To introduce myself, I have been growing for a couple of years. Mostly indoors in a small tent and one failed outdoor grow due to russet mite infestation. I will use the first post to explain my setup and methods. The rest of the thread will serve as an ongoing grow diary.
Tent:
2’x3’x6’ from AC infinity (odd size but I had a perfect spot for it). Exhaust fan, controller, carbon filter are all AC infinity as well.
Lights:
AC infinity IONGRID T22 130W (bar style lighting is probably preferable, but this is what I got)
Par 38 light bulbs: I use these a lot for various things. Starting plants, under, canopy lighting, and for covering the edges of my tent which don’t get enough light. Pretty versatile and cheap lights that I think not many people know about. You can buy them at any hardware store, I once found them on sale at Lowe’s and bought a ton.
*PAR stands for “Parabolic Aluminized Reflector”. The 38 refers to the diameter of the bulb. It has nothing to do with the intensity of the light.
Heater: Since I grow in my garage I need extra heat in the winter. A ceramic reptile heater behind the oscillating fan has worked great for me. I sometimes have to use several.
DIY sub irrigated planter.
I use only PH balanced tap water in the reservoir to prevent it from getting nasty. Compost teas and recharge get top watered in. Worth pointing out that the valve is unnecessary and could simply be a hole in the side.
Build tutorial
45 gallon tote and added a valve for overflow
At the bottom of the tote is 4 inch perforated drain pipe. One end connected to the overflow with wire.
Added 1 inch pipe for filling the reservoir
Bottom layer is 50/50 peat moss and vermiculite for wicking, my dirt will go on top. The idea being I can dump about 5-10 gallons of water in the perforated drain pipe and it will slowly wick into the dirt above. The overflow allows to see when the reservoir is full.
Soil:
I have made my soil using 2 different recipes and both have worked well for me. I source my worm castings from a local worm breeder.
Build-a-soil:
Simply buy the kit and follow the directions. Kind of expensive but you can re-use the soil for years if you treat it well. I am on my 5th grow with the soil in my grow tent.
Coots mix
1/3 Sphagnum Peat Moss
1/3 Aeration - (3/8 pumice is best but difficult to source cheaply. I use a mix of pumice, perlite and vermiculite)
1/3 Worm castings
(per cubic foot of coots mix add)
1 cup kelp meal
1 cup neem meal
1 cup of lime
1/2 cup Gypsum
3 cups basalt dust
Amendments and products:
Each grow I top dress with amendments 3-4 times. Usually starting when I flip to flower. 4-5tbsp down to earth and 1-2tbsp bat guano per plant. No more than once every 2 weeks. I honestly just go with my gut but I should probably get a soil test.
Down to earth 4-8-4:
Bat Guano:
Realgrowers recharge: Use as recommended. Can use it every watering if you wish.
PH down: I use general hydroponic brand.
Compost tea recipe:
I apply this about 2 times each grow. It gives the plants some nutrition but the real benefit is supercharging your soil microbiology.
Tea Recipe
5 gallons of water
worm castings or compost (fresh is best) - 1 to 2 cups
kelp - 2 tbsp
alfalfa meal - 2 tbsp
bat guano - 1 tbsp
1tbsp molasses
Bubble for 24-48 hrs
DIY “Air Lifter”
for brewing compost tea. Youll have to Google how to make one because I didn’t take good pics.
DIY aeroponic cloner.
Once again just look up guides on Google. I don’t like humidity domes, instead I run a humidifier to keep humidity about 68-70.
DIY wetting agent
This is useful for when your soil drys out and becomes hydrophobic or just for improved wicking. Cheaper than Therm x-70 or yucca extract.
10 soap nuts soaked in a quart of hot water. Strain out the nuts and save the liquid. Use at a rate of 1tbsp per gallon.
Greenhouse
For outdoors I have a small 6x8 greenhouse that I bought from harbor freight. The exhaust fan is a Vevor 14 inch shutter fan. Last summer I had 4 cannabis plants and a few peppers out there. I ended up aborting the cannabis due to russet mites and the cannabis plants were so big I couldn’t reach the back with any sprays. My yard is pretty shady so it’s not ideal. Next year I plan on doing only 2 cannabis plants and more peppers tbh. My peppers really thrived out there.
