Getting ready to move & trying to think of everything

Recently retired and now that summer and legality are upon us in Minnestoneya, I am in the process of finding our perfect retirement home, but, more to these concerns, the perfect retirement home, home grow set up possibilities. I am sure that at some point I will want to grow outside, but, although I would (of course...) love to learn about what areas of MN would have better soil, water, etc, for outdoor growing, I really want to focus on indoor possibilities and needs at this time. This is such a "blank slate" that it is almost hard to grasp - in a good way! I am very fortunate and grateful. I guess my overall goal is to have a hobby I enjoy and that produces an end product that I am excited to consume and proud to share with others. Really just in to flower now, but interested in (eventually...) washing, making bubble hash and pressing.

I am under the assumption that there are three basic ways to home grow (soil, hydro or hybrid) and am not sure which basic method produces the best/better weed. I am beginning to understand the huge amount of human variables and tastes in cannabis growing. I know it is difficult to throw the term "If all other things are equal..." etc out there and have folks know what you mean, but, for example, is a hydro grow inherently going to grow better weed than a soil grow? I have heard - 'start with soil', but ??? exclusively ??? Is a good hybrid system going to produce the best cannabis - if all other things are equal... which, of these three, is best (er, better?) - Is there a fourth, or completely different way I don't even consider here? big picture, ya know? I have a little time - the house hunting is in full swing now that we've got that lil' debt ceiling issue done and - technically - MN is legal Aug 1, so it would be nice to decide which method I will start with to fine tune research and prep for everything else. I was thinking about an indoor grow with a couple or three tents using buildasoil, but then started thinking about other set-ups. Then - I was wondering - depending on the actual possibilities ( ie a basement, an attic, garage or just easily climate controlled empty rooms) would "most" homegrowers not even bother with tents? Or, if you had/have space, would you set up individual areas for seedling, vegging and flowering?

Things that might be of interest - Partner is fully supportive - budget? while certainly not 'unlimited' I want to do this right - for context, I have heard that folks like me, may be paying around $5K a year on the bm for their meds - so, I am not hesitating to spend a little up front and am anticipating initial/hard costs to be in that 5K range - depending on basic set up - which, I can not decide. I have looked at all three areas enough to think any of them looks interesting and "do-able". I think I am smart enough (lol!) to 'skip' soil, but, I kind of like soil, so...?

I would love to hear from those who have ever thought, "I wish I would have..." or "Wow man! You could..." Thank you for reading!

Hydro is better and cheaper long-term
Soil is easier and cheaper up front.
I never started hydro as I'm a well documented fuck up.
There's more equipment needed to run hydro so set up cost more but over time not buying soil/coco will add up.
In a good run hydro will have a bigger yield and a higher quality flower but every mistake will be magnified and harder to fix.
5kUS can get you a damn near pro level set up I have less then 1k in equipment ($300 in lights $100 in tents $100 in fans a carbon filter$50(only needed for oder control)a pH pen$30 cloth pots are like $3each $150 a year in fertilizer $60 per 4 plant cycle in soil)

You can start by figuring out what your goals are.
Quantity- what do you want to yield each crop?
Photos are the “traditional “ plants you have known and seen for a long while.
They grow in veg until you are ready to flip.
This gives you more control of the plant cycle and also produces good yields- I usually get 14-25 ounces per plant after a 8 week veg.
Autos have a mind of their own and begin flowering without flipping the light schedule.
They are usually smaller and produce less per plant however they cycle quicker so you can have more harvests each year.
The quantity you want will be a determining factor in how much space to dedicate.
A 10x10 or 12x 12 is plenty for a good grow room for 6-8 photos in flower- but because you are controlling the flower stage you can put them in flower at the size that you want.
Remember- you will be watering and getting rid of waste water very often- so a room with water supply and a drain is best- your basement utility room where the water comes into the house is a good place- there is usually a house drain bib that you can use as a water supply or a slop sink to use is perfect.
A stainless table or something similar to mix your nutrients.
If you choose a finished room in the house- remember that you will spill water often so hardwood floors snd such will need protection.
Quality-
I prefer traditional photos for best consistency.
You can definitely get some fire auto strains however autos are not as consistent- from what I have read.
Medium
I suggest coco/perlite in 3 gallon fabric pots
This is the easiest medium to control what the plants receive. You are in total control.
Environmental control-
This can be challenging-
Large plants put 97% of the water you give them into the air- many plants in a small space can be a humidity problem. You will need a dehumidifier if your space requires it.
Temperature is where I would do things differently- having the LED drivers placed remotely- outside the grow room will help with temperature control. The new bar type of LEDs have this feature.
There are many brands of lights-
I have found Viparspectra and Mars hydro are decent well priced fixtures- always get the newest ones for the best and latest diodes.

