Grow Tents for Cannabis: The Complete 2021 Guide

When you are shopping for a grow tent, you should consider three things: available space, budget, and the number of plants you’re planning to grow.

Additionally, you’ll want to check quality factors, such as:

• Fabric material: Higher thread counts mean less light leaks (and less light leaks are crucial). Most high-end models use heavy-duty Oxford canvas fabric, coated with a reflective surface on the inside.
• Zippers: Make sure the zippers are durable and close the tent shut. You’ll be using them a lot, and if they break, they can ruin your crop.
• Structure: The grow tent frame should be able to support the weight of your lighting and ventilation units.
• Spill tray: A waterproof spill tray is essential, especially if you’re setting up your grow in the corner of a living room or other home space.

What Size Tent Will Meet Your Needs?

The size of the grow tent you’ll need depends on your available space, the number of plants you’re planning to grow, and your planned growing method. For example, the Sea of Green training method (which involves an equal distribution of light on the plant canopy) will require a tent over a more extensive footprint. If you’re planning to grow a Sativa-dominant strain with explosive growth during vegetation, you may want to opt for a tent with height extension.

Here’s some practical information about selecting the right-sized tent:

• Measure your designated grow area and make sure the tent is smaller, to leave some wiggle room. It’s not a good idea to squeeze between plants, grow lights, and fans.
• Carefully think about how many plants you want to grow and consider the genetic tendencies of the cultivars. Auto-flowering plants are short and stocky, Sativa-dominant strains are tall and lanky.
• Consider the need for additional chambers. When it comes to grow tents, chambers are separate “rooms” with entirely different functions. For example, you might use one space as a seedling nursery and the other for vegetating plants. If you want to do that, we’d recommend a separate smaller tent rather than a modular fixture. That way, you’ll have more space for vegetative/flowering plants.

Simple Grow Tent Size Guide

We know it’s hard to put things in perspective when it comes to sizing. Here’s a quick guide of some common grow tent dimensions and what they mean in terms of the plants you can grow:

• Grow tent size for one plant: 60x60x120cm (24”x24”x48”).
• Grow tent size for four to six plants: 120x120x200cm (48”x48”x80”).
• Grow tent size for eight to 10 plants: one 240x120x200cm (96”x48”x80”) or the equivalent of two smaller tents.
• Grow tent size for 12+ plants: two 150x150x200cm (60”x60”x80”) tents.

Keep in mind auto-flowering plants are quite smaller, so you can probably fit slightly more in one tent. Still, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

Grow Tent Cost & Quality Considerations

Although a cheap grow tent may seem like the best choice for a beginner, an inadequate tent can adversely affect your harvest. Thankfully, most grow tents will do the trick – even mid-range ones.

That being said, you should avoid suspiciously cheap models found on online marketplaces. If you’re going to invest (at least) several weeks cultivating cannabis, it’s worth spending the extra cash for a higher-quality grow tent, rather than have to face the horror of light leaks during flowering.

One major factor you’ll need to consider is the material of the canvas. Tent thickness is important, especially if you move your garden around a lot. The numbers range from 210D to 1680D (D stands for “Denier,” the measure of linear mass density for fibers

You can find a full range of grow tents to accommodate any size harvest and fit in your available space. Grow tents come in standard and heavy-duty varieties, grow tent packages, and multichambered tents for perpetual harvests.

1. Standard Tents

Standard tents are ideal for beginning gardeners who may not choose to continue growing after one or two harvests. If you decide to expand, you can repurpose standard tents for housing mother plants or clones.

2. Heavy Duty Tents

Heavy-duty grow tents have more durable fabric and zippers, so they can be stored or used continually for harvest after harvest. The framing on heavy-duty grow tents is usually metal and can handle the weight of more sophisticated lighting and ventilation units.

If you’re planning to cultivate cannabis more than once, it’s well worth the investment to purchase a heavy-duty unit from a respected brand like Vivosun.

3. Grow Tent Packages

Grow tent packages are perfect for beginners who have a little extra cash to invest. If you purchase a package, you can be sure that you’ll have all the necessary items for your first grow.

Grow tent packages will include lights, fans, pots, and filters. Some packages even include growing media and other essentials. However, be advised that the grow lights that come with the package are usually of inferior quality.

4. Hydroponic Tents

Hydroponic tent packages come with all of the media, basic nutrients, and pH testing gear you’ll need to grow hydroponic cannabis. Hydroponic grow tent packages are ideal for beginners or established soil growers who want to experiment with advanced techniques.

5. Multi-chamber Tents

Multi-chamber tents allow home growers the ability for a perpetual harvest. One chamber can be dedicated to the vegetative stage with an 18/6 light cycle, blue spectrum lighting, and other conditions that favor the development of roots, stems, and leaves. A second chamber can be optimized with a 12/12 cycle, red spectrum lighting, and humidity conditions specialized for the flowering phase.

Grow tents make cultivating cannabis indoors much more convenient. They’re easy to set up, they allow for optimum environmental control, and they eliminate the need to have carpentry skills to set up ventilation systems and access ports.

Viewing windows allow growers to check plants with minimal disturbance to the internal environment. Height extension kits can save your harvest if you find your plants growing too close to the light source.

1) Grow Tents Are Easy to Set Up

Most grow tents can be set up by one person in just a few hours. They come with prefabricated ducting and electrical ports to make setting up a breeze.

2) Control of Growing Environment

The environment inside a grow tent can be strictly controlled. Grow tents keep contaminants out while reducing light leaks and noise from fans.

3) Avoid Pests and Diseases

Quality grow tents will be sealed to protect your crop from unwanted pests like spider mites and common fungal contaminants like powdery mildew. A sturdy tent will also keep curious pets out of your grow space.

4) Grow Tents Are Energy Efficient

Grow tents allow you to maximize your energy use. You can choose exactly the right size tent to grow the amount of cannabis you desire. No need to spend extra energy ventilating or adjusting humidity in a space that’s too big for your crop. The high-quality mylar lining in a good grow tent will ensure that your cannabis plants get the maximum amount of light possible.

Grow tents are not the only option in indoor growing. Grow boxes, or cabinets, are also an option, and they come disguised as regular storage units, with all the functionality of a grow room (ducting holes, reflective material, etc.).

Although many stealth growers prefer the discreteness of a grow cabinet, tents allow for more flexibility. They are adjustable, lighter, and overall, more versatile. For most users, a grow tent will suffice.

Now that you’ve selected your grow tent, you’re ready to set up your grow. Here are some tips for getting started:

• Setting up the tent: Choose a spot close to water sources, ventilation, and suitable power outlets.
• Hanging lights: Rope ratchets make mounting your lights and raising them much easier.
• Running electricity: A dedicated electrical circuit is ideal for grow tents.
• Adding ventilation: Set up your grow tent in a location that facilitates exhaust for fans and filters.
• Starting the plants: Always start with good genetics. You’ll need to modify your strategy if you’re growing from seeds versus clones.