Indoor grow tents are tents that allow you to grow your plants in a controlled environment. Also known as grow rooms, grow tents come in different sizes, features and prices. Although grow tents are mostly used by marijuana growers, they are also used to grow various other crops. Grow tents are ideal for maximizing yields for your indoor hydroponic system.
As a farmer, you may opt to make a grow tent yourself or decide to make a readymade one. However, making a perfect grow tent by yourself can be challenging. To reap the full benefits of a grow room, consider buying a readymade one. Such a grow tent comes with all the accessories needed to create a conducive environment to grow your crops. When shopping for a grow tent, you need to be clear on how you want to use it and what you want to achieve with it.
To ensure that you pick the right indoor grow tent, there are some factors that you should consider:
1. Size of the grow tent
Decide on how big or small you want your grow tent to be. The size of the grow tent you take will depend on several things. First is the space you have available for gardening – this will determine the length and width of your grow tent. Second is the crop you intend to grow – for instance, the height of the crops to be grown and the spacing between the crops.
Another factor that will affect the size of a grow tent is the growth system that you will use. If you are using a vertical system, consider a tent that has a height adjusting mechanism. Also, a tall tent will be most ideal to produce tall healthy plants in such a situation because it will provide enough room for hot air to rise as opposed to sitting on the plants and overheating them. Lastly is how you intend to do your gardening. If you will need to get into the tent to do so, then you need to consider movement space to avoid damaging the plants.
2. Type of material
The material used to make a grow tent is important to consider because it will affect the quality of your gardening. Good grow tents are made using strong material that is durable and light proof. This material quality helps in creating a controlled environment in the tent. Ideally, the best grow tent materials should be heavy-duty canvas such as polyester and nylon.
The best way to establish how thick a grow tent is through the use of tent’s Denier rating. Grow tents generally range between 200D and 1680D, with the former being the highest in terms of thickness. The material used to make the interior part of the tent also affects the health of plants. Ideally, the interior should be shiny and reflective to ensure proper light penetration to all plant leaves. Effective distribution of light inside a grow tent helps save energy, which reduces the cost of energy.
3. Quality of grow tent frame
The frame provides support to the grow tent and determines how strong and stable it will be. A such, opt for a tent that has a strong frame to bear the weight of all the equipment that you intend to put in the grow tent. Though they are expensive and bulky, heavy-duty steel frames are the strongest. Consider buying those if you will be installing a heavy growing system in your grow tent.
4. Grow tent vents and ports
The type of ports and vents vary from one grow tent to another. Ports are used to power the internal systems from an external source while vents that your indoor garden is properly ventilated. Airflow is essential to the growth of your plants. When a grow tent is poorly ventilated, humidity levels rise while CO2 levels drop within the growing space.
These conditions do not favor the growth of plants, instead, they cause harm. Further, the indoor garden runs the risk of being infested by pests and mold due to high humidity levels. Good ventilation, on the other hand, enables you to control the temperature and humidity inside a grow tent. This provides a conducive environment for your plants to thrive.
5. Cost of a grow tent
The amount of money that you are willing to spend is very important when it comes to choosing an indoor grow tent because the quality of the tent you buy depends on your budget. Better quality means paying more. To get the best tent, you must be ready to dig deeper into your pocket. If you have a limited budget, you may need to either reduce the size of your garden or opt for a tent that has less features in terms of quality and frame.