Choosing an Indoor Grow Tent
Intro
Choosing an indoor grow tent may seem like a straightforward task—simply pick a a tent that fits your available space, and you’re off to the races, right? Not so fast.
Selecting the right tent size isn’t merely about measuring your available space. It’s also crucial to consider the size and gallon capacity of the grow pots you’ll be using, as well as the type of plant training techniques you plan to apply.
So these related subtopics are important and although it may seem like it’s going off track, it’s better to understand how these decisions are interconnected and serve the main point. So let’s take a look at some of these.
Article Breakdown
- Tent Size – The available space for your tent location dictates the tent size you can accommodate. This, in turn, influences factors like the number of plants you can grow and the size of the grow pots you can use.
- Tent Height – Provides heigh space for accommodating a larger inline fan and carbon filter, as well as allowing for plant growth during the stretch phase.
- Tent Location – Determines the stable temperature and humidity that are viable for plant growth.
- Block External Light Sources – Place the tent away from windows or use curtains to block unwanted light that could disrupt photoperiod plants’ growth cycle, especially during the flowering phase.
What is a Grow Tent?
An indoor grow tent is a self-assembled, portable structure that resembles a closet. But, instead of storing clothes, it’s got something quite different… Designed to help you grow plants under controlled conditions using common and already owned equipment to create an optimal growth environment indoors.
Once you’ve unpacked them, you’ll see that they are made from interconnecting metal frame poles that support their upright position. The exterior is covered with light blocking canvas fabric, while the interior is lined with light reflective mylar.
It’s like having your own personal greenhouse. Except in this case, you have control over the environmental conditions, nutrition, and lighting—and you’re not growing tomatoes. 🙂
Ready to start growing and looking to purchase your first indoor grow tent?
Larger sized tents often come with multiple flap entrances. Some are designed to fit corners, and others feature a genius space saving idea of having an triangular roofs to accommodate growing equipment. Despite these variations, they all serve the same purpose—to keep your plants in a safe, contained space.
When you’re gearing up to select your first grow tent, take the following factors into account. These can influence which tent becomes your go-to choice for indoor growing.
Tent Size
The most common shapes for grow tents are either rectangular, such as 2’x4′, or cubic, like 5’x5′. For reference, I’ve set up two AC Infinity 2’x4′ tents. They’re placed in the corner of my living room, which happens to be the largest room in my house.
This spot is convenient for a couple of reasons. First, it offers easy access to both the tents and essential growing equipment like air conditioners, dehumidifiers and heater. Second, since I also use this space for work, having the tents here is super practical for me. If any maintenance is needed, I can easily get to everything right in the main area.
A dedicated room for growing would’ve been perfect, but that wasn’t an option for me. So I made it work by fitting the tents into my existing living space. I opted for these rectangular tents specifically because they match the room’s dimensions. They tuck neatly into a corner and sit flush against the wall, all without eating up too much of the main living area.
It may not be a china cabinet, but in my opinion, it’s something even better!
What Size Indoor Grow Tent is Best for Beginners or Budget Wise?
If you’re looking for a tent size to start with, I’d recommend a 2’x4′ tent. This size offers a good balance between budget and space, providing ample room for small-scale growing with potential for expansion.
According to AC Infinity’s price-to-tent size chart, the next size up from a 2’x4′ is a 4’x4′. The price jump is an additional $40. Now, that might not seem like much at first. But, you should also factor in the cost of grow lights and the fan system. A bigger tent means you’ll need more of both, which can add up.
The most commonly used grow lights are full-spectrum LED boards. A 2’x4′ tent typically requires at least two of these LED boards to adequately cover the grow area. Since a 4’x4′ tent is essentially two 2’x4′ spaces combined, you’d need an additional set of LED boards to cover the extra space, increasing your overall costs.
Full spectrum grow lights mimic natural sunlight by providing plants with a balanced range of wavelengths for photosynthesis. Plants primarily use blue light in the 400-495 nm range for vegetation and red light in the 620-750 nm range for flowering.
Switching from a 2’x4′ to a 4’x4′ grow tent isn’t just about the added space, it also means you’ll need to upgrade to a bigger grow light and ventilation systems. A larger tent generally requires a bump in your budget for these essentials.
The cost of these grow components can vary significantly, especially with new brands entering the market offering products that are often more budget friendly than established names. Before making a purchase, it’s a good idea to consult customer reviews and online grower forums to gauge their experiences.
Grow Pot Size
In relation to tent sizes, the size of the grow pots is another important factor to consider, so let’s take a brief look at it.
Choosing a pot size can be confusing for beginners, given the many variables that can influence the overall size of a cannabis plant. For instance, using a one gallon grow pot doesn’t necessarily mean the plant will remain small.
