Beginner in socal looking for advice

[socalsinner777]

Hi everyone. I plan to germinate 4 feminized seeds for an eventual outdoor grow in 50 gallon pots with soil. I plan to start germination this week.I'm looking for advice on lighting while I have my 4 babies inside. I know they sell tents but what setup does everyone recommend? I was thinking of keeping the girls inside until mid May. I'm in socal. Thanks!

 

[Galgrows]

Hi and welcome lots of folks here from so. cal. I check sunrise/sunset times before i set out my photoperiods just for reference just type it in with your location. You'll be safe with more than 12hrs of daylight.

It depends on if your gonna grow indoors and flower plants like we do here. If your only gonna use the tent for sprouting and vegging till they go outside i would'nt spend much. Plants can use just t-5,t-8 flourescent for a couple months. But if you intend to grow indoors seriously then wait for others to chime in. I've been using my tent an light for over 6yrs still going great. Don't get a short tent at least 6ft. Your gonna get a EAR full of recommendations. LOL I have Viparspectra LED and T-5 for sprouting.

 

[Ninjadogma]

Hi and welcome lots of folks here from so. cal. I check sunrise/sunset times before i set out my photoperiods just for reference just type it in with your location. You'll be safe with more than 12hrs of daylight.

It depends on if your gonna grow indoors and flower plants like we do here. If your only gonna use the tent for sprouting and vegging till they go outside i would'nt spend much. Plants can use just t-5,t-8 flourescent for a couple months. But if you intend to grow indoors seriously then wait for others to chime in. I've been using my tent an light for over 6yrs still going great. Don't get a short tent at least 6ft. Your gonna get a EAR full of recommendations. LOL I have Viparspectra LED and T-5 for sprouting.

I use supplemental lighting to keep my photos year round. The prospect of moving a 50 gal bag in and out of the shed every day does not sound fun.

 

[socalsinner777]

Hi and welcome lots of folks here from so. cal. I check sunrise/sunset times before i set out my photoperiods just for reference just type it in with your location. You'll be safe with more than 12hrs of daylight.

It depends on if your gonna grow indoors and flower plants like we do here. If your only gonna use the tent for sprouting and vegging till they go outside i would'nt spend much. Plants can use just t-5,t-8 flourescent for a couple months. But if you intend to grow indoors seriously then wait for others to chime in. I've been using my tent an light for over 6yrs still going great. Don't get a short tent at least 6ft. Your gonna get a EAR full of recommendations. LOL I have Viparspectra LED and T-5 for sprouting.

Thanks. I plan to sprout and veg indoors until they are ready for outdoor. I'll be in Sierra Madre CA :) what size of tent do I need for 4 plants? I'll be growing from seed.I plan to use soil outside..After germination what would you recommend I use? Large Dixie cup? Would you mind sharing some pics of your veg, germination setup?

 

[socalsinner777]

I use supplemental lighting to keep my photos year round. The prospect of moving a 50 gal bag in and out of the shed every day does not sound fun.

You use supplemental light outside I assume?

 

[socalsinner777]

Would it make sense to germinate outdoors and bypass the setup inside? I don't know if it is beneficial to veg inside for a short time and continue the vegging outside? Thoughts?

 

[Galgrows]

Thanks. I plan to sprout and veg indoors until they are ready for outdoor. I'll be in Sierra Madre CA :) what size of tent do I need for 4 plants? I'll be growing from seed.I plan to use soil outside..After germination what would you recommend I use? Large Dixie cup? Would you mind sharing some pics of your veg, germination setup?

I'll be damned i lived in Sierra Madre for a year before moving to Oregon. 1979 you probably were'nt born yet LOL. I got a brother in Monrovia foothills and one in Covina. Me and my sister live up here. Anyhoo...... 1st &2nd pics how i sprout and do seedling for about 2wks. One lamp is a small t-5 the other with the hood is just a curly CFL.

3 & 4 pic is my veg an flower tent it's my only tent. This was last May prior to setting out for summer. I transplant from solo to 1gal on my photoperiods then acclimate to outdoors for a few days before i put them into the final 15gal pots. These in the tent stay there for a month before going outdoors. They'll be near 20" on transplant maybe taller. I'm 68yrs old lady so i can't lug around big pots anymore when i need to protect under my patio during rain i gotta drag them.

 

[Galgrows]

Would it make sense to germinate outdoors and bypass the setup inside? I don't know if it is beneficial to veg inside for a short time and continue the vegging outside? Thoughts?

I guess you could where you live. But most folks start them inside get them big and healthy then move them outside. They take such a beating from the enviornment. And i know you get longggg periods of heat with little rain. Late Sept. here begins short periods of rain and that just wreaks havoc on buds. Also pests begin to chew on the plants so thinking ahead is good to plan

 

[socalsinner777]

Nice job. I really appreciate your input . I'll send some pictures once I figure out what I'm going to do

 

[socalsinner777]

Do you think a 4 x4 tent is too much for 4 plants? Seems reasonable size to me. I'm thinking 3 gallon pots during veg state .. any recommendations on what light to use for Veg state in the 4x4 ?

