My first grow, Constructive criticism appreciated.

[Jreb04]

Thanks for your website, Nebula. It has helped me start a wonderful new hobby and I have achieved early success. I am only 45 days in, but it looks great. I know your recommendations were not to do hydro first, but it just worked better for my space. I am a rookie, but I can be obsessively detail oriented.

This post is less about the grow journal and more about the set up I built without all the trial and error. I got my seeds from seedsman. I use GH trio and cal mag and hydroguard. I basically do everything nebula said do. While I didn’t know much about growing, Im pretty handy. I thought it would be good to pass along.

I have a very large crawl space and a full size door. I tapped into wiring and diverted the line to a hose faucet and made a outlet box and a hose faucet in the space I wanted to use. Don’t wore things if you don’t know how. I put a GFCI/AFCI outlet to protect from shocks or fires.

I started with a 10 dollar tote from Lowe’s. The big black one with the yellow top ( 27 gallon commander). For my next grow I will probably use 5 gallon buckets or 5 totes and do one plant in each. I used 4 inch net pots and cut 4 inch holes in the top of the tote. Then I taped the entire tote in reflective duct tape. I used 3/4 inch flexible tube with a garden hose adapter for my fill and purge lines. I initially tried to use a pond pump for my changes, but that didn’t have enough power to get it out of the faucet, so I went with a 50 dollar sump pump. Totally worth it. It is pretty loud, so I took another tote and lined it with the cheapest Walmart egg crate foam using spray glue. Now you can barely hear it when it’s on and a change takes about 10 minutes start to finish. Because it is attached to a hose bib on the outside, I just water the grass with the waste water.

I started in winter so it is cold and dry. I absolutely recommend the 1 ft radiator heater attached to the inkbird controller. I started with the standard size, but it’s too tall. You also need to have an analog heater so it will turn off and on with the controller. In order to shield the tub from the heater, I wrapped cardboard in reflective duct tape. I also recommend a humidifier that lets you set the humidity. It will cost more, but it’s totally worth it. Also, the cheaper one broke. I did not list it. Now they are big enough they make their own humidity and I don’t have the humidifier on.

Everything else I set up pretty standard. I’m most proud of the water pump to the hose bib.

Of note. I went through several digital pH meters. They suck. I am sure the pricey ones are good, but I just use the ph strips nebula recommended.

Here is my stuff with links

-light
mars hydro TSW 2000
https://www.amazon.com/MARS-HYDRO-Sp...s%2C193&sr=1-5
-grow tent
cool grows 36x36x6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
tote
commander from Lowe’s
https://www.lowes.com/pd/COMMANDER-2...B&gclsrc=aw.ds
-humidifier
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-heater
1 ft tall oil radiator
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-heater plug
Inkbird day and night controller
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-water thermometer
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-exhaust fan
AC infinity 4 inch
https://www.acinfinity.com/hvac-home...roller-4-inch/
-fan controller
AC infinity upgraded controller
https://www.acinfinity.com/hvac-home...an-controller/
-thermometer/hygrometer
govee Bluetooth
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-sump pump for exchanges
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-air pump
Carefree fish aquarium pump
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-top feed pump
vivosun
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-tubing and garden hose adapter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-Fans
Holmes clip fan
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

here is my grow so far. I’m only 45 days in.

[SoOrbudgal]

Hey welcome to the forum. I do not to DWC so no comment on the equipment It you are maintaining all the plants needs in this area my hats off to you You plants look really strong and healthy. We use to live in a house with a cellar dirt floors great area to hang out in ( we were young then ) just watch out for critters/varmints. Best of Luck.

[PLreef]

Welcome to GWE! Your ladies look great. Whatever you doing... keep that shit up! Happy growing!

[Jreb04]

I am only doing exactly what Nebula’s articles say to do. GWE is one of the most well done websites I have ever seen.

[quirk]

And I thought I had it tough finding the studs in my ceiling to hang my lights. My hats off to you Jreb04.

[Jreb04]

Thanks quirk.

[Jreb04]

Switched from 24/7 to 18/6. Trying to make my ladies less bushy and get them closer to the edge. Def slowed down. Not sure if it’s less bushy yet.

Right was germinated 1/16. Left 1/21. Left is Alien rock candy and right is white widow.

Left has always been lanky. Right always bushy.

[Jreb04]

I definitely over pruned at the beginning. I FIMd and should have topped. Thank goodness I have healthy plants. I had a friggin bush and had to thin the herd.
Next time I will top once and make two main branches grow them out. Don’t think I can grow different plants in my scrog. I imagine the alien rock candy on the left will be way bigger than the white widow on the right. Took a bit to figure out how to tuck and not to prune. Should not have listened to the aggressive pruner argument.

[SoOrbudgal]

Oh well another lesson on same strain for a scog seems like you can deal with it as your grow looks great to me. When do plan on flipping?

[welshweed]

What's with that Flexfix silver foil stuff in your pics? Looks interesting.

[Jreb04]

It’s reflective duct tape. Got it at lowes

[Jreb04]

Went to 12/12 after prune. I have learned so much. Glad I haven’t totally messed it up.

[DaGreenBlazer]

Wow!! That's looking incredible for your 1st grow dude!! Hope they keep blooming as brilliantly as they have been vegging!

[Jreb04]

these are the most recent of them. I am two weeks into 12/12

[Jreb04]

21 days into flower
Light was a little close. See the tips

[JeffInCanada]

Holy, that's a lot of bud sites! Nice! Looking green and clean!

[SoOrbudgal]

Nice job Jreb04

[Ellisk]

Those stems are huge! Is that normal for hydro? Looking good.

[Jreb04]

I messed up with pruning. I didn’t really understand how. It extended my veg time significantly. This will end up being a 6 mo grow.

[RetiredGuy]

Nice looking grow, what nutes are you using?

[Jreb04]

GH trio. Just followed nebulas recipe.

[Jreb04]

Here is my most recent pics. As I previously note, I am 5 months in because I didn’t understand how to top and FIM and prune. Next time I will be better. I got the Nutes and the growing part right, just got to be the plant.