No, do not grow in soil. Especially fox farm, contrary to what people say. I find it 10× more difficult to grow in. It may give a different taste, than hydro or soiless. But it is difficult to read if you have a problem. A-you dont know how long the soil is good for, in the sense that you dont know how much of each element is left. So if you start watering, with any nutes, or even calmag, it's pretty easy to lock out your plants. And you'll not be able to figure it out., since your new, shit even a lot of other growers cant. Because of one simple thing, soil isn't constant, you'll have varying levels bag to bag. LED's I find tobbe terrible unless you have the money to drop on the nice ones 3w-5w diodes, and they're not chinese shit quality ones. You need like 16 spectrums or something in each and you get ripped off if you dont go for a reputable brand for thr most part. Not to mention your 1500 budget would pay for 1 good large LED light.
THE Simplest thing ever, and take it from a noob. Is coco growing. It is almost the same yield and growth rate as hydro. But with the forgiveness of soil. You let it go overnight with no water, and it dries out. You can still save the plants. You let hydro dry out, you're done, there is no saving it because their medium (the small balls of rockwool or whatever) doesnt retain water in amounts like coco, and their isn't as much water wet rockwool in hydro as there is coco in a 5gal bucket. Look up the lucas head method. I will never grow in soil again. Did it for 2 grows, did coco as well in the second one. The growth rate was better, the ease was better, everything. I highly recommend it. You need RO WATER, a PH meter, TDS, EC, and PH meter would be the best though. And the nutrients if you're gonna be in a garage just have a 12 12 constant rotation of lights on with 1000w, and it will heat that bitch up. I promise. They're like 4500btu heaters each. No joke.
What you'll need to do:
Clean out your garage
Bug bomb it
Fungus bomb
Bleach wipe down for shits and gigs
Build a divider that is light proof on each side escept for a duct to run through each light. With a carbon filter on the end.
Or buy 2 big tents, look on craigslist, they'll be cheap.
What you'll need:
Clones, seeds, I suggest a few clone grows, then try seeds like I did.
Couple bags of Royal Canna Coco, or equivalent. Not that brick crap
PH meter, with Ph up/down
Scale-to measure 1g of epsom salt
Epsom salt
GH Florobloom, and Florogmicro
A mL device thing to extract the Nutrients
5-7gal cloth pots
55gal dtum with RO water or bug .89 jugs from store every couple days (thats what I do)
2-MH 1000w bulbs
2-HPS 1000w Bulbs
2 -1000w ballasts, I recommend digital
2 XXXL hoods, regular wing, or coltube if you'd like to maximize yield with verticle growing. But I wouldnt recommend it right yet
1 6in fan-if you're ducting hoods
1 4-6in fan-for intake
Carbon filter DIY or buy it if you wanna be nice to your neighbors.
All this can be done under 1500 if you bargain shop on the dumb stuff like hoods, fans, tents and etc. But dont cheap out on bulbs, and ballast IMO.