Gathering to start, have grow medium question

[Felkamlor]

Ok, you can see by that pic, I have yet to start. I have mined the tutorial pages, I am doing growth for myself, so I got a CG 2x2, a sf1000, exhaust fan and carbon filter, and bunches of little doo-dads, and whatchamacallits.
I think that as time goes by and I learn more, I may go hydro. But have been thinking first grow(ever) I thought of the “just add water” grow, with living soil. Basically because it looks easiest.
I plan on starting with one auto, to get my feet wet.
Just wondering, because I am planning on starting when my granddaughter leaves in 2 wks and I am at the stage where I am ready to gather the required medium.
Enough rambling, should I go with my original idea of living soil, or jump right to hydro, I just don’t want to set myself up for failure.

**Actual question***

So for a first timer, that has never even grown a tumbleweed, should I start with soil, then graduate, or take the plunge and go ahead and get my feet wet and go hydro from the get.

I am sure I will get the “it’s a matter of preference” answer, guess I am looking for opinions.

As I said, I’m new, so I am sure my questions will get better.

appreciate any assist.

[SoOrbudgal]

LOL way to go Granpa I love it. Well i never did hydro so i can't say about that i'm a old soil gal that's all i've grown with 40+yrs mostly outdoors but learned indoor 7yrs ago. Anyway i started indoor with light fluffy seedling mix you can get just seedling mix it's really light which drains well. Or that soil you said works good too, i never used it but similar stuff. I add to it lots of goodies and keep it in a tote in the garage. I alway add extra perilite it's your best friend i'd get that too if i was you. I'm 66yr old lady and if i can do it you can. Let us know when your getting ready set your tent up and soak some seed. We'll guide you along.

[Felkamlor]

To start, it’s actually Papaw, lol.
I certainly appreciate the response, I have never grown outside, but I already said that. Was the change from outside to inside difficult?

As I read through the forums, it looks like everyone grows big, of course when I decide to start on edibles I may need to grow more. I am wanting to get some autos under my belt. After I get enough to sustain myself a bit I want to do some experiments with photos, maybe my next tent.

I am sure that will be a whole new fiasco.

There is just so much info.

[Bluey]

Soil is great to start with whether your indoors or out. It's more forgiving than a hydro grow and easier to maintain so less equipment needed.

[Felkamlor]

Thanks for the response. Yea, reading about it certainly looks like soil would be an easier start.

[Mollisol]

2nd what Bluey wrote. I grow in Fox farm ocean forest (FFOF). I have had good results with it.

You can probably get a better price from your local nursery than what Amazon is charging.

[Gingerbeard]

Hmm... you have researched options. You have an educated gathering. Your post is well written.
You sound like whichever way you go you will have success. If you think you will wind up hydro, go hydro. Work doesn't seem to be an issue for you, and you have already put in a lot more legwork than the general bloke who starts off asking where to buy seeds.
Maybe you could do hydro and soil? You would be a party favorite if you did both at once.

[Felkamlor]

Mollisol,
Thanks, I have seen that FFOF in stores around here, I stall am have a time finding a “Living soil” locally, I can’t exactly explain what I want to use it for.

Gingerbeard,
Lol, if I tried doing both, the thing people around here would see is my slow disintegrating mind. But I do appreciate the faith. Thanks.

[Gingerbeard]

The living soil is for your herb garden. That is 100% true without even a hint of a lie of omission.
If you are asked what herbs you are growing, fake kidney stones. Works okay for restaurant bills, too.

[Rootsruler]

I'll third the recommendation for soil. I'm a soil grower so I'm biased but I've grown in practically every medium out there and I've come full circle back to soil. That's not to say that other methods are bad. I'm a lazy gardener so soil fits my grow style. If I make a mistake soil has my back. Can't say that about any other media or grow style.

I think any new grower should start in soil with a photoperiod seed. The only real difference between photo period and auto seeds is auto plants will flower according to their genetics whereas photo seeds can be flowered whenever you choose. Autos don't have to have their light schedule shortened to induce flowering like photo period plants do. Photo period seeds also don't guarantee female seeds so you'll need to germinate and grow them until they either flower or put up pollen pods. You'll have to cull the males so that they don't pollinate your female plants. Kind of a hassle at first but if you learn to propagate cuttings you can have a mother plant that you know is a guaranteed female and propagate cuttings from her so that you have guaranteed females every time. You can also buy feminized photo period seeds that will pretty much guarantee that you get females. Since you're starting out, I would go with feminized photo period seeds so that you don't have to worry if the plant you spent a month growing turns out to be male.

