Save the first-timer..

Hello,
I am just starting my first grow, i have purchased all the needed equipment and i am very excited. Before i start i have few questions for the more experienced growers.
To understand better this is the situation: growing 80plants under six 600W Dual Spectrum Lamps in 20m2.


1. I am planning to plant in 15L pots directly, i see many growers planting in small pots and than transplanting. Will i have some consequences if i directly plant in 15L?

2.How frequently do i have to water in 15L pots?

3.Air is my biggest problems and confusion. I have purchased cool tubes. Some people tell me that i have to suck hot air, and some tell me that fresh air has to be blown in the cool tube, not exhausted, what is right?
Second important thing- i am thinking between connecting all cool tubes with ducting, but its too complicated for me. Can i just place the turbine (fan) on the ceiling and extend the ducting above the plants, and not connecting the cool tubes with ducting? Did i purchase cool tubes for nothing?
On the turbine it has marks like m3/h. I have 40m3, what power do i need?
How long should the turbine work? All day or...?

4. In what period after planting, i need to put my plants under SCROG? I have built the Scrog but i am not sure when to start using it?


I would really appreciate if you spend some time and help me.
Thanks

Ok

I would start in half to 3L pots and transfer the best ones over to 30L pots

I would only grow 4 to 8 plants per 600w light

I would probably go with 60L sacks but 30L pots would do

15L pots could work for some very fast indica`s otherwise when the heat comes up you`ll be watering every day in 15L pots

also pointless to waste the space starting in 15L pots is silly if your doing 80 plants

you could start 100 plants in 1L pots and pick out the best 50 veg them up and finish them in 30 to 100L pots, you`d get more and do less work

pretty soon you`d find some nice plants to clone that way too

2 weeks to 2 months veg time is normal, depends on the strain and how big you need them

Transferring pots is a good time to add mycor and other beneficial fungus and bacteria and such

Plastic bag pots are great for vegging as you can cut them open to make transferring into a bigger pot or sack a lot easier

when you go over 10L or 20L moving a plant out of the pot and into a bigger one can be hard, but they do plastic bag pots from 0.5L upto 40 or 50L, 1L are great for starting loads of plants and 15 to 20L are great for vegging plants for 1 to 3 months to get the size up, I like 30L to 60L fiber sacks for flowering in

Around 4 to 8 plants per 600w lamp is good if your doing good size plants, 300g+ per plant is kinda where I like to be

Petrov,
Welcome to Rollitup. There is a ton of info on this site and lots of experienced growers. Most every question has been asked and answered in several different ways. I have spent several months just using the "Search" option.
I am a newer grower as well so I have limited info to offer.
As far as the cool tube, the air going through it is completely separate from the air in the tent. That air is to draw away as much heat from the light. The direction, (neg pressure VS Pos Pressure) may depend on whether you're using odor filter. But your tent needs to be exhausted as well to draw in new air (CO2).

I'm sure someone with more experience has already explained this better in several other posts.
Use the search option!
Peace
WE

I'm no expert, but I think I can help with a few of your questions..
1. The issue IMO with planting directly in the end pot is commonly over/under watering. At first the rootball is very small and can be drown or dried out very easily. With Autos (which like to be planted in their final pot) I tend to water very lightly and more often, usually just a little around the base of the stem and then some lightly poured in a ring about midway between the stalk and the rim of the pot, at least until I feel the roots have reached the bottom and sides of the pot.

2. I would get a good feel for the weight of the pot when dry, then water when it feels light. If you try to water on a schedule with a young plant in a small pot you often end up with very saturated soil with little oxygen for the young roots.

3. I don't like to blow fresh air on my lamp, I'm not comfortable with exposing the bulb to the temp/moisture changes you get with outside air. I have my turbine pulling tent air in through the filter, through the cooltube, then out a window.

4. I put my scrog screen up around the flip to flower, depending on how stretchy the strain is

GuyLeDuche said:

3. I don't like to blow fresh air on my lamp, I'm not comfortable with exposing the bulb to the temp/moisture changes you get with outside air. I have my turbine pulling tent air in through the filter, through the cooltube, then out a window.

