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first timer: what size smart pots and do I need t5's for seedlings?

Hello all. I will be growing 4 autoflower plants from seed in a 4x4 tent with a 400 watt ballast.

A) What size smart pots for my 4 plants? I heard 10 gallon smart pots would be ideal- too big?

B) I own a 400 watt Sun Galaxy electronic ballast that has sat in my closet unused for ten years. I plan on testing it with a multimeter and if it reads OK, using it. Is this safe or just plain stupid?

C) Can I use said 400 watt ballast for seedlings/veg with an MH bulb or do I need to purchase t5 lighting?

Thank you and I hope you are safe during these difficult times.
 

dank.frank

ef.yu.se.ka.e.em
ICMag Donor
Veteran
400w is fine for veg. Just keep it about 24-28" above the plants when starting, bringing it within 14-16" when flowering.

Pot size depends a lot on media, veg time, and what your yield expectations are. With auto flowers, 10 gallons would certainly be enough. So would 5 though, if you have a truly high quality soil.

With a 400w, I'd not flower in anything larger than a 3 x 3 footprint the most - so, that will give you some idea of how "big" your plants can be if you vegged them to fit the space. Given you are running autos, that's not quite so relevant.



dank.Frank
 
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400w is fine for veg. Just keep it about 24-28" above the plants when starting, bringing it with 14-16" when flowering.

Pot size depends a lot on media, veg time, and what your yield expectations are. With auto flowers, 10 gallons would certainly be enough. So would 5 though, if you have a truly high quality soil.

With a 400w, I'd not flower in anything larger than a 3 x 3 footprint the most - so, that will give you some idea of how "big" your plants can be if you vegged them to fit the space. Given you are running autos, that's not quite so relevant.



dank.Frank

Thank you so much Frank! I plan on growing in coco using GH Flora Series nutrients if that changes anything?

The 4x4 tent is all I have for now, new tent isn't in the budget unfortunately.

That's great to know that I'm not wasting space with 10 gallon pots because thats the size I already have and money is tight. Thanks again!
 
IMHO, anything bigger than 2 gallons, especially using coco and 400w, would be a waste of media and nutrients. I used 2 gallon smart pots when I flowered under 600w hps, and it was more than enough space for plants in the 3 foot range.



You can use the 400 ballast for veg, sure. Just be sure to keep a good deal of distance from the seedlings. Some older ballasts won't do MH though. Any shop light from the hardware store will work if the former doesn't pan out. Adjustable ballasts are cheap too, and can be easily had on ebay. I germinate under a shop light the first week, then move to an adjustable 400w set to 200 for week 2, 300 week 3, 400 week 4 and beyond if necessary.
 
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