Looking to start a small grow

Amon1011 · Feb 17, 2017

Hows it going everyone? Been a while since I've been on and it feels good to be back. At the point where it hurts to not have a plant growing so need to get something going. Will be using a 2x2 open space and was wondering about a few quick questions and preferences for a small grow.
Soil or hydro? (I would assume soil for a 1 plant grow)
What kind of light works best in a small area?
Does it need to be closed in or can I get away with an open area?
Along with any other input is greatly appreciated.

Locked · Feb 17, 2017

Amon1011 said:
Hows it going everyone? Been a while since I've been on and it feels good to be back. At the point where it hurts to not have a plant growing so need to get something going. Will be using a 2x2 open space and was wondering about a few quick questions and preferences for a small grow.
Soil or hydro? (I would assume soil for a 1 plant grow)
What kind of light works best in a small area?
Does it need to be closed in or can I get away with an open area?
Along with any other input is greatly appreciated.

Soil or hydro? (I would assume soil for a 1 plant grow)
Either will work. I am a soil grower as I find it easier to deal with. A bit more margin for error.

What kind of light works best in a small area?
What size space are we talking about? The size of the space will determine how much light you need. Minimums are 3000 lumens in Veg and 5000 lumens in Flower, per square foot. I strive for 7500 in Flower.

Does it need to be closed in or can I get away with an open area?
You will need to provide total and uninterrupted darkness. So a closed space is needed. I prefer to use tents, but a closet could work so long as it is well ventilated.

Lesso · Feb 17, 2017

If you have a light tight room where your 2x2 is then you dont need a tent....but i prefer a tent. A decent led is all you need....a 400 watt switchable hps\mh light may be cheaper. I would suggest a soil grow for now. Also make sure you have a fan for airflow.

The Hemp Goddess · Feb 18, 2017

I would suggest that your first move should be to do some reading. Growing can be complicated. There is far more to it than simply throwing a seed in dirt. Flowering will require a totally 100% absolutely no light at all space....that also has to be ventilated.

Like Lesso, I would recommend a tent. They come in a variety of sizes. If at all possible, I would try and go a bit larger than 2 x 2 and grow more than 1 plant. Cannabis can be finicky and it is kind of scary to put all your eggs in one basket.

Hamster Lewis is running some inexpensive LEDs that he is happy with. You might check out his threads. Or, a 400W HPS with a cool tube is a bit over $100. Your yield is directly tied to your lighting, so get good lighting. Inexpensive weak lights will produce sparse airy low weight buds. Quality strong lights will produce hard nuggy tight buds.

Do some reading, decide how much space and money you have for this project, make a list, run it by the people here before you buy.

zem · Feb 18, 2017

if you will only ever work with 2x2 then 250w hps can suffice for the area but that might very well be upscaled and will require bigger light to meet your demand, so I advise anyone who wants to grow to ask themselves how much they consume or want to consume, like any productive operation, you plan according to your target. If you want a personal stash i would say 600whps + or its equivalent in LED lumens for regular users

Bongofury · Feb 18, 2017

Why not grow an Auto in your open space. Use a 2'X2' 8 bulb T-5 fluro with temporary reflective material set in place that can be removed for watering. Need a small fan too. Keep the light on 24-7 so no need for complete darkness.

I did this with a 2'X4' open area with a 2'X4' 8 bulb T-5 fluro with 2 Auto plants and it worked better than I ever thought it would. Just sayin'.

Green Mojo...

Amon1011 · Feb 18, 2017

Thank you for the responses. I am most likely going to go with soil as it will only be one plant. @bongofury that's what I would be looking to do for veg. I have a 400w but it seems like it would be too much for the corner of a hallway. Does anyone have experience with the leds and running them in a 24/7 cycle.

Rosebud · Feb 18, 2017

I don't run 24 hours anymore but lots of people do. I do 18/6 for veg now. I use LED.

Bongofury · Feb 18, 2017

I'm sayin' grow an automatic plant. Use your 400 watt HPS? stick the pot in the corner and start growing. Choose which lighting schedule that suits you 24/7, 18/6 Whatever. If you have white walls great, lean some reflective material on the other 2 sides and stick a small desk fan in there.

It would at least give you an inexpensive area to grow until you set something up to grow photo period plants inside. Green Mojo. I did it, it works :headbang2:

If your not in a hurry and have the ready cash, then by all means get the proper equipment to grow a photo period plant and listen to the good people on MP.