 

[katraiter]

Hi everyone. I plan to germinate 4 feminized seeds for an eventual outdoor grow in 50 gallon pots with soil. I plan to start germination this week.I'm looking for advice on lighting while I have my 4 babies inside. I know they sell tents but what setup does everyone recommend? I was thinking of keeping the girls inside until mid May. I'm in socal. Thanks!

I got a little guy of Amazon that works great. For just that . I just searched Amazon for a 20k lumen light and found that. I grow outside now mainly cause it's free light and I'm in zone 9 never gets below 40 , but this guy worked awesome when I first started . When I was terrified of growing and getting caught . I still use it on occasion , had it since 2021 use now to do some babies and try cloning and had success . Or get that indoor boost when a Hurricaine is in the gulf and there is no sun for a couple days . Gives me the availability still to drag one inside and it not die ! Was totally fine to get 4 guys in a closet where they needed to be , had to literally move them outside cause they outgrew the space . I just used some clear high gloss modge podge and lined the closet with reflective bubble wrap, was leftover reflective cooler inserts from hello fresh from flu times ( so it's mylar ) and some foil , put it up like wallpaper . And finished it pretty , with aluminum tape . I Included a small heat mat and got a cheapo humidifier from Walgreens . Humidifier was so great I even got nerdy and mixed the water up with a light solution to foliar feed with the humidifier. 50 gallons outside seems brave . Biggest outside pot I have ever done has only been a 14 inch pot , 1 cubic foot planning to go to one 4 cubic foot pot this year. And I'm scared cause my guys get super huge in tiny pots .

Here is a link to a similar one it wasn't much back then maybe cost me 30 bucks now about 50. They have them for less just look.

Amazon.com

Previous one I have

Amazon.com : LByzHan 1000W Led Grow Light 3x3ft Coverage Upgraded Ultra-Thin Dimmable Full Spectrum Grow Lamps for Indoor Plants LED Grow Hydroponic Growing Light with 225 LEDs : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : LByzHan 1000W Led Grow Light 3x3ft Coverage Upgraded Ultra-Thin Dimmable Full Spectrum Grow Lamps for Indoor Plants LED Grow Hydroponic Growing Light with 225 LEDs : Patio, Lawn & Garden

a.co

 

[socalsinner777]

Wow.. great pics. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I'll send some pics once I'm setup:) thanks

 

[Ninjadogma]

You use supplemental light outside I assume?

I use sunshine but it's not enough in the winter months. So I have a grow light in the shed and plants get moved in and out depending on how much additional light they need. So let's say I have plants flowering in December. At the end of daylight I move the plants into the shed and the light goes out at 6pm. The light comes back on at 6am and I take the plants outside when I wake up and turn the shed light off. Right now I just have vegging plants so they go to the shed at dark. The light comes on at 11pm and stays on until I take the plants out in the morning.

 

[katraiter]

Do you think a 4 x4 tent is too much for 4 plants? Seems reasonable size to me. I'm thinking 3 gallon pots during veg state .. any recommendations on what light to use for Veg state in the 4x4 ?

My journey ... I'm a newbie it's ALot sorry very long diary. Was April to September last year but this was my first official recorded successful grow and it blew me away I got that far from seed to harvest. $300 total cheap setup on a budget, including the light. Hope it helps !

Thread '2 Purple Ghost Candy , 2 Lsd , 2 original Glue and 1 critical 2.0 Auto germinated /in dirt on St Patty's day. Outside only is my growth good?' https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/2...ys-day-outside-only-is-my-growth-good.158385/

 

[Oldchucky]

I think you need closer to 14 hours to keep them from prematurely flowering! I’ve made that mistake! A couple of times! I’m about 700 miles north of you! I think mid May sounds doable for you! I wait till June! We are at 12 1/2 hours now and I think it’s way too early to be putting them out without some kind of lighting! Just two cents! And welcome!

 

[katraiter]

I think you need closer to 14 hours to keep them from prematurely flowering! I’ve made that mistake! A couple of times! I’m about 700 miles north of you! I think mid May sounds doable for you! I wait till June!

Listen to Old Chucky!! He helped me out so much ! You man!!!

 

[Oldchucky]

Listen to Old Chucky!! He helped me out so much ! You man!!!

BAY, Kat!

 

[Ninjadogma]

I think you need closer to 14 hours to keep them from prematurely flowering! I’ve made that mistake! A couple of times! I’m about 700 miles north of you! I think mid May sounds doable for you! I wait till June! We are at 12 1/2 hours now and I think it’s way too early to be putting them out without some kind of lighting! Just two cents!

I think March 20 marked the Equinox for us here. For those who don't know, the Equinox dates mark when the day and the night are equal length. I pick the first day in May that sees a full 14 hours of daylight to kill supplemental. It's different depending where you're at from the Equator.

 

[socalsinner777]

I think you need closer to 14 hours to keep them from prematurely flowering! I’ve made that mistake! A couple of times! I’m about 700 miles north of you! I think mid May sounds doable for you! I wait till June! We are at 12 1/2 hours now and I think it’s way too early to be putting them out without some kind of lighting! Just two cents! And welcome!

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it

 

[amneziaHaze]

I would do more than 14hours some sativas will flower at 14.

But what i wanted to say if you plan to just veg for a few months before going outside you dont even need a tent get a 100w lamp i woudnt go any lower and your ready.i would start with the smallest pots soo they are all close together you get more light that way.