If you are somebody who would like to grow your own cannabis at home, then you’ve come to the right place, because today we want to take a closer look at one of the best ways to do so.
Of course, one of the biggest issues that many people have when growing weed at home is that they just don’t have the appropriate space. Sure, you can always just place a cannabis plant in a room of any kind and place a light on it, but this really won’t provide you with the best results.
The issue is that a good grow space needs to have the right features. For instance, a grow room or grow space has to be reflective so that it shines as much light on the plants as possible. It should also be well ventilated, yet should allow for easy temperature and humidity control. There are also many other factors that come into play when growing marijuana at home.
For this reason, many people use grow tents, which are special structures or tents designed specifically to grow cannabis and other plants indoors. In essence, you can think of this as being a small indoor green room where you can cultivate your own cannabis.
With that being said, you might not be aware of what exactly grow tents are, how big they can get, or what some of their biggest advantages and disadvantages are. Besides learning all of those valuable pieces of information, we’re also going to provide you with a step-by-step guide on exactly how to set up a cannabis grow tent.
What is a Cannabis Grow Tent?
In simplest terms, a cannabis grow tent is a self-contained and enclosed indoor environment that is designed for growing cannabis plants. It takes the form of a large square or rectangle, usually higher than wide, mainly to account for the height of cannabis plants.
It usually features some kind of light-proof black fabric on the outside to keep 100% of the light on the inside, and on the interior, feature a reflective surface to allow as much light to be reflected back onto the planes as possible.
They generally also come with racks or hangers so you can mount lights, air fans, and other accessories. They usually also come with special vents or ports so you can attach ventilation systems. In general, if you plan on growing cannabis at home, this is by far one of the best ways of doing so.
How Big Are Cannabis Grow Tents?
One of the issues if you are growing cannabis at home is of course whether or not you have enough space. On that note, many people therefore wonder how big cannabis grow tents are, and how big cannabis grow tents should be for their needs.
So, first and foremost, you can get very small grow tents that come in at just 2 by 2 feet, whereas there are many others that are much larger, with ones as big as 12 by 12 feet being ideal for people growing several plants at once. The bottom line is that weed grow tents can range in size quite drastically.
However, what’s important for you to know is how much space you’ll need, and this will determine the size of grow tent you will purchase. For instance, your average weed plant grows anywhere between 3 by 3 feet to 5 by 5 feet. Therefore, you need to accommodate individual plants.
For the record, sativa plants are usually a bit taller and skinnier, whereas indica plants are usually shorter and wider. If you’re growing indica plants, you’ll want at least four feet of horizontal space in each direction, whereas you might be able to get away with just three feet for sativa plants.
Pros of Marijuana Grow Tents for Indoor Gardening
You might be thinking that you could just set up a cannabis grow operation in a closet or something similar, which in some cases may be true. However, a cannabis grow tent comes with many different benefits that you might not have thought about. Let’s take a look at all of the different advantages of using a small grow tent indoors.
Stealth
Although we would certainly never recommend growing cannabis in an area where it is not legal to do so, the simple fact is that grow tents are ideal for discreet and private growing. They are fantastic for reducing both the odors and visibility associated with growing cannabis plants.
Remember, that black exterior doesn’t let any light through, plus it doesn’t let much smell out either. Both light and odor control are really big advantages here. Furthermore, you can also install things like carbon filters inside of a grow tent to reduce odors even more.
Easy to Control Conditions
If you know anything about growing cannabis, you probably know that controlling humidity, temperature, and other such conditions is very important for the survival of the plant.
Within a grow tent, because it is sealed off and because there are good ventilation holes included to which you can hook up ventilation systems, controlling these factors is very easy. It allows you to easily control the environment to get the best possible cannabis cultivation results.
Enhancing Light Benefits
Of course, cannabis plants need light to grow properly, and the more of it they get, the better. This is why grow tents are generally lined with reflective materials on the inside, to better distribute light and to increase light intensity. This allows you to get away with using less intense lights in a smaller space.
Preventing Pests
Even if you are growing in an indoor grow room, such as in a closet or dedicated room in your home, pests and diseases can still make their way in.
However, if you have a grow tent, that is sealed off, and it means that insects and other pests will have a much harder time getting in.
Of course, pests and diseases are a huge deal when it comes to growing cannabis, something that puts an end to all too many people’s dreams.
Efficient and Easy
Cannabis grow tents come in many different shapes and sizes, therefore making them very versatile. They also happen to be quite space efficient, which is ideal for people who don’t have all that much space to spare.
