Planning First Indoor Grow. Advice Needed

Hey guys. So basically i have some lowryders growing outside right now. I plan on harvesting some seeds from them at the end off summer. I am going to use these as the seeds for my indoor grows.

I leave early september for school and will be living most likely in my own little apartement. I want to have a few harvests while attending school and would like to know a few things.

1) I'd like to buy a 400W light. Is there a ballast that supports MH & HPS Bulbs so I can switch for veg/flowering? If not can i get away fairly easy with just a MH ballast?

2) Will running a 400W light look very suspicious on my electric bill? Should i consider downgrading? if so, what size might you recommend? i'd like to be able to grow about 8 plants at a time in 2 gallon pots.

3) I'd like to keep my grow very simple, just lights and plants (and some reflective foil). Are there any other neccesities i should consider? (I have nutes taken care of)

4) Considering lowryders can grow on a 24/24 light cycle i figured if i leave the light on constantly it wont look so suspicious, perhaps more just like a fridge or something?

feel free to add any extra info you might think will be helpful.

- I basically wanna grow as many plants as possible (no more than 12 at a time) without drawing attention to my electric bills or investing in crazy equipment

1) I'd like to buy a 400W light. Is there a ballast that supports MH & HPS Bulbs so I can switch for veg/flowering? If not can i get away fairly easy with just a MH ballast?

Buy a HPS light and ballast as you can use this throughout the plants growing process...
Autoflower strains do NOT have a defined veg/flower stage, and will pretty much just grow!


2) Will running a 400W light look very suspicious on my electric bill? Should i consider downgrading? if so, what size might you recommend? i'd like to be able to grow about 8 plants at a time in 2 gallon pots.

Go with the 400W HPS. It should not look suspicious at all, as long as you keep your bills paid on time!
You may need to buy a few fluorescents, just to start the seedlings off. HPS is too intense for new sprouts.
2 gallon pots are ideal for the kind of grow you are doing.


3) I'd like to keep my grow very simple, just lights and plants (and some reflective foil). Are there any other neccesities i should consider? (I have nutes taken care of)

Scrap the foil, go out and get some mylar. It will cost you pennies more, and is a lot more effective at both reflecting light, and preventing heat spots.
You will need a decent oscillating fan in your unit, and if using the HPS, you more likely than not, will need a cooltube setup to cool things down.


4) Considering lowryders can grow on a 24/24 light cycle i figured if i leave the light on constantly it wont look so suspicious, perhaps more just like a fridge or something?

Either way, it will not seem suspicious.
I would go for a shorter light period, perhaps 18/6, just to save on some electricity$$$$.


feel free to add any extra info you might think will be helpful.

- I basically wanna grow as many plants as possible (no more than 12 at a time) without drawing attention to my electric bills or investing in crazy equipment

If you can get your hands on square planters (2 gal) they will sit together seamlessly, and allow more pots in a smaller area.
You can easily stick these into a grow tent, or if available to you, a closet.

Maybe go with a SOG application too! Just something to try out

Hope this helped!

Good luck.

Thanks a ton dyzel! that helped a bunch. Instead of buying the mylar and stuff i was thinking of investing in one of these: http://www.secretjardin.eu/index/catalogue/objet-22/lang-en

Not sure what size is best for me but i can figure it out. Might try some different strains if all goes well also. But your advice really helped me out. I cant wait to start it!

1. get an HPS ballast and bulb and get a MH to HPS conversion bulb, its a metal halide bulb that will fire off a HPS ballast.
2. no shouldnt look suspicious because 400watts/120Volts= 3.33 amps (not much more than a computer and TV)
3. venting the heat is your major issue! it needs be the coolest room in your house, perhaps mount a small AC unit if temps exceed 78F. dont get cheap when it comes to the exaust fan, I get the S&P inline fan(apprx 250$) beacause its extremely quiet and use it to suck air past the bulb and out. Also the smell will blow your cover, a carbon filter should take care of this. My personal opinion on 2 gallons pots is no bueno, use 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled in and a catch can under each, with maybe 2 large plants.
4. dont know anything about the autoflower strains, personally I like big buds and they dont impress me from what Ive seen. When the blue light of the metal halide or the bright orange yellow light color of the HPS is coming out of anywhere in your house/appt. its a bust. Very unique colors that really tend to stand out against any normal indoor lighting. Seal it from light and air, intake should be filtered(jeep grand cherokee airbox&filter works for one of my locations), exaust should be pulling heat out and blowing it through carbon filter(for smell) and out of grow room and preferably out to roof or attic space.
Good Luck and keep us informed.

I have a 600W HPS and a 600w ballast thats supports MH too. im only growing 1 plant atm. The the electric bill is about $1 extra a day, and is un-noticable. a pool pump takes about 1100W and a comp 400W. so you have no troubles there. If u wana see pics of my grow, click on my sig and click the last page