I need some input on a new setup

[daesonn]

So I am a long time smoker, and a spoiled smoker. As of lately, I've been getting ahold of what most people consider good/great quality buds but either the smell/taste or high somehow lacks. Anyways, I'm tired of the bullshit and I'd kind of like to have my own grow, however, I only want to do it if I know that I'm going to end up with an absolute top quality product. To put it simply, I'm not so sure I want to make a lifestyle or a hobby out of growing, and I certainly won't want to do it if the buds I end up with aren't better than I can buy elsewhere. I'm considering this because I want a steady supply of top quality medicine without becoming a patient.

I realize this may sound stubborn. But I'm just not the type to roll the dice. I am the type that wants a setup that I know is going to work, and a strain that I know is going to give me that clean fruity smell and incredible high. I've got a biochemistry degree under my belt, but i don't have a whole lot of money to invest. So, I figure the only way I can pretty much get a guaranteed premium product is by following an experienced growers step by step process... However, due to the cost of supplies, differences in area, etc, it's hard to find something that would be exactly the same. Plus I've looked at a number of grows already where the final nugs just didn't impress me.

I have a small sort of storage area just outside my house that I was considering using.

Now, before I get too involved in a whole DIY project, there's a Stanley 336 LED cabinet on craigslist in my area for $750 that I might be able to talk the seller down even further. Here's a link to the cabinet: http://www.actechwi.com/Stanley-336-Ultimate-Grow-Box-p/stn-ult.htm

The reason I consider that is because it's completely stealth and looks perfect for a smaller/more personal grow focused on quality rather than yield. It's also completely automatic, able to be left alone, and it uses LED's which would be nice because I'd like for my fellow livers not to notice a large spike in the electric bill. However, I haven't been able to find any pictures of plants growing in the cabinets online and that sort of weirds me out.

So what's your guys input on the cabinet? Is there something about it that would prevent it from producing a top-quality bud? If so, what kind of setup would you recommend?

 

[kermit2692]

I only read the first two paragraphs and from that stick to buying herb..growing IS a hobby or lifestyle, you cannot just grow pot without the worries and duties involved..their is no setup in existence that will guarantee you positive results it takes a couple failed grows in one aspect or another before you get an economical amount of awesome quality herb compared to the time spent..

 

[kermit2692]

Read the rest..growing in any type of outbuilding is always a bad idea and it doesn't make sense to spend over 1000 dollars on your first grow when you already are trying to evade the learning curve which means you probably won't stick to this then you will be stuck with a light you can't seem to resell..just trust me grow a plant or two with cfls inside your place in a closet to learn and stay cheap until you decide if growing instead of buying it is the solution for you, take steps if you try to just jump in headfirs thinking you can pay your way expecting to succeed without a hitch you will be sorely disappointed....that said if you want the best setup for a small closet grow get yourself a 600w hps and veg with flourescents, a good setup including a filter and ventilation will run you around the same price as that led and its my opinion that it isn't worth crossing the legal line and worth the time and expense unless you use an hid for flowering

 

[avrum]

Exactly what kermit said on the growing part. Keep buying your bud. There's a learning curve. Almost nobody grows perfect bud in good amounts for the first few times. You can't jump from being a rookie to being Michael fucking Jordan. Also, it's time consuming and you gotta love what you do or else you will fail big time.

About the HPS part, I disagree with kermit. LED is way better in my opinion (But you have to get a good one, like Area 51). Smaller electric bills, way less heat - saves you from dealing with crazy cooling systems, wider variety of spectrum, and better overall bud quality. Look at the LED section in this board to see some amazing results with leds.

If you decide to dedicate yourself to the art of growing, those Closet grow boxes are way overpriced. In my opinion, get yourself a nice cheap tent or build your own shit. Hope that helps!

 

[CoolDudeStuff]

Avrum's right on the LED part.

But, I disagree on the first part. We should encourage people on doing this. Although daesonn, you should know that a LOT of reading is required beforehand, and, of course, a couple of (not necessarily failed) grows so you'll gain an experience as not to do basic mistakes regarding light height, over-underwatering, over-underfeeding, and learning some basic things about LST.
Of course you have to find a strain that's high on thc if that's what you're looking for, and that's what seed banks are here for.

OF course these cabinets are waaayyy overpriced, so don't buy one!
Building a cab is all about reading if things have been working out for other guys!!
And I'm sure a lot of experienced growers are willing to help; noone stared by himself, without a bit of knowledge thrown every now and then!

I hope this helped, cheers!!

 

[daesonn]

Yeah see I don't agree that you can't do something right the first time. If someone on here is doing something right, and getting bomb nugs every time, as long as I can get the resources, I should be able to follow their exact path and it should lead to the same result. That's the way I like to do things... I may have gotten ahead of myself by saying I don't want it to become a hobby or a lifestyle. I just dont take failure well, and i'm fairly impatient...