The other big benefit on this front is that cannabis grow tents are very easy to set up. What you have here are prefabricated frames that you just need to pop together, along with a black cover that you slip over the frame.
They usually always come with all of the necessary openings for ventilation, ports for electrical Byron, and much more.
Consistency Year Round
What it really all comes down to here is that row tents allow for great consistency in terms of climate control and other factors, which therefore results in consistent harvests. What many people may also not think about is that grow tents are beneficial for growing at any time of year.
Many people think that they can grow cannabis indoors during the winter time, although this often isn’t true. Even the best of insulated houses still have great temperature fluctuations between day and night, and this can cause big issues. These are issues that you won’t be faced with if you have a grow tent.
Cons of Marijuana Grow Tents
Just like grow tents have many big benefits, there are also some drawbacks to cannabis grow tents that you need to be aware of, so let’s take a quick look at what these might be.
The Size
While many people like cannabis grow tents because they don’t take up much space, that’s also a downside. The simple reality is that even the biggest of cannabis grow tents don’t get that large, and this means that the how the plants you can grow is also very limited.
On that note, some cannabis plants can get very tall, well over seven or eight feet in height. The issue is that most row tents are designed to fit into normal homes and apartments. Therefore, your cannabis plants may exceed the height of the grow tent, which will cause some problems.
Startup Costs
Although it’s not like a good grow tent will cost you thousands of dollars, high quality models can still be quite expensive. They can easily run you a few hundred dollars, or even more in some cases.
You then also need to consider that you’ll still need other equipment, such as ventilation, lighting, and more. You probably want to spend a little extra on something that is double stitched and tear resistant!
Ventilation Issues
Something else worth considering here is that grow tents may also have some ventilation issues.
If you have a very small tent, and you don’t have high-quality ventilation systems hooked up inside of the grow tent, there can be some pretty big issues here.
Remember that ventilation is crucial for controlling humidity and temperature, so this is something you need to take into account.
Safety Issues with Lighting
Seeing as you’re going to be putting some high-powered grow lights inside of a small grow tent, you do need to keep electrical considerations in mind.
You need to make sure that all of the equipment you are using is state-of-the-art and designed to be safe. You don’t want to create any electrical risks.
Quality Issues
We mentioned above how high-quality grow tents come with everything you need to get started, a great construction so that they don’t leak air or light, and more.
However, the keyword there is high-quality, because yes, there are also low-quality models out there that may leak out light, don’t have good ventilation features, and have poorly constructed zippers. Just as with any other product out there, you get what you pay for, so choose wisely.
Maintenance Needs
The other consideration you need to keep in mind here is that grow tents do have some increased maintenance requirements.
These are very small and confined spaces, which means that mold, mildew, and other contaminants can build up. You definitely want to clean them on a regular basis.
How to Set Up a Small Grow Tent – Step-by-Step
Right now, we want to provide you with a quick step-by-step guide on how to set up the simple grow tent.
1. Choose a grow tent that suits your needs, which will be defined by how many plants you need to grow and how much space you have available.
2. Make sure to choose a good location for your grow tent, somewhere it will not be disturbed and where you have access to good ventilation options and electrical outlets.
3. Once you have chosen the location, you can then assemble the grow tent as the manufacturer’s instructions indicate.
4. After the grow tent has been constructed, the first real step here is to install odor control and ventilation. This means that you need to get yourself some high-quality exhaust fans that you put at the top of the tent to remove hot air and intake fans at the bottom of the tent to take in fresh air. At this time, you can also connect some carbon filters to allow for better odor control.
5. You now need to choose your grow lights that you will then hang from the grow tent. There are many different types of grow lights out there, so we recommend doing some research on this front. Make sure to hang the grow lights according to the recommendations as set out in the manual of the grow tent.
6. You may also want to install some simple oscillating fans on the inside of the tent, as this will help with air flow.
7. Now that everything has been set up, you can get your buckets, put in your growing medium, and then plant your cannabis seeds. You can always choose from various germination methods first, and then plant your cannabis sprouts in the growing medium once they have already penetrated to the surface of the soil.
8. You’ll also want to install both a thermometer and hygrometer so you can monitor the conditions. Remember that keeping the humidity and temperature levels consistent is crucial for the health of cannabis plants.
Conclusion
We hope that our ultimate guide on growth has been of assistance. The simple reality is that grow tents are very useful tools to have indoors if you want to grow a few cannabis plants while remaining discrete.
They allow for great environmental control and have many other benefits that are always worth considering. It’s one of the best things for indoor gardening.
