[mr-munchies]

Fast buds is a great place to get your Autos, Check out that LSD25, and Purple Lemonade <3, not sure where you are located but you may consider a Dehumidifier for when Flowering, i have mine set to kick on at 50% and turns off at 45%, make sure u have good air movement so there is a place for spores to sit and thrive. i have a buddy that grows in a small closet if u can get a good seal you will be fine in the 2×2, just low plant count.

Your light distance and Multiple autos can be tricky, pay attention to what the breeder says on height, but keep in mind all phenos can/may be different. so you could pop 2 seeds of 1 Cultivar and get 2 completely different plants. so with that i will use a empty pot upside down to bring the smaller plants closer to the light. My light goes all the way up and then i adjust the intensity with the dimmer. Use the Photone app if you don’t have a PPFD meter,

the plant will tell you what she wants, i know as a new grower that means ???? to you, but take notes every time you are in there, do a lift test on your pots, how heavy are they, how light are they, i do this first when planting and then again after watering each time. Defoliation and training is up to you, if u don’t want to, you don’t have to. i like to LST, pull branches to the side, tie them down, use some bud clips, just want to get the max out of my plants for the space that i have.

I’m in the grow everyday at least just to take a peek, some days there is nothing to do and ill just sit in there and look at the plants, and enjoy the growth.
every thing you got looks good, you will learn fast what you need and what you don’t, i rarely use my Humidifier anymore.

Goodluck and happy growing,

Stay safe, Stay high.

[LandOf10000Buds]

I am located in Minnesota. Would say growing 2 or 3 autos in a 2×4 tent with added dehumidifier would be a good beginner setup? if autos don’t work out I could just to 2 photos. I was hoping to stagger the times.

Thank you so much for the advice! I will put together a Grow Document with Word.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by  LandOf10000Buds.

[mr-munchies]

Yeah i think you would be good with that, stagger the plants a couple weeks apart, depending on pot size you could get a few autos in the 2×4

[LandOf10000Buds]

👍

[stanm]

What part of Minnesota are you in? I’m near Forest Lake and am a small scale grower using a 2×4 and 3×3 along with a 2×2 dedicated drying tent. I use soil and top dress with dry fertilizer. It’s a pretty simple grow routine. Humidity has been a problem this spring. Cold at night with furnace still going on and probably some frost remaining in the ground affects indoor humidity. That is the biggest battle here in Minnesota, keeping the humidity up.

If you’re intested in comparing notes shoot me a request here and we can look into it. I have grown both photos and autos and successfully taken a clone and got two plants from one seed. Not a sophisticated grower but I’m small scale and like to save money. I’m currently doing my first run with refurbished used soil and it’s going well.

[LandOf10000Buds]

I am located in the St. Cloud Area. Happy chat and learn! TY

[stanm]

Here is a pic of my RO unit. It’s going to need a new set of filters one of these days. It’s still working and has two years on it.

[LandOf10000Buds]

Thanks!

[stanm]

I just checked Amazon and it’s something like $150. Be advised that they are not fast. They’re rated at 100 gal per day but best I could do in 24 hours would be about 40 gal. The expensive ones that fit under a sink for kitchen use are faster. I’m retired and just set an alarm when I estimate a jug will finish.

I went to Menards and bought a few of the 4 gallon jugs of distilled water. I used the water in the garden then kept the jugs for refilling. We have three cats so I used some of the plastic litter containers for water as well. I store it in the laundry room and run it in there.

[stanm]

PS, I got a small potable RO unit on Amazon for under $200. I have to RO my well water and am familiar with that process as well. I don’t recall the brand but think is was Aqua Gen or something like that.

[lightning93]

For the tent is would go as big as you can based on space. A 4×4 is a good size. I have a 3×3 and I added a 4×4 because I felt like it was too small. A 2×4 is 8sf a 3×3 is 9sf but a 4×4 is 16sf. Lots of difference there. I like running 2 smaller lights (200watts each) instead of 1 -400watt. This allows me to raise one light and lower another if i need. More flexibility and the cost is simular.

[LandOf10000Buds]

You got me thinking now. I am wondering if I should go bigger and “grow” into the space over time 🤔

[heavyzakucustom]

tents are cheap honestly. I’d get the biggest tent for the room you have. then build it out over time adding more lights/fans. Im in MN as well and you will likely want a heater (I use an oil filled radiator) for winter and a dehumidifier for summer unless your home’s Hvac can handle it. I have a Heatpump and infloor heat so I dont have the option.