Bud man 43 said:

You can start by figuring out what your goals are.
Quantity- what do you want to yield each crop?
Photos are the “traditional “ plants you have known and seen for a long while.
They grow in veg until you are ready to flip.
This gives you more control of the plant cycle and also produces good yields- I usually get 14-25 ounces per plant after a 8 week veg.
Autos have a mind of their own and begin flowering without flipping the light schedule.
They are usually smaller and produce less per plant however they cycle quicker so you can have more harvests each year.
The quantity you want will be a determining factor in how much space to dedicate.
A 10x10 or 12x 12 is plenty for a good grow room for 6-8 photos in flower- but because you are controlling the flower stage you can put them in flower at the size that you want.
Remember- you will be watering and getting rid of waste water very often- so a room with water supply and a drain is best- your basement utility room where the water comes into the house is a good place- there is usually a house drain bib that you can use as a water supply or a slop sink to use is perfect.
A stainless table or something similar to mix your nutrients.
If you choose a finished room in the house- remember that you will spill water often so hardwood floors snd such will need protection.
Quality-
I prefer traditional photos for best consistency.
You can definitely get some fire auto strains however autos are not as consistent- from what I have read.
Medium
I suggest coco/perlite in 3 gallon fabric pots
This is the easiest medium to control what the plants receive. You are in total control.
Environmental control-
This can be challenging-
Large plants put 97% of the water you give them into the air- many plants in a small space can be a humidity problem. You will need a dehumidifier if your space requires it.
Temperature is where I would do things differently- having the LED drivers placed remotely- outside the grow room will help with temperature control. The new bar type of LEDs have this feature.
There are many brands of lights-
I have found Viparspectra and Mars hydro are decent well priced fixtures- always get the newest ones for the best and latest diodes.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your time - I can appreciate your comments on environment. It seems a no-brainer that if you could do indoor, with the 'usual' household environmental controls (AC/heat/forced air), that that would be easier to deal with than, say, a garage or barn or ??? but maybe not ? I'm not sure the usual can accomodate changes in RH that could occur ? I have a TON of questions and things to learn about ! Thanks again

VaSmile said:

Hydro is better and cheaper long-term
Soil is easier and cheaper up front.
I never started hydro as I'm a well documented fuck up.
There's more equipment needed to run hydro so set up cost more but over time not buying soil/coco will add up.
In a good run hydro will have a bigger yield and a higher quality flower but every mistake will be magnified and harder to fix.
5kUS can get you a damn near pro level set up I have less then 1k in equipment ($300 in lights $100 in tents $100 in fans a carbon filter$50(only needed for oder control)a pH pen$30 cloth pots are like $3each $150 a year in fertilizer $60 per 4 plant cycle in soil)

Click to expand...

I appreciate you replying even if you are a fuck up! The whole soil-vs-??? thing is huge I guess... I mean, I guess the question I should be asking is - Do you experts think "organic" makes inherently better weed, over hydro/hybrid? Visa-versa? I say that under the assumption there really are no other 'practical' home grow set ups... please correct/educate me!

my advice would be to take a few looks at any advice anyone saying X is better than Y as factual.

A lot of growing comes down to preference and opinion. You may honestly need to go both routes before you decide which you prefer both in end product and work during the life cycle.

Hydro may offer faster growth and quicker turnaround but comes with it's challenges. Some opinions are flower from hydro is not as flavorful.

Living soil can be easier for some but does have it's share of challenges. Some opinions are flower from living soil offers the most flavor.

How much work do you want to be doing when it comes to the garden? Do you prefer to be messing with nutes, testing water ph/ec, etc or would you prefer to spend more time with the plants.

ALPHA.GanjaGuy said:

my advice would be to take a few looks at any advice anyone saying X is better than Y as factual.

A lot of growing comes down to preference and opinion. You may honestly need to go both routes before you decide which you prefer both in end product and work during the life cycle.

Hydro may offer faster growth and quicker turnaround but comes with it's challenges. Some opinions are flower from hydro is not as flavorful.

Living soil can be easier for some but does have it's share of challenges. Some opinions are flower from living soil offers the most flavor.

How much work do you want to be doing when it comes to the garden? Do you prefer to be messing with nutes, testing water ph/ec, etc or would you prefer to spend more time with the plants.

Click to expand...

This ^^

If one way was factually superior, everybody would end up there. All methods have their pros and cons. I personally feel that the most important thing to ask yourself is, How much do you need? How much do you want to produce? That will very much dictate the size of your operation. Also, do you want a perpetual setup? Do you want to get the whole nut in one grow for the year?

I would recommend setting up a small operation in a tent or spare room and seeing how it goes. You can read and read all day long, but the bottom line is that being hands on will teach you soooo much and it is probably the most important part of the learning. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

FWIW, Bruce Bugbee has spoke on this topic and from his studies he says feeding synthetically produces higher quality than organic.