New guy looking for help and answers

[tommyp]

    Hey so a mate and i want to get into indoor growing so we can save money and get rid of having to go to dealers and get weed we have no idea how it was grown but we are new to hydro and just dont want to stuff up the plants or...worse...someone finding out that shouldn't    

So we were thinking of using a 4x4 or 5x5 with a 450-480wLight plus fans and stuff 
1 .are people afraid of getting caught ? and 2 .Is it sus to the power company to have a grow room running for most of the year.?. i would think not but obvisouly i dont want to get caught 

 Hopefully this isnt too odd and i get some replies looking for any help thank you    
 

[merl1n]

1 .are people afraid of getting caught ? Well, yea, Nobody wants to get caught.

2. Is it sus to the power company to have a grow room running for most of the year.? I run 4x600w and no visit. Basically speaking they're out to make money and so long as you pay the bill, most companies seem OK. The problem comes when dickheads divert power around the meter (stealing power) OR don't pay the bill.

I have a few appliances ie a small fan heater that uses 1000w, I never use it. But if somebody queries my bill I can show that I have devices that easily account for my usage

 

Now, there's an old saying 'Loose lips sink ships' and it's the same with growing. The less people who know, the better, so taking a 'Secret Squirrel' approach is the best idea. Some people like to show off 'I've got this big grow...' or 'I've got a mate and he's growing...' Someone could get jealous and try to break-in, or jealous and dob you in to da coppers or get a bit drunk down at the pub telling everyone about the grow. The less people who know, the better.

 

Merl1n

[tommyp]

Hello Merl1n 

 

Thank you for your reply really means a lot, We can over think it sometimes but we all start somewhere hopefully everything goes well and we can get some high quality medicine
ummmm also out of curiosity are you able to tell me your tent size and how any beans you plant?.

BTW you seem like the king of OZ stoners   

Cheers 

[tommyp]

Would i be able to link what im thinking of getting and talk about the set up we wanted to go for ?

Edited February 27, 2022 by tommyp

[merl1n]

We used to have a real good mob here, but some got the shits and left, but there's still a few of us around, but king... Ohh hell no.

I'm just sharing the shit I know from years of experience. My knowledge doesn't come from a book, it comes from all the cock ups I've made along the way, but king, nope.

 

So, I grow 1 plant SCROGged, that means 'Spread out' or SCReen Of Green. My grow space is 3m x 3m, my grow area is around 2.5m (the extra 500cm gives me space to get around the plant)

In that space I'm running 4x600w HPS. I run HPS from start to finish, it slows the veg growth and this shortens the node spaces, in a confined space the shorter the better in my opinion

I put my pot 'n' pot in the centre of my space then place a table frame covered in steel mesh over the top of the pot, then I train my plant to grow out underneath the mesh.

Once the entire underneath is covered I change my lights from 18/6 to 12/12. When you change to 12/12 there's a huge growth splurt, the plant can almost double in size so you have to train that growth. That growth splurt is where your BIG BUDS will grow.

So here's a couple of pics

Mud Map Of room - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

Rough sketch steel table - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

7 - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

6 - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

"Life's just like a box of chocolates" 

A box of buds 2 - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

 

Now, that sort of thing can be what you aspire to.  Like I say it's taken years of trial and error (and error and err....) to get to that point, so don't be going into it thinking pounds and pounds. Go into it with the plan of self supply, if you get extra, that's a bonus. But planning on pounds when you may only get a few ounces can be disappointing. My advice: Start small, learn, then expand if you wish. I know of people who spent thousands on equipment only to find it's all a lot more work than they thought, so start small. I started in an old wardrobe, then expanded and expanded, making my own improvements along the way. There was no ozstoners back then, so it really was trial and error to establish what worked best for me, my environment and my setup.

 

Merl1n

[freddie]

Wow, Merlin, that must be some monster plant you grow? I like to have a few plants as I like a variety of different highs.

 

I easily keep myself supplied with a 400w LED in a 4x4 tent, but could easily do it with a slightly smaller grow. As Merlin says, start small and expand if you need to.

 

Most new growers that I have seen are defeated by their own paranoia. As plants reach maturity things become a little tense at the time when you just have to hold your nerve. I have seen many growers freak out at about week 6 or so and harvest prematurely.

Edited February 28, 2022 by freddie

[merl1n]

Hey Freddie,

"...I like to have a few plants as I like a variety of different highs...' Yea me too, BUT, the last multi grow I did I had one plant BOOM and it overtook my growspace, blocking out the light to the other plants. Don't get me wrong, the booming plant was a nice smoke, but the smaller or slower growing plant was the one I wanted to boom. This is why I now only grow the one strain, 'cos it all grows at the same rate.

 

Merl1n

[tommyp]

The setup im looking to get with a mate 

Tent 150mmLx150mmWx200mmH

9 plants 15 liters pots  

450W led with a 100W led as back up 

 

Or 

 

Tent 120mmLx120mmWx200mmH

6 plants in 18 liter pots

450W Led

 

We will start with AUTOFLOWER plants in each pot not looking to get pounds each grow just a couple of 1oz-2oz a plants we would rather smoke our own grow even its it bad than keep buying nugs hopefully growing 4 times a year 

Enough to keep us going.

Do you grow multiple plants a year or just the one big dog, as we all smoke different amounts 

 

Cheers   

[merl1n]

Firstly, I hope you've got all of your measurements wrong. If that really is the tent size, I wouldn't even bother starting. If those measurements are correct, you need a bigger tent.

 

Why so many plants? more plants does NOT mean more bud. More grow space would make more sense for more bud than more plants. Differing strains grow at differing rates, yes, it's nice to have a variety of smokes. But growing differing strains all at the same time in the same grow space... Yea, good luck with that one. I did that once, one plant boomed whilst the other took it's time. The one that boomed overtook the grow space

Growth management in a confined space can be a pain in the arse with one strain, multiple strains is a headfuck. Been there, done that. Never again. But that's me.

 

It's a bit like with autos, I like to be in control of my growth and timings, autos take that control. So, I don't do autos. But, again, that's me.

 

Merl1n

[tommyp]

Rather embarrassing but yes the measurements  are wrong they should be CM not MM.

You've given us of good points to think about, I'll have a chat to my mate about the setup and try talk the number down without your repies we would be further away from getting anything done, Will probably go down to my local hydro shop and sus them out.   
 

 

 

Thank you   .