First time grower - Please evaluate my potential set-up?

[Asha]

First time grow, would appreciate some feedback- I did a LOT of reading but don't want to make any expensive mistakes or discover I've forgotten something important! Thank you in advance

Purchased

• Black Magic Coco Coir Mix (2 42.4 L bags) https://www.blackmagic.com/products/coco-coir-mix/
• Light timer: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-...9807/203677447
• Peat pots for seedlings: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jiffy-Pe...5251/100212369

Plan to buy (pretty confident on choices)

• 2 (5-gal) Smart Pots
• Northern Lights auto-flowering & feminized seeds from NirvanaShop.com
• Basic surge protector
• Thermometer/humidity reader https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013BKDO8...v_ov_lig_dp_it
• pH calibration kit
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...KIKX0DER&psc=1
• pH meter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...IJSTV4LU&psc=1
• Ca/Mg supplement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZRKI40...v_ov_lig_dp_it
• Nutrient system https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017H73708...v_ov_lig_dp_it
• Rope: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CY100I...v_ov_lig_dp_it
• Pruning shears: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EWH83FU...v_ov_lig_dp_it
• Pocket microscope https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...94cde3cf2c0862

Planning to buy (uncertain on choices)

• Grow tent: debating between https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...JXAT8J9K&psc=1 and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...JXAT8J9K&psc=1
• Light (I was hoping this light would be suitable, since it’s a small grow but I can go bigger if needed): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...V6P0R9ON&psc=1
• Fan/scrubber (did I get the right size?): https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Air-F...language=en_US
• Humidifier (is this the way I would adjust humidity?): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2717BM...ding=UTF8&th=1

[SirSmksAlot]

The one thing I notice you might want to pick up is a tds meter.

[Asha]

Does this matter if I'm not planning to use tap water? The water here is kinda hard so I was planning to use bottled/cooler

[Toker1]

Bottle water has a tds reading of approx 50 ppm. If you are following a feed schedule a tds meter might not be necessary. On the other hand, if you are concocting the nutrient feed on your own (with no feed calculator/schedule recommendation) then yes... you will need one.

[Toker1]

The light only is 95 w actual draw. You will need more than that.
Also, the tents are kinda expensive. I went online to the LA shop and got a good quality tent for a fraction of that price.
https://thelashop.com/products/48x24...grow-tent-room

[Asha]

Heat concerns and it seems like an overall much simpler set-up.

[Toker1]

I have grown with both cheap LED and HID. Unless you are spending at least a grand or more on LED lights...the yields are less and the heat is more than a traditional air cooled HID set up.

[Asha]

I don't mind smaller yields, but I'll keep the heat part in mind

[Canuck147]

Rolling papers and a bic lighter and your set.

[Dutchman1]

Ha !!!!

[BREWINZ]

You should upgrade your lighting. I don't know much, but I know that.

Good luck!

[Asha]

Would about 200 actual Watts work? The beginner LED set-up example said <250

[Gingerbeard]

Your fan/scrubber... I know you're looking at 4" ducting. My experience was that I didn't realize when I bought 6" ducting for cheap ventilation that my 2x2 grow space can't handle 6" because it takes up so much room. Figure the 4" into your growing space along with the size pots you use. Also, just because something is recommended doesn't mean you have to buy and implement it. My situation only, I live in an apartment that is about as big as a motorhome with popouts. I figured the smell would be too much. Instead of a fan and vent system I did two things: buy an ONA or two and leave out a pipe. The few times I've had an apartment inspection, what smelled like weed could easily be mistaken for the pipe or bud I had next to it. To those of us in-the-know, my apartment smells a bit like flowers. To those who don't know, I'm a dope smoking couch potatoe who can't keep his pipe clean.
My LED has a flowering distance between 16 and 20 inches. My 3 gallon pots are 9" tall and I have a 4'-6" tall tent.. I don't know how tall a 5 gallon smart pot is. I don't remember the numbers but I can only expect to grow a 2' plant measured from top of soil to recommended grow distance from my LED. Figure your height of your 5 gallons minus, plus, divide, and multiply and you can figure your maximum height.
I'm wary about fertilizer when it comes to my maximum height. I'm using GO Go box.

It's half or less the nutrients than the Flora.

The Flora is too much for what I need because I can't grow huge plants.
I just harvested my first plant. Small. Low yield. All my advice it virgin.

[Asha]

Thank you for advice, I'll do some calculating. The strain I picked is low odor so maybe I'll just hold off on ducting for now. My neighborhood always smells like weed anyway lol. Do you know, would I still need a fan in general for heat disbursement/air circulation? Is there a way to use charcoal filters instead of a scrubber, like with litter boxes or water filters? The Go Box looks pretty cool, might have to switch!

[madams9]

Subscribing because my next grow (second grow for me) will be Northern Lights auto. Looks like you've got a handle on it.

