Everything you need for your first grow tent grow
Growing in a grow tent for the first time can be rewarding in many ways. Most of the questions I get daily are from new users excited to grow asking questions about growing in a grow tent. The most popular questions I get are what do I need to get started, what are the best lights for a grow tent, what brand tent is the best, how much can I yield or can I get away with just 1 fan for now. I will answer all these questions for you and more below to get you started on your journey growing cannabis. The goal for your first grow is to keep things simple. You can grow a plant in your front window but providing the plant with the right environment will increase your yields and grow time.
Do you need Everything I list
No, I am listing what is needed for the best optimal conditions. Everyone needs to start somewhere. If all you can afford is a tent and light and 1 fan you can make it work. if you need to start with a tent and a light and no fan conditions won’t be optimal but you can still grow your plants until you can get the rest of the gear
Genetics Is Everything
Genetics is everything if you want to have a good crop. Ensuring your seeds come from a reputable breeder will save you time and money down the road. There are a lot of scammers online selling hemp seeds I recommend buying from known seedbanks or you can try to get clones from your friends. If you are growing loose seeds be sure to watch them to ensure they are not males as they can pollinate and ruin your crop. If you do not know how to tell the difference between males and females check out my blog here The Difference Between Male And Female Cannabis Plants
Choosing The Size Of Your Grow Tent
The first thing to do is to choose a grow tent. Once you know how many plants you’re going to be growing then you can decide on the size. a 2×2 is good for 1-2 plants I myself would only grow 1, a 3×3 is good for 2-3 plants I myself would only grow 2, a 4×4 is good for 4-9 plants I myself would only grow 4 to 6 and a 5×5 is good for up to 6 to 12 I myself would grow between 6 and 9. With that said if you wanted to do a sea of green you could fill the tents up but the more pots you have the humidity levels will be harder to control. I recommend looking for a grow tent with metal poles and I know everyone likes to save money but remember you get what you pay for. The cheap tents work great and do the job but some have small pinholes, the zipper messes up over time, they are not as air tights as others etc.
Choosing Lights
Choosing your grow lights will depend on your budget. I recommend LED lights for smaller grow tents as it can be hard to control the heat using HPS or CMH lights in smaller tents without an ac setup. Keep in mind a good light can make the difference from getting 50 grams a plant to 150 grams a plant. If you’re looking for the best-LED lights for grow tents check out my blog here Best Cheap Grow Tent Lights 2019
Choosing Fans & Can I use Just 1 Fan
You will need to get some fans for your grow tent. I myself recommend 1 clip-on osculating fan, 1 inline fan with a carbon filter to scrub or remove the heat, stale air, and smell as well as an inline fan with fresh air in to help the plants thrive. I get asked a lot if you can get away with 1 fan for now and the answer is yes. If your only going to use 1 fan I recommend getting a carbon filter and sucking the air out of the tent well opening 2 of your vent holes. this will suck fresh air in from these 2 vent holes for the plants and still do the job. the downside is light can get in through the vents and If the fan shuts off due to the room being at the correct temp or humidity levels the smell will escape from the vents. If you’re looking to buy an inline fan check out the blog post I made here Best inline fans for 2019
How much can I yield
It is hard to say exactly as it depends on a lot of factors. If you are growing auto flowers the yields are not as great as growing feminized seeds but you can still get decent yields. This will also depend on the setup, the temperature and humidity conditions and the lights you use will play a big part in your end yield as well. There are so many different factors here including the veg time how big you get your plants etc. If you want to grow a 6-foot wide plant you can get a nice yield but it will take a lot longer to grow.
Soil & Pots
The size of your pots will depend on how big your plants get and how often you need to water. I recommend using 5-7 gallon pots if you want the best results. You will get a feel for you pots by lifting them when they are dry and lifting them after you water them. By doing this you will get used to being able to tell if your plant needs water by feeling the pots. For soil, you need to make sure the soil allows good drainage. In Canada here we use HP promix and have great results.
Nutrients
You are going to want to get some nutrients to help give your plants what they need to thrive unless you are growing with super soil. There are so many nutrient companies on the market it is hard to recommend just 1 product. I myself use Remo nutrients but you can use whatever you like. If you want to grow organic there are organic nutrient lines or you can look into growing with super soil.
Temperature / Humidity Monitor
This is an important tool to have in the grow tent. They are not expensive and you will be able to monitor the maximum and minimum temperatures and humidity levels inside the tent for each day. it is important to keep the optimal temperature and humidity levels for flower or veg depending on what stage you’re in. Using one of these monitors can help ensure your tent is not getting to clod in the nights or too hot in the days.
Using C02 To Increase Growth & Yields
Using C02 in your tent can help to increase yields, keep pests away and help the plants grow faster and healthier during the veg stage. You can buy C02 for tents in the form of a bottle or a bag. I recommend the bags as they last longer and seem to work better. This is not something you need but something I recommend.
Controlling Temperature
Controlling your temperature in the grow tent can be a challenge in the summer months. The best temps for veg is between 20 to 28 degrees where the best temps for flowering is between 18 to 26 degrees. Chances are if your tent is in the basement you might not have this issue. Having an inline fan will help some but when it is 30 degrees outside it will not be doing much to cool the tent. The best solution here is to try and ensure your lights come on in the night when it is cooler and stay off during the day if you find your temps spiking into the high 30’s you will need to get an air conditioner for your tent.
Controlling Humidity
Controlling humidity in grow tent can be a challenge at times due to the fact it is such a small space. Having inline fans replacing the air will help allot but does not always do the trick to keep the tent at optimal humidity levels. For veg, it is best to keep levels between 50% to 65% where in flower it is best to keep levels between 40% and 50%. Having humidity levels too high when flowering will cause bud rot and mold in the grow room and can wipe out your crop if left for long periods of time. If you’re having a hard time controlling the humidity there are a few things you can do. If your humidity levels are to low you can add a bucket of water or two into the tent that will help to increase the levels some. Soaking a towel and ringing it out and placing it inside the tent will also increase levels. There are small misters that spray out mist on a timer you can buy for under 50 dollars that will also raise levels. If your humidity is too high you can try turning up your inline fans. if this doesn’t work open the front door of the tent and let it clear out. A dehumidifier will work best for controlling high levels in the tent and can be found for under $100
Conclusion
Growing in a grow tent for the first time can be exciting and when you get to test your very own product for the first time it can be very rewarding. Having everything I listed above will ensure the overall best results for your grow but as I mentioned you can get away without having everything as well just do not expect huge yields and fast growth.
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