I understand it is going to be difficult, and I need to undertake a lot of knowledge before I would be completely ready and able to diagnose potential issues with the setup/plant. But is there not a step-by-step tutorial on this site that shows creation of the grow setup, maintenance, and the final nugs? I see a lot of pictures of the the flowering stages and progress of the actual plants, but I don't really see any threads that end with dried smokeable product? This is important to me, because most home-grows I have ever personally witnessed show great pictures of nugs on the plant, but have produced subpar nugs with subpar tastes and smell when finished, and I don't want to follow their steps when they end up with that product you know?

It would really surprise me if no one could point out a stable grow method/setup using a particular strain and say "as long as you're not an idiot, and you do your homework, at the end of your first grow you will have some FIRE!"

So help me out guys! Links to the best tutorials for 1-2 plants! Also, seeds...Sounds like connisseur genetics is a good option, but there are just so many seeds and seed banks, I wouldn't know where to start?

And why is my space in the garage such a bad idea. like a storage room inside a garage. No one can see it or really know that it's there. it's lockable. It's indoor, I plan to spray it for bugs, and clean it well, and then do either a tent or build a box...? I don't have any closet space, and I live in a small room with a house of other people so out there is really my only option...

 

[daesonn]

Obviously being the person I am, I'm guessing I want the more expensive "feminized" seeds, and not autoflowering seeds. This way, I don't have to gamble with the male/female thing, and I read that autoflowering are usually not as high quality... Right?

 

[avrum]

I didn't say you can't do it right the first time. Overall, cannabis is pretty easy to grow. The hard part is to dry and cure properly, in my opinion. Reading a tutorial and following instructions doesn't mean you're gonna get it right the first time. Every cannabis plant is different and if one setup and routine works for someone, it doesn't mean it's gonna work for your plant. You have to know how to adjust things to make it work, and you get that with experience. Also, you might do everything right the first time and you still wouldn't like the result simply because the particular strain is not for your taste. You see where I'm going with this? There are no guarantees. A home grow is the same as a commercial grow, only with less plants, so ofcourse getting top notch bud is possible. I guess your friends did something wrong, probably bad dry/cure, or shitty genetics.

About the grow area, seems legit to me as long as you can lock it and it's not freezing cold or crazy hot. If you have no problems going there on a daily basis without people getting suspicious then it's fine.

There are hundreds of threads with successful grows in this forum. Pointing out 1 or 2 is impossible because there are a thousand ways to grow cannabis. You just have to try some methods and pick the one that works out best for you. Just look around and you'll be fine. For the first run I would go simple. 1-2-3 plants in soil, 5-7 gallon pots, a nice LED panel (or whatever you choose), atleast 1 exhaust fan, Carbon filter if smell is an issue, some nutes and you're good to go. Make sure you pick your lights before you pick your grow space. After a couple of successful runs, you can start using other methods like SCROG, LST, Main-lining, Vertical grows, etc.

Some Autoflowering strains are quality and some are not. I've grown and smoked top quality auto plants. Photoperiod strains are easier to grow because you can veg them longer and let them recover if you do something wrong, unlike Auto plants that switch to flower mod automatically and have no time to recover, so you best start with the photoperiods, in my opinion.

Oh, one last thing, you said you are impatient. Patience is the most important thing involving this wonderful hobby. Good luck pal!

 

[CoolDudeStuff]

Hi avrum, I really agree to almost everything you said, except from the part that you mention the lights and the space.
IMO first you should know your space and then pick the lights! Just a noob though, if I'm wrong, please do prove me.

About banks, I've heard the best about Dinafem, Dutch Passion and RQS.

Hope I helped.
Cheers!!

 

[avrum]

Whats up CoolDude? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter.. he should decide on how much bud he wants to harvest each cycle and then pick both the lights and the space together.

 

[thump easy]

avrum i like your avi were did you get those sizzors????? and agree^^^^

 

[avrum]

Thanks man. I got the scissors from dx.com but you can get them from ebay too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-10436-Newest-Hot-U-Sewing-Scissors-Snips-Beading-Thread-Cutter-Nipper-ON-SALE-/310837505255?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item485f5bece7

 

[kermit2692]

You will see...I can fly a spaceship in theory too if someone else can and I listen to their instruction but stick a rocket in front of me and no matter who I am or what I do i'm still more likely to blow up

 

[new2420grow]

Dude, it's not hard, but there's no guarantee that you won't fuck it up your first grow. That being said, it's also possible that you will harvest the most bomb green on the planet with your first attempt. The reality is, if you read, read, read and read some more, you'll most likely fall somewhere in the middle.

