! There must be some trick...