Newbie needing advice

Andyvan55

Member
Alright guys I am a first time grower looking for advice on my grow tent. I will be starting in about three months just so I can learn as much as possible before so I hopefully don't fail. My planned set up is a 4x4 grow tent. 600w hps and mh light with a air cooled hood. Fox farm soil and nuts. Thermometer for both temp and humidity. 6in inline fan with carbon filter and a 16 in fan for inside the tent. I plan to grow northern lights feminized seeds from attitude. Any advice/criticism or tips are greatly appreciated!
 

TBoneJack

Well-Known Member
OK, in no particular order:

1. Get a Gorilla tent.
http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Grow-Tent-Indoor-Room/dp/B00F3MTZRY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419708777&sr=8-2&keywords=gorilla 4x4 grow tent

2. 4 plants will work fine in that space, but I suggest to learn the FIM and LST techniques. They are easy and work very well.

3. Wow, ain't this ironic? Like you're planning, my very first grow was Northern Lights from the Attitude in Fox Farm soil with Fox Farm nutes. It finished, but had bad cal/mag issues, and was NOT very potent. Since then, I've read (but don't know for sure) that Northern Lights genetics from the 1970s have been lost, and that modern-day Northern Lights is not quite as good. That's just what I read. I've never used Fox Farm stuff since, nor have I ever grown Northern Lights again. But there are people here who use and love Fox Farm stuff. Look around for their threads.

4. Try Sugar Punch from Sannie's Shop. It's easy as hell to grow, and is just a pleasure to smell and taste, and will get you high as hell. And it's inexpensive.
http://www.sanniesshop.com/feminized-cannabis-seeds-en/category-168-en/

5. Use Hortilux bulbs. 600-watt MH blue for vegging, and 600-watt Super HPS for flowering.

6. Be aware that the biggest newbie mistake in growing MJ is OVERwatering. The signs of overwatering and underwatering are sometimes the same: wilting plants. And what do most people think when they see a wilted plant? They think it needs more water...

7. If you're not legal, don't tell ANYONE that you're growing. No tell, no smell, no sell.

8. Get a Phresh carbon filter. And be aware that the max filter CFM speed needs to match the CFM of your fan.
 

Andyvan55

Member
Thanks for the advice! I was looking at jardin tents are these ok? And I'll have to look into those methods. And I'm looking into northern lights due to it's high yields. Potency takes a back seat to yield for me.
 

TBoneJack

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice! I was looking at jardin tents are these ok? And I'll have to look into those methods. And I'm looking into northern lights due to it's high yields. Potency takes a back seat to yield for me.
The early version of Secret Jardin tents got great reviews. I have an early model 2x2 myself as a drying tent. But for some reason, today's newest Secret Jardin tents don't get great reviews. I read they had a manufacturing move or relocation or something and their quality dropped as a result. But I can't say for sure.

Gorilla is the leading tent maker these days. But they are expensive. If I was buying a new tent today, it would definitely be a Gorilla. But if you're on a budget, try a Lighthouse Hydroponics tent. I have one myself for a vegging tent, and it works great. And it was INEXPENSIVE.

A little friendly advice: Just starting out, don't be tempted to buy the best of everything. Buy what you can afford. If you can afford the best, then fine.

And read, read, read. Everything you can on this web site related to your grow setup, method, nutes, and strain. Most people have a bad grow or two before they have a good grow. I sure did. I was green as hell and did everything wrong except run them over with a lawn mower. And I was tempted to do that.

Northern Lights is easy to grow, as they say. But don't be fooled: MJ does NOT grow like a weed, even though it's classified as a weed. There is a method to the madness, and experience will take you there if you've read and understood all you can before you begin.

GOOD LUCK!!! Growing MJ is the funnest hobby I've ever had.
 

mrCRC420

Well-Known Member
Outline your goals and make sure the strains that you pick align with that. I wasted too much time on "cool strains" and now I'm back to the basics (only two high yield strains and one for fun) and loving it. That's my advice.
 

Dr.StickyFingers

Well-Known Member
Please do not get a gorilla tent.. you are spending $250 more on a tent than you should be. You can get quality tents for around $150. just do some research, I spent a little over $100 on mine and have had no tears/rips/or mentionable light leaks and have had it for a while... Spend that money towards better lights/soil/nutrients because thats what actually matters when it comes to your plants...
Get some mykos for when you transplant
Get some good pots either fabric or air pots (you dont need to but look into air pruning and decide for youself)
You're obviously going organic and fox farm soil and nutes are standard but there are better stuff out there
http://www.kisorganics.com/products/shop/nutrient-pack
Soil mixes like this are packed with more than FFOF could offer
If you're heading organic read up on it in the organic section and read up on teas, you want to feed the microbial life in the soil
Learn about LST, FIM, Supercropping, SCROG/SOG all that..
https://www.rollitup.org/t/supercropping-twist-crack-your-way-to-fatter-colas.841488/
This is just something I wrote you might find useful
Dont overwater.. its better to underwater
Watch out for bugs..
And good luck!
 

TBoneJack

Well-Known Member
Please do not get a gorilla tent.. you are spending $250 more on a tent than you should be. You can get quality tents for around $150. just do some research, I spent a little over $100 on mine and have had no tears/rips/or mentionable light leaks and have had it for a while... Spend that money towards better lights/soil/nutrients because thats what actually matters when it comes to your plants...
Get some mykos for when you transplant
Get some good pots either fabric or air pots (you dont need to but look into air pruning and decide for youself)
You're obviously going organic and fox farm soil and nutes are standard but there are better stuff out there
http://www.kisorganics.com/products/shop/nutrient-pack
Soil mixes like this are packed with more than FFOF could offer
If you're heading organic read up on it in the organic section and read up on teas, you want to feed the microbial life in the soil
Learn about LST, FIM, Supercropping, SCROG/SOG all that..
https://www.rollitup.org/t/supercropping-twist-crack-your-way-to-fatter-colas.841488/
This is just something I wrote you might find useful
Dont overwater.. its better to underwater
Watch out for bugs..
And good luck!
Gorilla tents are the best in the world, and they are worth the price to the people who can afford them. A Kia is a good car and will get you from point A to point B; a Honda is a great car that you will ENJOY driving from point A to point B.

Same with tents. Gorilla is a long-lasting tent that the many who can afford them simply love.

But you're right; a cheaper tent will work well. For a while.
 

Dr.StickyFingers

Well-Known Member
Gorilla tents are the best in the world, and they are worth the price to the people who can afford them. A Kia is a good car and will get you from point A to point B; a Honda is a great car that you will ENJOY driving from point A to point B.

Same with tents. Gorilla is a long-lasting tent that the many who can afford them simply love.

But you're right; a cheaper tent will work well. For a while.
I hate both Kia and Honda lol...
But I get what you mean and no doubt Jardin and Gorilla Tents are some of the best quality but they dont do anything that other tents cant.. and they are 2-3X the price

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-x-4-x-6-5-GROW-TENT-ROOM-48x48x78-Reflective-Mylar-Hydro-Box-Cabinet-Hut-Dark-/121455978016?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item1c47572620

I've had this tent for years now.. taken down and put it back up more times than I can count, srunched it up and thrown it in the back of my friends civic and its still as good as the day I bought it.

Lights
Soil/nutes
Grow chamber
The rest
Is how I see it

Oh and to the OP idk if you meant cool tube or air cooled hood but ya and air cooled hood would definiftely be great.. I have a 4x4 1000W and this is my next investment
upload_2014-12-28_17-25-41.jpeg
 
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