HYDRO Nearing my first grow, ever, yes any plantlife. (DWC)

[Anoney]

Alright. First off, HI! I've been spending the last month or so reading up on how to grow cannabis. It's been a journey and a half, but a very fun one so far.

So about a month or so ago I got the idea to grow my own cannabis, although I have never smoked before and never really been interested in doing it (never been anti either). However I am at the moment going through tons of different anxiety & depression medication with tons of side effects, sleepless nights, sweats, headaches, stale muscles & pain, which is a hell in itself and seem to drag as much bad side effects as much good it does. I also have a lower back pain since late 2012 that I've never really got fixed cause of my life situations.

I've read good things and bad things about cannabis to "cure" depression and that if you suffer from anxiety weed can make it worse, or enhanced so to speak. Maybe I can get some pointers for people on this forum. (Will post strains below)

The reason I want to grow my own is:
1. Don't want to feed the criminals selling it.
2. For my own use.
3. Fun hobby project.


Here's my initial Setup:

Secret Jardin SJ Hydro Shoot 80 Grow Box

Botanicare Hydroguard

Botanicare Cal-Mag Plus

GHE Flora Bloom

GHE Flora Gro

GHE Flora Micro HW

x4 IWS Oxypot DWC Bucket V3

DIGIDRIVE Digital Ballast 600W (250, 400, 600, BOOST)

Garden HIGHPRO Inline Fan 150mm 275m3/h

x2 Secret Jardin Monkey Fan 150mm

Powerplant Super MH 600W

Grolux Sylvania HPS 600W

Hailea Air Pump ACO9610 4 Outlet

Rhino Pro Filter Kit 280 m/3

Also strains:

Brand	Strain	Quantity
Royal Queen Seeds	Diesel (Auto)	7
Barney's Farm Seeds	Peyote Critical	4
Royal Queen Seeds	Red Diesel	4
Sweet Seeds	Sweet Cheese FAST	4
Royal Queen Seeds	Critical	4
Royal Queen Seeds	White Widow	3
Seedsman	Jack Herer	3
Royal Queen Seeds	Amnesia Haze	3
Royal Queen Seeds	Northern Light	3
Royal Queen Seeds	Amnesia Haze (Auto)	3
Seedsman	Gelat.OG	3
Royal Queen Seeds	O.G Kush	3
Royal Queen Seeds	Sour Diesel	3
Seedsman	Amnesia (Auto)	3
Expert Seeds	Gorilla Glue #4	2
Expert Seeds	Gorilla Cookies	2
Expert Seeds	Blue Cheese (Auto)	2
Expert Seeds	Critical Lights	2
Expert Seeds	Expert Haze	2
Dinafem Seeds	White Widow XXL (Auto)	2
FastBuds	Sixshooter (Auto)	2
Humboldt	Lemon Juice Express (Auto)	2
Victory Seeds	Super Mazar (Auto)	2
Expert Seeds	Gorilla Glue #4 (Auto)	2
Royal Queen Seeds	Northern Light (Auto)	1
Dutch Passion	Critical Orange Punch (Auto)	1
Heavyweight	Wipeout Express (Auto)	1
Ministry Of Cannabis	Silver Bullet (Auto)	1
Royal Queen Seeds	Royal Cheese (Auto)	1
Kannabia Seeds	Speedy Boom (Auto)	1

So before my seeds are here I'd appreciate some pointers or objections from people who has grown before. Which strains are ideal to start with? 4 different or 2 different at the same time? Enough room for 4 IWS Oxypots (with plants) ? etc.

I may start a journal and upload it here. Who knows maybe it'll be the worst grow ever

Probably forgot tons of stuff but don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers

[9fingerleafs]

i havent grown any of those strain before but i understand northern lights and critical should be the easiest and most forgiving plants to grow with high yields, for automatics you should already have a good controlled environment because mistakes cost time and autos dont have time to spare. sativas can be hard to train, control height, and get them to finish flowering...

[starramus]

You certainly are going whole hog for a first grow. You might just sprout a couple as a toe wetter. Keep it simple with Jack Herer, and Northern Lights.

[Anoney]

i havent grown any of those strain before but i understand northern lights and critical should be the easiest and most forgiving plants to grow with high yields, for automatics you should already have a good controlled environment because mistakes cost time and autos dont have time to spare. sativas can be hard to train, control height, and get them to finish flowering...

