Ideas for starting indoor grow.

[.Kitty]

Hey,

 

I have had a bit of a look over the forum, and find a lot of the time things are written in code...

 

Some things I have been able to figure out over time such as LST and medium etc, but now I am thinking of doing indoor after my first outdoor, and there seems to be another entire language to learn.

 

Soooo.. the lazy in me was wondering if anyone feels like doing a quick beginners guide of whats what and what does what and makes what- would be cool,.. or if it already exists and I am blind please link me..

 

Thanks, 

 

-Kitty

[billygoat]

If trying autos again check the link in my sig, hardly gospel, but I am a fucken lazy gardener and did alright on a reasonable budget.

 

I did not skimp though on nutrients, medium, lighting. Not saying you don't want to spend what it takes, but don't start reading all the hype on the new LED and other bullshit.... Stick with tried and proven gear and methods.....

[merl1n]

Hey Kitty,

Let's start with some basics. Indoor you control the environment, so you need to provide everything for the plant. The basics are light, water and air. You need to provide all 3 and there needs to be a balance. Too much water and the plant will drown, too much light and the plant will cook, no air exchange and the plant will suffocate. Here is a link to some calculators to assist you to workout the balances http://cannaversity.com/calculators/index.php

 

You need to make a choice about how you want to grow. In soil, in a hydro medium (perlite or coco) or aquaponics. Personally, for a newbie, I'd say soil or hydro medium. Aquaponics can be a bit fiddly, lots of balances that need to be perfect. Where soil and hydro medium are a bit more forgiving when errors are made (and we all make them). Again Cannaversity has some growing guides that can give you a bit of an overview of each method http://cannaversity.com/cannaversity/category.php?id=11

 

Now, using those calculators you'll see that your optimum light source will depend on the area you intend to use. ie there is no use using a single 400watt light if you intend to use the whole space of a bedroom. A single 400watt may be ok for a small wardrobe sized space, but the bigger the space the more light that is needed.

The calculator will also show you how much airflow you need. This is a must. You NEED fresh air. Plants take in CO2 and push out O2, you need to get rid of the O2 and you need to replenish the CO2 regularly or the plant will suffocate. The used air under the lights will be warm, hot air rises therefore you exhaust vent needs to be up high. You need your fresh air to be cool. The coolest air is down low, so you need your intake vent down low. Your vents should be on opposite sides of your growspace, one high, one low. That way the fresh air needs to pass thru the canopy of the plant to get out. To make sure all of the stale used air is exchanged you need a circulation fan within your grow space, blowing through the canopy. There are two reason for a circulation fan. One (as mentioned) to stir the air within yr space. But also (no.2 reason)is that as the air blows thru the canopy the foliage moves and the stems flex. This flexing strengthens the stems, a bit like our muscles. The more exercise we get the bigger/stronger our muscles become, same thing with plant stems. They need to be strong to hold the weight of the big buds you are going to grow we hope.

 

As for watering or feeding, there are many options. Everything from handwatering all the way through to fully automated with electric pumps and timers. This can all depend on how you decide to grow, so you have some choices to make.

 

OK so that's a bit of the real basic theory. What you need to do is start to make a plan. I'd recommend you start small then expand if you want, this way you can learn without it costing you heaps. I've known of many people having big plans, spending big $$$$$, only to stuff it up and giving up. I didn't mind as I ended up being one of the recipients of their equipment. So start small and LEARN.

Next I'm going to tell you that you have a massive knowledgeable resource of information here and if you are not sure or don't know, then ask. Someone would have been in a similar situation at some point and will either be able to direct you to where you can find the info you want or tell you from their own experiences how to deal with whatever situation arises. Use the resources you have. US.

 

So, start making a plan. Plan it all out before you start and ask questions. No question is a stupid question, if you don't know (and if it is a stupid question someone will tell you so anyway )

 

EDIT: Those calculators show optimum figures, you do not need to be exact, an approximate will do. Just know you need a balance.

Also, Billygoat is correct. LED has a long way to go to equal HID(high intensity discharge)lights. Stick with the HID, it works.

 

Good luck

Merl1n

Edited January 12, 2016 by merl1n

[.Kitty]

Thanks so much helpful information, much appreciated.