Where to start?

[smoketastic]

I'm pretty new to the site. I've decided to attempt growing my own, but I'm so overwhelmed with all the information out there. I don't really know where to begin.

Right now I've got one plant outdoors, but I'm not sure it's going to make it, and I'm a little worried about helicopter flyovers because I live in an illegal state. I think I want to go another route.

I just moved into a new house, so now I'm considering a stealth indoor grow. I live alone, although people (including my parents) are here often. So stealth and low/no odor is very important. I don't care about huge yields. I'll only be growing for myself, so 1-2 ounces a month would be plenty. I'm thinking about growing in my master walk-in closet. If I were to do this, though, would I have to cut a hole in my floor for ventilation? Is that necessary? It kind of scares me to be to be cutting big holes in my floor. (It's a new double-wide mobile home. No attic or basement.)

I would like to spend no more than $500 on everything, but even less is better. Do any of you have suggestions on where I should begin? I thought about buying an all-in-one grow kit that comes with the lights/filters/etc., but from everything I've read, most people recommend building my own. And even though I'm not real good at construction projects, I may go that route. So, any good links/videos/tutorials that I should check out?

 

[Flagg420]

I grow/live in a trailer, the hole in the floor thing works great, the perma-shade under the trailer leads to cooler air yr round, in winter, reverse the flow, and ur pipes never freeze

Cooling/odor control will be the biggest concerns. (Possibly noise if ppl are nosy, but get a 5gal fish tank, let the air pump n filter drown it out)

Biggest thing, KEEP IT SIMPLE. Always.

Get complicated after 3-4 grows.

If u wanna save money, yields aren't a concern, and size will remain small..... I'd go with autoflowering plants.

germ seed in cup of water 24hrs, drop it into its dirt pot (I use happy frog) (only one pot, use biggest ur planning to, no transplants with auto) let the lights run 20-24hrs a day, the whole way thru.

(This cuts lighting costs down skipping the veg room entirely)

Auto's will take a light feeding/watering, every few days, prefer drier soil tho.

Any basic grow/bloom nutes will work for ya (again, about 1/4str, and not til the 2nd or 3rd week)

If ur running unfiltered city water, let it sit for a few days first, lets the chlorine die off, if ur using RO water, add cal/mg+ to the nutes ur using.

Above all follow the "KISS" system for the first few grows.... Keep It Simple Stupid. After a successful grow, start round 2 and learn Low Stress Training.

(Auto's also have the bonus that they go from seed to harvest in like 60-70 days total, drawback is they never get huge.)

 

[Flagg420]

I amazon almost all my gear, Id get the light kit together, and probable a filter/inline fan combo (in line fan, not in line booster, theres sum scammers out there)... them are generally the best cost effective combo's

 

[smoketastic]

Thanks, Flagg. I have been considering autos for my first grow. I think they're more in line with what I'm wanting to do as a beginner.

 

[bl4ze:20]

MY starting Specs:

Soil: Pro - Mix Bx w/ mycorise ($60 for 3.8 cubic foot bale)

Nutrients: Advanced Nutrients (Sensi Grow A&B + Sensi Bloom A&B + Bud Blood 0-39-25 + B52 + Bud Candy)

Fans: I started with 240 cfm inline fans but when i upgraded to metal halides and hps bulbs temperatures became and issue so i upgraded to 440 cfm blowers w/ floor mounts. Also if odor is an issue (for me it isn't because of my setup) then you're gonna want to invest in some carbon filters to go with your 440 cfm blowers. most grow tents make a specific spot for you to put your blower / filter combo.

Lights: 250w CFLs for 1 grow then i upgraded to 600w HPS / Metal Halide combo. i now use my 250w cfls for clones now

Seeds: At first i just used dank seeds i had been saving from random bags i bought from my dudes. Now i order them from TSSC i would recommend TSSC in a heartbeat (The single seed centre)

Within your first / second grows you will most likely find out what works for you, i highly recommend getting "The Marijuana Growers Bible" By Jorge Cervantes . It's a great read for anyone interested in the topic.

Go with a grow tent. if you go with a generic brand you can get a 60" x 48" x 24" for $80 and it does its job, keeps the lights from glaring out your windows. I upgraded to a 10 foot x 5 foot x 6 foot 8 inch tent during my current grow for obvious reasons.

I suggest starting with soil as i find it very easy to maintain compared to DWC / hydroponics.

If you dont wanna use an hps / metal halide because of high light intensity / electric bills, go with LED's. They are a little more expensive but for the cost of living you save in the electricity its worth it and they get much higher yields than CFL's if used properly. An advantage to CFL's is you can have them much closer to your plants than any other light, but they have there down sides too. (big time)

within 2-3 grows i recommend trying a scrog (I'm currently trying a scrog for this grow -- my first scrog ever) Scrog = Screen of Green. there are multiple Scrogging guides on this website just look around for one. they go into heavy detail.

Watch youtube videos for in depth tutorials if your a hands on learner like i am, i have trouble reading about stuff i have to see it for myself or do it myself.

Hope this helps. Goodluck to you. im gonna follow you to see what comes of your grow(s).

