Growing my first ever white widows for under $150

Ok so im using 2 1/3 gallon clay pots to grow them in until decently sprouted then transfer to a 1 gallon clay pot. Already have a humidity/temperature electronic meter.

Seeds have yet to arrive but I am about to buy a 175watt MH Ballast and bulb and a 150watt HPS ballast and bulb for $100.

What would be the typical price of top quality fertilizer and nutrients I can get online or at Home Depot/Lowes?

Im totally new to this and will eventually buy growing books once I have all the materials but would also like some input about the ratio of nutrients in the soil/fertilizer for the vegetative state and forr the budding/flower state. I plan on keeping the Metal Halide lamps on the 2 plants for 20-24 hours a day then for 10-12 hours a day to stimulate budding/flowering.

Help me out guy!!

Brick Top said:

I am curious about a couple things. Why would you go from your 1/3 gallon pots into 1 gallon pots instead of larger pots and what will be the size of the largest pots you will be using?

As for top quality fertilizers, I have never seen them at Lowes or Home Depot so unless you have some plant specialty shop in reasonable driving distance I would suggest that you purchase your fertilizer online if you want the best.

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To do anything serious you'll want bigger lights and pots. But more power to ya, prove me wrong.
Someone showed me this site the other day, order over 85 bucks worth of Advanced Nutrients and the shipping is free, some of the premium grow nutes in the world.
http://www.globalgrow.com/

TheRuiner said:

To do anything serious you'll want bigger lights and pots. But more power to ya, prove me wrong.
Someone showed me this site the other day, order over 85 bucks worth of Advanced Nutrients and the shipping is free, some of the premium grow nutes in the world.
http://www.globalgrow.com/

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ya ill probably buy good online fertilizer. but all that stuff on that site looks way expsive except that 430wat HPS ballast for only 100$. id love to have that as my year round light source.

Brick Top said:

I am curious about a couple things. Why would you go from your 1/3 gallon pots into 1 gallon pots instead of larger pots and what will be the size of the largest pots you will be using?

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you mean why not just grow the plants in the largest pot and be done with it instead of transplanting? so if i make a mistake in the early growth i may be able to do a quick flush and transplant it to fresh soil and follow proper directions.

I'd say that the concept of a top quality fertilizer and it being available at Lowes or Home Depot are kind of mutually exclusive. If you want anything really worth using you'll have to upgrade your shopping location.

That Advanced Nutrients TheRuiner pointed out is good stuff, probably the best around.

hugetom80s said:

I'd say that the concept of a top quality fertilizer and it being available at Lowes or Home Depot are kind of mutually exclusive. If you want anything really worth using you'll have to upgrade your shopping location.

That Advanced Nutrients TheRuiner pointed out is good stuff, probably the best around.

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that is all for hydroponics. im growing in a closet with probably CFLs. I need a place to get good SOIL first. im dont have the money for a decent hydroponics system yet. what is some good soil just tell me that

FOXFARM OCEAN FOREST is my first choice...

Here's a good soil recipe - I've used it the last 3 times & it just keeps getting better.




1 Bale sterilized soil (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
4 cups bat guano
1 tsp fritted trace elements
4 cups kelp meal.
9kg (25 lbs) bag pure worm castings
- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before

Go to www.foxfarmfertilizer.com and they have a section that tells you the places around you that carry their products, just make sure you call the store first to make sure they have that soil. Also get rid of the clay pots because they hold the salt build up in the clay and cannot be flushed out of the pot easily, not good for your plants.

mrmz88 said:

that is all for hydroponics. im growing in a closet with probably CFLs. I need a place to get good SOIL first. im dont have the money for a decent hydroponics system yet. what is some good soil just tell me that

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Well you can use AN's stuff in soil just as easily as you can in hydroponics. There's no rule that says it won't work that way (the other way around is less true. Most soil nutes don't work as well in hydroponics.)

In fact, Advanced Nutrients actually recommends growing in Sunshine Mix #4 with their nutes.


I'm not saying you should go out and buy it or anything. I'm just saying that soil doesn't mean you can't.