New To Weed, New To Growing

[franky.h]

Hello all. First let me thank all of you on this forum. You all seem like a truly level headed bunch. I smoked for my first time about 2 months ago. I have since decided I would try to grow my own. I was promised a few specimens of bag seed from the 2 people I know that smoke. I am not sure they took me seriously though. It is probably for the best, I work with them. I mailed some cash to SOS, after placing and order for some iced grape fruit. 3 weeks later I decided I was not going to hear anything else from them. So I pursued a way to get some mBitcoins locally. I finally came up with a way and I placed another order with seedsman and I paid with my shiny new mBitcoins. The whole thing was actually a fun process. The next day I had an order confirmation from both SOS and seedsman. So 2 potential orders on the way.

Now for the bad news. I Don't have any friends that I would want to know that I am growing so I had both shipped to my house. I paid for super stealth from both companies. Fortunately my SOS order made it through customs very quickly and into my mail box, free of any of the notorious green tape! The seedsman order sat there for a week, I am not sure what to expect now.

If it comes with no green tape I think I am in the clear. Cash and bitcoin are relatively hard to trace and I used a fake name. If it does come with green tape I am not sure what I am going to do. I may have to abandon this project. Any thoughts?

As for my grow set up I have a small area in my basement utility room. No windows, no foot traffic. I don't expect any one to stumble across it.

I plan to use wood and plastic to make sealed area to grow in, inside the utility room. I am avoiding ordering anything blatantly marijuana grow related online and I do not trust a local hydro store to not be stalked by the police. So I plan to build a carbon filter and pick up the carbon at a local aquarium supply house. I can post my plans if any one wants to take a look.

Most of my seeds are supposed to be female so I am planning on starting 3. The area is 40"x36-72 and about 6-7' tall. I have just not decided what size to make it. I have no idea how much I will smoke so does any one have any advice on the size of the grow area? Is there any point in making it small other than material cost?

As for lights I have 2 54w leds, but as it turns out standard market procedure is to say 54 but what they mean is 12w. I have 6 23w CFLs and 4 t8s. I am also considering a 600w HID off of amazon. There are 2 that are popular. This is pretty close to my thresh hold of what is safe to order and what is not.

Finally I need to come up with a fan or fans. The 6" inline fans on amazon and ebay look good but again they are riding a fine line. None of the big box stores have anything but the cheap 4 inch inline fans.

Anyways, thanks for letting me air my thoughts in the safety of your forum.

 

[Shamus]

I would make it as big as possible within reason.

Don't get too worried about seeds if they don't show up.. They just get thrown out.. They don't really have the man hours that I'm aware of to follow thru with every confiscated seed pack.

I would suggest a 600 watt light with a digital ballast.

I wouldn't use Amazon but I would use a proper hydro online store that boasts discretion.. I HIGHLY doubt they have to report sales to non med states. in fact I'm basically positive.

I wouldn't skimp for fear of tracking.. Only reason to skimp is money.

I haven't read up on diy carbon scrubbers but just know that weed is super smelly
And has no quams making a house reak.. So once again I wouldn't skimp on something so essential to keeping your private little garden PRIVATE.

i have more to say I'll reply later. Watching a movie with the woman..

Don't let the seeds stress us out



Shamus

 

[LittleDabbie]

Welcome to the farm :D

 

[motherlode]

welcome to the farm - there is nothing wrong with amazon - especially if you have prime

dont skimp on filtration - you need to exchange the volume of air in the room at least once every 3 minutes - use a quality filter and a fan matched/rated for that filter (this is very important)

 

[indicabush]

Welcome to the farm a site of great info for young and old farmers. Have been using seeds from seedsman for many years and nothing has ever been intercepted, but there is always the first time. May I suggest that you invest in a American made LED Lamp. There are quite a few advantages for a LED set up. Google around lots of great info.

 

[franky.h]

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

Shamus if you have store recommendations I would like to know what they are, please reply here or send me a pm.

I am really not trying to skimp on any kind of filter. I would like something that is a little more under the radar and user replaceable. I honestly have no idea what this is going to smell like. I am not planning on making a tiny little filter. I am wanting to build something that is about 2'x2'x2'.

 

[Seamaiden]

Welcome to the farm! You're going to get about the best advice a person could need here.

 

[mauiinfinity]

Welcome to the wonderful herb and plant and farm!

 

[NaturalTherapy]

Welcome!

You just smoked for the first time and already you want to grow? You're a smart person!!