Many variables influence a plant’s size, including growing methods, nutrients, techniques, seed genetics, and environmental conditions. This kind of expertise typically comes with hands-on experience. As a general rule, larger grow pots allow for more room for root expansion, which can lead to larger plant growth.
I’d suggest kicking off with a 3-gallon pot. It strikes a good balance—neither too small to limit growth nor too large to manage, making it an excellent starting point for newcomers. Once you’ve got a few grows under your belt, you can then tweak the pot size to better align with your growing goals and preferences.
Let’s look at some key points when it comes to growing in smaller versus larger pots.
Small Potted Plants
Strain Diversity – Using 3-gallon grow pots gives me the flexibility to grow multiple strains simultaneously opposed to using larger pots. Let’s face it—growing just one strain isn’t as exciting, right?
Watering Frequency – A smaller pot contains less growing medium, reducing its ability to retain water. As a result, you’ll need to water the plants more frequently, especially during the flowering phase. Whereas you might normally water once a week, you may find yourself needing to water every other day instead.
Yield Considerations – Smaller pots can limit both the size and yield of a plant due to restricted root growth, potentially leading to root bound conditions and reduced growth potential. Your specific goals come into play here, you grow goals might not involve highest yield possible.
Large Potted Plants
Root Development – Larger pots offer more room for root expansion, which generally leads to larger plants with a greater ability to uptake nutrients and water. The saying goes, “Big roots, big fruits.”
Higher Water Retention – Because they can hold more growing medium, larger pots also have a higher water retention capacity. This reduces the frequency of watering needed. If you find it tedious or are too busy to water your plants every few days, choosing a larger pot can simplify the growing process.
Portability – One downside to using larger pots is their size and weight, especially after watering. This can become an inconvenience if you need frequent access to the plant for maintenance.
As you can see, several factors come into play when choosing the size of your grow pot. You may not know the ideal size for your needs until you’ve gained some hands on experience. So go ahead, pick a grow pot and start your growing journey!
How much space does grow pot needs?
A 2×2 area is a safe and comfortable grow space for a single plant, whether you’re using a 3, 5, or 7-gallon pot. The number of plants you can fit in a given space will also depend on the training techniques you employ, such as topping or low-stress training.
plant training - refers to a range of techniques used to manipulate and guide a plant's growth pattern. The goal is to optimize the plant's exposure to light, maximize yield, and manage space constraints topping - is a high-stress training method that involves cutting off the top of the plant's main stem. This encourages the plant to grow multiple branches rather than just one main stem. low Stress Training (LST) - on the other hand, is a gentler approach. Instead of cutting, you bend and manipulate the branches to grow in a specific direction. This is usually done by tying them down, often with a flexible garden tie.
For instance, let’s look at how the space in a 2’x4′ tent is affected by the plant training techniques used.
If you have two 3-gallon plants and apply topping and low-stress training methods, each plant can effectively occupy a 2’x2′ area.
Now, let’s say you want to add one more 3-gallon pot but still use training techniques. With LST, you can guide the branches to fit into the remaining space, allowing you to accommodate three 3-gallon plants in the 2’x4′ size tent.
After all, since I’m the one footing the bill, why not go for six 3-gallon plants?
For the six 3-gallon plants, the only training techniques employed were topping and minimal low stress training due to the limited space from multiple plants. If anyone wants to attempt this setup, make sure to have a dehumidifier on hand to manage the increased humidity from the extra plants!
The choice is yours, regardless of tent or grow pot size, balance the number of plants with the available tent space and tailor your training techniques to maximize both growth and yield.
Tent Height For Plant Growth
Investing in a taller tent from the start can help you avoid future challenges associated with both plant growth and equipment placement.
When I first started growing, I didn’t realize—like many new growers—just how tall the plants could get during the transition phase from vegetation to flowering. This period is known as the ‘stretch phase,’ and it’s a time when something magical happens.
This phase occurs in the early stages of flowering and is characterized by a rapid increase in plant height. The stretch serves to optimize light absorption for photosynthesis and creating additional nodes where buds can form.
If you’re not prepared for this sudden growth, your plants could reach the top of the tent much sooner than you anticipate, making them susceptible to heat stress and other issues!
When grow lights are too close to the plants, they can create hotspots. One common issue from hotspots is heat stress, which makes the leaves curl upward at the edges, looking like a ‘taco.’ This curling helps the plant reduce its exposure to too much light and heat.
This happens because light’s intensity is often more concentrated at the center, which can be detrimental to the plants. Raising the grow lights away from the plant canopy or reduce the intensity results in more uniform light distribution, which reduces the risk of creating hotspots that can cause heat stress in plants.
