New Grower Lights???

[P.O.D]

New to this so any suggestions or ideas much appreciated

My first grow should be in the next couple days, only need lights and I should be sorted. I was hoping to use 400w MH for seedling/veg stage and then 400w HPS for the flowering stage. . . But lately i've been reading alot about growers using CFL's during seedling and early veg. . .

It's cost me alot so far so just wondering would I need the CFL's or would everything run smoothly with the MH bulb from the start??? I've given up checking the Internet because there is too many different methods so just wondering has anyone got good results without CFL's?

Also I'll be growing 4 Autoblueberry and was hoping the 400watt will do the job??

Totally new to this and any info or tips on growing will be VERY helpful, thanks

 

[Muddy]

Welcome to AFN and to the New Growers forum. A 400 watt MH is fine for vegging plants. While CFLs do give good results I would just use the MH since you already have the fixture and bulb. Really no need to spend the extra money on CFLs. A 400 watt MH/HPS light is big enough to cover about 12 sq. ft. of growing space, so more than enough for 4 plants. Tell us more about your setup. How big, what size pots, what soil, nutrients, ventilation, etc. The more you can tell us the better we can help you get off to a good start on your grow.

 

[P.O.D]

Thanks for the welcome

Space: I'm going to start with a (bigish) wardrobe 3ft wide x 2ft depth x 5ft height. I hope that's enough space it's all I have at the moment. Possibly want 3 or 4 plants to fit comfortably. Totally painted flat white and all the cracks are filled.

Lights: I have a 400w MH light, reflector and ballast on order for Friday. I'll get a HPS bulb as I get closer to flowering (if I get that far)

Pots: I have no idea what size pots I'll need, I learned Auto plants are only small in size but still want it to have the space it needs. I have "party" plastic see-through cups for seedlings as I read it's helpful to see the roots so they won't become root-bound.

Nutrients: Again I'm stumped, people say bottled water is good for Autoflowers for nutrients?? And the shop where my bits and piece's are coming from have a nutrient in a green bottle which says nothing more than "Autoflower Nutrients"??

Soil: Same shop sells "Grow Soil"??? And they said it can be used from start to finish and has all the nutrients I need for first 6 weeks supposedly??

Fan: Wardrobe has 2 big doors on front so was hoping them opening and closing once or twice a day would be enough. . Was gonna get a small fan maybe just to be cautious. Shop I'm getting light from said I won't need one??

Sorry for throwing so much out but I really have no idea what I'm doing and I want to do the best I can. Was gonna try avoid nutrients unless it's required. . Thanks for the advice on the lights Every bit of advice is a huge help. .

Also germinating seeds? There seems to be lots of different things to do and really want the most out of my Autoblueberry seeds
Thanks

 

[P.O.D]

I've read alot of threads on this forum and you all know what your talking about, thanks for any help. Hoping to get pictures up when I get started.
Keep on smokin

 

[P.O.D]

Lights have changed, I now have 250watt setup and I've also bought an extraction fan

 

[Muddy]

Glad to see you decided to go with a 250 watt light as it would have been near impossible to keep the heat from a 400 watt light under control in a small space like that. Even with the 250 you'll need good air flow to keep it from getting too hot.

Regarding pots, I would suggest you use something in the 2.5 - 3 gallon range. You will be able to easily fit up to 4 of them in that space. Ditch the clear cups and go with some red or blue ones. Best to shield the roots from direct light. Make sure the cups are at least 32 oz. Autos have a tap root and will do better in deeper cups. Take one cup and cut the bottom out of it, then take another an punch some drainage holes in the bottom. Place the one with the cut out bottom inside the one with the drainage holes. Fill it with soil and start your seeds in those. When it's time to move to the bigger pots, simply remove the outer cup and "plant" the other cup about 2/3 of the way down into the bigger pot. The roots will grow out the bottom of the cup and into the soil. This eliminates the need to transplant your seedlings.

Regarding soil, stay with one that is know to do well for autos, like Sunshine #4, Pro Mix, etc. Autos tend to be a bit nutrient sensitive and don't do well in hot soils, ones that already contain a lot of nutrients such as guano, worm castings or manure. I suspect the one recommend to you will be too hot since it has enough nutrients for 6 weeks. Water alone isn't enough to feed the plants. You will need both nutrients for both vegetative growth and for flowering. The Fox Farms brand is a good one to start with. Look at their Grow Big and Tiger Bloom, or their Trio. Keep in mind that the advise the people at the store are giving you is probably geared toward growing photo sensitive plants, which is a bit different than growing autos.

You should have a passive intake on your box. This would simply be an opening somewhere near the bottom where fresh air can be drawn in. Your extraction fan should be near the top and on the opposite side of the passive intake. This way the air will be drawn in on one side and exhausted on the other. This makes for better air flow within the box. A small fan inside the box for internal air circulation.

There are several proven ways to germinate seeds. My preference is to soak them in water for 24 - 48 hours until the seeds crack and the tap root begins to emerge. Wet the soil in the cups at the same time you start soaking your seeds. When they crack, use a pair of tweezers and plant them 1/2" deep in the cups and cover with some fine soil. Mist them several times a day to keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Within a couple days they should be up.

I would suggest you take some time and read the sticky threads at the top of the forums. Also check out the Reference Links and Tips and Tricks Knowledge Base.