I've been lurking here for a while reading all I can in preparation for my first grow. I've been inspired by Dr. BudGreenGenes and Bud for Less. So I hope to use a combination of the two approaches to make my first grow successful. I hope members here will also provide input to this end.
I spent a bit over $200 to get this project off the ground and the items are listed below. Some items I had around the house, most I had to buy. The goal was to spend as little as possible.
2 clip lights 19
3 42 watt 6500k 34.71
1 24 watt 2700K 0
5 42 watts 2700k 22.58
2 Nutes 22.98
1 PH soil tester 10.59
1 snips 9.97
2 Y socket 6.03
3 A sockets 6.27
1 25' Ext. cord 7.47
1 Timer 10.97
1 Soil 9.27
1 Perlite 3.97
2 of 3 Power Strip 6.54
1 Spray Bottle 0
1 Reflectives 0
5 Blue Mystic seeds from Nirvana 44.50
Total 213.35
The Grow Box
The grow box consists of a veg (left) and flower section (right). The flower section is 15.5" D x 29.5" W x 30.5" H = 3.2 Sq Ft. The Veg section is the same except it's 16.5" W = 1.8 Sq Ft.
The wooden frame supports the back and sides which are made of thick card board covered with the inside of helium (mylar?) ballons and a windshield visor. Shiny duct tape is used to tape down everything - it's the kind of tape you put on ducts to cover holes and it's very sticky and a bit rigid like aluminum foil.
There is a gap running across the cabinet of about 2 or 3 inches at the bottom and at the top for ventilation. Light escaping is not a big concern. It is located in a basement area that is seldom used by anyone but me. But I am trying to cut down the amount of light that is visible, however.
I'm hoping the cardboard does not pose a fire hazard. I had the lights on for a few hours and the area closest to a bulb was not hot and the temperature was 79 degrees F at 3 inches below the bulbs, and 36% humidity. The basement is 60 degrees F right now during winter so the temperature jump is huge +19 degrees near the bulbs. It gets to be 68 or so during the summer so I can expect it to be 87-89 degrees in the summer. Is this too hot?
The Lights
I am able to lower and raise the lights using the mechanism in the above pictures. The duct tape is 3 ply so it should be strong enough to hold the weight of 'chanelier'. I use a clamp to hold it up.
Veg: 2 x 42 W 6500k 1600 Lumens each. At 1.8 sq. ft, it's 2888 Lumens/Sq. Ft.
I plan to have 1 mother plant and some clones until they take root on 24 hrs of light or 18/6, haven't decided. And then off to flowering they go. Is this enough light? I have 3 42W bulbs if necessary.
Flower: 5 x 42 W 2700K 2600 Lumens each. At 3.2 sq. ft, it's 4062 Lumens/Sq. Ft.
I plan to have a dozen 20 oz bottles with clones, hopefully growing budcicles. Is this enough? Should I add another 23 Watt warm white?
Soil
I plan to use Miracle Grow regular potting soil. I'll mix it with 25% MG Perlite. The potting soil says no feeding needed for 6 months. I'm wondering if it will be too strong for the seedlings. Everyone else mentions that it's 3 months of no feeding on the package.
Nutes
I bought the nutes before I read Buds for Less where he doesn't use any nutes for the entire 60 day grow. Just MG soil. So now I have Jack's Classic Blossom Booster 10-30-20 and Jack's All Purpose 20-20-20. I'm wondering if I should try to give some nutes during flowering cycle (when I start flowering at 16 days or so per Buds for Less). Or I might just water the plants without nutes and see how that goes (so I won't be doing the submerging thing Dr. Bud does).
PH Tester
Bud for Less is big on PH, so I got a soil tester. But I don't have one for water. I'm hoping I can just check the soil regularly and adjust the water one way or another to bring the PH close to 6.5. I'll be using vinegar and baking soda to do this. I know I know.
Seeds
I am waiting on the seed to get started. I ordered the Blue Mystic seeds from Nirvana and it's been 7 days since it was shipped (Friday). I'm going with this because it supposedly smells the least during flowering - stealth effect. I'm wondering if BM strain can be harvested within 60-65 days per Buds for Less time line if I put to 12/12 from days 16 or so.
In the meantime, I've been trying to germinate from bag seed I've had in a bag in my drawer for almost 3 years. It was good stuff. I'm using the paper towel method but 3 seeds (which I thought was the strongest) have not germinated for the past
8 days. A second batch I soaked in water (they floated 24 hrs later so I pushed them down and they sank). I put these 10 seeds in the paper towel. Nothing is sprouting. Thinking it's the temperature, I've put them all above my duct where it's very warm. I 'think' I see something between the crack, but can't say for sure. The second set of seed has been germinating for 3 days.
Strategy
The plan is to germinate 3 BM seeds. Put them to flower around day 16 from seedling (approx 4.5 inches tall). At day 24 or so I'll take some cuttings, maybe 1 from each. And take some cuttings from these 3 clones at day 24 and so on.
Eventually, hopefully, I'll be harvesting 3 plants in 60 days or so.
And another 3 plants 24 days later, and so on. One of these plants will have to become a mom so I'll have to do that sometime. Once I do that, I can create many more clones than the 3 or so from the initial grow. Not sure of anything really, but that's the plan. If I can get an ounce out of the 3 plants in 8 weeks, I'll be happy. I don't want to have to wait too long - I'm dry until then. 