Tent Height For Equipment Space
The 2’x4′ indoor grow grow tent initially seemed perfect for my chosen location, until I realized that I hadn’t considered the height. This led to two issues:
- More height space is occupied by larger fan and filter system.
- Limited room for the plants vertical growth spurt during the stretching phase.
Upgrading to a 6-inch fan system caught me by surprise due to the overall size and it took up more vertical space than I had expected.
Above, you’ll see plants that are currently in the stretch phase. By the time they reached the flowering stage—when plants start producing buds—they measured an impressive 40 inches tall!
On the right, you’ll see a tent that’s 12 inches taller than the one on the left. It’s set up with a six-inch inline fan and carbon filter. This extra vertical space in the taller tent can prove its value for bigger fan upgrades.
Taller indoor grow tents offer several advantages. Not only can they accommodate larger fan and filter systems, but they also provide extra vertical space for plant growth, particularly during the stretch phase. Additionally, the increased height can facilitate better air circulation, contributing to overall healthier plants.
Is it possible to place the fan and scrubber outside the tent?
The fan and carbon filter are usually located inside the upper area of the tent but in some cases, if you find yourself needing extra vertical space, you can opt to place the fan and filter system outside the tent. The inline fan will be reversed: instead of pulling air through the carbon filter, its being push through through the scrubber.
The pull method is where the fan pulls air through the carbon filter and then out of the tent is considered more effective for odor control. This is because the air is drawn through the entire surface area of the carbon filter, maximizing the filter’s ability to scrub odors from the air.
As for which setup is more effective-I can’t say for sure, as I’ve never tried the external placement. But, I feel that the ‘pull’ setup is likely how it’s intended to be used. Perhaps an experiment is in order for a future growing cycle.
Extra space is always a welcome feature as it offers more flexibility in positioning essential equipment like fans, carbon filters, and lights. This improved layout not only facilitates efficient airflow but also ensures optimal light distribution, both of which are key factors in cultivating healthier plants.
What about humidifier/dehumidifier/heater inside the tent?
Sure, placing a humidifier inside the tent can work, especially since it’s one of the smaller appliances. However, every inch inside the tent is valuable real estate. That’s why I prefer to keep the interior space free for better air circulation and place any additional appliances, like dehumidifiers and heaters, outside the tent. This setup allows me to precisely control the surrounding temperature and humidity, which the inline fan can then pull in through the tent’s bottom vents.
Tent Location
You can transform pretty much any space into a grow room, from basements and garages to even your bathroom—just make sure you can control the climate in there.
When you’re picking a spot for your indoor grow tent, aim for a place with stable temperature and humidity levels. Best to steer clear of spots near windows that get direct sunlight or right next to a heater. Why? Well, these places can make your environment change fast, and not in a good way for your plants.
Is the basement a good place for an indoor grow tent?
Basements often have higher humidity levels than other parts of a home. When humidity consistently exceeds 60% and is coupled with poor ventilation and stagnant air, it creates an environmental condition for fungal growth, including mold and powdery mildew.
This stagnant air can trap humidity and inhibit moisture evaporation from plant leaves, setting the stage for fungal infestations. Early detection and intervention are crucial to prevent crop devastation.
Having a fan inside your grow tent is an affordable way to prevent mold. It keeps the air circulating consistently. Common fan models usually come with handy clips for easy attachment to the tent’s frame. Some even have an oscillating feature that allows them to swivel automatically. Beyond just air circulation, a fan also promotes efficient transpiration and aids in temperature regulation and disease prevention.
To further minimize the risk of disease, consider placing a dehumidifier or air conditioner in the room where your grow tent is set up. While dehumidifiers are effective for lowering humidity levels, keep in mind that using them continuously could generate excess heat, depending on your specific growing conditions.
How about upper floors of the household?
In multi-story buildings, the upper floors usually get hotter than the ground floor during the summer, thanks to the natural behavior of warm air rising and cool air falling. An air conditioner is often the common fix for many people and is a regular household item, making it a convenient choice.
Just like us, plants do best in environments with stable temperature and humidity levels. If you find the room’s conditions to be uncomfortable, it’s a good indicator that your plants may also be under stress, limiting their growth potential.
Can I place the grow tent in the bedroom?
While fan noise might be a concern for some, it’s worth mentioning that many people find the background white noise soothing, whether it’s coming from a TV, radio, or a fan.
During the early vegetation stage, you can run the inline fan at its lowest setting to keep noise levels down. Nevertheless, as your plant matures and moves toward the end of its flowering phase, its scent will become more pronounced. This distinct aroma is what’s typically associated with cannabis.
To knock out that strong cannabis smell, you’ll want to team up your inline fan with a good carbon filter. As your plants mature, you’ll probably need to crank up the fan speed, which means—yep, you guessed it—more noise.
