First Grow

[New2theGame]

really good that you're getting input and bouncing around a bunch of ideas before you flip the switch

I like to maximize potential. :icon_smile: If I do something in life, I always try to do it the right way. No corners cut, no integrity jeopardized. I could have been growing a long time ago, heh, I just enjoy being patient and getting **** right the first time I suppose. Thanks!

 

[New2theGame]

I have officially picked my first strain. Nirvana NL it is! I hear mixed reviews on nirvana in general, but im not really trying to screw up 100 dollar seeds. should be ok eh?

 

[ozzydiodude]

There a good start on the hunt for your favorite strain.

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

Northern Lights is one of the "founding fathers" of all medicinal cannabis strains going back to the late 1970's. I still have a catalog from The Seed Bank with their offerings from the mid 80's . . . talking almost 30 years ago . . . the headliners were Skunk #1 and Northern Lights #5. There's prolly not a hybrid strain out there that doesn't have NL in it's genetic lineage somewhere.

It generally grows short & compact with strong, thick stems . . . and thick buds. It may not be the best for scrogging because of the rigid stems, I dunno . . . I always jst let it grow to a single cola w/ side branches.

Easy grow, not real pH or nute sensitive like alotta sativas are, pungent and tasty with a classic indica stone. Great choice for getting your feet (and your buckets) wet . . . can't wait to see em !!

 

[New2theGame]

Northern Lights is one of the "founding fathers" of all medicinal cannabis strains going back to the late 1970's. I still have a catalog from The Seed Bank with their offerings from the mid 80's . . . talking almost 30 years ago . . . the headliners were Skunk #1 and Northern Lights #5. There's prolly not a hybrid strain out there that doesn't have NL in it's genetic lineage somewhere.

It generally grows short & compact with strong, thick stems . . . and thick buds. It may not be the best for scrogging because of the rigid stems, I dunno . . . I always jst let it grow to a single cola w/ side branches.

Easy grow, not real pH or nute sensitive like alotta sativas are, pungent and tasty with a classic indica stone. Great choice for getting your feet (and your buckets) wet . . . can't wait to see em !!

i recently read an article on NL that you pretty much just summed up. im leaning away from the scrog for now and im going to try my luck with fimming and topping. hell in a years time this will be my veg tent and ill be able to grow taller plants. for now it is what it is. thanks for the info on growing, it gives me a confidence booster to see that i picked a tried and true strain that will be an easy introduction to the world of cannibis. muahahahaha now i must wait a few more weeks til i can buy a few more things and this grow will be underway. ppm and ph pens are on the way as well as a stealth package

 

[New2theGame]

I have a few questions. Being that this is such a small tent i bought a 250w mh for veg. Now I read tons of people talking about t5's. Is my mh going to be sufficient for 4 plants in a 3x3 area or should I add in a t5 with it? Also, should I run the water pump to my buckets 24/7? And, Should there be an air stone in each of the buckets or will the drip put enough oxygen into my solution?

 

[tastyness]

N2TGame- I'll let someone more experienced answer about light sufficiency.
RE: MH and t5 I think lots of people use the t5's to veg because they are cheaper to purchase and run. Another benefit is you can get the plants up close and personal to light which is important in the early stages to keep them from stretching too much. CFL's are also being put into the mix by many with tiny spaces to accomplish the same thing.
The MH though will be putting out way more lumens and can be used to keep them happy right up to flowering switch to HPS. And IMO you simply can't give them too much light when vegging.
Hope you are ready to get addicted... to growing that is

 

[New2theGame]

good to know thanks. ive been addicted since i first started to read up on the plant but im sure its going to be a whole other level once i get hands on! and that first taste of nug... mmmmmm i can't wait lol.

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

hey n2tg - sorry but I think your 250W mh is gonna be marginal for that space. A good rule of thumb is at least 3000 lumens per sq. ft. for vegging and at least 5000 lumens per sq. ft. for flowering.

T5's aren't any cheaper to purchase, but are a bit better on the electric bill - and tasty is right, since they produce far less heat than an HID you can put em right next to the plant tops . . . for vegging only.

I have a hydrofarm sunburst 400W with a digital ballast enclosed. When I'm vegging I screw in a MH bulb and go. When its flower time I just change the bulb out . . . the ballast works with both. I bought mine here:

hxxp://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/sunburst-sbe400-hpsmh-grow-light-eballast-p-3710.html

I got the exhaust fan and the lens for it too. I'm ordering another one this weekend so I can put 800W hps (about 100,000 lumens) on my 4x4 flowering space. This will give me about 6250 lumens per sq. ft. - hopefully enough to give me a bumper crop !!

 

[New2theGame]

so a 400w MH would do? my ballast is a lumatek i can use mh/hps 250w and 400w.

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

Yes, the 400W is minimum what you want for a 3 x 3. The 400W mh bulbs put out around 39,000 lumens, giving you around 4300 lumens per sq. ft. for vegging. A 400W hps puts out around 50,000 lumens, which would give you around 5500 lumens per sq. ft. for flowering.

jm2c :48:

 

[ShOrTbUs]

i'm running 3x3 also i decided to go with the 600w hps which comes to about 10,000 lumens/sq ft. that way if i ever decide i wanna try my luck with co2 or a larger space i have the adequet lighting to get it done

 

[New2theGame]

co2 requires more lumens? looks like ill just use the 250w til it burns out and next go around ill buy the 400w. not having optimal lighting in veg going to effect my buds if my flowering light is sufficient?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

T5s and MH lights emit approx the same lumens per watt. However, I believe that T5s have several advantages over MH. First of all, you can get the T5s right on top of the plants, like within 1-2". In addition, because the T5s are tubes, they spread the light far better and more evenly. The last thing is that they run substantially cooler than MH. They are my choice for vegging. I have a 250W and a 400W MH that I don't use any more

 

[New2theGame]

what would be a suitable t5 light that i can hang in my 3x3 tent?

 

[ShOrTbUs]

what would be a suitable t5 light that i can hang in my 3x3 tent?

for just those 4 buckets? since the buckets themselves are so wide, u will prolly need atleast a 2' 6 bulb, about 140$ after S/H

 

[New2theGame]

i see the t5 for me. sun systems new wave 2 ft 8 bulber. however, i won't buy it until i buy my second tent. for now its a 250w MH :/

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

thats ok, it will do a decent job for veg . . . just try and get something with more fire power by the time you go to flower . . . I think that if you tried to flower that 3 x 3 with a 250W hps you would end up disappointed

jm2c :48:

 

[New2theGame]

i have a 400w hps for flower

 

[New2theGame]

I built a scrog, bought my nutes, a 400w MH bulb, hydroton, ph up down, rock wool and im stoked. update with pics later!! waiting on my ppm and ph pens and its time to rock out.