4x4 Tent SOG. Need advice

Hey everyone from ICMag,
I want to do a SOG in my 4x4 tent, with a 1000W air-cooled HPS. Due to some time constraints, this grow must be a fast one. Because of this, I decided that an auto-flowering strain may be a great idea. I've been looking around this forum for more information and I definitely like what I am seeing about auto-flowering strains.
So on to my question. What would be a good amount of plants to use in this 4x4 tent? I'll be growing in soil (not sure what kind yet) and would love to be able to finish the grow, from seed to bud, in about two months.
Also, what strain would you suggest? I'm thinking of doing feminized, but I'm not sure. Those seeds are seeming to be about $80 for 10, and since I'm not sure how many I'll need to fill the tent that may add up to more than I'm willing to spend on seeds.

I appreciate all of the help on this forum, and anyone who answers my questions.

well you can do Autoflowering OR you can do 12/12 from seed, just find a fast flowering strain. FEM AF seeds are great!!! but very expensive, you can fit 64 5.5 x 5.5 pots in a 4 x 4 tent Or 12 3 gallon grow bags, making them as big as possible,, but the thing with autos the more you have the better chances of high yeild. With regular strains you could get a lot of seeds from Nirvana or Mandela seeds and just run a lot of them from 12/12 from seed. throw out the males and keep the females when they show sex.

Even if you grow out AFs or 12/12 from seed your average harvest time is 65-70 days. And then you have to dry it for at least 7 days,, so really bro you are looking at 2.5+months for a successful harvest.

I hope you get something going, oh btw ,, Mandala seeds get Speed Queen for 12/12 from seed, or Nirvana get Aroura Indica. As for Auto Flowering, get FEM LR#2 or FEM Easy Ryder.

BUT one problem you have... 1000 watt in a 4 x 4 OVER KILL!!!!! you will FRY that amount of space with 1000 watter bro! 4 x 4 can use a 600watt with nice venting or a cool tube.

ICC ask if Questions.

IceColdCrickets said:

well you can do Autoflowering OR you can do 12/12 from seed, just find a fast flowering strain. FEM AF seeds are great!!! but very expensive, you can fit 64 5.5 x 5.5 pots in a 4 x 4 tent Or 12 3 gallon grow bags, making them as big as possible,, but the thing with autos the more you have the better chances of high yeild. With regular strains you could get a lot of seeds from Nirvana or Mandela seeds and just run a lot of them from 12/12 from seed. throw out the males and keep the females when they show sex.

Even if you grow out AFs or 12/12 from seed your average harvest time is 65-70 days. And then you have to dry it for at least 7 days,, so really bro you are looking at 2.5+months for a successful harvest.

I hope you get something going, oh btw ,, Mandala seeds get Speed Queen for 12/12 from seed, or Nirvana get Aroura Indica. As for Auto Flowering, get FEM LR#2 or FEM Easy Ryder.

BUT one problem you have... 1000 watt in a 4 x 4 OVER KILL!!!!! you will FRY that amount of space with 1000 watter bro! 4 x 4 can use a 600watt with nice venting or a cool tube.

ICC ask if Questions.

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If the man is clearly interested in AF, then let it be. While 12/12 from seed works, it can be hard for beginners (Although I've read the atmosphere threads and stuff). 12/12 from clone is also a process which this man/woman probably doesn't have the time to do.

That being said; I have experience with autoflowering strains and they are helpful for a fast grow and yield. Get ready to run your 1000w about 18/6 or or 20/4, so be prepared for the energy diff's between this and 12/12. My recent one was Ak-47 x Lowryder.

I would suggest using a strong soil mix like FF Ocean Forest combined with a little bit of light warrior. Don't feed them while they're in their veg phase. DON'T, I repeat, DON'T cut anything off the plant; they grow small and there is no point of cutting/pruning/topping,etc. They generally grow with a single-cola or close to it kind of buds. I used CFL's and we got about 20g dry per plant. It came out fluffy but crystal-packed.

Once again, if you are using a 1000w HPS, you will get denser and denser buds. I truthfully recommend using 1/2 Gallon pots (i think they're like 5 in in diameter so you can fight 7-8 across and down giving you either 49 or 64 total pots inside that 4 x 4. Depends on how much room you wanna give them, but I gotta warn you, they grow about no taller than 14-18in (18in is abnormal in a way) but with strong cola formation. They're are a few very interesting AF strains.

