New Grower what to do

[namspy]

hi all brand new just found site and would appreciate any imput i can get

vietnam vet and agent orange has caught up to body looking to medicate aches
so wanting to try being my own pharmacy.have been researching for awhile and want to get started only looking to grow 2 to 3 plants trying to decide hydro
or soil have seen systems for smalll areas and then heard they were a waste of money(superclosets) .thinking of autoflower for ease but are they.any thoughts
want to get started but dont want to waste what funds thart are available to get started how about grow tents? any thoughts would be of helpful want to get started soon

 

[namvet25]

Welcome to AFN.I'M also a namvet and was sprayed with agent orange but never had any real bad effects from it.I suggest you read the new growers forum on our home page and this will give you some basic info about growing.There are also other threads you can read that will help you out.Whwn your ready to start just ask any questions youmay have and we will be glad to help you get started.:smokebuds:

 

[medicineforme]

I would also suggest that you get a budget together and see what you will get for your money. Which may certainly help you decide what route to take. You can certainly do well even on a smaller budget, just will have to keep things in perspective. It does not take long to spend some serious money just to even begin the journey. I'm not getting into specifics as far as where you are for example but check around and you can get "gifts" of seeds or clones to get started. At least in my state you can, which helps people get going when on a budget.

Lots of great people here not judging but looking to help.

 

[Red eyed c]

I think if your just starting out,soil is the better option mate.hydro offers great yields,but needs a lot of attention to detail in monitoring nutrients and temps etc :group:

 

[Muddy]

Since you're new to growing I would suggest you start out in soil. Hydro growing is a bit more complicated and considered an advanced growing technique. Things can go wrong fast in a hydro setup. Soil is more forgiving and if you run into any issues, you'll have more time to get things straight. You wouldn't need a very big space to grow 2 or 3 autos, a 2' x 2' or 2' x 2.5' area would serve very nicely. If your handy you could build a grow cabinet fairly easily. Basically a box of those dimensions and about 4' high would do. For lighting you can use CFLs if you're on a tight budget, but I would recommend a good LED in the 240 watt range. I grow 3 or 4 plants at a time in a 2' x 2.5' space using a 240 watt LED, average yields around 2 oz. per plant, often higher.

 

[Sticky Trichome]

definitely starting out; start out in soil. Its harder for new comers to mess up. Gives u an idea on how to grow! Plus good organic soil medicine is just simply amazing!!!! Plus you dont have to spend BIG $ on EXPENSIVE Grow gear, testing equipment, etc... hope this helps and happy farming!

 

[wg]

Man I had a nice long reply to this typed up and I dropped my mouse and it closed Chrome !! :no:

If I was just starting to grow now, my containers, medium, nutrient and lights would be along these lines - these are all fool proof products that make life much easier.

Superroots or Terra Hydro Air Pots (2 Gal) (http://www.superoots.com/)

BX ProMix or any other "ProMix" that's sphagnum based with dolomite and perlite added to it. Sunshine Mix #4 would work great too. No links for these, not worth buying soil online. Hydro shops, garden centers are a better bet

General Organics Go Box, this is perfect for starters. Especially if you get a good soil that microbes will thrive in like ProMix or SM#4. It's enough to get you through about 1.5 grows with 3 plants each time. (http://eastwesthydro.com/plant-nutr...utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=product-feed)

A nice LED (BlackStar line can be found here - http://www.gothamhydroponics.com/) For others, research and look around. Check the LED section of the forum for some direction. If LED is out of the range, let us know and we can figure out a better light setup. 240W+ like Muddy said.

World of Seeds Afghan Kush Ryder - this is one of the better commercially available autos for pain relief that has a great yield to it. Myself as well as other growers will sing praise about this strain for time to come.

What all do you have so far, what's your budget? What're you accounting for? Are you in a state that recognizes your grow as medicinal? Lots of questions for advice! How much reading have ya done so far? Get ready to do tons if you're going to be a loving grower!

 

[namspy]

thanks to all for comments greatly appreciated have done some reading and am doing more but would like to get started as the reading progresses after all the comments so far i think the hydro can wait so looking to get started in soil i dont have any equipment yet was going to wait until got some comments regardless of hydro or soil both require lighting and led seems the best choice i am wanting to grow autos and shorter strains and would still like some feedback on grow tents or self contained units as i am not lucky enough to be in colorado or wsahingtonat this time

 

[Muddy]

Grow tents work well, lots of people using them here. Basically they are all set with holes for an exhaust fan, a flap for a passive intake and reflective mylar lining. They have a rail that runs across the top where you can attach your exhaust fan and hang your light. Tents are a good place for beginners to start. You could also use a closet, or build a box like I suggested before. If you got a tent, where are you planning on putting it? Bear in mind that plants like temperatures in the 75 - 80 degree range with 79 being optimum. Tents aren't insulated, so will need to be in a more controlled environment. Also, with a tent you would likely use a 4" in line style exhaust fan. They aren't the quietest so consider a bit of noise as well.

I converted over an area that used to contain a hot water talk. I replaced it with a tank less one and grow my 3-4 plants in that spot now.

 

[Bipolarbear]

Welcome :group: I am new to growing, these guys have helped me so much, I can't thank them enough. I too went soil, though I would try coco if I had to do over. I did buy bad soil. I won't name the brand, but time release is causing be headaches now, as I just over fed my ladies, and have dead leaves. :hot: please stay away from time release stuff. :group: