Newbie needs expert help to get started..........

Whats up everyone,

Ive been reading and researching endless amounts of info on setting up a home garden and I have finally decided to get my feet wet. With that I have ordered some equipment and would love to get some feedback from the forum's experienced voices on my ideas and some opinions from the veterans on how they would proceed if presented with what I have to start.

Most of my planning ideas have come from the youtube video where the dude in blue coveralls and green skin does a 10 part tutorial on how to grow hydro. That was kind of my starting point and then I found some awesome grow journals here and there. I have a snowball of ideas, I'm sure you all know how it goes….but now I have all this shit at my feet and I need a course corrected before I start!

So I have two spaces. One is a long closet. 7'6" wide, 2'3" deep and 8' in height – almost 17 sq ft of floor space with an 8 ft ceiling.

The second is a 5' x 5' x 78" Mylar hydro grow tent. This is 25’ of floor space with 7’6” ceiling.

It was my original intention to use the closet as a flowering room and a smaller 2' x 3' closet as the germination/clones/veg and mother space. I had to go off this plan for reasons that would be just as boring for you to read as it would me to type so now im left to decide what to do with what space. This is the first piece of advice I need.

Perhaps explaining what hardware I have will help decide or dictate what space should be utilized for what purpose. I guess its possible that either space could be used for either purpose and if that is so, then fine, but then which one will be most suited for creating higher yields, be easier to work with etc……I guess would be my next questions. I'm getting ahead of myself and digress.

So here is what I have so far:

For the germination/clones/veg and mother room (whether that proves to be the closet or the tent):

1 x GrowBright 4 Foot 4 Lamp High Output T5 fitted with 4 Grow Spectrum Bulbs (6400K)

2 x GrowBright 4 Foot 2 Lamp High Output T5 fitted with 2 Grow Spectrum Bulbs (6400K)

2 x 12” oscillating fans

A top feeding drip system for starter plants/clones and mothers – all contained in a 2’ x 4’ x 8” flood table to start with. All seeds (and later clones) will be bedded first into 1” rockwool cubes then into 4” cubes.

For the Flowering room – when the time comes (again, undesignated between the closet and tent)

A 400W Galaxy Electronic ballast fitted with a 400W Eye Hortilux HPS full spectrum bulb

Sunsystem Yield Master II reflector with 6” inline cooling and glass installed

Active Air 6” – 400CFM in-line fan - dedicated to cooling the reflector only

1 x 6” x 16” Phresh Carbon filter to clean the flowering room. I have not yet purchased the fan (recommendations welcome).

2 x 12” oscillating fans – variable speed switches coming shortly

The only other consideration I have to make is that it would be sooo much easier to lock the smelly flouring room into the closet as opposed to the tent. For logistical reasons it would be far simpler for me to tap and route filtered and air conditioned supply air to the closet as opposed to the tent. It can be done either way for sure, but one is so much easier and more discreet than the other.

So that’s a longwinded account of where I am currently, equipment wise. If anyone can advise the following that would be great:

Veg room/flowering room: closet or tent and why (this would just help my general understanding)

Lastly, I have the following seed. All are feminized. I was thinking about 3 strains to start with. Since its my first venture I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. I figured I can just take clones of each of the 3 that I start (if they make it that far!) and keep practicing with those before committing to using the last 3. Could anyone recommend which of the following strains would be their recommendation for a newbie grower to attempt. Something forgiving possibly?

Sensi Seeds - Big Bud
Nirvana Seeds - Super Skunk
Nirvana Seeds - Master Kush
Barneys Farm -Vanilla Kush
Kannabia Seeds - La Blanca
Kannabia Seeds - Afrodite

Thank you so much in advance for any advice/guidance you may all have to offer. Feel free to tear up my plans as you see fit, I welcome constructive criticism. I would love to get this thing off the ground and grow some happy, healthy plants and perhaps contribute a worthy grow journal into the archives.

Best

BS90404

Hey bro. Nice to see u did your research first. The only thing i would challenge in your flowering setup is the 400w Hid.a 5'x5' space is a bit large for that lamp . You will only be putting out 16 w per sq ft. Were myself and many others shoot for at least 50w per sq ft I'm afraid you will not get the max potential out of your space. A 400 w is designed for a space of about 2.5'x2.5'. Not that you wouldn't be able to grow some potent sticks but your yield and bud density will suffer. Maybe add another 400 in there . That would help a ton.

Yes your wattage can be expressed by being squared, marijuana is a high energy plant it will thrive in 25-40 watt's per square foot so 400watts / 40watts per foot = the square footage you can illuminate with your light wich is a 2x3 space typical closet. 400watts are perfect for closet cultivation, which is good for outdoor growers who clone there moms in the closet for outdoors. with a 2x3 closet and some perfect timing you can get up to 500 clones if you germinate in december. butt you can clone off your moms in the closet and putt them under your t5's in your 25'room. you'll still need a bigger light for flowering tho.

You also may want to get a fan speed controller. A 400cfm @ full blast is a beast. It also may give you trouble keeping temps up if temps outside of tent are low. I've got 2 600w HID's in a 4'x4'x6.5' tent with a 400cfm exhaust and without my controller my temps were in the 50's and suction pressure while tent was closed was insane. With the controller I can control temps in the tent anywhere from 55f - 83f. It's a great investment . Good luck bro!

shaney said:

Yes your wattage can be expressed by being squared, marijuana is a high energy plant it will thrive in 25-40 watt's per square foot so 400watts / 40watts per foot = the square footage you can illuminate with your light

Click to expand...

A 5'x5 space is 25 sq ft.. 400 w divided by 25sq ft gives you 16w per sq ft. Well below optimal.

By the way O.P I'm no expert, just a noob with to much time on his hands.