In the little experience I've had with autos they seem to be quite finicky about particular things like being transplanted. Don't let that discourage you if you think auto is the way to go. I've just never been a fan of autos but I come from the old school of cultivation so these new fangled autos are just dumb IMO compared to photos.

I would also recommend you not use living or fortified soil starting out. I've helped countless new growers with their grows that grow in fortified soil and when the soil nutrition runs out problems will arise. I think using liquid fertilizers is a good way to learn how NPK works. The only issue I have with liquid fertilizers for beginners is they are quite concentrated and newbs tend to go heavy thinking more is better and will burn their plants.

Where you set your tent up is also important when it comes to your tent environment. IMO, setting your tent up in a room that you can control temperature and humidity is ideal. These rooms are typically called lung rooms. Is the weather in your area typically dry? Time to look for a humidifier. Humid? Dehumidifier.

The one skill that I think you really need to learn is how to properly water your plants. This is probably the number one issue that newbs tend to run into.

I always recommend newbs read the following post on watering practices and how media choice and pot size and configuration affect your plants.

(3) Watering cannabis explained by Aqua Man | Bud Builders - Making Friends, Growing Cannabis

I grow in soil from a brand called Roots Original. For fertilizer I use the FloraNova line from General Hydroponics. It is an all in one formula so it makes it very easy, especially for beginners, rather than having to be measuring out and mixing several bottles of different fertilizers. I supplement the base fertilizer with a calcium/magnesium amendment from General Hydroponics called CALiMAGic. I use a product called Hormex for my seedlings and cuttings and whenever I may have a chance of stressing the plant out through defoliation or other techniques. I also use a product from Advanced Nutrients called Voodoo Juice. It is liquid bacteria to enhance the bacterial community in your soil. The last amendment I use is Mycorrhizae. This is to enhance the fungal network in your soil that will supercharge your root system.

My last piece of advice in this post is build your roots and the foliage will follow.

[Felkamlor]

Gingerbeard, that is probably something attainable here, guess I need to find out what a fake kidney stone is, I mean, nobody really wants the real ones.

[Gingerbeard]

A few female nurses welcomed me to the club of pain worse than childbirth. Once was when my colon got a hole. The others were during kidney stones. Notice me not laughing?
Really, just fake some sort of attack you are familiar with. It's all about diversion.

[Felkamlor]

Rootsruler,
That was one great response. I especially related to the “lazy” part. Then again, the autos seem a no-brainer, I can take lazy to a whole new level, and they will get my immediate needs met. I do plan on going photo though. The thought of a couple favorites, I can enjoy again and again is appealing.

You certainly gave me quite a bit more to think about. The whole mixing nutes thing kinda scares me, I didn’t do well in chem.

I certainly appreciate the input.

[golfnrl]

If you're wanting to eventually go hydro, I'd go for it at the outset. You might save some coin outfitting your setup with hydro equipment to start with as opposed to adding it later. There are plenty of hydro growers on the forum that can give you step by step or question by question assistance.

If you're open to suggestions, I'd recommend coco coir for your first grow. It is more forgiving than soil, at least for me. And, with coco it is almost impossible to overwater. Not so much with soil. I speak from experience. If you're reading on this forum you may have seen a lot of issues related to loving a plant to death, I.E,. over watering and/or overfeeding. Select a nutrient product line and stick with it. I use a nutrient brand that has the same mix ratio for everything in the line. Makes mixing nutes a snap.

I switched to coco shortly after starting to grow cannabis after I learned that the FFOF soil I was using didn't have enough nutrients in it to get a plant much past the vegetative stage. That's on me of course for not doing enough research but even then, knowing when to start supplements was more than my inexperience could account for. So I switched to a 50/50 blend of coco/perlite and haven't looked back. With coco you are in complete control of your plant's food. While that seemed daunting at the outset, now it's preferred. You can get that same kind of control with hydro I think, but IMHO coco is less complex and may be an easier start to get your feet wet (no pun intended) than with hydro. Good luck with what ever you decide.

[Mollisol]

Just my 2 cents on photos. When your in veg. You can make alot of mistakes. And as long as you don't completely kill the plant. Usually after you correct whatever is wrong the plant will recover. It just cost you time. (Autos are not so forgiving)

Secondly, photos can be cloned.