In a 4' x 4' space you can fit about 16 autos, 1 per square foot for dwarfs or maybe 9 super autos as they get bigger. You can use the HPS for both veg and flower and run it 20 on, 4 off. But expect a lot of heat. Hope you have good ventilation. I've grown about 10 different auto strains and have had good success with Diesel Ryder, White Russian, Himalayan Blue Diesel and Mi5, among others.

Thanks for your help. I was worried about the 1000W in that space, but I got a 6" Vortex that keeps the temps well. I can rest my hand on the light housing (not sure what its called...) without it getting hot.
I may actually try 12/12 from seed, as I don't want to run the tent with a lot of empty space and it appears that I'd be spending a TON of money on seeds to do a SOG how I want it with autoflowers. Thanks for the seed suggestions IceColdCricket, I may go ahead and get the Speed Queen from Mandala.
Again, thanks for the help.

I dont think thats too much light, if you start with it a few feet above the seedlings and drop it a few inches every couple of days. I also think Easy Ryder would be a good choice. If given enough soil they can get pretty big, especially under that much light. I use TWO 400 watt lights side by side in a 3 foot by 3 foot tent for my autos. One light is MH one is HPS, and I start with them about 3.5 feet above the top of the dirt, dropping them every day to get the plants accustomed to that much light for that many hours daily - I do 20 on 4 off. After the plants are a week old the light is about 1.75 foot above the tops of the plants. When they are 3.5 weeks old (most true autos are blooming by now) the light is about 10 inch above tops, then I usually have to start raising the lights a little every day or two for a week or two as they get taller reaching upward with a cola, keeping the lights about 6 to 12 inches above tops of plants. The last time I did Easy Ryder I did 4 rows of 4 plants, total of 16 two gallon grow bags. Each plant yielded about an oz, about 1 pound total dry. The plants were crammed so close together that the lower branches didnt get enough light, so if they had been a little further apart and the lower branches got more light, they would have produced more - I think those 16 could have filled 4foot by 4 foot. You should be able to get 16 Easy Ryder seeds for around $200 US Dollars. pics:

Nice plants, ACBract. I ended up ordering 20 feminized Green-O-Matic seeds from GHS. I think I was a sucker for the 60 days from seed to bud, as well as the price tag. Hopefully they arrive soon, and I'll probably do 16 (4 rows of 4) like you suggested.
I read one report of someone who finished them, since they seem to be pretty new, and they said that it was a good smoke with a decent yield. I hope they turn out good, and I'll keep a grow journal when I start to inform anyone else interested in this strain.
Thanks for the help everyone.

GO Goosie Green-o

GO Goosie Green-o

I almost bought some of those a few days ago...still considering it...PLEASE let us know how it goes!!!

Will do. A big part of me getting them was curiosity. Nobody seems to have shared much about this strain yet, but with its fast growing time, if it turns out to be good smoke and a good yield it'll definitely be a winner.
I'll start a grow journal as soon as the seeds arrive.
Now I have a reason to go find out where I put that camera...

Yes! pics please....but dont say you were not warned that most autos actually take longer than the advertisers want you to think...maybe a week or two...but if it really is DONE - DONE at 60 days...then Ill be buying some too...so, again...PLEASE let us know how it goes!

Seed to bud in 2 months may be a bit ambitious. I do SOG in a 3'x3' ebb/flow table under a 600W HPS, 36 plants, clones go straight on to 12/12. I can finish in 6 weeks but it's a very indica dominant plant.

2 months finishing from seed may be difficult depending on strain.

ACBract said:

Yes! pics please....but dont say you were not warned that most autos actually take longer than the advertisers want you to think...maybe a week or two...but if it really is DONE - DONE at 60 days...then Ill be buying some too...so, again...PLEASE let us know how it goes!

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Mine took almost an extra month to finish. Ads are ads and are meant to fool people. The great thing, which i just learned about AFs, is that they carry an overwhelmingly high amounts of CBD. So try to choose an indica-dominant so you get the full effect. Some of these strains are very popular with my patients; though they may not smell like no Sours or O.G., they produce and incredible... clean, soaring high.