But hey, between the air circulating fans and your beefed up inline fan, it’s gonna get pretty loud in there. So, if you’re a heavy sleeper, this might not even faze you.
Block External Lights
While focusing on the subject of tent location, it’s important to briefly discuss the common types of seeds grown and how unexpected light exposure during the flowering phase can affect a plant, especially for photoperiod.
The term photoperiod refers to the length of time an organism (plant) is exposed to light during a 24-hour period and requires specific intervals of light and darkness to transition between growth stages, such as moving from the vegetative to the flowering phase.
In contrast, autoflower plants automatically transition from the vegetative to the flowering stage based on their age, regardless of the light cycle—hence the name “autoflower.”
What happens when during flowering phase when its interrupted?
You see, photoperiod plants have evolved to respond to natural light cycles, which vary with the seasons when grown outdoors. They rely on the decreasing amounts of sunlight in the day to trigger their transition from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage.
With the ability of indoor grow tents, we can grow photoperiod plants by artificially manipulating light cycles to mimic natural conditions, thus triggering the various growth stages using grow lights.
That’s why you might have heard of the 18/6 or 12/12 light cycles. These refer to the common light schedules for plant growth: 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness for the vegetative stage, and an even 12/12 split for the flowering stage.
Unintended light exposure during the 12 hours of night disrupts their flowering phase, whether sunlight from the window or an bright LED indicator on a device causes plants to revert to vegetation or display abnormal growth patterns.
So, you can imagine how repeated light exposure can confuse photoperiod plants, making them think the seasons are changing. This not only wastes valuable time but also impacts the overall growth cycle, especially considering that a cannabis plant takes months to grow from start to finish.
Fortunately, there’s a simple and budget-friendly solution to this issue, light-blocking thermal curtains.
They are versatile as they can reduce noise, insulate against cold air, and, most notably for indoor growers, block unwanted light. These curtains are especially useful for those growing photoperiod cannabis plants, which are sensitive to light schedules.
How about autoflowers?
If you can’t use curtains to block out sunlight, perhaps because you’re working in the same area as the tent or you simply prefer a brighter living environment. Autoflowering plants offer an excellent alternative.
These plants automatically transition from the vegetative stage to the flowering phase, making them a convenient choice for growers who don’t have the ideal conditions for photoperiod strains.
Tent Brands
If you look up different tents available online, you’ll see not only various tent sizes but also different brands. I’ve ventured and tried two other brands that are a bit more budget friendly, and here’s what I found to be different.
Canvas Thickness – You’ll often see grow tents advertising the thickness of their canvas fabric with terms like 600D, 1680D, or 2000D. In these terms, the number represents the fabric’s thickness, while the ‘D’ stands for Denier, a unit used to measure both thickness and durability.
A higher denier rating usually means better insulation, contributing to more stable internal conditions and also minimizes the risk of fabric tears that can cause light leaks. As previously discussed, unintentional light exposure, especially during the flowering phase of photoperiod sensitive plants, can lead to adverse effects, costing you both time and money.
Light leak is the unintentional entry of light within an indoor grow tent. Such light disturbances can throw off the plant's light cycle, which may result in stress and reduced yields.
Frame Material – Both alternative tents I tested have metal frame poles, but there’s a concern regarding their rigidity. I noticed that the top bar, where I hang my grow light and six-inch fan and filter system, began to bend slightly. While this wasn’t an issue with a four-inch fan and filter system, it does raise concerns about using larger fans and the tent’s long term durability.
However, I haven’t heard of anyone experiencing frame failures due to heavier equipment, so the chances of such failures seem low. That said, if you’re just starting out and sticking with smaller setups, these alternative tents are a solid choice.
Warranty – Most major brands in the grow space offer at least a 2-year warranty, guaranteeing that their products are free of defects. This warranty often covers performance components like zippers, seams, and fabric integrity, providing an extra layer of security for your investment.
It’s a sign of the manufacturer’s confidence in the product quality and offers growers peace of mind, knowing that any issues will be addressed without additional cost. Less well known brands may not indicating as such, often guaranteeing quality assurance through third party platforms like Amazon or eBay.
Growers Experiences – Check the specifications and compare them with tents from different brands. How about the warranty? Browse through forums to see if any growers have experience with a particular tent. The reviews often highlight issues that others may have overlooked.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it to the end of this article, you’ll understand that choosing an indoor grow tent is not as simple as it may seem. The process can be intricate, with growers having a wide range of skills and experiences, which can be overwhelming for newcomers. But don’t worry—you’ll get the hang of this in no time. The best way to learn is by doing, so go ahead, pick up a tent, and start growing!