Hello. I'm considering a first grow using a rubbermaid based dwc system and about 10,000 lumens of CFL light in a cabinet. I'm trying to get some feedback on a good nutrient combination for beginners. Something not too complicated (if there is such a thing) and somewhat forgiving (again if there is such a thing- I realize this isn't easy at all).

I've read great things about the "lucas system" and it sounds awesome, but I'll be honest- I'm a cheapskate, and GH's flora series isn't cheap. Some other faq's recommend powder based nutes to save money so right now I'm thinking about going with GH's MaxiGrow and MaxiBloom. They're powdered, cheap, and Ph buffered which leads me to believe it'll be somewhat forgiving.

My question is this- has anyone ever done a grow using MaxiGrow and MaxiBloom with any success? I'm using CFL and not HID, so will using the 'cheap stuff' even make that much of a noticeable difference since I'm using less light anyways? My reasoning is that the money I'll save by buying powdered nutrients can be better invested in a Ph meter and TDS meter to maintain quality.

Does anyone have any experience or advice they'd like to share in the way of less expensive nutrients, and simple formulas to use them with?

Thanks to all for your help and advice.

-Mark (not realy mark. Not even sure who Mark is. My last name isn't spofford either. none of my real information is anywhere on or near this server lol)

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my name's not mark and I'm not from Mass; why you ask? Because I cover my a$$ :-)

yeah stick with gener hydro... easy to use good results.... and once u get tha hand look into Advanced Nutrients... there the shit

I'd definately recommend gettin a TDS meter first off. I made that mistake first time and lost six plants, a wise investment. Don't waste your money on a PH meter, you can get a PH test kit with a vial and test solution for like 15 bucks and they work just fine. I think a PH pen costs like 85 bucks. I've never used the powdered stuff, but the flora nova nutes are great.

but maxigrow and maxibloom are made by general hydroponics too- they're just cheaper and powdered. They're not part of the 3 part flora series by general hydroponics, they're a different 2 part powdered mix, but they're still the same brand. I read that GH is the "industry standard in hydro" so I figured I'd be safe buying a cheaper line since it's still from GH. Are you saying not to use maxigrow and maxibloom?
? Thanks...

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my name's not mark and I'm not from Mass; why you ask? Because I cover my a$$ :-)

I think that advice from smallsetup is great- I agree that an EC pen (I love my Truncheon for measurements and bludgeonings) is super important. I've run hydro without it, and you just end up getting stuck doing more frequent res changes because you just don't know what the condition of the water is- and you can't record the EC your plants like most- very important for when you get past the learning and into the production phase. Ph drops are cheap, so if you are trying to save a few bucks, that's a great place to do it.

I'm not familiar with the powdered GH line- theres also a Botanicare powdered line called 'TriFlex' which is another REALLY cheap starter kit and would be comparable, but I suspect a slightly higher quality. But personally, I would definitely start out with the GH liquids for a cheap grow, or the Canna Aqua for an EASY one.

Edit: Just read you are a cheapskate. Forget hydro; go with a simple soil-based grow. Your initial investment will be much lower. Why are you set on hydro anyway? You understand that 'dro' is not in and of itself a better product...?

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I don't claim to know the first thing about growing anything; hell, I can't make a Chia pet sprout.

Personally I like Technaflora recipe for success kit. 20 - 30 bucks online for their FULL line. Should be enough to get you through a run.

stick with soil as your already gonna be throwing tons of cash into a setup, why not wait until you can say you have a couple grows under your belt.. I have a couple small things under my belt and am just now looking to get into hydro, but one thing that scares me is the fact that in soil you can have a buffer of maybe a day or two maybe three to correct a mistake in something, I'm pretty sure if something is jacked up on a hydro system this lowers it to hours I'm pretty sure.. Just read around and make an informed decision..
OH btw I've only done it in soil but Its gonna have alot to live up to if my hydro experience is gonna stack up to what I have saw thus far quality-wise..

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Yeah I know. I want hydro because I heard it finishes way faster. That's the only reason. Anyway- if I go with the lucas system I'll want to stock up because the nearest hydro shop is like 3 hours away...

How long do the concentrated GH flora nutes last batch-wise anyway? In order to maintain a 1-to-2 ratio of micro/bloom, I'm going to buy a gallon of the micro, plus another quart container of the micro, and a 2.5 gallon jug of the bloom. About how long/ how many "runs" will this go in a 10 gallon rubbermaid based dwc system?

Or to be more specific, in a 10 gallon tank, about how much concentrated formula (micro and bloom) will be used for a single batch?

-Mark

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my name's not mark and I'm not from Mass; why you ask? Because I cover my a$$ :-)

try fox farm nutes work good powder line and liquid nutes are good also....