Equipment
For the love of the grow!
For indoor growing there are a few items you need to have for optimal results. I found it challenging to weed through all the products available so I assembled this page as an equipment guide. I have first hand experience with all of these products, most of them I own, others friends own so I could compare and contrast. I will be regularly updating this page as new models come out and anytime I find better equipment. I have used Amazon affiliate links which means if you buy something through links on this site I may get a small percentage of the item cost, this doesn't cost you anything.
Please use the Contact Form to ask any questions, let me know of different or better equipment, if I've missed anything, or if any links are not working for you.
Note: Everything I particularly use I have marked "I use this" Anything where I've disregarded bang for the buck to present the most baller edition available will be tagged "Baller Ed."
A list of what you may need. Each is a link to the section on this page:
Before anything else lets start with putting a smoke detector over your grow area. You'll probably have a whole lot of stuff plugged into power strips. Its easy to overload power strips and cause a fire. As a general rule, try to keep the continuous power draw to 60% or less of the power strip, extension cord, etc rated ability . Try to stick with components that hold a UL listing or at very least an ETL listing. You'll see their letters directly on the product near the labeling. These are testing and certification agencies that indicate to you the product has met certain minimum function and safety standards. You'll be putting your equipment through its paces, so cheaply made components aren't going to last and may cause fires.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
This Smoke Detector doesn't required wiring and comes with a battery that lasts 10 years!
I use this
This Home Fire Extinguisher is UL rated and rechargeable. It fights wood, paper, trash, plastics, gasoline, oil, and electrical-equipment fires. Sounds like just what we need.
I use this
Grow Tents
The advantage of using a tent is the isolation. Nothing gets in or out unless you let it. Be it light, air, water, pests, smells... this is the key to growing comfortably in your own home.
To pick the size and shape you'll of course want to look at where you can put it that has a fairly steady temperature. Keep in mind there is some equipment that's going to make noise and heat in and around it.
Tents are described in Length x Width x Height terms. Tent material is usually thick cotton canvas, which breaths well, or thinner oxford polyester, which is easier to keep clean. I prefer the oxford polyester.
Footprint size:
A good rule of thumb is to have, at minimum, a 2'x2' area per plant. If you plan to use a carbon filter for smell control then you'll want a bit more space. When sized correctly, an inline fan and carbon filter assemble will create negative pressure in the tent. This means no air will be able to get out without going through the carbon filter. It also means the tent walls are going to be sucked inward. You can expect to lose 3" to 6" from the wall space, depending on the quality of the tent. You can add extra support bars to hold back your tent walls to regain some of that space.
Height is very important:
You'll likely need to do some plant training to keep them short enough to fit in a tents usable vertical space. Here are some items that will take up space, which you need to account for on top of your plants estimated height:
A pot or a bucket taking up about 1'
Light will take up about 6".
To keep your plants from burning you'll need 1' to 2' of clear space between the top of the canopy and the light
If you put your carbon filter in your tent it'll take about another 1'
All together you're looking at losing between 2.5' and 4' of vertical space to equipment. Don't buy a 4' tall tent and expect to use it for anything other than seedlings, early veg stage, or different types of plants all together. A well planned 5' tall tent will get you about 3' of vertical grow space, which can work for some short growing plants with some plant training. Most people will want a 6' or taller tent to get enough room to maximize potential.
The good, better, best format in the tents section is more about tent size than tent quality. The various brands I've chose are all relativity equivalent. Only AC infinity stands out from the others on this page due to its thicker poles (which doesn't seem necessary in smaller tents).
At this moment I've excluded Spider Farmer and Gorilla brand tents from my picks because the bang for the buck just isn't there even though the quality is.
For one plant:
The minimum size tent I'd recommend would be a 2'x2'x5'or taller, but a larger area is better especially if you will be using a carbon filter to keep the smell contained.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Mars Hydro 2.3'x2.3'x5.25' with 1680D Canvas. This is as small as I would go for one plant. There is a smaller 2x2 but the height is around 4.5' which just seems too limiting for most strains.
