First Grow-Phase 1: Planning

OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
Well, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to set up a grow. I went from buying it weekly, to dealing a bit so I'm able to smoke for free...but that connection won't last forever, so I've decided that I'm going to set up a grow.

Here's the thing, the earliest I'll be able to start is this summer, but most likely it won't happen until next August when I get my own place. So i figure while I have all this extra time, I'll do some really hardcore planning as well as some really in depth learning.

The plan?

For starters, I only want 2 plants budding at a time (two different strains). I was thinking I'd put them in a build-it-yourself closet from like Home Depot or something of the sort. So i could put my water reservoir on the bottom, have a few drawers/shelves to keep all my nutrients/tools, then the main space for the plants and the hydro system itself. Then I'll rig up some sort of ventilation system at the top of the cabinet. Havent decided if i wanna recycle the exhaust, or route it outside the house. I guess I'll have to set up two of those, one for flowering, and one for vegging and cloning.


Worries?

-I'm worried the stems won't be strong enough due to that fact that I'm growing them in such a confined area that I probably wont be able to aim an oscillating fan at them to keep them strong. :(

-I'm worried about discreteness. I want to make this grow essentially "bust-proof". And to be honest, I'm not sure how to do that, and I figure no one will know better than seasoned growers on this site :)

So thats the basic idea.

Comments?
Advice?
Tips?
Cost estimate?


Thank you to ANYONE and EVERYONE who has anything to contribute :)
 
R

rkm

Well-Known Member
OHsleeper said:
Well, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to set up a grow. I went from buying it weekly, to dealing a bit so I'm able to smoke for free...but that connection won't last forever, so I've decided that I'm going to set up a grow.

Here's the thing, the earliest I'll be able to start is this summer, but most likely it won't happen until next August when I get my own place. So i figure while I have all this extra time, I'll do some really hardcore planning as well as some really in depth learning.

The plan?

For starters, I only want 2 plants budding at a time (two different strains). I was thinking I'd put them in a build-it-yourself closet from like Home Depot or something of the sort. So i could put my water reservoir on the bottom, have a few drawers/shelves to keep all my nutrients/tools, then the main space for the plants and the hydro system itself. Then I'll rig up some sort of ventilation system at the top of the cabinet. Havent decided if i wanna recycle the exhaust, or route it outside the house. I guess I'll have to set up two of those, one for flowering, and one for vegging and cloning.


Worries?

-I'm worried the stems won't be strong enough due to that fact that I'm growing them in such a confined area that I probably wont be able to aim an oscillating fan at them to keep them strong. :(

-I'm worried about discreteness. I want to make this grow essentially "bust-proof". And to be honest, I'm not sure how to do that, and I figure no one will know better than seasoned growers on this site :)

So thats the basic idea.

Comments?
Advice?
Tips?
Cost estimate?


Thank ANYONE and EVERYONE who has anything to contribute :)
Click to expand...
Nothing is bust proof. Unless you are the only one that knows you are growing. Only one other person knows I am growing, therefore, I am not bust proof. But nevertheless your mouth is what gets you busted. You have alot of time it seems. Use this time to do alot of research. Know how you want to grow, soil, hydro...whatever. Gather your supplies, equipment, you have alot of time to do this correctly and there is no reason why you cant. Keep reading here and you will be set come August.
 
OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
rkm said:
Nothing is bust proof. Unless you are the only one that knows you are growing. Only one other person knows I am growing, therefore, I am not bust proof. But nevertheless your mouth is what gets you busted. You have alot of time it seems. Use this time to do alot of research. Know how you want to grow, soil, hydro...whatever. Gather your supplies, equipment, you have alot of time to do this correctly and there is no reason why you cant. Keep reading here and you will be set come August.
Click to expand...
Yeah, my girl should be the only one (as she is helping me because she has some gardening chops;)) who will know about the grow. As for the material, I'm definitely going with a hydroponic system. I'm gonna do an ebb and flow for the flowering box, and a drip for the veg/clone box (as of now, could change)
 
EarthlyPassions

EarthlyPassions

Well-Known Member
OHsleeper said:
Yeah, my girl should be the only one (as she is helping me because she has some gardening chops;)) who will know about the grow. As for the material, I'm definitely going with a hydroponic system. I'm gonna do an ebb and flow for the flowering box, and a drip for the veg/clone box (as of now, could change)
Click to expand...
This is your first grow, I was going to do hydroponics as well. But in the end it's much easier to start with soil. Just something to keep in mind, if you have your heart set on doing hydro go for it.

Pay for your stuff with cash when you can, credit cards keep info on what you bought, very easy to track.
Good Luck!
 
OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
EarthlyPassions said:
This is your first grow, I was going to do hydroponics as well. But in the end it's much easier to start with soil. Just something to keep in mind, if you have your heart set on doing hydro go for it.

Pay for your stuff with cash when you can, credit cards keep info on what you bought, very easy to track.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'd heard that soil is a bit easier, but with a hydro system I can automate most of the process with timers. I have a very active livestyle and will only be able to check up on them 2-3 times a day, and will really only have time to do just that: check them.

I'll definitely bear the advice in mind though, if the hydro gets too hard I'll move to soil.

And yeah I'm gonna just pay for everything with cash (with the exception of my lighting rig as I might have to order it)

Thanks for the input :)
 
K

kittysecrets4u

none
Your best bust proof "set up" is maintained in secrecy. Don't tell a soul that you are growing...DON'T TELL ANYONE FOR ANY REASON!!! Your girlfriend is an exception; it is my assumption that she can be trusted.