Remember when in doubt always post pictures here and ask for help, its better than ruining your first grow and discouraging yourself from attempting another. I would highly recommend saving the money to start with Pro-Mix , Advanced Nutes, and LED's / HPS - MH Combo. Its worth the cost when you look at the difference in yield. Unless of course you can successfully grow outdoors, nothing beats real sunlight and you will never get the yield from indoor that you would from outdoor. (Personal opinion from experience seeing some monster outdoor christmas trees)

 

[grorite]

MY starting Specs:

Soil: Pro - Mix Bx w/ mycorise ($60 for 3.8 cubic foot bale)

Nutrients: Advanced Nutrients (Sensi Grow A&B + Sensi Bloom A&B + Bud Blood 0-39-25 + B52 + Bud Candy)

Fans: I started with 240 cfm inline fans but when i upgraded to metal halides and hps bulbs temperatures became and issue so i upgraded to 440 cfm blowers w/ floor mounts. Also if odor is an issue (for me it isn't because of my setup) then you're gonna want to invest in some carbon filters to go with your 440 cfm blowers. most grow tents make a specific spot for you to put your blower / filter combo.

Lights: 250w CFLs for 1 grow then i upgraded to 600w HPS / Metal Halide combo. i now use my 250w cfls for clones now

Seeds: At first i just used dank seeds i had been saving from random bags i bought from my dudes. Now i order them from TSSC i would recommend TSSC in a heartbeat (The single seed centre)

Within your first / second grows you will most likely find out what works for you, i highly recommend getting "The Marijuana Growers Bible" By Jorge Cervantes . It's a great read for anyone interested in the topic.

Go with a grow tent. if you go with a generic brand you can get a 60" x 48" x 24" for $80 and it does its job, keeps the lights from glaring out your windows. I upgraded to a 10 foot x 5 foot x 6 foot 8 inch tent during my current grow for obvious reasons.

I suggest starting with soil as i find it very easy to maintain compared to DWC / hydroponics.

If you dont wanna use an hps / metal halide because of high light intensity / electric bills, go with LED's. They are a little more expensive but for the cost of living you save in the electricity its worth it and they get much higher yields than CFL's if used properly. An advantage to CFL's is you can have them much closer to your plants than any other light, but they have there down sides too. (big time)

within 2-3 grows i recommend trying a scrog (I'm currently trying a scrog for this grow -- my first scrog ever) Scrog = Screen of Green. there are multiple Scrogging guides on this website just look around for one. they go into heavy detail.

Watch youtube videos for in depth tutorials if your a hands on learner like i am, i have trouble reading about stuff i have to see it for myself or do it myself.

Hope this helps. Goodluck to you. im gonna follow you to see what comes of your grow(s).

Remember when in doubt always post pictures here and ask for help, its better than ruining your first grow and discouraging yourself from attempting another. I would highly recommend saving the money to start with Pro-Mix , Advanced Nutes, and LED's / HPS - MH Combo. Its worth the cost when you look at the difference in yield. Unless of course you can successfully grow outdoors, nothing beats real sunlight and you will never get the yield from indoor that you would from outdoor. (Personal opinion from experience seeing some monster outdoor christmas trees)

60 for a 3.8 cf bail of PM BX? i pay 18 for that locally do you order it online? your getting ripped

 

[bl4ze:20]

yep i order online, the local grow shop is a few towns away and it cost about $10-15 more so meh. i dont mind truthfully.

 

[bl4ze:20]

everything i buy (growing wise) i get online, just because i get paranoid driving miles away and coming back home with shit in the car. it sketches me out im always freaking out so i avoid situations like that, to each is own, i dont mind spending a little extra to avoid leaving town to buy it. Truthfully the local grow shop waxey taxes my ass hard anyways plus i drive a Camaro RS w/ a 305 in it so gas isnt cheap especially when ur driving 20+ miles.

 

[moving_shadow]

lol, I drive a 300wkw (400bhp) 2.0l 16v car, I have the exact same problem with fuel consumption but its loads of fun

as for the OP's budget, I've built my HID system for just over $200, I have to still buy a carbon filter but its not required at this stage, so $500 is very doable.

 

[smoketastic]

Well, I'm checking back in. I appreciate all the advice so far. I've been reading and watching videos whenever I get a chance, but like all newbies, I still have a million questions.

I ended up buying a small cabinet for my master bedroom. I'm going to buy a small 5 or 10 gallon aquarium to put on top of it to hopefully disguise any noises that might come from fans. I've attached a picture. The growing space is about 27" tall, 30" wide, and 18" deep. Hopefully big enough to grow a couple plants at a time, which is what I plan on doing. I've also purchased some mylar to cover the inside. For my budget, I've decided to start with CFL lights.

I've also ordered seeds from Attitude a few days ago. I wanted some low-odor strains that are good for beginners. I finally decided on some Fem Blue Dream (HSO), Fem KC Brains Northern Lights, & a Fem indoor mix. And I got a few freebies including Fem UFO Sweet Seeds Green Poison, Fem UFO Auto Black Jack, Fem HSO Master Kush, Fem HSO Lemon Kush Headband, HSO 707 Headband, and a Fem White Grapefruit. I've never tried any of these strains. Here's hoping they work in my small setup.

Can any of you point me in the right direction for fans and filters? (maybe an Amazon link for what I might need?) I'm going to try to keep it under $150 for the fan/filter combo if I can. But since I'm planning on just pushing the air out into my bedroom, if I need to spend a little more upfront to keep the odor down, I will.
Do I need fans to pull air in? Or will drilling some holes at the bottom of the cabinet work?

 

[Bricksquad2625]

craigslist, but bring a gun

 

[urgod]

check out my grow journal on my closet setup.

$140 400w light (ballast, reflector, bulb, ratchets) from amazon
$120 fan and carbon filter from amazon
6" ducting - $20
grow tent - $70 optional from amazon (or you canuse white paint for panda film, its cheaper)

then you can pick between hydro or soil. you can make a DIY DWC bucket for $30
or you can go soil which is even cheaper... or hempy bucket if you wanna do hydro.

hydro nutes runs me like $25... GH Micro and Grow.

all under 500... assuming u already have a clone or seeds. otherwise be prepared to dish out another $100