For planted tanks check out the Aquabotanic web forums at
www.aquabotanic.com
You do not need to do a cycle if you are starting a planted tank, in fact fishless cycling a planted tank would be a classic newbie error.
The basics you need for a planted tank are
Lighting: 2 to 3 watts per gallon, most people us compact fluorescents
Substrates: a plant substrate such as flourite, onyx sand, or eco-complete
fertilizers: read up on the Barr method of fertilization or PMDD, take your pick
CO2: optional
Anyway good luck.