Good luck and have fun. I definitely recommend using an HID rather than LED to bloom this plants under. LED can produce quality bud, but IMO not as good as it can be.

 

[Shamus]

Growershouse seems pretty good and so does horizon hydro.

I would get a 6 inch Inline and a carbon scrubber specifically meant for that fans CFM rating. You can find all the Info either on the hydro store site or with a bit of googling.

Also your going to want a passive intake (meaning your room has negative pressure) so all air being expelled from said enclosure is being filtered. If a fan was blowing IN to the tent then you would be getting non filtered air coming out from leaks in your enclosure. So you would want the fan blowing air OUT of the Inclosure not Into it. I'll draw some pictures. Lol

The thing with your carbon box is there's just no guarantee it will work well and what size fan it would need.

Lmk if you have any more questions.

Also your LED's and T8's and CFLs will be good for vegetative growth. The 600 you will need for fruiting. Also I'm not sure on where your state stands but I would do more than 3 plants. I find 6 being underneath a light perfect. As you have to account for time in veg. 3 plants will have to grow much bigger to sufficiently take up enough space in your area, which means the longer they have to grow without you getting any smoke out of them, more money in electricity and time as well.. As with 6 larger plants they can be smaller but still fill up the space sufficiently, less time in vegetative and more harvest per year..

 

[Shamus]

Edit.
"As with 6 SMALLER plants they can be smaller but still fill up the space sufficiently"

 

[Smokey503ski]

Honestly I recommend you to NOT make a DIY carbon FILTER.
Not saying it won't work. You would be better off just buying one online. You can get discreet shipping. It will come in a brown box. Match a fan to the CFM rating to the filter.
I think it would be hard to match the cfm on the fan to the DIY filter. You would essentially be guessing and hoping it works.
Being a first time grower, you will have paranoid times, you will hear shit, peak out your windows.
Having a carbon filter you know is properly sized will give you a better piece of mind.
All the paranoia thoughts will go away. Just don't tell anyone and you won't get caught. Make sure your smells do not linger anywhere.
In my garage I have a fully built room. You can't smell a thing at all. I do not worry one bit.
I wish you the best of luck.

 

[manicman]

Welcome to the green!! What made you decide to start smoking!?

 

[Canalchemist]

First off I will reiterate the carbon scrubber is an absolute must, if you cheap out you will end up with Weed growers PTSD :). And if things get particularily stinky in the room it never hurts to go outside for a bit and come back in and take a whif. Humans go nose blind pretty quick, dogs do to believe it or not, Your stink may come on so slowly you wont even notice and then a friend stops by and says "hey man smells like weed in here" you one a smoke one?

I have had seeds intercepted, from seedsman a few years back, I got a letter from customs stating if I wanted my shit I was going to have to come and claim it, LOL I freaked at first cause it was a $100+ order, but seedsman re sent at no charge and I opted for stealth delivery used it ever since with them and no issues.

 

[Power OG]

Welcome bro. Your in great hands here.
Positive Vibes

 

[franky.h]

Thanks again for the welcomes guys. Order got here no problem.

As for the filter, cheap is not my goal. From what I can see these filters are only used for one thing, growing weed. So If the package comes open or a cc gets checked it is pretty much a red flag what is going on.

Welcome to the green!! What made you decide to start smoking!?

I have actually wanted to for a while, but the opportunity has never presented itself.

 

[Canalchemist]

I have a citronella plant that reeks if you get near it, I would definitely need one for a Citronella indoor grow, just saying even tomatoes can stink a bit, herbs can smell things up, I don't think it is just weed. And I don't think a Carbon filter alone is enough to get a warrant.

 

[Borina]

I'll second Canalchemist. Carbon filters are used for much more than just masking cannabis scents. They were used for many different applications before the mj industry caused a boost/focus in their production. The problems you would ever have from ordering a proper filter are nothing...zero...nada. Especially compared to your stress you will encounter if your filtration is sub par. Don't sweat it my friend... There are plenty of bigger fish to fry :)

 

[Electrocity]

Welcome man! all the best to you!

 

[franky.h]

Small Update, This will now be a 400w MH grow veg and flower. The light is an old gym light and I plan to do a remote ballast mod on it. I will supplement with 2 54w (equivalent) LEDs and possibly 4 t8s. I am popping 3 seeds, so hopefully I will have 3 plants. I may add a 150w hps for flower but that is still up in the air at this point. I am still working on a filter/fan setup. At what point will these guys start smelling?