I started in a 2x2x4 AC infinity compact kit and honestly its a struggle now cause its soo small. I then upgraded to a 2x4x5 Vivosun as it was the only 5 foot 2×4. im in a very cramped area under the stairs and in an old pump room and if I had the space a 4×4 would have been much better. also wouldnt need multiple inline exhaust fans and humidifiers and the like. its going to be 420 in a week and a half so everything will be on sale. I’d get it piece meal and get either two smaller 100-150w lights (should grow 2-3 plants), a 4×4 tent (your choice but honestly AC infinity or Vivosun pro (grey) tents are pretty good but everyone makes a good tent)

I’d definitely get an AC infinity controller 69/pro (or the AI+), and their 6 inch inline fan(4×4 tent otherwise a 4 inch will be fine) and humidifier (make sure not to buy two controllers like I did cause one fan was a combo 😅).

for lights I think AC infinity are pretty good but kind of expensive, but their lights also connect seamlessly to the controller without added adapters. I have one of their lights the Ionboard S22 (100w) and an IonBeam S12 (45w) in my 2×2 and I have TWO Viparspectra 1500XS Pros (150W) in my 4×4 both are connected to different AC infinity Controller 69.

I think the easiest way to get into it is to get a kit but I think the huge 4×4 lights will be a bit over kill for just 2 plants well could maybe run them at lower settings saving power and heat but tats a whole other thing and this responise is already long enough lol

[LandOf10000Buds]

Thank you for info! I am thinking that I would want to do upgrade quickly if I got something small. It seems like that happens a lot 😀 I just called AC Infinity and asked them about the AI controller. Sounds like they are still working out the bugs for a few months. He recommended not buying it yet. Does anyone have experience with the AI controller?

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by  LandOf10000Buds.

[retro]

I would also add. put a piece of foam insulation under your tent concrete gets cold and will suck the heat out of your pots/plants . i use 2″.

[LandOf10000Buds]

Oh Yeah! Great Idea. I didn’t even think about that. Thanks!

[stanm]

In addition to the insulated floor plan on using plant stands. Especially if your lung room has a concrete floor. Essential equipment in Minnesota.

[LandOf10000Buds]

good to know! Thank you!

[lightning93]

My lung room is 75 in the winter and 68 in the summer. In a 3×3 a 200watt has no heat issues with a 4 inch fan. In my 4×4 i tried 3 200watt lights and a 6 inch had a hard time keeping it under 85 degrees In The winter 75 degree room. I went back to 2 200watt lights. With 2 lights you have more flexibility of moving them around to get better coverage on the canopy. One light is very bright in the center and then week on the sides. But with two lights you can get that a lot more even all across.

[LandOf10000Buds]

I am starting to see what makes sense for me. Do you think you will gain quality of the bud by moving the two 2×4 light up and down for a auto perpetual grow? Every 22-25 days pop a new seed. I could see having the two youngest plants on one side. I am trying to think how to start they type of grow. I would hate have just one plant in a 4×4 tent. how you suggest getting started? I am getting so excited!

[lightning93]

For me two lights definitely help. I do a perpetual grow with 3 tents. I have a seed/drying tent my original 3×3. I have a 4×4 veg tent and a 4×4 flower tent. The seed tent has 1 full spectrum 200watt light. Both 4×4 have 2- 200watt tunable lights. So I move them side to side and back and forth till I get maximum even coverage of the canopy. Then I can move each side up and down to change the intensity. I try for 500ppfd for seedlings, 700 for veg and 1000 for flower. I usually have a couple autos running and different strains of photos. Some like more light some less. It just gives me more flexibility in the same tent growing different plants. I got a light meter from amazon and I put that on a yard stick I can move around to adjust as needed over each plant.

[LandOf10000Buds]

Wow. Sounds like an amazing setup. I would guess that would take up a fair amount room to run so many tents. Do you have to have a separate exhaust fans/humidifier/dehumidifier/etc. for each tent?

[stanm]

If you have two tents for growing it leaves a lot of options. Right now both my tents are on 18/6 for autos. I have a Bubba Kush photo under a T5 that will eventually take over one tent. Then I will move the photo from T5 to 2×4 and put all three autos in the 3×3.

I’ll probably get another photo going in a month or so. This isn’t a very ambitious grow, just testing using refurbished soil for the first time. That was the next new thing I am trying this grow.

Changing things up is as simple as changing the light cycle to 12/12. I go back and forth between photos and autos depending on wife’s vacation plans and needs in my storage cabinet.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by  stanm.

