First time ever grower wants to do hydro ...

border&grower

border&grower

Member
I'm a hobby gardener but never grow the herbs. I have some autoflower seeds that I want to start with. I have two seperate rdwc systems(2x2 and res outside tent).
After my seeds are ready to put in a medium. Do I need to use rockwool tabs for hydro(rdwc) or can I use this coco tabs?

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Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
border&grower said:
I'm a hobby gardener but never grow the herbs. I have some autoflower seeds that I want to start with. I have two seperate rdwc systems(2x2 and res outside tent).
After my seeds are ready to put in a medium. Do I need to use rockwool tabs for hydro(rdwc) or can I use this coco tabs?

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2 things......
1. If you're not into micromanaging, hydro may not be for you. Especially as a first time grower.

2. You might consider using photoperiod to start with. That way if you have any issues, you still have time to make corrections.

As far as the coco plugs, I've never used them in dwc, but they are organic, afaik. They may not be a good idea, but wait until somebody that has used them in dwc to chime in.
 
border&grower

border&grower

Member
Great tips appreciated! I will start off with photos. :) I will post pic by pic once I started ... When can I use my 2000W led grow-light? How long has to be the seed in germination fase before using the grow-light? Or it's beter to first use a TL light?

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Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
border&grower said:
Great tips appreciated! I will start off with photos. :) I will post pic by pic once I started ... When can I use my 2000W led grow-light? How long has to be the seed in germination fase before using the grow-light? Or it's beter to first use a TL light?

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If i had to take a guess, I'd say it's a 200 watt light, not 2000. It says 2000ppfd, which is a different measurement. What's your plan for an enclosure, tent, box, or do you have a whole room? The reason I'm asking is, that light is only going to cover a certain amount of square feet.
 
J

joesoap2013

Well-Known Member
Depends what size area your growing in
If it's hydro it could be a hassle cause of the light
That light is the most effective for a seedling turned down in watts
Running that at say 30 watts blows the chops off any cfl or t5 I think
But it's only really directly under the actual light so 1 meter square footprint
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Delps8 said:
I wouldn't wait until flower. That light has a serious hot spot in the center.

The PPFD map uses a (standard) 6" grid. At 12", which is a really low hang height, there's 1 sq ft of light at very high PPFD but the next grid square out, the values plummet.
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I didn't look at the map. Good call and I totally agree. Especially with rapid growth in hydro. It would be a waste.
 
steve870

steve870

Well-Known Member
for a first time grower i would start with soil instead of hydro. Much simpler with solid results
 
border&grower

border&grower

Member
Delps8 said:
I wouldn't wait until flower. That light has a serious hot spot in the center.

The PPFD map uses a (standard) 6" grid. At 12", which is a really low hang height, there's 1 sq ft of light at very high PPFD but the next grid square out, the values plummet.
Click to expand...
... so I better hang 2 lamps/tent then? Should give me better coverage at the edges ...
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Better to start clones in an aero or bubble cloner, using foam collars without any medium, IMO. Then transfer the rooted starts over to netcups with hydroton.
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
Skip those peat pucks for sure though. It will eventually all end up in your res or clogging the filters. If you do end up having to use them, you could at least wash off the roots so they are clean and bare before transplanting to the system.
 
by2

by2

Active Member
border&grower said:
Will be using 2 of these in my bassement for veg and bloom ...

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Start off with 1 tent and get another one as you need, What you think you need/want right now might not aline with how you think after the first few grows. Better start small.
And you will also need extractor fans, circulating fans, timers and maybe some irrigation setup and so on. it's a lot of different parts and expensive to change if you get it wrong.
I Feel your excitement but don't think growing cannabis is a fast process. it will take you 3-5 months before you have the first harvest to smoke. Do yourself a favour and budget in to buy something to smoke while you are growing so you don't do foolish mistakes and stress true the first grow.
Take your time. Run Photos and keep a journal
 
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