I'm currently struggling with a single Blue Dream (photoperiodic) in a 2 x 4 x 5 foot tent. It's crowded.

https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...end-of-week-12

I find the 4" exhaust setup is fine for my tent, probably okay for you. I vent mine out a window and my issue is the timer I'm using for that fan. It's the same timer you identified for your setup. That timer is incremented in 30-minute periods. I would rather run my fan 15 minutes on / 45 minutes off, but I need a new timer. Your mileage may vary and the conditions in your tent will vary according to ambient air temp and relative humidity. You just have to work with it. My grow is in a 30-gal. DWC hydroponic system. I have no experience with soil.

Take the plunge. Be prepared to tweak the setup to account for surprises (my Blue Dream was presumed to be an autoflower but turned out to be full-on photoperiodic) and be patient.

Best of luck!

[Asha]

I know I wish I could do at least a 4x4 but got a tiny studio apt. I live in LA county, so hot and dry most of the time, would that mean I need to run a fan more often, or have a strong fan? Would skipping the ducting (at least for now) be a bad idea?

[madams9]

I know I wish I could do at least a 4x4 but got a tiny studio apt. I live in LA county, so hot and dry most of the time, would that mean I need to run a fan more often, or have a strong fan? Would skipping the ducting at least for now be a bad idea?

We're around the same latitude, but I'm at higher elevation. Winters here are bone dry, like 12% humidity dry.

I initially planned to conduct my grow without an exhaust system. I found that when my plant started to stretch the humidity in the tent skyrocketed. The plant was bushy and healthy and when it accumulated all that biomass it started to respire like a mofo. At 90% + relative humidity (RH) in the tent, I could put my hand in the tent and when I pulled it out, my arm was damp. Seriously damp.

Knowing that buds growing in that steam bath will form mold and be a total waste come harvest time, I bit the bullet and bought the fan/ducting/filter. It installed easily and I ducted it out a window. I have pics.

Here is the duct (which is about twice as long as it needs to be and I haven't trimmed it) leading from the tent on the left to the windows on the right. I've gathered the blackout curtain around it a bit to cover it.



Here's what the exterior looks like. I routed the duct to a dryer exhaust It's in a discreet place. I don't have neighbors to worry about, so I didn't install the filter. I can do that later if need be.

The material you see behind the vent and next to the A/C unit is nothing more than cardboard covered with Duck tape©. Gott'a have plenty of Duck tape©. In fact, I can see that I need to put more Duck Tape© around the bottom of that window frame.



The fan has allowed me to get RH and temps in the tent well under control. I could fine tune it with a better timer and that may happen.

You can certainly get started without an exhaust. The autoflowering varieties are supposed to be much smaller (because they just don't have the lifespan to reach for the sun), and therefore, might be less troublesome when it comes to controlling RH in the tent. I'm also happy with the aroma control I'm getting without the filter.

Go ahead and get things growing and watch the numbers in the tent. You may end up needing an exhaust system. Budget accordingly.

And I opted for the 4-inch fan. It has a variable speed feature and I'm running it on the lowest setting. I think a 4-inch system could probably be just fine for even the 4 x 4 foot tents or larger.

Hope that helps. Can't wait to see how your grow comes along.

P.S. What folks are saying about lights are correct. You will not have enough light. Buy as much as you can afford.

[Asha]

Thank you so much, this was very helpful! Will it matter if I don't vent out a window?

[madams9]

If you don't vent out a window, you'll probably be okay. You will dump all the heat and moisture into the room where the plant is growing. This may or may not allow you to tame temperature and RH. I think it depends on the size of the room and the circulation the room experiences. My reaction is to just try it.. Be prepared to invest in a box fan or something to move the air, but it should work.

[Gingerbeard]

I can't speak for odor eliminators other than the ONA I have. I've used it more to get rid of other household odors than to get rid of the weed smell. Really, the only people who come into my place either don't care or also medicate. How much do you care?
Yes, use fans. I have one 6" Hurricane fan in a vent opening at the top and three muffin fans for flowering. I have the muffins staggered: one close to the ground to circulate around the pots, one to blow over the soil, and one to blow close enough to the top of the plant to keep them moving but not enough to blow leaves off.
You're in an LA studio. I'm in Imperial Beach in a smallish one bedroom. I haven't found a need for all the environmental controls because of our weather. Also, I don't have space for all the extras. The only thing I've invested in along those lines is a soil probe that checks water, ph, and light levels. And I only use that for the ph.

[PhantomSulker]

I have a tub of ONA at the top of my stairs, when I got my girls to flowering my kids said they could smell it, I bought a can, cracked open about a 1" hole and it more than covers up any smell in the house.

[Gingerbeard]

I read a post somewhere saying to keep ONAs fair clear of plants because the ONA can add fragrance to the flowers. At least not in the same room. You also really have to like what you get. I am not a fan of artificial fragrances and only open the ONA when I would rather smell 'fresh linen' than baked fish or onions and garlic.