Hi ParceraoGrower!
I have just recently grown a Northern Lights Auto in a space bucket as well. I'll share some knowledge of what I have learned from doing this grow. This was my first grow attempt as well, and it came out quite well. Unfortunately, I have updated my Note 3 to Kit Kat 4.4.2 during class, and now my SD Card is not reading in any media devices (phone, tablet, sd adapter to pc), so I will have to write it down, until I get home in about 4 hours and post some pictures of my spacebucket setup.
With the ferts you have posted on your first page, it seems that you are using organic fertilizers. Later, you have written that you have bought the GH pH up and down kit. I have learned from our brothers and sisters on AFN is that that kit will damage the live organisms that's contained in your fertilizers. So I stopped using that kit and started using the
Earth Juice Natural Up and
Natural Down, with a
pretty good quality pH tester and a
solution to prevent the pH pen from drying out. It might seem quite expensive, but I assure you that you will get your monies worth out of it (I've used it every feeding and watering and the runoffs, ever since I've gotten it).
For placing the soil into your housing container, I have done mine a bit differently. I have used a homemade pot and placed soil in there, instead of placing the soil directly into the bucket. Pros: Easier to check when to water; and to check for pH runoff. Cons: Less room for the roots, so smaller plant; with modifications, it made the overall plant taller, so less height room for more grow.
I know that all spacebuckets are not the same, which makes things more interesting. However, how I have setup my spacebucket is by having one intake fan centered on the side of the bucket, and two exhaust fans on the lid, with a big hole in the center. I have used a
"Y" socket adapter,
light bulb socket to outlet adapter, and used two 23w 2700k CFLS. Then plugged into an extension cord to be able to adjust the height of the distance from bulbs to top of plant.
I have only used
Buddha Grow,
Buddha Bloom, and
Surge by Roots Organics, with
OF for soil, and
CaMg+ by General Organics (used every watering and feeding ever since I've bought it).
I have started the grow by only using just the 5 gallon bucket and lid until two-three weeks into flowering and then I have added the second layer to it until it was finished. It was small, but nonetheless, it was a successful grow and it came out absolutely beautiful, at 5 grams.
I do not want to come off as bragging, nor telling you what to do. And that this is how I have done it, so FWIW, I hope this helps out a bit.
I, as well as our other brothers and sisters on AFN, will try to help as best as we can.
I apologize for the long post. Here's a kitty to distract you from the long post.