Don't deal where you grow...my friend learn a valuable lesson; dealing and growing at the same location.

Friends? They are very few and far between...so be careful who you deal with.

Nothing is bust proof but you can increase your chances in the game if you keep your mouth shut and your enemies close.

To be honest with you I rather grow in soil but currently I am growing using a hydro set up. There are pros and cons to both. You will have to decide for yourself once you gain experience with both set ups. You may not agree with my opinion but I much rather grow using a hydro set due to the fact that you have more control without having to baby sit as much as you do with soil. However it cost more to grow using hyrdro equipment.

You are smart for starting small....plan ahead and map out each phase to the exact. Learn all you can about growing and reseach this site...there is a lot of good information.

Also learn from the mistakes from others on the site and you will same yourself time and money.

Good luck
 
OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
Thanks for the advice Kitty :) I wasn't planning on dealing at first...but the more I thought about it, I think I could get away with it. Seeing as that I already deal and my friends know I do, what difference would it make to them as to WHO'S bud they were buying? They would be none the wiser, and I'd be able to reimburse myself for all the damn money I threw into my grow :P.

Your reasoning behind favoring a hyrdo system is exactly my reason for wanting to start off with one. I realize it's more expensive, but it seems to be worth it from what I've read/seen/smoked...lol.

This site truly is helpful. Thanks to everyone whos responded so far :)
 
OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
Hmm...after reading around a bit, I've noticed quite a few people harvesting some pretty good lookin buds using primarily (if not totally) CFLs. Does this mean I don't need to shell out 500 dollars for a HPS/hood/bally ?? Because that would be WONDERFUL, lol.
 
dRugged

dRugged

Active Member
This consideration about getting busted might move you to see if you do have any places indoors (concealment and discretion) where you could do this grow. If you live back in the woods, or somewhere with a lot of property, a shack will be fine, but consider if you live in the suburbs, your neighbors seeing you walk out to this shack multiple times a day.
How much money do you have plotted for this hobby? Especially with hydro, its right to do the task justice.
As far as lighting, I would go with a 400w hps. Don't mess around with the 20-cfl-setup. You will simply have a more successful grow, more to yield, and you will or course then be more happy off. If you have the money that is.
Hydro setup for your first grow is ambitious, but if you do it, make sure to watch Mr. Green's "I Grow Chronic" Video. They have it in the video links of this site, and he shows a really simple easy way for an ebb/flow budding station.

Good luck. Please keep us up to date and ask more questions!
 
OHsleeper

OHsleeper

Active Member
dRugged said:
This consideration about getting busted might move you to see if you do have any places indoors (concealment and discretion) where you could do this grow. If you live back in the woods, or somewhere with a lot of property, a shack will be fine, but consider if you live in the suburbs, your neighbors seeing you walk out to this shack multiple times a day.
How much money do you have plotted for this hobby? Especially with hydro, its right to do the task justice.
As far as lighting, I would go with a 400w hps. Don't mess around with the 20-cfl-setup. You will simply have a more successful grow, more to yield, and you will or course then be more happy off. If you have the money that is.
Hydro setup for your first grow is ambitious, but if you do it, make sure to watch Mr. Green's "I Grow Chronic" Video. They have it in the video links of this site, and he shows a really simple easy way for an ebb/flow budding station.

Good luck. Please keep us up to date and ask more questions!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply! I'm actually a full time college student, so I'll be in an apartment/townhome/house...so Ill have a fair amount of privacy. And i've researched a lot on keeping a grow discrete, so I'm starting to feel more confident about that aspect.

I realize that going hydro for a first grow is a little much, but I figure since I have so much time to plan, I might as well do this right ya know?

I really was considering a multi-cfl setup just for the cost effectiveness of it. I would LOVE to have a pro-grow room with a 400w HPS setup, but I just don't have that much cash to shell out on the rig :(

Thanks for the video recommendation, I'll check that out now :)
 
giagemgal

giagemgal

Well-Known Member
I didn't read all your posts, but you can grow SOG method and yes, hydro is easier. So far anyways.........

Nothing is bust proof....even we legal patients fear the feds...state we are cool with. :blsmoke:


OHsleeper said:
Well, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to set up a grow. I went from buying it weekly, to dealing a bit so I'm able to smoke for free...but that connection won't last forever, so I've decided that I'm going to set up a grow.

Here's the thing, the earliest I'll be able to start is this summer, but most likely it won't happen until next August when I get my own place. So i figure while I have all this extra time, I'll do some really hardcore planning as well as some really in depth learning.

The plan?

For starters, I only want 2 plants budding at a time (two different strains). I was thinking I'd put them in a build-it-yourself closet from like Home Depot or something of the sort. So i could put my water reservoir on the bottom, have a few drawers/shelves to keep all my nutrients/tools, then the main space for the plants and the hydro system itself. Then I'll rig up some sort of ventilation system at the top of the cabinet. Havent decided if i wanna recycle the exhaust, or route it outside the house. I guess I'll have to set up two of those, one for flowering, and one for vegging and cloning.


Worries?

-I'm worried the stems won't be strong enough due to that fact that I'm growing them in such a confined area that I probably wont be able to aim an oscillating fan at them to keep them strong. :(

-I'm worried about discreteness. I want to make this grow essentially "bust-proof". And to be honest, I'm not sure how to do that, and I figure no one will know better than seasoned growers on this site :)

So thats the basic idea.

Comments?
Advice?
Tips?
Cost estimate?


Thank you to ANYONE and EVERYONE who has anything to contribute :)
Click to expand...
 
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