Click to expand...

This depends on the existing "natural" environment, otherwise I totally agree with your whole post.

Thank you very much for the efforts. I really feel welcomed here, and will keep being active.
@THE KONASSURE i will take your advise and i will grow in 30L pots.
I see that there is a lot of discussion on the internet regarding positive pressure vent vs negative pressure vent. The guys at the electric store told me that the bulbs might decrease performance if there is air sucked in from them... Also on this nice video they suggest positive pressure ventilation for air cooled reflectors.

One more question regarding the ventilation:
1. I need one inline vent fan to blow air to the cool tubes, in order to decrease the temperature of the bulbs?
2. I need ventilation fans just to circulate the air flow in the room?
3. I need exhaust fan for what in this situation? To suck air for the other side of the inline fan connected to cool tube bulbs?
4. Do i need extra ventilation in the grow room it self?
Thank you so much.

PetrovB said:

Hello,
I am just starting my first grow, i have purchased all the needed equipment and i am very excited. Before i start i have few questions for the more experienced growers.
To understand better this is the situation: growing 80plants under six 600W Dual Spectrum Lamps in 20m2.


1. I am planning to plant in 15L pots directly, i see many growers planting in small pots and than transplanting. Will i have some consequences if i directly plant in 15L?

2.How frequently do i have to water in 15L pots?

3.Air is my biggest problems and confusion. I have purchased cool tubes. Some people tell me that i have to suck hot air, and some tell me that fresh air has to be blown in the cool tube, not exhausted, what is right?
Second important thing- i am thinking between connecting all cool tubes with ducting, but its too complicated for me. Can i just place the turbine (fan) on the ceiling and extend the ducting above the plants, and not connecting the cool tubes with ducting? Did i purchase cool tubes for nothing?
On the turbine it has marks like m3/h. I have 40m3, what power do i need?
How long should the turbine work? All day or...?

4. In what period after planting, i need to put my plants under SCROG? I have built the Scrog but i am not sure when to start using it?


I would really appreciate if you spend some time and help me.
Thanks

Click to expand...

What medium are you planning on using?

dgthumb said:

What medium are you planning on using?

Click to expand...

Soil...

PetrovB said:

Soil...

Click to expand...

I've got some more questions for ya.
Have you already germinated?
Have you mixed your soil?
Reason I'm asking, I got a great way to get you started and take care of 1 and 2. If you're interested, check out my grow log. I'm writing up an update to it as we type and I'd be more then happy to share.

(edit, update is posted with the side effects of flushing the soil prior to planting the seed in the final pot)

Wilderb said:

Petrov,
Welcome to Rollitup. There is a ton of info on this site and lots of experienced growers. Most every question has been asked and answered in several different ways. I have spent several months just using the "Search" option.
I am a newer grower as well so I have limited info to offer.
As far as the cool tube, the air going through it is completely separate from the air in the tent. That air is to draw away as much heat from the light. The direction, (neg pressure VS Pos Pressure) may depend on whether you're using odor filter. But your tent needs to be exhausted as well to draw in new air (CO2).

I'm sure someone with more experience has already explained this better in several other posts.
Use the search option!
Peace
WE

Click to expand...

It's always nice to see new members suggesting the search box.

I would blow air through the cool tube so you do not risk shortening the life of the fan from the hot air produced from the bulbs.

PetrovB said:

Hello,
I am just starting my first grow, i have purchased all the needed equipment and i am very excited. Before i start i have few questions for the more experienced growers.
To understand better this is the situation: growing 80plants under six 600W Dual Spectrum Lamps in 20m2.


1. I am planning to plant in 15L pots directly, i see many growers planting in small pots and than transplanting. Will i have some consequences if i directly plant in 15L?

2.How frequently do i have to water in 15L pots?

