Hey fellow Coloradan! (I assume

)
Welcome to AFN, reiterating what has been said...simple is best to start. At least it was for me.
The fewer variables, the better. Makes it easier to diagnose stuff.
My 2 cents of wisdom....(As a result of my attempting to keep the spending down on my first grow)
1. Cheap 2-prong "garden pH soil meters" are not worth spending ANY TIME on. They give bad
data, unreliable data...that makes you react to that data, which causes a potential catastrophe...
Do yourself a HUGE, lifelong favor, and get a Control Wizard Accurate 8 soil meter. (if you're in soil,
I haven't checked your grow yet)
2. Get a well-reviewed electronic pH Pen/meter for testing water and solutions - pH strips are easily
misunderstood or misread and don't offer the level of specificity that it required for the task. I got
the Oakton EcoTestr 2....A lot of folks have them and rely on them....they hold calibration well and
aren't expensive as the general Hanna or Bluelab offerings (although I just checked on Amazon and
the Bluelabs aren't that expensive...)
Data is crucial and even more so for it to be ACCURATE data. Don't skimp on what that takes to get.
3. Get as much light as you can afford. These plants like light (duh...) and more equals better.
(While, of course maintaining desired temps)
That's what I got...again, Welcome!