How to Choose a Grow Tent: What to Look for Before You Buy

When you choose a grow tent, look at size and height first (leave room for lights, fans and filters), then at build quality: thick, non-toxic reflective fabric, solid zippers and seams, viewing windows, a removable floor tray and enough vent ports. Matte black outside and shiny inside, grow tents are temporary structures built for growing cannabis that offer a purpose-built space to hang lights and fans without permanently changing a room in your home.

Home growers have flocked to grow tents for decades to keep an indoor garden from taking over the house, while getting better odor control, healthier plants and bigger yields.

Tents come in sizes ranging from a couple of square meters to multi-room mini-mansions.

A grow tent is practical and brings a lot of benefits to your grow. Setting one up is easy, and most tents are designed to streamline the process with quick assembly and support for hanging grow lights, fans and other ventilation gear.

Putting together an indoor tent isn't hard, but if you do it wrong, your plants can suffer damage they won't recover from. 

One of the most important things to consider is size. Tents come in different footprints and heights, but what people often overlook is how much of the space all the gear inside will eat up, leaving things a little cramped.

Going for a taller tent lets you hang your grow lights far enough above the plants and leaves more room for fans and air filters. Hanging lights too close can burn your cannabis plants. Make sure hot lights aren't too close to the tent fabric either.

Indoor grow tents run the whole price range, and cheaper tents usually come with flimsy, low-end materials. You'll be using your tent every day, so keep in mind that cheap zippers, seals and seams, and fabric that tears, can very likely end up hurting your plants.

A sturdy tent lets you keep your plants healthy without having to interrupt the grow to patch or replace it.

Before you buy a grow tent and start filling it with cannabis seedlings, check for a few features that will make indoor growing a lot more enjoyable:

-Clear viewing windows so you can check on your plants without opening the tent

-Removable floor trays to easily catch and dump runoff water

-Full side access or big door openings for easier reach

-Vent ports for easy setup of intake and exhaust fans at the top and bottom

Livability means putting the tent somewhere it won't disrupt your life. Fans can be noisy, and if the tent isn't high quality, light may leak out, so keeping it in your bedroom while you sleep may not be the best idea. And if you're growing cannabis, you'll probably want to add a carbon filter to your exhaust to kill the smell, which will keep the neighbors a lot happier.

Finally, we recommend avoiding tents made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PU (polyurethane) because they can off-gas toxic fumes that are bad for your plants, for you, and for anyone else in the house, pets included.

What do you need to set up an indoor grow?

To build a home indoor grow, you'll need a few key pieces. The main one is a grow tent, a structure designed specifically for growing plants indoors. Tents give you a controlled, sealed-off environment where you can manage light, humidity and temperature.

Besides the tent, you'll need the right lighting, like LED, high-pressure sodium (HPS) or fluorescent lights, to give your plants the light they need to grow. Pay attention to the light spectrum each one delivers, since it plays a role at different stages of the plant's life cycle.

You'll also need a ventilation system to keep air moving through the tent and avoid problems like excess heat or humidity. That can include exhaust fans, circulation fans and carbon filters for odor control.

For an indoor grow, you'll need a suitable growing medium, like potting soil or a hydroponic medium, plus nutrients made for each stage of growth. Other gear you may need includes containers, drainage trays, pH and EC meters, and basic gardening tools.

As for the light cycle, the usual recommendation is 18 to 24 hours of light a day during the vegetative stage, then dropping to 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness in flower to trigger bud formation.

How do you set up a homemade indoor grow?

Setting up a homemade indoor grow can be exciting and rewarding. Here's a basic guide to get you started:

1. Space: First, you need a suitable spot in your home for the grow. It could be a spare room, a basement, a big closet or any space you can set up and control.
2. Grow tent: Get a grow tent sized to fit your space and your needs. Tents are built to keep a controlled, sealed-off environment, which makes indoor growing much easier. Make sure yours is sturdy, waterproof and has openings for ventilation.
3. Lighting: Pick the lighting setup that best fits your indoor grow. Common options include LED, high-pressure sodium (HPS) and fluorescent lights. Work out the wattage you need based on your tent size and how many plants you want to grow.
4. Ventilation: A ventilation system is essential for keeping air moving inside the tent. Install exhaust fans to pull out the hot air your lights put out, and circulation fans to keep a steady airflow. You can also add carbon filters for odor control.
5. Growing medium and containers: Choose the right growing medium for your plants, like potting soil or a hydroponic medium. Use containers with good drainage so the medium doesn't get waterlogged.
6. Nutrients and watering: Research and buy nutrients made for indoor growing. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and feed according to your plants' growth stage. Water properly, avoiding both overwatering and underwatering.
7. Climate control: Monitor and control temperature and humidity inside the tent. Use thermometers and hygrometers to track them and adjust to what your plants need. Bring in a humidifier or dehumidifier if necessary.
8. Light cycle: During veg, give your plants 18 to 24 hours of light a day; in flower, drop to 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness to trigger bud formation.

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