3.Air is my biggest problems and confusion. I have purchased cool tubes. Some people tell me that i have to suck hot air, and some tell me that fresh air has to be blown in the cool tube, not exhausted, what is right?
Second important thing- i am thinking between connecting all cool tubes with ducting, but its too complicated for me. Can i just place the turbine (fan) on the ceiling and extend the ducting above the plants, and not connecting the cool tubes with ducting? Did i purchase cool tubes for nothing?
On the turbine it has marks like m3/h. I have 40m3, what power do i need?
How long should the turbine work? All day or...?

4. In what period after planting, i need to put my plants under SCROG? I have built the Scrog but i am not sure when to start using it?


I would really appreciate if you spend some time and help me.
Thanks

Click to expand...

I'm new here too, and I'm starting my first grow in a few years.
I'm sure other people have great ideas here. But the way I start my plants, is in a Jiffy 7 which I then put in a small peat pot. Which then goes directly into my final container. Yesterday I planted my two week old babies. And already had some roots coming out the bottom and sides of the peat pot. But I've never had any transplant trauma, doing it this way.

PetrovB said:

Hello,
I am just starting my first grow, i have purchased all the needed equipment and i am very excited. Before i start i have few questions for the more experienced growers.
To understand better this is the situation: growing 80plants under six 600W Dual Spectrum Lamps in 20m2.


1. I am planning to plant in 15L pots directly, i see many growers planting in small pots and than transplanting. Will i have some consequences if i directly plant in 15L?

2.How frequently do i have to water in 15L pots?

3.Air is my biggest problems and confusion. I have purchased cool tubes. Some people tell me that i have to suck hot air, and some tell me that fresh air has to be blown in the cool tube, not exhausted, what is right?
Second important thing- i am thinking between connecting all cool tubes with ducting, but its too complicated for me. Can i just place the turbine (fan) on the ceiling and extend the ducting above the plants, and not connecting the cool tubes with ducting? Did i purchase cool tubes for nothing?
On the turbine it has marks like m3/h. I have 40m3, what power do i need
How long should the turbine work? All day or...?

4. In what period after planting, i need to put my plants under SCROG? I have built the Scrog but i am not sure when to start using it?


I would really appreciate if you spend some time and help me.
Thanks

Click to expand...

1
start your clones in beer cups. Establish a good root ball in them. Takes about 10 to 14 days after the germinate above the soil. If you start in 15lt pots it will take way to long to establish the roots and get upward growth, plus you will almost certainly overwater them. After 2 weeks in beer cups Then transfer to 15 lt pots and veg for another 2 weeks or so. Then flip. If you veg too long in those pots you will get root bound and snuff your potential yield.

2
Probably every 3 to 4 days if doing the above.

3) suck air from outide the grow room accross your lights and vent outside.

4
If you are going to scrog with a short veg then you will have to put your screen over the plants immediately after you transplant to 15 lt pots. Regardless of pot size the sooner you start training the plants into the screen the better.

I would go with fewer plants and bigger pots. Start in beer cups for 10 to 14 days. Trans to 1 lt pots for 10 to 14 days. Trans to 20 lt pots...5 gal pots which are really only about 4 gal. Put the screen over them a couple days later and start filling in the screen for about 2 weeks. Then flip.

Less work with bigger pots fewer plants.

I would add that doing 80 plants for your first grow is probably going to overwhelm you if you are on your own with nobody to guide/help you. It will be a TON of work.

And... you will likely make some mistakes plus your room set up will likely not be dialled in properly on the first go, which will affect the plants and discourage you. All that work for shoddy plants will likely have you just quit and never grow again.

Start much smaller. Maybe one or two lights...no more than 8 plants. Sort your shit out and learn. Then level up.

This is some excellent guidance and posts that helped me a lot, thank you so much.
I have set up my grow room- adjusted the lights, placed the reflective foil, purchased the soil, seeds and pots.
One last thing regarding ventilation.
1. I will go with blowing air through the cool tube. Additionally to this what other ventilation would i need? Will i still need one ducting for intake of fresh air? Will i need another ducting for exiting hot air?( i guess there will be no hot air since the tubes are cooled with the first step) :/
I need your assistance on this one
Thanks