Better: Vivosun 32"x32"x5.25' with 340g Oxford. A perfect size for one plant with room for a long veg time.
Best: Vivosun 3'x3'x6'
is a great value! with 340g Oxford. Its perfect for one very hearty plant you can veg a long time in this.
For two plants:
The minimum size tent I'd recommend would be 3'x3'x5'. The 2'x4'x5' is a very common size, perhaps the most common for a two plant grow. The 2.7'x5'x6.7' is probably the best size for two plants. I like it because its ideal for two plants using the screen of green (SCROG) grow method. This method maximizes yield, but blocks you from being able to walk into your tent. Having a tent where you can reach all areas in it just by opening the front is very convenient.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Vivosun 3'x3'x6'
with 340 g. Oxford. While this can be used for one large indoor plant its also well suited for two small/medium plants.
Better: Vivosun 2'x4'x5' with 340 g. Oxford. I wish this was 1' taller. Otherwise, this is the most common size tent for two plants.
Better: AC Infinity 2'x4'x5' with 2000D canvas and 1" poles. The build quality of AC Infinity tents is fantastic. but in these smaller sizes the 1" poles don't seem necessary and most grow tent accessories are made for the more average 3/8" dia poles of other tents brands.
Best: Vivosun 2.7'x5'x6.7' with 340 g. Oxford. The cost is high compared to a 2'x4' or a 5'x5'. They really make you pay for this perfect form factor.
I use this
You can see this tent featured in our White Widow CBD grow video.
For three plants:
You can put three plants down the center of a 2.7'x5' tent. If you fill the usable area of the tent with canopy from either two plants in 7gal pots or three plants in 5gal pots the yeild will be very similar. Three plants will need to veg for less time to fill out the tent. But, if you live in a state like Virginia, which limits a house to four plants, it might be worth the extra time to grow two plants longer to fill this out.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Vivosun 2.7'x5'x6.7' with 340g. Oxford. Of course you can put three plants in a 4x4 or larger but this size tent is as small as you can go without crowding.
I use this
You can see this tent featured in our Blueberry grow video.
For four plants:
While you can grow in a 4'x4' or 5'x5' it might be better to split your plants in to two 2'x4' or 2.7'x5' tents.
The advantages of splitting are:
Buying in phases as you need more room.
Growing both short and tall strain at the same time in their own spaces so no plants suffer.
Perpetual grows where one tent is always in the vegetation phase and the other tent is always in the flowering phase.
Accessibility! If you want to do a screen of green (SCROG) you have to be able to reach the back of the tent. in a 4x4 or larger you' either be crawling under the screen or opening the tent all the way around. This may not be possible if you have it against a wall or in a corner.
With that said... here are some safe bets for larger tents:
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: VivoSun 4'x4'x6.7' with 340g Oxford. This tent has another access door on the side so that's nice. The only issue is that its up high over a vent so if the plants are wall to wall you can't get under them as easy to work on it and a scrog net might prevent you from using it for anything other than canopy level access.
Good: Mars Hydro 5'x5'x6.7' with 1680D Canvas. The 3/8" diameter poles start to feel a little too small at this size. But accessories fit them nicely.
Best: AC Infinity 5'x5'x6.7' with 2000D canvas tent is a winner. In this size you will appreciate its larger 1" diameter support poles.
But, Weedigineer, isn't bigger always better?
In the case grow tents it's definitely not. Light and ventilation are based on the size of the tent. The amount of light you need to hit optimal PAR levels goes up the further the reflective walls of tent move away from the plant. The inline fan on your exhaust system are sized by the cubic feet of your tent. So, both your light and inline fan must go up in size and cost to cover the added space. The largest tent you'll likely need for four plants is a 5'x5' at this point each plant has all the horizontal room it needs for the height limitation of the tent. If you use plant training to keep them short then its a time game. You could spend 7 months making one plant fill the 5x5 then flip to flower. If you want to go larger so you can move around in your tent you might be considering a 4'x8' tent. Possibly, training your plants in a strait line down one side so you can walk down the other for maintenance. But for me, I'd rather just have two 2.7'x5' tents.