[potninja]

You have great ideas and have covered a lot of the bases. I am sure many of us here in MN started small with good intentions of staying within the limit, but that’s tough to do if you are doing pheno hunts and keeping mothers. I am up to 4 tents and counting!

My best advices is to connect with other growers and check out their setups. There are a million different approaches to growing cannabis. It takes time to dial in a grow but you can shorten the learning curve considerably by learning from other growmies.

Not sure where you are at in MN but I can help you out with clones or plants. I am also a big fan of RSO. Made my first batch of Golden Dragon last month and now I am investing in a vacuum extractor!

There’s a lot of info on the internet but there is no better resource than right here!

[LandOf10000Buds]

that is is great advice. Thank you! I would be interested in connecting locally and seeing other folks grow. I am planning on buying soon. but will not be able to start growing for a month or two due to having surgery on April 21st. That will give me more to chat with everyone here to keep learning before I start. I always try to find the positive, although it can be tough.

I am going to have to look up a vacuum extractor. I found the rice cooker method so far

[potninja]

Check out Emily Kyle nutrition https://emilykylenutrition.com The Golden Dragon recipe is great but evaporating alcohol gets expensive. Extractcraft.com makes a vacuum extractor that allows you to recycle the alcohol.

emilykylenutrition.com

Emily Kyle » Cannabis Education for All

Emily Kyle teaches people just like you how to use cannabis to find joy, enhance their productivity, improve their relationships, and naturally support their overall health and well-being.

[purp-terp-pheno-god]

I highly suggest that you start with photos as a new grower. Heard too many people dropping tons of money for a set up to only get disappointed when they didn’t even get a decent first harvest because one thing went wrong and their autos dudded out. Also, I would suggest a 4×4 if you have the space to run one. Within a year of growing you’ll be happy that you went with the bigger tent size because trust me, you’ll never have enough space once you really get into growing lol. You can easily start seeds in a closet, counter top, bathroom, wherever you have the extra space and a little bit of light, while your flowering plants finish. I also suggest that you play around with a single plant every single run to learn more and more about growing (after you stock up on meds of course). Just a suggestion from a 23 year grower. Good luck and most importantly, failure is only a learning experience to getting it right. ✌️

[LandOf10000Buds]

by the responses I have seen so far. I think I will go with a 4×4. I know myself too. Is it possible to do both autos and photo at the same time? would the 12/12 light cycle screw up the auto? maybe I am making things too complicated and just need to start slow. Hard to do, when you know what is coming from all the hard work 😀

[potninja]

I have plants going in 4x4s and 2x2s. They all work but bigger definitely makes life easier, especially if your lung room isn’t suitably climate controlled. I would have a 5×5 but my space just doesn’t work for that. 4×4 is a nice first tent setup for a new grower IMO.

[lightning93]

I would start with photo period. Learn from that. Some strains are heartier and easier to grow than others. I am no auto expert but iv done a few recently. After a few weeks I put one in my flowering tent and left the others in the veg tent. The veg tent autos did produce a bit more. But yea with one tent you can do both.

[purp-terp-pheno-god]

Autos aren’t worth growing at 12/12. Later on if you get a veg tent too, you can run your autos in the veg tent. Just not in 12/12. Ultimately, it’s up to you and how confident you are in that you can get a first harvest off autos. I just seeing people get discouraged because they don’t get anything worth all the money the dropped into the set up.

[LandOf10000Buds]

From what I understand, wiggle room with photos seems to be more forgiving for new growers. That seems logical to me 😀

[lightning93]

If you have access to clones that’s a easy way to start or grow. You can get the clones started then try seeds. There’s some education needed in every stage. Learning how to properly pop seeds is a thing. Learning what plants want/need in veg is a thing. Learning flower stage is a thing and harvesting is a important stage of its own. @scottyreal and @dudegrows have had several youtube videos on the 5 mistakes new growers make. You will over water, you will over fertilize. You will love your plants to death. We all have lol.

But this group and those guys are a major help.

[stanm]

I like taking a clone from plants in veg and getting a couple plants out of one seed. I only use clones from my own plants as I hear clone sharing can be a way to intrude pests.

This was a clone of a WWXXL that finished a couple months ago.

[LandOf10000Buds]

Thank you. I have watched a lot of the content. I now need to put it practice. I feel a better knowing I have places to ask questions.

[stanm]

I do both photos and autos. Autos are by far the easiest but one has to be familiar with their grow cycle. I just topped this one and did some leaf tucking a couple days ago. Checked this morning and eight Bud sites are coming up. Should be a nice little plant and fill my need for an indica.