I've read the same about Northern Lights, I might just go with 2 Northern Lights & 2 Critical for the first grow and save the sativa & autos until I got some experience.
Appreciate the help 😊

You certainly are going whole hog for a first grow. You might just sprout a couple as a toe wetter. Keep it simple with Jack Herer, and Northern Lights.

My first instinct was CFLs, then 250w MH/HPS but the more I read the more I leaned towards either 400 or 600W. And after checking up my kwh $ & the price gap between the two ballasts 600W seemed like the obvious choice and I wouldn't need to upgrade in the near future. If at all.

Northern Lights is most definitely going in one or two of my pots. Question is, Critical or Herer for the other rwo. Perhaps one of each. Would be a shame if I use up all my seeds of one strain if I where to fail.

[Cocho]

Hello friend, and welcome to the forum!

My first grow ever took place in a Homebox 1.8, which is 100x100x180. And that worked okay with a 400W HPS with a CoolTube.
It still got hot and dry in there, and I had to buy a medium-large size air humidifier just to prevent dry air. And I still had to spray the inside of the tent several times a day, plus place a bowl of water with a cloth in it to force the humidity up.

So just to make it easier on yourself I would go for a 250W HPS/MH (maybe with a CoolTube), or (at the absolute maximum) a 400W HPS/MH with a CoolTube, and then you would need to makes sure that your extraction fan works hard all day.

Just to paint a picture.. a HPS/MH bulb that has been running for 2-3 hours are so hot that if you were to touch it with your bare fingers, you'll get a third degree burn on your fingers, and maybe loss of skin. And all that heat needs to go somewhere, and when closed of in a small tent, you can imagine how hot it can get.

And by making use of a CoolTube you can extract the skunky air from inside the tent, through the carbon filter on through the tube (forcing the hot air with it) and out of the tent, helping you keeping the room toasty. This will also allow you to place the light closer to the top of your plants.

So you can't work with a 600W, that would be too much. Plus, you wouldn't need all that wattage anyways. Watts are a measure of how far down on the plant the light will be able to penetrate. And if you're just running 1-4 plants in there, 250-400W will be more than enough, especially if you remove leaves here and there, even do some topping.

Then again.. I'm growing in a 60x60x150 tent with a 200W CFL, and with some topping and trimming here and there, I manage to get some decent buds from it, and I don't have to keep the extraction fan running that hard (those things makes some noise) saving me the huge numbers on the electricity bill.

Growing is fun, and growing is easy, but growing is really hard too :P this might not make any sense to say, but it's true. I've seen people grow supreme buds, that would knock Willie Nelson on his ass, inside a IKEA night stand with a 40W CFL bulb. And I've seen over the top setups, growing hydroponic with huge LED armatures and CO2 tanks etc. and the bud tasted like acid because they were feeding them to hard.

So maybe try it first with a cheaper setup, and maybe upgrade later. You can always use the smaller setups on seedlings and/or clones later on when you get the gang of it. Or maybe even sell it to a friend who saw your buds and wanted to try it for themselves?

Anyway.. glad to have you here. Growing is a good way to meditate. And to answer your questions about anxiety and stress etc. I've been fighting depression all my life, and the last 2 years I've been struggling with anxiety and stress taking away my sleep and appreciation for food. By consuming cannabis I sleep like a baby (most nights) I eat (often too much junk, but I just started working out again so we're good) and I feel happier. And I'm not using any prescription medication other than eye drops :P hehe!

Have a nice day, and a good weekend!

Peace!

- C

[Nartak]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!! Right into it didn't ya? Welcome to GWE and the sweet world of homegrown cannabis

You seem to have done your homework on nutes,lights,strains ofc growing methods since you are going for DWC! One thing you missed tho Anoney,the HS80 is 80/80/160 i think right? I have the HS60 ..
Your 600w will be overkill in that space with the heat i think,unless ur in Canada lol! Really tho,i had great troubles with the 250HPS in the HS60 mid January last year...
Might i suggest you do a 2 plant ,LST & ScrOG ? You will make the best of both your space and your light!!

As everyone is saying,NL is a great choice for stress and anxiety,a very smooth,puppy face causing smoke most of the time ive smoked it but im not familiar with the breeder it was from.
Amnesia Haze is a strong sativa smack in the face till it leaves you with this soft mellow flow in the body and a cool head high,not sure if you can take the onset of a sativa tho...

