Total Noob.... 4x4 Grow Tent/600W

Setup Info:
4'x4'x8' Grow Tent
600W Light HPS/MH w/ dimmable ballast
190 CFM Fan with Charcoal Carbon Filter

Strains:
x3 Auto Candy Kush
x5 AK-48
x1 Dr. Krippling Incredible Bulk
x1 RQ Critical
x2 Northern Lights x Big Bud

I started the seeds in a Jiffy Green House about a week ago. Transplanted them today to 5 gallon buckets with Fox Farm Ocean Forrest Soil at about an inch tall. I have 2 100 watt CFL lights on the plants for the next week or so then I plan to start the ballast on 50% then slowly increase to 100%

If you count there are only 11 buckets in the tent right now. I was short a little potting soil and the grow shop up here was closed so I will transplant the last seedling tomorrow.

Any advice/comments/whatever is welcome!

That's going to be a busy tent.

I just scrogged 8 fairly small plants i'd grown from clone and they filled my 4x4 easily. If they'd been vegged and grown naturally i think it would have been out of controll.

If you're not planning on canopy controll (scrog or lst) i'd get them flowering sooner rather than later.

you need more space..... and the hell w 50percent.... throw those cfl bulbs in the trash and let the hps eat......

Honestly, I never thought they would all germ when I started, so I was pretty surprised to have all 12 going at the same time. Hmmm...maybe I'll just have to toss a few and keep the healthiest looking plants once they get going a bit more.

For the lighting, are they ready to go on 100% for 18/6 now being only an inch? Thought I needed to ease them onto the light.

Thanks guys

be crazy not to..... what your doing now is stupid (I'm an ass hole)... turn on the big light and leave it about two foot off the top of those buckets.....

throw out the autos..... that would put you at eight..... still too many..... but I'm assuming the rest are reg seeds...... veg....take clones and flip.......

gravy......

but.... you're doing other stuff wrong(still an ass hole)......you should be in smaller pots working your way up to buckets. ...packing the roots in as you go.... and your fan and filter isn't gonna cut it w a 600 in a tent unless your tents inside a walk in cooler.....

need some circulation fans....one at soil level and one at canopy level..... be fine for now but you need to get them bought soon and that light has to go in....gonna end up failing the way you're going....

need to monitor that temp and humidity....important stuff....

planning to grow organic?....

get those cfl's close! like 2-4 inches on 24/7 untill you get more growth then turn on the hid. I would have left them in their germinating tray for about 10-14days after they sprout with the cfl's real close to them, or until i saw roots potruding out the bottom of the jiffy pellets. The way it looks to me since you have already got them in five gallon buckets( to big for those small plants imho) you should just cut on that hid at least 3' distance. and yeah that inline fan sounds small don't want to cut to many corners when it comes to keeping your temp and humidity in check. But good luck I just harvested my first grow and it went great so if you want to ask about anything feel free. And good luck!

green217 said:

get those cfl's close! like 2-4 inches on 24/7 untill you get more growth then turn on the hid. I would have left them in their germinating tray for about 10-14days after they sprout with the cfl's real close to them, or until i saw roots potruding out the bottom of the jiffy pellets. The way it looks to me since you have already got them in five gallon buckets( to big for those small plants imho) you should just cut on that hid at least 3' distance. and yeah that inline fan sounds small don't want to cut to many corners when it comes to keeping your temp and humidity in check. But good luck I just harvested my first grow and it went great so if you want to ask about anything feel free. And good luck!

Click to expand...

you won't cover that many plants w two bulbs and there's no reason not to turn on the 600.....24 and 0 is for idiots..... plants need sleep.....there's some scientific reason.... I have no clue ....but I'm long past my first grow and tried it more than once 18and6 is the way....

GApeach said:

Honestly, I never thought they would all germ when I started, so I was pretty surprised to have all 12 going at the same time. Hmmm...maybe I'll just have to toss a few and keep the healthiest looking plants once they get going a bit more.

For the lighting, are they ready to go on 100% for 18/6 now being only an inch? Thought I needed to ease them onto the light.

Thanks guys

Click to expand...

woody333333 said:

you won't cover that many plants w two bulbs and there's no reason not to turn on the 600.....24 and 0 is for idiots..... plants need sleep.....there's some scientific reason.... I have no clue ....but I'm long past my first grow and tried it more than once 18and6 is the way....

Click to expand...

yeah i use 18/6 myself once i get them out of the germinating trays, but I keep them on 24/7 when i'm using my florescent when they are first babies/seedlings. No way I am vegging 24/7 with 1000 watts my electric bill is high enough now. And I do agree with you that plants need some dark/down time to grow properly.

Thanks for the input. We made some changes yesterday. dropped the CFLs and turned on the 600w light. I also rigged up an oscelating (sp...) fan to blow on the plants. We live in Alaska and the tent is in a room that stays 70 at the hottest part of the day and about 50 at night. We are running the lights from 4:00 pm until 10:00 am to regulate temps. Temp in the tent is ranging 65-82. Not sure what our long term plan is here. The harvest from this is for one person, so we will not be growing again for quite some time so we will not be cloning. Will be using the tent for fresh produce in the Alaska winters.

probably face the wall w that fan... they don't need much now....

GA sounds like your gettin it figures out. Just make sure you can move the heat out if it gets hot. But ive only had temps hit 85 in my tent in the middle of july up here so youll be good w a little ventilation. Ill be watching. good goin for your first time!! Ask away were all here to help! Good Luck!

Yeah, the heat hasn't really been an issue so far, but humidity on the other hand has been pretty low (around 40%-50%) and from what I've read it needs to be around 80% at this point. I have a humidifier that my kids use when they have colds, but I feel like that would make it insane humid in there and just make a new problem. Is there a better way to do this or is that my best bet?

Agree with turn on the HPS , nothing wrong with 24/0 just give them a rest period twice a week of 4 hours each. I keep mine running on 24/0 and turn the lights off 4 hours at a time twice a week it works very well..

I struggle w humidity as well... ive found running a humidifier on a timer 15 on hour off does well to not over do it however depending on your ventilation you may be just fine running it wide open... or you can get a small child bedside one for like 20 bucks at walmart

AKrbb907 said:

I struggle w humidity as well... ive found running a humidifier on a timer 15 on hour off does well to not over do it however depending on your ventilation you may be just fine running it wide open... or you can get a small child bedside one for like 20 bucks at walmart

Click to expand...

That sounds perfect! Thanks!!

GApeach said:

Honestly, I never thought they would all germ when I started, so I was pretty surprised to have all 12 going at the same time. Hmmm...maybe I'll just have to toss a few and keep the healthiest looking plants once they get going a bit more.

For the lighting, are they ready to go on 100% for 18/6 now being only an inch? Thought I needed to ease them onto the light.

Thanks guys

Click to expand...

yes what i did for first week was put lamp at 24" above canopy for first week after transplant. i took my seedlings at 1 week after popping and put them into 400w mh at 24" above till they looked healthy enough and strong enough to handle the full 400.

your humidity is fine..... and never over seventy....

How am I looking at about 2.5 weeks? I planted on FFOM so should they be ready for nutes? Plan on using Fox Farm Grow Big.

They look Awesome GA! One thing ive noticed when goin that small into the 5 gallon, for some reason they lag for a week or two. Next time (if you have issues) try going from your small cup to a 1 gallon then 3 then 5. The roots like to be able to eat the space up!