When you begin to grow a marijuana plant, indoor growers have two options – you can grow it either in a grow room or inside a grow tent. A grow room setup is basically an entire room dedicated to growing marijuana where all the needs of the plants are taken care of in a large scale. This is a good option for growers who want to grow a large number of plants. However, for most regular growers, grow tents are a much better option because they provide a small containment zone inside which marijuana can grow easily without you having to dedicate an entire room for it.
Over the course of this article we shall be taking a closer look at some of the best ways in which you can make your own grow tents. A number of growers have asked us if we can share some tips for a Do-it-Yourself DIY Grow Tent and that’s what we shall be looking at here. For the benefit of all our readers, we shall first begin with what a grow tent is and how can you benefit by using one. Followed by that, we shall observe the four basic things that you need when it comes to making your own grow tent. Then we shall look at the actual process of making a grow tent. That is followed by some more related information and frequently asked questions about grow tents before we conclude! So let us begin with the basics:
What is a Grow Tent?
A grow tent is basically a tent inside which you can grow marijuana as well as other plants and herbs in a contained environment. Basically, growing plants requires setting up certain ‘ideal’ conditions and having a small area inside which you are growing your plants makes it easier to set up these conditions. This includes lighting, temperature and ventilation. Grow tents are great for indoor growers as they are like having a subsection within your room. These tents are lined with reflective layers on the inside and thick layers of canvas on the outside – this combination makes sure that the light is maximized inside while it does not leak out. Some of them are small enough to be kept inside cabinets and wardrobes as well.
What Are The Benefits of Using a Grow Tent?
There are a number of benefits of using a grow tent:
- First off, it allows you to increase the effectiveness of your light. Since it is lined with reflective layers (usually mylar) on all sides, it ensures that the light keeps bouncing on to the plant thereby giving it the best possible growth. To ensure that this light does not leak out, there’s a thick layer of canvas on the exterior of the tent.
- Another major benefit of the grow tents is that it hides your weed. While growing weed has become legal in many places, there’s still a lot of social stigma around it and not everyone is confident in growing their weed out in the open or even openly in a room. Hence, these grow tents and grow boxes keep it hidden and contained. Furthermore, when used with the right carbon filters, even the strong smell of marijuana can be contained.
- Using a grow tent also makes sure that all the insects and the pests stay away. This is another major problem that growers tend to face while growing any herb and a grow tent or a grow box provides an additional layer of security.
- Lastly, a grow tent gives you a small and closed space within which the temperature and humidity levels can be different from the world outside – which gives your plants an ideal condition for growing.
Four Things You Need to Know Before You Make a DIY Grow Tent
Coming to DIY grow tents, the biggest reason as to why many growers are drawn towards them is the fact that they are a cheaper alternative to buying a grow tent from the markets. You can build them using stuff commonly found in your home and use them to grow your weed with ease. However, before you start building your own DIY grow tent, there are four major factors that you need to keep in mind:
- Lighting: You need to understand two things – a grow tent needs to be light proof on the outside and reflective on the inside. On an average, marijuana plants require about 14 to 18 hours of lighting during the early phases and about 10 to 12 hours of lighting during the bloom/flowering phase. The other hours need to be completely dark.
- Airtight: An airtight box is very important because this is how you will be able to keep the temperature in control. However, it also ensures that it will keep the pests and insects away. Your DIY grow tent needs to get as close to being airtight as possible.
- Temperature: Weed grows the best in temperatures ranging between 18 to 28 degrees. Ideal circumstances are about 21-25 degrees C. You need to make sure that your DIY grow tent gets neither too hot nor too cold. There also needs to be proper ventilation.
- Moisture: Correct levels of humidity have a major role to play in growing your marijuana plant. Plants need a higher level of humidity during the early phase of growth and lower levels of humidity during the flowering phase. However, this is for those growers who want to build a slightly large DIY grow tent.
Now that you know what the four major things you need to keep in mind are, here’s a look at some of the equipment and items that you would need to make your own do it yourself (DIY) grow tents for growing marijuana at home:
Equipment That You Need to Make Your Own DIY Grow Tents
- PVC pipes for making the frame of the grow tent
- Mylar for the inner lining to make sure that the inner surface is as reflective as possible. Plus some more mylar to add on top of the inner layer to act as the outer layer.
- A ventilation kit to make sure that the circulation of air is proper and that the smell of weed gets trapped inside the carbon filter
- LED grow light to make sure that the plant gets proper light in absence of natural sunlight
- Duct tape to seal the grow tent from areas where there might be a potential light leak
- If you’re making a bigger grow tent you might also need a humidifier/dehumidifier
DIY Grow Tents: How to Make Your Own Grow Tents for Marijuana?
- Making the Frame: Before you start making the frame, you need to know exactly how many plants you are going to be growing inside your grow tent and prepare to make your tent that big accordingly. You will need to arrange your pipes in a cuboid shape to get the structure set up. Make sure that the PVC pipes are of good quality and try and use metal connectors if possible so that they can support the weight well. The grow light, as well as the carbon filter will be hung on to the pipes once the tent is set up so you need to account for their weight.