I have always used sativa for my down days and indica for stress or sleep/appetite disorders that i have but not sure if its the same for you....

And as far as the Diesel goes,i've had a NYC Diesel last crop and it was a great smoke,indica dominant with an urge to eat

Good luck with your new sweet hobby
Keep it Green

[Anoney]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!! Right into it didn't ya? Welcome to GWE and the sweet world of homegrown cannabis

You seem to have done your homework on nutes,lights,strains ofc growing methods since you are going for DWC! One thing you missed tho Anoney,the HS80 is 80/80/160 i think right? I have the HS60 ..
Your 600w will be overkill in that space with the heat i think,unless ur in Canada lol! Really tho,i had great troubles with the 250HPS in the HS60 mid January last year...
Might i suggest you do a 2 plant ,LST & ScrOG ? You will make the best of both your space and your light!!

As everyone is saying,NL is a great choice for stress and anxiety,a very smooth,puppy face causing smoke most of the time ive smoked it but im not familiar with the breeder it was from.
Amnesia Haze is a strong sativa smack in the face till it leaves you with this soft mellow flow in the body and a cool head high,not sure if you can take the onset of a sativa tho...

I have always used sativa for my down days and indica for stress or sleep/appetite disorders that i have but not sure if its the same for you....

And as far as the Diesel goes,i've had a NYC Diesel last crop and it was a great smoke,indica dominant with an urge to eat

Good luck with your new sweet hobby
Keep it Green

Indeed it is 80x80x160, and I am aware of the heat issue, although winter is upon us and I live.. far north! so cooling the tent somehow wont be an issue, I believe.
How would the heat be if I dim down the 600W to 400? Or even 250? Cheaper to upgrade the tent rather than ballasts + bulbs. As for the # of pots maybe two is enough for a 80x80 tent. As I've never grown before I don't know how wide the plants usually get. I've yet to get one of those ScrOG nets, if those are good I might just order one of those too.
My idea is to LST and Top or FIMing, leaning towards topping.

And as for the strains I've read that sativa might not be for me in my current condition, however I'm down to try different strains for myself. People react differently, right?

There's lots of learning to be done but I'm heavily invested with heart and soul!

Appreciate your comment!

[Nartak]

If you can cool it i wouldn't dim the 600w HPS! It's a masterpiece for growing really! Maybe you can find another way to do it...
It's the same for me to get a 400w hps and a ballast or a 1x1x2m tent.
Two pots are enough for both the tent and the hassle they will cause (in the best of ways ofc) and it will give you both time for error and a great learning experience!!
Doing a scrog you don't always have to buy those nets,besides i find them to be very loose and the spacing is to wide but thats just me.
Search on the forum for scrogs perhaps you can find a DIY one (Quite easy with pvc,screws and nylon thread or coated wire etc). I will be doing one just by tying thin rope from bar to bar and then adding horizontal and vertical lines where i like (One above one below)...

Is this going to be your journal thread?
Keep us posted

[D.A.A.S.69]

Anoney ,great setup, that 600watt is the gold standard, for MJ, it's hard to beat a 600watt hps.
Northern Lights autos are awesome plants, some of them can get huge, the Nlautos, I've grown, all took over 90days to finish, but I got almost 7ozs, dry from one plant, the others we 3-4ozs.
They don't even smell until the last two weeks, then barely, but you can squeeze a bud and get all the sweet smell, you want,lol
SweetCheese, auto from SweetSeeds is another great plant to grow, they finish fast too, but smell like a mfer, lol
Kinda jealous of your setup, you are gonna do great, an good luck.
PS, be very careful when watering your auto seedlings, You do not want to slow them down, by overwatering. It's easy as hell, to do.
Dont take more than a couple of tablespoons when they are young.
HappyGrowing

[Anoney]

After looking for some 400W kits instead of 600W I've come to the conclusion that its not worth the downgrade. A 400W kit is actually more expensive here than 600W.
I'll just dim them at the start and go from there, there's a lot of solutions for venting the heat. I'll figure it out. Fan noise is no problem, cost per kwh is neither.

Anyhow will go for the 600W and adjust whatever need be along the way. I'll use this thread to post some grow prep before i actually start.
Then probably make a new thread once it's time to sprout the seeds

Getting more and more stoked by the day.

