Live Stoner Chat New Grower | About to start in a week or two!

[Cannabinoid Connoisseur]

Hello growers!
[h=2]I have just ordered my supplies for my grow and had some questions and wanted to open the floor to any advice. I'd love any help I could get, so here are ALL of my questions that I have right now. I'd appreciate any help at all, don't feel the need to try and answer them all please!![/h][h=2][/h]Strain: 5xNirvana Short Rider autofem Comments about this choice? I wish I had done more research on this aspect, but buying these seeds is what started me off into all of this in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20...
Location: house closet in a 32"x32"x63" mylar grow tent. I plan on running a outtake line with 6" 250CFM inline fan and carbon scrubber into the attic through a hole in the ceiling.
Light: 400W dimmable HPS/MH kit with a digital iPower ballast. Unfortunately the hood that I have is just a basic wing reflector, but the closet is normally around 63 degrees F. I've found resources on how to keep the lamp away from the plant to avoid burning, but I'm not totally sure on a good lighting plan. 24-0 until flowering? 18-6 all the time? 400W? Half-power for some time?
Soil: I plan on using a light mix with 30% perlite in a 5 gallon bucket
Nutes: I know that I'm not supposed to give nutes to an autoflower early on. Does anyone have any recommendations for someone with a limited budget on a good nute plan? Preferably one less than $40... I know, not a whole lot to work with this first time around. Do you think it would be worth digging down for extra and having a $60 budget?
Fan: I have a small oscillating fan. I've read that it can be good for strengthening the stem, helping have a stronger core to use LST off of.
Training: Do you guys use LST? Any tips you wish you had known before your first time trying LST? Should I do this given the size of my grow space?
Yield Question: If I am doing this just for personal use, how many seeds should I germ? Is there a way to store bud long-term so that I'll have a reserve in between grows? I'm not new to weed, but I've never had the need to try and store long term.
Much appreciated! KT

 

[Autodude]

I think you can fit 2_4 in that space. I like 16 hours on 8. Off. But you can use what ever you can afford light bill wise.

 

[blue]

Hi CC

Welcome to AFN!



I'll try to answer some of your questions.

Strain: I don't know (sorry) But for inspriation for future grows there's plenty of plants on show for inspiration here!

Location: Sounds good! 250cfms should do the trick!

Light. 400w is fine - it's a good amount of light for that size tent. The temps are only 63f with the light on?? Sounds a little low. If you can I'd shoot for 75-85f with lights on as a nice temp range for growing. You could do 24 hours until flowering - some people run 24 all the way through. I personally use 20/4 lights on/off schedule all the way, some use an 18/6.
You could reasonably use half power on that light for the early seedling stage. Maybe give it the full whack at day 25 and see what happens

Soil: Sounds good. Keep away from the soil with time release nutes in - they're too unpredicatable. I don't use soil, but someone will have some suggestions i'm sure.

Nutes: You may be able to get Canna A&B which is a two part base nute for that kind of money. I started with a simple lineup like that to start and have built on it. You can spend crazy money on nutes, but you can get buds with just the basics There are also sample packs you can get which are good for testing a lineup without committing to the whole litre or 5 litre bottles.

Fan: It's all correct

Training: Its presonal preference and depends if you are limited to space. I like to open a plant up with LST style training so that the light can get all over and to even out the canopy, then i like to tie the buds up if they get to heavy. Tips: be gentle! They snap easy.

Yield: They're fems, and i reckon in that space you could fit 3 nice ones in 10 litre (or so) pots. that will leave a bit of space for you oscillating fan and room to tie them if needed. (and maybe space for a small watering can ^_^)
Best way to store buds after drying properly (which is worth the research) is in mason jars. Once they are in the curing stage you could keep them for quite a long time. Got a 2 year old jar of something somewhere (emergency stash)

Good luck with the grow and keep us posted in a journal!

Happy growing
Blue ^_^

 

[briman]

Great to have you CC, and welcome to AFN! Great to see you will be getting to growing your own. blue has you sorted and the only thing I can offer, on the nute side, for inexpensive nutes is look to growmore nutes if you are US side of the pond. They are a good and last a good while. Anything you need, just ask away and we will get you some help. :thumbs:

 

[Cannabinoid Connoisseur]

Thanks for the fast replies!! I appreciate it. Can't wait to get started. Also, the room is 63* F without a light. I figured the light would bring up the heat just right for the grow. I'll have to use a space heater during the lights off stage though so the heat doesn't drop too far!

 

[epenguin]

Welcome CC, if this is a first grow, you have made some good choices (No.1 being - AFN membership)
Blue has pointed you in the right direction and the is tons of advice and stickies for you to trawl through. If it were me I would leave the LST for a future grow. Keep it simple to start with and try the more advanced stuff for later grows. I also agree with Briman on the nutes. You don't need to spend a fortune to get top results.

All the best pal. eP.

 

[oldster]

Welcome to AFN CC, sounds like you have a good plan and have already received some great advice. If you are in NA ProMix HP is a good soil choice and can be found at many garden stores. As to inexpensive nutes on a tight budget Orchid Fertilizer will work, the Peters brand is widely carried. Something with a high first number for veg like 30-10-10 and something with a high 2nd number for bloom (tomato fertilizer will also work for bloom stage). Good luck

 

[Cannabinoid Connoisseur]

Thanks guys! Just got my hood and light in today. I'll get my tent and vent fan tomorrow!