Live Stoner Chat 1st time grower, WWidow, tent/soil....

[GaGu]

Hi all, thanks for all the great info on AFN without it I wouldn't have even got this far!
I'm a 30 yr smoker giving this self sufficiency (in weed) a long overdue go.

Anyhow, planning an auto white widow soil grow in a 1Msq 2M high tent in my garage. Some of the other parameters I guess will depend on the odd couple of queries I'm hoping you green fingered folks can help me with.

I'd pretty much decided - despite the price being a bit much for present circumstances - on purchasing the new Grow Northern LED, having seen some of the results they're delivering. However this morning checking my emails I noticed (courtesy of Amazon and their intrusive cookies) that Mars Hydro 240w units have had a 50% price cut, so I guess my first question is would any of you guys recommend I purchase a couple or three of these units instead of the single GN?

I'm kind of thinking 4 or 5 plants, the beans have germinated and shoots are starting to show (PTM/Root Riot) under an Aero Garden and I'm wondering what experienced growers think of these LED options, or whether supplementary lighting (and heating) will be required.

As a dweller of cold northern (UK) climes I did consider a 400/600w HPS reckoning that heat wouldn't be too excessive, perhaps even beneficial, given the cold ambient temperature (and drafty, frankly Baltic garage where the grow will be). Would an oil filled radiator (assuming growing with LED) be good enough to keep temps high enough? I will be adding fans etc as and when required too.

I did almost get carried away and thought about attempting to mix a supersoil (after reading some guru on here..... Yeah, I had been toking heavily) but finally plumped on Plagron Light thanks to TaNg and his easy auto schedule which I'm planning on following. Learning to run before trying to jump seemed much easier in a clear headed moment, I'll leave worm farms etc for a later date!!
Thanks

 

[epenguin]

Hey GaGu,

great to see a smoker going the DIY route. Good for you ! And you did an intro and said Hello. Top stuff. You chose a decent strain to start with and all should be well.

Do start a journal with lots of pictures and together we will get to a fat old harvest you can be proud of. Grow and share. The AFN way. Keep posting chum, eP.

 

[GaGu]

Thanks penguin, I'm planning on a journal for sure (need all the help I can get most probably!). Would I continue that in this thread here or in another part of the site?

Just finished reading the outdoor journal in your sig, some great patter, like your style man.
Shame on the tw@s who robbed it! Glad to see you still managed a harvest - albeit a perhaps more manageable scale - this summer gone.

And silly me, for getting second thoughts on the MarsHydro LED @ £90 from Amazon, they're even cheaper (£75) direct from MH, doh!!
Might just get 2 of em as the missus isn't keen on me spending most of our disposable on the GN....though she'll be happy enough once the harvest is in I'm sure.
Ho hum, decisions decisions (maybe i should make my mind up before partaking in our favourite "product" as for some reason it tends to make me even more indecisive).

All the best

 

[Fuggzy]

Hiya GaGu, and grats on the self sufficiency. I recently started growing for that reason too, and fell in love fast. I hope you do it, it is the cheapest therapy money can buy. Even before my 1st harvest my wife was like "damn, you seem happy".

LEDs are awesome imo. I live in FL so heat is something I never worry about not having. I have a diy led, and it runs really cool compared to ambient temps. 3-7 degrees pending the day. So in your case having heat when its cold might benefit you.

I grow some in my garage too. Biggest tip I can offer on that is make sure the smells are taken care of. Get a good carbon filter, and a good in line fan. Don't skimp on the exhaust, it could be the difference of growing buds or REALLY bad shit I just won't say.... Happy thought here! Nosy neighbors are something we don't want to attract.

If you ever get the chance to make your own soil I'd say go for it. Do the worms too. They are actually REALLY easy. For me with going organic, the more I can touch, and make. The more I love my soil, and hopefully the more it will love me back. Hippy thoughts I guess, but thats how I roll.

Oh yeah... I have some white widow crossed autos I can't wait to grow. Make a journal, I'll have a gander at it.
Now lets have a spliff.

 

[A-Train]

Welcome to AFN the finest Autoflowering Cannabis on the web, and by far the best group of folks around. Don't forget to check out our photography sections for both photosensitive and autoflower cannabis. Feel free to post as many shots of you ladies there along the way and if ya need some tips on taking better pics we have that covered as well. Don't forget to join in and vote or nominate your fellow growers in our monthly BOM/POM contest. Theres also a showcase for thos beautiful buds or plants that fell just shy of making the contest and packed full of some. Ice bud porn to check out.....Here's a few links to help you find your way.... enjoy.....

Plant and bud of the month conpetition
https://www.autoflower.org/index.php?forums/autoflower-bom-pom-competition.210/
Photography tips and tricks thread
https://www.autoflower.org/index.php?threads/taking-bom-pom-worthy-pics-101.46281/
Beautiful bud and plant showcase...
https://www.autoflower.org/t...ht-lets-se-that-eye-candy-folks.40674/page-43

 

[pyrokev]

TO AFN BRO

 

[GaGu]

Thanks for all the good wishes.
Bit the bullet and have purchased the GN LED, the seedlings seem to be thriving under the aero garden, all 5 hatched tho 2 are well behind the rest. I really only tried 5 beans thinking I wouldn't have much success (being a noob) might have to cull a couple at this rate! Can't complain about early success tho eh?

Hoping the new led comes tomorrow as I'm beginning to see some roots peeping out of the root riot cubes, most of the rest of my new kit has either arrived (RH/thermo etc) or due tomorrow (airpots). Once it all gets moved into the garage tent I'll start a proper grow journal and update my sig to provide a link.

I'm so excited to finally be going greennnnnnn..... I've only just popped my first seeds and I can already see a future where I'm totally self sufficient, worm farms, perhaps a greenhouse and I even noticed lots of seaweed on the beach this morning walking me dog! Not sure it was the right type tho I did see one lady bagging some up, but I'm getting ahead of myself a tad eh. Anyways, I'd better get on and do some wiring or I'm not gonna have any juice to hook it all up to!
Thanks again to everyone, the community and knowledge base is actually inspiring.