Grow Lights
Most new growers are going to want to start out with LED lights. LED's run cool, have a small footprint, and use a low amount of electricity compared to older options like high pressure sodium and metal halide.
Here are two simplifications you can use to size grow lights for your tent:
1) For untrained plants in a tent you want a 100w to 150w actual LED power light over each plant. This is usually what the 1000 and 1500 series light of all major brands offers.
2) For trained plants you want 25w to 37.5w actual LED power per square foot of grow tent. So, a 2'x2' tent needs 100w to 150w min and a 4'x4'needs 400w to 600w
It's almost always better to have several smaller lights rather than one larger light. As soon as you put multiple lights in the same grow tent the PAR charts change significantly. PAR is the usable light for growing plants. Most grow lights will have a PAR chart in their literature showing its coverage within a grow tent it's supposed to be sized for. The goal is to have a light or light array that keeps even light across the whole grow area. A perfect PAR chart in a perfect world would have 1000 in every square. When you see a PAR chart with perimeter numbers in the 400s or lower, the light is under powered for the tent size it was tested in, this is common. Once the figure drops below 600 your plant will turn back towards the better lit areas and the tent wont fill out.
Get dimmers if you can! Without dimmers the only way to increase or decrease light intensity and radiant heat at the foliage is by raising and lowering the light. It's better to move the light closer and cut the power down to lower your electric bill and more importantly reduce overall tent heat. If it gets cold out, in a pinch, you can raise them up and turn them to max power to help keep temperatures up.
In 2021 the best LED chip on the market is the Samsung LM301b / LM301h. They are the same LED chip with different submittal data for different industries. The 301b has literature showing measurements in lumen and LUX, where the 301h shows measurements in PAR/umols. As for quantum board drivers, Mean Well is the best. They have proven to have the highest efficiency in the class.
For those just starting, it may be better to skip the larger lights and instead get 2 to 4 smaller lights and run them in an array.
The benefits of this are:
More even light distribution without a burning hot spot in the middle.
The ability to raise a light over a plant that gets taller than the others.
Buy in phases as you need more light. Plants in the veg stage need about 75% of the light required by plants in the flower stage while seedlings need about half.
The ability to switch to a smaller, larger, or differently shaped tent any time using equipment you already have.
Its cheaper than buying a single large manufactured array for a 4x4 or 5x5 tent
If one breaks the others will proved enough light while your replacement arrives so your plant in veg doesn't go into flower because you dont have 16hr + of light to throw at it.
Before we jump into the light picks lets look at a PAR chart together.
When you compare PAR charts be sure the charts are for the same size tent and at the same light height distance.
Below I've provided the XS1500 and SF1000 charts. Both lights are advertised for a 2x2 space and are priced similarly with the XS1500 usually found at a lower price despite being the clear winner here.
Lets get into the 12" chart. right away we can see the XS1500 as both higher center and edge numbers.
Earlier, I mentioned a perfect PAR number is 1000 and the minimum number is 400. We can see the XS1500 stays close to, or even hits, 1000 all the way out at the edges of the tent. The SF1000, on the other hand, falls short. At the edges its par range is below the 600 range so the plant may start to turn back towards brighter areas . The sub 400 numbers in the corners mean your plant wont grow there.
I'd like to put the Mars Hydro TS1500 chart up but they did it in a 3x3 tent which was clearly too large for the light so the par charts are no help. The best we can do with that chart is look at the 2' range of the 3' chart and expect that those numbers would be a little higher than whats shown because the reflective wall of the tent would be closer. Still it doesn't stack up against this ViparSpectra XS1500 and its using the same 150w total power.
