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August 19, 2022The world today is fast becoming mechanized and artificial. Most products nowadays are grown under questionable conditions, and sometimes you just need a reason to trust the source of your food, vegetable, and herbs. For this reason, most people take pride in growing their own cannabis plants in indoor tents, using the ideal grow tent kits. Growing your own cannabis plant is fun and way healthier. You know you are growing and consuming better-tasting organic products as you oversee the plant’s growth yourself.
Are you looking to get started but do not know where to start or how to go about this? You may be thinking – what grow lights will be ideal? Which equipment do I need? Do I regulate temperature and humidity? Worry not! This writeup will discuss a comprehensive checklist of all the equipment you need to start indoor growing. So, sit back, relax, and read on!
What do you need to grow weed:
- Seeds
- Soil
- Nutrients
- Pots
- Thermometer and Hygrometer
- Inline Fan & Filter Combo
- Grow Light
- Grow Tent
- Grow Tent Kits
Seeds
Choosing cannabis seeds can be a little bit tricky. This is because there are quite a number of strains that possess unique traits with different effects on their users. However, this shouldn’t be a call for concern. When choosing cannabis seeds, there are three main characteristics you should consider.
This trio comprises aroma, taste, and effects. Once you have this locked down, every other thing will place like a jigsaw puzzle. Most healthy cannabis seeds are black or dark brown. This indicates that the seeds are fertilized or pollinated by the male after being produced by the female plants. These seeds tend to mature into healthy cannabis plants, unlike green seeds that are usually not mature enough to spout.
It is also advisable to do a little bit of research on the best and most profitable cannabis strains. Some of these strains include blackberry, white widow, blue dream, skunk automatic, blue dream, sour diesel, girl’s scout cookies extremes, silver haze feminized, just to name a few.
Soil
This is an obvious requirement. All seeds need soil to grow; however, not all soils are suitable for growing cannabis, and not all cannabis plants require the same soil type. Cannabis plants have specific soil types they flourish better in, depending on the strain or growth condition. Healthy soils should have the following characteristics.
- Permeable and light in texture to give roots more access to oxygen.
- Excellent drainage as soils with poor drainage tends to cause pools when watered.
- The soil should also have excellent water retention – its ability to hold water.
- An ideal pH value simply implies the alkaline or acidic level of the soil—a good pH value range between 5.8 to 6.3. However, a pH level is 6.0 is ideal for optimal yields.
- Soil nutrients are also very essential as cannabis plants. Growers growing without additional nutrients should ensure the soils contain organic substances such as compost, humus, guano, worm casting, etc. These substances will be converted to nutrients by microorganisms in the soil.
Nutrients
Nutrients are essential to the growth of all cannabis plants. However, there are several factors you should consider when purchasing nutrients. To make a better and well-informed choice, you should understand the NPK ratio. Simply put, the NPK ratio means balancing Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. This depends on the growth stage, whether you are using regular soil or growing hydroponically.
You’ll require different kinds of nutrients in each of these scenarios. Take note that supplements are different from nutrients. With the right NPK level, you won’t need nutrients. The easiest way to differentiate between nutrients and supplements is that nutrients are usually represented in decimal form, for example, 0.4-0.2-0.2, while supplements are represented by whole numbers, for example, 7-5-7.
Pots
Picking the most suitable container that will provide the best possible environment for your cannabis roots is of utmost importance. The roots are the “heart” of the cannabis plant and need to be treated accordingly.
When picking the pot for your plants, you should understand that these roots need to be constantly moist so they can breathe. In addition to this, your pot should be able to allow easy access to these requirements to ensure your cannabis flower blossoms.
Finally, it is worth noting that the molecular form of nutrient changes when exposed to the wrong pH levels. The right pH value ranges between 5.8 to 6.3, with 6.0 ideal. This changes their chemical form and automatically makes them unavailable to your plant’s roots. You can fix this by exposing the nutrients to the right pH levels we discussed earlier.
Thermometer and Hygrometer
Hygrometers play an instrumental part in the growth of cannabis plants. Therefore, you should pick the ideal hygrometer that measures some specific features, which we will discuss here. When choosing a hygrometer, you should consider how accurately it reads your growth environment’s temperature and humidity level.
You may need to measure the CO2 levels in the grow tent; therefore, you should pick a device that gives you accurate readings. Before using a hygrometer to maintain humidity and temperature levels, know the optimum temperature limits for your grow tent. Ideally, the humidity should range between 30 to 50%, with 40% ideal. This works hand-in-glove with a temperature level of 75° Fahrenheit.