Locked · Feb 18, 2017

Bongofury said:
I'm sayin' grow an automatic plant. Use your 400 watt HPS? stick the pot in the corner and start growing. Choose which lighting schedule that suits you 24/7, 18/6 Whatever. If you have white walls great, lean some reflective material on the other 2 sides and stick a small desk fan in there.

It would at least give you an inexpensive area to grow until you set something up to grow photo period plants inside. Green Mojo. I did it, it works :headbang2:

If your not in a hurry and have the ready cash, then by all means get the proper equipment to grow a photo period plant and listen to the good people on MP.

:yeahthat:

Makes the most sense by far. At least you would be on your way to some smoke while you gather what you need to become more sustainable and get better smoke.

zem · Feb 19, 2017

Hamster Lewis said:
:yeahthat:

Makes the most sense by far. At least you would be on your way to some smoke while you gather what you need to become more sustainable and get better smoke.

:yeahthat:2 can also paint cheap white paint, need an exhaust fan, i would definitely grab a timer and seeds with regular non autos and start with the 400 since you have it, yes it works.

The Hemp Goddess · Feb 19, 2017

While autos sound good, remember that they must be kept virtually stress free or yield will suffer greatly. I have never ever had an auto that was worth the time, money, and energy to grow it.

Amon1011 · Feb 21, 2017

So after careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that the extra investment is necessary and worth it:48:. I am getting a 2x3 tent and 90 watt LED light. My original grow was 10 years ago and I used Fluorescent to HPS. For some reason the LED lights seem intriguing.Now only have to decide on soil or hydro? In a 2x3 tent I figure you can have either 2 or 3 medium plants.

Kraven · Feb 21, 2017

I'm reading and learning

Hushpuppy · Feb 22, 2017

Soil versus hydro is more a matter of personal likes and dislikes. There are good and bad things about both methods. Generally if you are working in a small space, I would say go with Organic soil. With the commercially available organic nutrients today, it is easy to do well without having to know a lot about the feeding function of the plants.

With hydro it becomes more "involved". Hydro requires a person who loves to tinker with their toys. It is an excellent method for thriving plants; but it takes a lot more understanding of how plants take in nutrients, and how pH affects everything. This method will eventually turn you into a bit of a chemist.

If you are the type of person who just likes to "water and watch" then soil will be a better method(even though organics can get quite involved as well if you are interested).

zem · Feb 22, 2017

Amon1011 said:
So after careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that the extra investment is necessary and worth it:48:. I am getting a 2x3 tent and 90 watt LED light. My original grow was 10 years ago and I used Fluorescent to HPS. For some reason the LED lights seem intriguing.Now only have to decide on soil or hydro? In a 2x3 tent I figure you can have either 2 or 3 medium plants.

In your case, i would get the best soil with perlite and handwater. hydro requires equipment that you can't go without, like ec ph meters pumps timers, as well as knowledge and research. for a small grow, it would be way easier to just change soil and water. I am hydro myself all the way, but i have a different bigger setup that makes it worth it

Dan789 · Feb 23, 2017

Amon1011 said:
So after careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that the extra investment is necessary and worth it:48:. I am getting a 2x3 tent and 90 watt LED light. My original grow was 10 years ago and I used Fluorescent to HPS. For some reason the LED lights seem intriguing.Now only have to decide on soil or hydro? In a 2x3 tent I figure you can have either 2 or 3 medium plants.

Amon1011, lots of info in the group, lots of different lights take a look. Good luck.

The Hemp Goddess · Feb 23, 2017

I don't think that a 90W LED is going to be nearly enough for a 2 x 3 tent. Just to give you an idea, I am running a 768W (360 draw) in a closet that is 24" x 40", just a bit larger than your 2 x 3 and it is not too much light by an means.

Beware the hype--there are still a lot of LED msnufacturers and retailers that are overhyping (basically lying) about what their lights will cover.

zem · Feb 23, 2017

The Hemp Goddess said:
I don't think that a 90W LED is going to be nearly enough for a 2 x 3 tent. Just to give you an idea, I am running a 768W (360 draw) in a closet that is 24" x 40", just a bit larger than your 2 x 3 and it is not too much light by an means.

Beware the hype--there are still a lot of LED msnufacturers and retailers that are overhyping (basically lying) about what their lights will cover.

THG this sounds like a draw that is from hps, i thought LED can give like double the efficiency?

Ketel · Mar 11, 2017

I have a 4'x2' space with 4 autoflowers. I could have added 2 more plants easy. I have a LED 380 watts from wall, and I just switched lights from 20/4 to 24 on. I'm starting my 6th week and this set up is working well for me. I am using quality soil and FoxxFarms nutes.
Best of luck and let us know when you post your grow !!

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