My first attempt, I had never even seen weed in plant form in person. I got online, did a lot of "googlin", a lot of reading and found this site, and watched, followed and asked questions. I ended up with 4oz from 2 plants in a cabinet under CFLs and to be honest, it was the best smoke I've ever had. Also, those were from autos.

Don't listen to all the naysayers telling you autos will automatically render you lesser quality weed. If you plan on being a perfectionist, and following an experienced growers method step by step, then there is no reason you will pull shit smoke from an auto. Visit some breeder or seedbank sites and see what is available and you just might find that there is something that matches up with what you need, then hop over to the autoflowering section of this site and do a metric shitton of reading.

You're saying you want low maintenance with less risk of fucking up, then I think autos are the way you should be leaning. The fact that you don't have to worry about a light schedule causing your plants to hermie and the fact you just set the timer and don't have to change it mid-grow to get your plants to flower seem to be right up your alley. Whatever you decide, whether to try growing or to keep buying, good luck on your quest for quality herb.


PS, if you buy that cab and decide that growing is not for you, hit me up, I'll give ya 50 bucks for it!

 

[max420thc]

That would suck growing out of a cabinet for me..the whole point is to grow enough dope to be able to smoke dope.
You get a harvest around every two months growing in a cabinet..smoke for a few weeks..until you run out..then wait several more weeks to be able to smoke again.
That being said.dope dont grow itself.It has to be grown and it takes time.
It can be made easier..but everyone has to pay their dues.

 

[BigEasy1]

I grew a sweet auto on my window seal last summer. Total investment: $15 for the seed, $5 in Plagron Grow Mix, maybe $10 in nutrients.

 

[new2420grow]

That would suck growing out of a cabinet for me..the whole point is to grow enough dope to be able to smoke dope.
You get a harvest around every two months growing in a cabinet..smoke for a few weeks..until you run out..then wait several more weeks to be able to smoke again.
That being said.dope dont grow itself.It has to be grown and it takes time.
It can be made easier..but everyone has to pay their dues.

How much do you smoke??? I get about 4oz from 2 plants, kept small in a cabinet. That's more than enough to last me for a personal stash until next harvest. Don't get me wrong, I'm in the process of building a bigger box, 3'x4'x6', because I want to produce more in less time, but I could keep growing in my cabinet and never run out.

 

[mewk69]

I'm with Kermit.

The OP should give up even thinking about it, and find a better dealer.

No matter how good your 'mentor' is, it's still a shitload of learning, mistakes, screwups, amendments, alterations and rethinking. I don't really see it as a case of following someone elses tried and tested footsteps, I think the problem is finding out how YOU grow mj. We all tackle it differently, and if you haven't got a good bit of love and time for the process, I can't see you getting anywhere near the results of some premium weed from a reliable dealer.

That aside. If you DO have space for it to become a hobby. It gives back ten times the love you put in.

 

[kermit2692]

true^ their is no adequate replacement for experience..a killer first harvest in yield potency and uniformity is either absolute luck, you have a green thumb, or too much pride in your grow to judge your product properly..

 

[daesonn]

Avrum,

I specifically want to thank you for your positive input. Sometimes, it's all a skeptic like myself needs.

Alright alright alright. So, there's no "stick to this and this, and you will have FIRE!"...
Fair enough. So I would say I probably smoke a maximum of 1.5oz a month, and im assuming i'd also have some earl from the trim, so hopefully I can expect to smoke less actual herb. I don't really care about producing it for money or anyone else, so I think we can agree I'm looking at a fairly small scale grow.

Anyways, some more quick questions I have.

I think an LED is what i'm going to go with. It just seems like there's so many positives when comparing to HID or CFL, even if the price is boosted a bit, Probably worth it just to save money on the electric bill alone...
I will probably end up going with a tent, maybe something I can find on craigslist...like a 3x3 or a 4x4....Some of them are 6 feet and some are 8 feet tall. Any reason I should be cautious of a 6 ft tall tent? I'm 6'3 tall and it might kind of piss me off but a 6 ft seems like it might end up being too short for even a small grow if i'm not scrogging or something, am I right?

And I guess you're right about the genetics...Even if they're grown right I might not appreciate the density flavor or high....

So also, what are the bare necessities required to produce a top quality bud, like SERIOUS quality?
I would assume a decent quality light source, in my case I plan on a decent LED, so I think I'm good here...

Obviously a clean and bug-free environment with correct watering and nutrients, and I have access to reverse osmosis water in my kitchen sink ( which I read may contribute an importance)..., easily obtainable/doable stuff, check that off the list...

Ventilation and air flow easy...

and of course good genetics...

But what about the soil? I see avrum you recommended soil for my first grow but can that possibly prevent the buds from being top quality? I always thought hydroponic grows produced higher thc levels and cleaner, more flavorful buds??

..Am I missing anything else???