And I won't have too much time for anything after June.
Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments. I'll post more once I have something.
I spent a bit over $200 to get this project off the ground and the items are listed below. Some items I had around the house, most I had to buy. The goal was to spend as little as possible.
2 clip lights 19
3 42 watt 6500k 34.71
1 24 watt 2700K 0
5 42 watts 2700k 22.58
2 Nutes 22.98
1 PH soil tester 10.59
1 snips 9.97
2 Y socket 6.03
3 A sockets 6.27
1 25' Ext. cord 7.47
1 Timer 10.97
1 Soil 9.27
1 Perlite 3.97
2 of 3 Power Strip 6.54
1 Spray Bottle 0
1 Reflectives 0
5 Blue Mystic seeds from Nirvana 44.50
Total 213.35
The Grow Box
The grow box consists of a veg (left) and flower section (right). The flower section is 15.5" D x 29.5" W x 30.5" H = 3.2 Sq Ft. The Veg section is the same except it's 16.5" W = 1.8 Sq Ft.
The wooden frame supports the back and sides which are made of thick card board covered with the inside of helium (mylar?) ballons and a windshield visor. Shiny duct tape is used to tape down everything - it's the kind of tape you put on ducts to cover holes and it's very sticky and a bit rigid like aluminum foil.
There is a gap running across the cabinet of about 2 or 3 inches at the bottom and at the top for ventilation. Light escaping is not a big concern. It is located in a basement area that is seldom used by anyone but me. But I am trying to cut down the amount of light that is visible, however.
I'm hoping the cardboard does not pose a fire hazard. I had the lights on for a few hours and the area closest to a bulb was not hot and the temperature was 79 degrees F at 3 inches below the bulbs, and 36% humidity. The basement is 60 degrees F right now during winter so the temperature jump is huge +19 degrees near the bulbs. It gets to be 68 or so during the summer so I can expect it to be 87-89 degrees in the summer. Is this too hot?
The Lights
I am able to lower and raise the lights using the mechanism in the above pictures. The duct tape is 3 ply so it should be strong enough to hold the weight of 'chanelier'. I use a clamp to hold it up.
Veg: 2 x 42 W 6500k 1600 Lumens each. At 1.8 sq. ft, it's 2888 Lumens/Sq. Ft.
I plan to have 1 mother plant and some clones until they take root on 24 hrs of light or 18/6, haven't decided. And then off to flowering they go. Is this enough light? I have 3 42W bulbs if necessary.
Flower: 5 x 42 W 2700K 2600 Lumens each. At 3.2 sq. ft, it's 4062 Lumens/Sq. Ft.
I plan to have a dozen 20 oz bottles with clones, hopefully growing budcicles. Is this enough? Should I add another 23 Watt warm white?
Soil
I plan to use Miracle Grow regular potting soil. I'll mix it with 25% MG Perlite. The potting soil says no feeding needed for 6 months. I'm wondering if it will be too strong for the seedlings. Everyone else mentions that it's 3 months of no feeding on the package.
Nutes
I bought the nutes before I read Buds for Less where he doesn't use any nutes for the entire 60 day grow. Just MG soil. So now I have Jack's Classic Blossom Booster 10-30-20 and Jack's All Purpose 20-20-20. I'm wondering if I should try to give some nutes during flowering cycle (when I start flowering at 16 days or so per Buds for Less). Or I might just water the plants without nutes and see how that goes (so I won't be doing the submerging thing Dr. Bud does).
PH Tester
Bud for Less is big on PH, so I got a soil tester. But I don't have one for water. I'm hoping I can just check the soil regularly and adjust the water one way or another to bring the PH close to 6.5. I'll be using vinegar and baking soda to do this. I know I know.
Seeds
I am waiting on the seed to get started. I ordered the Blue Mystic seeds from Nirvana and it's been 7 days since it was shipped (Friday). I'm going with this because it supposedly smells the least during flowering - stealth effect. I'm wondering if BM strain can be harvested within 60-65 days per Buds for Less time line if I put to 12/12 from days 16 or so.
In the meantime, I've been trying to germinate from bag seed I've had in a bag in my drawer for almost 3 years. It was good stuff. I'm using the paper towel method but 3 seeds (which I thought was the strongest) have not germinated for the past
8 days. A second batch I soaked in water (they floated 24 hrs later so I pushed them down and they sank). I put these 10 seeds in the paper towel. Nothing is sprouting. Thinking it's the temperature, I've put them all above my duct where it's very warm. I 'think' I see something between the crack, but can't say for sure. The second set of seed has been germinating for 3 days.
Strategy
The plan is to germinate 3 BM seeds. Put them to flower around day 16 from seedling (approx 4.5 inches tall). At day 24 or so I'll take some cuttings, maybe 1 from each. And take some cuttings from these 3 clones at day 24 and so on.
Eventually, hopefully, I'll be harvesting 3 plants in 60 days or so.
And another 3 plants 24 days later, and so on. One of these plants will have to become a mom so I'll have to do that sometime. Once I do that, I can create many more clones than the 3 or so from the initial grow. Not sure of anything really, but that's the plan. If I can get an ounce out of the 3 plants in 8 weeks, I'll be happy. I don't want to have to wait too long - I'm dry until then. And I won't have too much time for anything after June. Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments. I'll post more once I have something.
and I'll stick around till harvest, the grow and boxes look promising 
sure you'll get some really nice buds with that amount of light.