[Nartak]

By al means don't downgrade to a 400w,600w is the way to go,just try keeping your plants as low as possible with LST so you have the space to vent the heat! about 20cm for the pots and 35-40cm for the light+kit is 60cm and you have 1m left. -30 to 40cm for the HPS and you have 60cm worth of plant material...I think

[Toker1]

I’ve grown royal queen critical. Cloned her for years. I have critical plus right now. But that’s a Dinafem product. I also grew white widow. But that was from Dinafem also.
Let me know if you have questions about it.

[furrysparkle]

NebulaHaze Umm on the heat issue, might I remind everyone that nebula uses a 600w and lives in south California.
maybe check out this tutorial, https://www.growweedeasy.com/exhaust
and remember to vent out two layers, tent and out of your house/shed you don’t want to recirculate hot air and you should be fine with a 600w
If you plan on dimming you must have the appropriate bulb! A 600w bulb being underpowered will lower its life span significantly. I recommend a 400w MH bulb and then a 600w HPS if you plan on dimming
good luck and welcome! Definitely subbed

[Farmall]

Hello Anoney, Congratulations on assembling some great seed. All I’ve read in some very decent books is Northern Lights is an excellent start. Lighting can be more than a diverse topic. In my arsenal is 4000w of LED, 315w LEC with 4200k and 3100k bulbs, 1000 HPS and Metal Halide bulbs. Currently the trees (oops, plants) seem to love it but ceiling height is something I probably underestimated. Had to remove drop ceiling tiles to gain another 18” of space for lights. You are in the right place... looking forward to seeing your progress. Also plan on a local water source and pump out. I carry 55 gallons of water in buckets every 10 days or so.... and I am too old for that. Makes you get lazy and think it’s easier to give it another day and that doesn’t work all the time. Good luck

[D.A.A.S.69]

Farmall, I'm old and lazy too, that's why I grow organically, lots less work,
All you need is water, an Molasses, every 2-4 days, really easy, and I promise you the buds taste better, but that's just my opinion, an my buddies around the house, we don't ever flush either, ain't nothin to flush out, lol,
Making your own soil, is as much fun as growing is, give it a shot one day, it ain't hard to make, and you can leave out half the stuff, they tell you ,to use..
The soil, even smells, nice an sweet.

[Farmall]

Oh....trust me, I’ve learned !

[Nartak]

That would be the ideal grow man..Your own compost/soil,your outdoors plants big as fuck...ScrOGing autos to 2sq m....Oh the dreams and endless possibilities

[Anoney]

Small update.
Some changes in my plans due to the grow shop I was gonna order from didn't have most equipment in stock. On the lookout for a new site to buy equipment from. God.. wish I could order from the US, but the taxes etc are equal if not exceeding the total equipment price.

Also got the seeds after some light confusion with seedsman, seeds are looking good though.

[Anoney]

Seeds looking fine, can't wait to grow these!

[PRIMO]

Hey anoney, sorry about the trouble you're having with your wish list. You could get started with a few cfl's in a white painted closet, some potting soil and a couple of decent pots. Germinate the seeds and a few weeks in solo cups, repot and start veg. this will give you plenty of time to gather your goods. and let you start to enjoy your new hobby sooner.

[Anoney]

It's just a tiny set-back Never thought about starting like that, thanks for the tip. I'll come back with some updates

[Anoney]

Will a couple of these do the job for early seed/veg? Best thing I could find at my local stores. Tried to find some T5s with a small reflector but no luck..

[Nartak]

Mate of mine got 2x 21w (70 equivalent) of these and grew a strawberry haze auto but don't know breeder or anything,i think it was a street deal bagseed.Got 23 grams off it in a wardrobe with no exhaust,fan or anything.Lights on/off and Canna Terra (Veg+Flores). Straight awesome deal i would say...

[Anoney]

D.A.A.S.69 Not in any local store. Amazon is a joke here and if I find a curly one, it's probably warm white. Cold ones are scares, even regular LED/Halogen bulbs. I may just wait for my MH/HPS and start from there.

Nartak That sounds amazing. Kinda wanna try that now Any of my seeds worth sacrificing?

[Nartak]

Not really..Unless u can spend the money on it...Just wait for your setup man,nice and tidy