If you are doing any indoor gardening, setting up an indoor grow tent will be a valuable, if not the most important, asset towards the success of your plants. A grow tent will allow you to create the exact environmental conditions your plants need. Factors such as lighting, temperature, and ambient humidity are critical and need to be within optimal ranges for robust, healthy plant growth and a successful harvest. Setting up a grow tent is a simple process that allows you to be the weather, controlling all of these conditions.
Why Do You Need To Use A Grow Tent?
If a grow tent can’t give you anything, so why do you use a marijuana grow tent? Right? Yes, of course. But, a grow tent is an essential element which gives you so many advantages and can give you the power to control the entire environment of the indoor garden.
First of all, a grow tent helps you to grow any plants around the year. Using a grow tent you can control the climate, temperature, direction of wind, light, and everything that is why you will be able to grow any plant whether it is seasonal or not.
Secondly, a grow tent helps you a lot to control the pests and other insects. Any pest is harmful to your indoor plants, and they can cause even death of the plants. If you use the grow tent, you won’t think about the pests and insects.
Thirdly, a grow tent is very easy to install, and it is also affordable. Yes, anyone can install a grow tent to a specific area. On the other hand, a grow tent also requires a little money than making a grow room.
Then, it can be customized easily. You may need to change the humidity, temperature, light, and direction of air; you can do everything easily. That means it only gives you benefits, nothing else.
10 Easy Steps
Step 1: Gather all tools and supplies
Like any other project, it’s best to start off by having everything you need pulling together. Read through all of the instructions for the tent, lighting, ventilation, etc. and make sure you have all the tools you’ll need -- screwdrivers, wire cutters, a box cutter or scissors -- and any extra parts that didn’t come included. Don’t forget that you’ll need a power strip with a surge protector, perhaps a humidifier (if you live in a dry climate and need to increase the relative humidity), and it’s never a bad thing to have a roll of duct tape handy.
Step 2: Assemble grow tent
Tents come in different sizes and are typically either square or rectangular. Before you begin assembly, check your location to ensure the tent will fit in the space.
Construct frame -- Start by unpacking all of the pieces of the grow tent, making sure everything is in the box/package. Assemble the frame per the instructions and move the frame to its final location. Remember your plants need water and there is a chance this water can splash or spill onto the flooring. If you’re going to be placing it on a carpeted area, protect the carpet with mats or plastic.
Put on cloth -- After setting the frame where you ultimately want it to be, you can add the cloth covering. Most tents are constructed, or lightweight nylon or a heavier canvas depending on the system purchased. Check to make sure the zippers work freely and, all seams are sewn tightly without any defects. Sometimes it takes a little finesse to get the cloth securely over the frame.
Step 3: Grow light setup
Lighting is one of the most critical components of growing plants indoors, and full spectrum led grow lights is recommmended. If the lights/lamps chosen are inadequate the plants will falter and struggle to grow; if the lights are too big for the system, they will generate too much heat that will need to be controlled. Consider installing a pulley system to allow you to adjust the lighting height as plants grow easily.
Set up holders -- Most lights will come with mounting hardware to attach lighting to the crossbars of the frame. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to hang lighting at the appropriate heights for the lamps used and plant needs.
Attach hood -- After the mounting hardware is secure, attach the lighting hoods to direct the light emitted downwards towards the plants.
Organize wiring -- Bundle wiring and make sure it is safely out of the way, to prevent any electrical hazards. Then run all of the cords out of the nearest power cord hole in the tent.
Step 4: Determine ventilation setup
Determine the best placement for the fan and carbon filter. Optimally, it is recommended that both the fan and filter to be hung inside the tent. Hanging them from the frame, closer to the top of the tent is ideal because it maximizes your growing footprint, removes the hottest air that rises to the top of the tent, and increases the odor removal effectiveness.
Step 5: Install ventilation
After figuring out the best place(s) to have the filter and fan, it’s time for installation. Start by hanging the carbon filter from one of the tent’s crossbars using the hanging equipment provided. Then hang the exhaust fan so the intake is pointed towards the carbon filter and the exhaust is directed towards the grow tent ventilation opening. Measure the distance between the carbon filter flange and the exhaust fan intake, then using the box cutter and wire cutters, cut ducting at the desired length. Install ducting between the filter and the fan, and then from the fan exhaust through to the ventilation opening in the tent. Run power cords through the nearest power cord hole in the tent.
Step 6: Hang temperature gauge
To keep an eye on the environmental conditions within the tent, you need equipment to monitor the temperature, humidity, etc. It’s best to install all of your monitoring equipment level with the plants you will be growing. If you mount it too high or too low, it won’t provide an accurate reflection of the growing zone, and your plants may suffer.
Step 7: Configure timers
Set up the timers that control when your lights come on/off, and anything else that you plan to run independently.
Step 8: Dial in the entire system
Now that you’ve got everything set up, it’s time to turn it all on and see how it works. This gives you the chance to work any kinks out and make sure everything is running correctly.
Step 9: Perform a safety scan
Check to make sure your electrical connections are secure, cords are up off the floor where they could get wet, and nothing else could be a safety hazard.
Step 10: Place plants inside
Now that the tent is fully constructed, and your entire system is running well, it’s time to add the plants and get started growing! After adding plants keep an eye on the levels inside the tent as the plants will affect humidity, temperature, CO2 levels, etc. You may need to tweak your environmental settings as time goes on.
Final Thoughts
You can easily watch the plants as they thrive inside the grow room, that you have prepared from scratch.
You need to ensure that you are not interfering with the environment, as this may affect the plants. Reduce the number of times that you will go into the room not to contaminate the plants.
With the indoor grow room system, you can grow any plants that you desire, without having to consider the season.
Assembling a grow tent from scratch is not an easy task, but following our guide, you should find it a bit easier. You do not need to have a lot of space as you can work with the area that you have.
If you need more convenience, an indoor grow tent kit you can take for consideration.