Inline Fan & Filter Combo
In the cannabis industry, there is a pressing need for carbon filters that eliminate toxic gases and strong odors from grow rooms. Also, for cannabis plants to blossom to their full potential, the growing environment inside the tent needs to be strictly controlled. Ensure there is adequate circulation of air but use an inline fan and filter.
In this inline duct fan and filter aid with the dispersion of the cannabis smell which should be controlled without opening the tent for ventilation, Opening the tent negatively affects the growing environment inside the tent. It will undoubtedly give room for poor humidity and temperature control and make the growing tent prone to posts. Investing in quality ventilation equipment and filters is of utmost importance.
Finding an inline fan and carbon filter with this feature is a daunting task, the reason why you should invest in the Mars Hydro inline fan and carbon filter combo. The only thing left to do is to determine the size you need, depending on the size of your grow room. For a quicker check, visit another blog of ours: What Size Of Fan For My Grow Tents.
Grow Lights
Grow lights offer Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), which is an alternative to sunlight used by plants to photosynthesize. You should invest in quality LED grow lights with ideal PAR values to ensure the proper growth of your plant. There is a common misconception that LED lights with higher PAR values to have better bulbs. You should invest in a quality LED bulb from a reputable manufacturer to get the most out of your plants. On average, LED grow lights should be on for 15 hours a day. This may cause overheating and damage to your plants. Therefore, you should purchase LED grow lights that have an efficient cooling system.
Also, you should know your garden’s surface area as it will help you position the LED light higher. Remember earlier we said prioritize height – this is because the higher you place the LED light, the larger the surface area it covers. This will ensure that all plants receive an equal amount of PAR. You should also consider investing in programmable LED lights as you can adjust them to your specifications, such as automatically switching them off after 15 hours.
What’s more, you need to ensure the lighting has uniform Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD). Every corner should have the same amount of PPFD required by the cannabis flowers to blossom uniformly. Also, it will be best if you went for power-saving LED lights that support dimming and are full-spectrum i.e., it should have sufficient blue and red light and an insignificant amount of invalid light in the spectrum. Growers aiming for perfection should purchase premium quality lights, focusing on the brand of the chip as quality brands guarantee efficiency. Finally, make sure the brand is safety certified and provides an after-sales guarantee.
Grow Tent
A grow tent is probably the most essential piece of equipment you need for indoor growing. Before you start, you should figure out how big a space you need and the number of plants this space can contain. A 4′ x4′ grow tent is ideal when growing four to six large plants. This will give the plant much-needed space because you can align them into two rows of two to three plants. When picking a grow tent, you should prioritize height to prevent your grow lights from burning your cannabis plants.
More height also gives room for fans, ducting, and air filters. Grow tents should be heat resistant, dense, reflective, have a solid zipper, and sturdy – these are all features durable high-end tents have to offer. Check the fabric density, abbreviated as “D,” before purchasing the grow tent. Most tents range between 120 to 160D, even though there are rare cases of tents that go up to 1680D.
You may want to consider additional features such as windows for quick viewing, a large door opening, a vent, and removable floor trays to collect and dispose of water runoff from the cannabis plants. The poles of the tent should be iron and sturdy as they will hold the hanging lights, some cannabis plants as well as ventilation equipment. You should measure the load-bearing capacity before purchasing the tent. In addition to this, you should go for a higher density canvas which can be combined with the 1680D and helps to prevent light leakage.
Indoor Grow Tent Kits
This is the interesting part! Imagine avoiding the hassle of choosing the perfect grow tent, carbon filter, duct tube, timer, grow bags or pots, LED grow lights, inline fans, plant nets, and hygrometer. No one likes to buy these items separately because it is time-consuming and challenging to match the equipment with the growing conditions. With grow tent kits, you are guaranteed the complete package, literally in one purchase.
These grow tent kits will provide you with most of the equipment discussed in this guide and save your hours of shopping. In addition to this, it takes approximately an hour to set everything up. This implies that you can start indoor growing in no time at all. These grow tent kits are designed to optimize yields and can practically be set up in any room. Also, they have matched with the best LED grow light and have a superior ventilation system, second to none. Conclusively, grow tent kits are perfect for all types of growers, regardless of whether you are a seasoned grower or a newbie.
Final words
The list above is not a complete or exhaustive list of the equipment required to run an indoor growing business or growing for personal use. It is merely a well-researched list of our favorite options for growers of all skill levels. We guarantee that you will be able to start growing in no time, optimizing yields, and making the most out of your investment with the above list. We hope this guide is of help to you as you start your indoor growing journey and ask that if you come across equipment that works great for you, do not hesitate to mention it in the comment section below!
On top of that, click to check the Ultimate Shopping List For Growing Indoors for more important indoor equipment that can greatly increase cannabis production, and the Hydroponic Grow Equipment Overview for growing weed by hydroponics method.