First grow questions: SROG & Nutrients

[Veritas629]

I'm just gathering supplies for my first grow.  I've got a 40x40cmx120cm tent, HLG V2 135 kit, and a Nutrifield 27L DWC Top Feed bucket with pumps etc.  All on the way or already here.  Also, got 3x Fem Northern Lights.  NL was my first proper stone and sounds like a good small grow strain!  My questions are three.

 

First, if I build a SCROG net, what height should I make it?  I've got 120cm total height.  Subtracting 30cm for the pot and around 10cm for the LED panel, leaves around 80cm.  I think I need to leave some room from the top of the plants to the panel to avoid light burn, right?  30cm?  That would leave about 120 - 30 -10 -30 = 50cm for the plants.  Short & chubby she'll need to be!  So with around 50cm plant height, how high should I place the SCROG net?  Or would I be better off not scrogging here?

 

Second question, do I put the rockwool cube directly into the DWC top feed system while germinating the seed?  Or should I wet the cube, wait for sprout, and then add to the basket with clay?

 

Third question relates to DWC top feed and nutes timing.  I plan on using Mills nutes, because they are locally available, seem simple enough, and the hydro store guy says they work well for him.  Mills has a calculator on their website that I'll use.  When using DWC and top feed, do I start the nutes from the day I start the grow (e.g. rockwool cube into the mesh basket with clay?  Or ease in with water and start nutes when the roots hit the water level in the reservoir?  

[papasmurf999]

Northern lights can grow pretty massive, i havent grown dwc yet but, i probably wouldn't top feed over Rockwool though, Rockwool holds too much water you would probably drown it before the roots got down to the bottom.not sure if your circumstances will permit it but I'd buy a bigger tent man, your gunna be fighting hard to keep ya plant in there dude. Lights are good tho and you seem to be on the right track

[papasmurf999]

Because you gunna want your light about 70cm above the plants for veg and about 45cm above for flower.

[Veritas629]

Yeah, my space is small. Micro grow territory. But this is all the stealthy space I have available at the moment. I'm considering this a learning experience for when I have a house with more space! Gotta start somewhere...

[papasmurf999]

Yeah mate I started in a 90x90x180, hopefully your hlg light has a dimmer man, it should, you'll probably have to dial it down a bit, theyre designed to flower a 60x60 space at 45cm from canopy. You'll be right though mate best of luck to ya.

Have ya got fans and stuff sorted yet?

[Buds-lightyear]

You're gonna want to get the scrog in as low as you can so get it in early

You'll be right if you just keep her pinned down

[Buds-lightyear]

I pulled 2 oz off a plant that was only 40cm high with a canopy of 30cm ×30cm

I'm no expert and my setups not exactly ideal

[kloud9]

Any pics BL ?

[Veritas629]

Yeah mate I started in a 90x90x180, hopefully your hlg light has a dimmer man, it should, you'll probably have to dial it down a bit, theyre designed to flower a 60x60 space at 45cm from canopy. You'll be right though mate best of luck to ya.

Have ya got fans and stuff sorted yet?

 

I'm working on my ventilation options.  I'm building a little Arduino board set up with a couple oscillating computer fans for internal circulation.  Also will use the same board to add internal & external temps and humidity.   For venting the tent I will probably use a 100mm fan with a carbon filter.  I'm still deciding on DIY or ready made.  I'm sure buying something will get a more effective system, but most are pretty bulky for my limited space.  So I'm hoping to build something smaller.  Smell won't be an enormous issue for my location.  If anyone can suggest a fan & filter system that is more compact than what I'm generally seeing, I'm all ears....

[Veritas629]

You're gonna want to get the scrog in as low as you can so get it in early

You'll be right if you just keep her pinned down

 

That is what I figured.  But I'm a bit unsure of what height to put the net above the pot.  20cm maybe?  I don't wanna put it dramatically too high or low, because I suspect it would be hard to alter once the plant is intertwined with the net.