- Constructing the Tent: Now add two layers of mylar, one on the inside and one on the outside. Make sure that the non-reflective part of both the layers faces the outside of the tent. This double layering will ensure that the thickness increases which would make sure that the light will not leak out. The inner reflective layer will ensure that the light will keep bouncing back on to the plant. Seal the tent from three sides but keep one side slit from the center so you can enter and exit it to manage your plants.You also need to make sure you’re keeping removable trays in the bottom, or at least something that can be removed and cleaned because there’s a lot of spillage that takes place while working on grow tents and you’d like to keep them clean!
- Setting up Ventilation Needs: You will then need to cut out holes in the grow tent based on how big your ventilation setup is. Based on the size of your fan and ducting, cut the holes, fit in the equipment and if there’s any extra open space around it, use the duct tape to seal it. A pro-tip that we can give you here is that you must try and use multiple layers of duct tape to make sure it stays firm and that no leak happens. Use the carbon filter’s belts to suspend it from the top of the grow tent’s frame.
- Setting up the LED Grow Lights: Our last step here is setting up the LED grow lights, which are perhaps the most important part of your grow tent setup. Having these grow lights would make sure the plant gets light in absence of the sun. You will need to either hang the light to the PVC or you will need to attach it to the pipes. You will also need to cut out a small portion of your tent so that the power cord of the gow light can go out and be attached to the power outlet on the wall. After you’ve set it up, make sure you use duct tape to seal up the open space around this wire.
This pretty much sums it up. You can choose to create tents of different shapes and sizes based on the number of plants you want to grow. This is a relatively easy process and there are a number of YouTube videos that can act as a visual guide and help you set it up based on the same principles.
Alternatives to DIY Grow Tents: 3 Best Grow Tents in the Markets
Not everyone can make their own grow tents as making a DIY grow tent might be a little complex for some people who aren’t that great with tools. Hence, here are three of the best grow tents of different sizes that you can buy off the markets in case you dont want to build your own tents:
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1. 2×2 Grow Tent from Mars Hydro
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This grow tent from Mars Hydro is the perfect option for those who want a 2×2 grow tent. This is easy to setup and great for beginners who don’t really have large growing needs. It comes with an Oxford 1680D canvas layer protecting the exterior to make sure no light leaks out and on the inside, it features a highly reflective diamond mylar layer. The exact dimensions of this grow tent are 27″x27″x63″ and it also comes with an observation window which makes it easier for you to monitor the growth of your plants without having to open up the whole thing. Removable floor trays on the bottom make cleaning it easy.
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2. 4×4 Grow Tent from Vivosun
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For those with slightly larger space requirements, this grow tent from Vivosun offers a 48″ X48″ X 80″ growing space for your marijuana plants. There’s a very impressive layer of 98% reflective mylar on the inside which makes sure all the light bounces on to your plants. Then there’s an extra-thick Oxford 600D canvas which makes sure the light stays inside. The zipper quality has also been carefully worked upon and it is a heavy-duty zipper made out of metal which makes sure the light does not leak through the zip lining. There’s an easy-access door and an observation window on the grow tent which makes observing your plants a lot easier. Lastly, Vivosun is perhaps the most credible name in the markets for those who are looking forward to buying grow tents. This grow tent is also quite easy to set up and comes with a 2 year warranty period as well.
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3. 8×8 Grow Tent from TopoLite
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Lastly, this is the largest grow tent on our list and would do well for those growers who need lots of space to grow their plants. The exact dimensions of this grow tent from TopoLite stands in at 96″x96″x80″ and is just the perfect choice for larger needs as it comes with two doors and a very sturdy frame which could carry the multiple grow lights that would be needed here. It is lined with a 96% reflective mylar layer on the inside to ensure the best utilization of the LED lights inside it. This grow tent, although a little large in size, is easy to install and you can install it without the need of any tools!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Grow Tents
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about grow tents that we have answered here. Do go through them as you too might be having similar queries.
1. Is it legal to buy a grow tent or to make your own DIY grow tents?
Yes, it is legal to buy grow tents and to make your own DIY grow tents. What might be a question of legality is what you choose to grow inside the tent. Growing marijuana is not allowed everywhere and you need to check what your local laws say about it before you choose to grow weed in a grow tent. Grow tents are perfectly legal.
2. Can I grow a plant without using a grow tent?
Yes, you can choose to grow your plants outdoors, or you can choose to grow them in a grow room as well. There are some growers who just grow their plants next to a window. However, the disadvantage in all these cases is that you’re not growing in ‘ideal circumstances’ and the results that you get will vary greatly. Grow tents allow you to control the light, temperature, moisture, etc. elements really well and help grow your plants faster and provide higher yields as well as a secure growing environment.
3. Why Are LED Grow Lights the Best Options for Growing Marijuana in Grow Tents?
LED grow lights are generally considered the best option for growing weed because they provide a much better cost to output ratio. They draw much lesser power compared to traditional lights and last a really long time. Basically an LED grow light of 1000W might be consuming only about 300-400W and can replace a 800-1000W HPS grow light. Moreover, using a full spectrum LED grow light provides you with (the reds as well as the blues) at the same place and you don’t even have to change the bulbs time and again.
Conclusion
We hope that this article about DIY grow tents helped you understand how to make your own grow tent at home with ease. It is not a complex process if you have the basic skills. You only need to understand the logic behind a grow tent and all the factors that you need to keep in mind before you make a tent such as ventilation, space, etc. If you’ve got any more questions or if you feel we’ve missed out on something here, drop us an email or let us know in the comments section and we shall get back to you with all the answers shortly! Till then…..
…….Happy Growing! 🙂
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