ViparSpectra XS1500 PAR Charts:
Spider Farmer SF1000 PAR Charts:
Small size lights: Use one in a 2x2 tent | two or three in a 3x3 tent or a 2x4 tent | four in a 4x4 or 5x5 tent
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
ok-ish: Mars Hydro TS600 This 100w light may be the most common entry level light. I know quite a few people who have these and are happy with them.
Undersized for flowering in a 2x2, but perfect for veg.
Good: Spider Farmer SF1000D This 100w light may be the second most common entry level lights.
Undersized for flowering in a 2x2, but perfect for veg
This SF1000D and the SF1000 are perfect examples of two lights that use the amount of power but the SF1000 uses LM301 diodes and a Mean Well driver where this SF1000D does not resulting in about 1/4 less usable light for the same power consumption.
Better: Spider Farmer SF1000 This 100w light can be used for both veg and flower but the very edges and corners of a 2x2 tent don't get the best light. That might not be a big deal since in a 2x2 you're probably not using the corners. This can be linked to other lights to control them all from one point. Great entry level light array.
Better: ViparSpectra XS1000 is a 120watt light with Samsung LM301B Diodes (IR Included) & dimmable MeanWell Driver.
This is the BEST bang for the buck as this can sometimes be found on sale for less than the TS600 or SF1000d while offering so much more than those fixtures. However, if its not on sale and you're going to spend about $100 then I'd suggest stepping up to the XS1500 especially if its on sale or has a coupon.
Better: Mars Hydro TS1000. This 150w light will do veg and flower in a 2x2 well. Only the very corners of the tents are weak which probably wont be utilized. This light can be linked to other lights to control them all from one point. Great a light array.
Best: ViparSpectra XS1500 is a 150watt light which fills out a 2x2 tent for veg and flower from corner to corner!
LM301B Diodes (IR Included) & dimmable MeanWell Driver.
There is not a better fixture in this class.
Two of these in 2x4 or 2.7x5 tent and four of these in a 4x4 or 5x5
I use this
You can see this light featured in our: White Widow &
Medium size lights: Use one in a 2x4 tent or 2.7x5 | two in a 4x4 or 5 x5 tent
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Spider Farmer SF-4000 is under powered for the 4x4 tent it was tested in. But is right in line with the minimum acceptable PAR for a 3x3 to get optimal growth.
Good: ViparSpectra XS2000 is good for a 2x4 tent but a little under sized for a 2.7x5' tent. Two of the XS1500 will give you 60w more power and a better light distribution and also fill out a 2.7x5 tent for more flexibility.
Better: Mars Hydro sp3000 fits a 2x4 tent nicely providing 300w Its a little undersized for a 2.7x5 tent. Here again for the larger tent two vipar xs1500 pushing the same wattage fill out the larger tent better do to your ability to place them more optimally.
Best: ViparSpectra XS4000 Amazing for a 2.7x5 tent or two in 4x4 or 5x5.
One of the few lights on the market that hits perfect 1000 or higher PAR from corner to corner at every height it was tested in a 2'x4' tent. The figures were high enough that it's the best single light for a 2.7'x5' tent as well.
It has two independent drivers so if one fails your photo period plants wont go to flower before you're ready.
Large size lights: Use one in a 4x4 tent or 5x5 tent
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Mars Hydro FC-E4800 uses 480watts and is questionably sized for the 4x4 it was tested in. If you're looking to SCROG or SOG you'll want to step it up. If you're doing LST autos this light will get it done since you wont have as much plant growth at the edges of the tent.
Better: Mars Hydro FC-E6500 uses 680watts and will work in up to a 5x5 tent. You could also use four XS1500 or TS1000 lights to both save money and gain the flexibility to use them in any size tent, while providing more light for less wattage use.
Best: Spider Farmer SE7000 If money is no object and you want to do a 4x4 or larger this 730watt light might be for you. 30 units can be daisy chained together for commercial grow settings. This does drop below perfect par if you put it more than 8" above your plants which you'll need to.
For perfect par get two ViparSpectra XS4000 which is more affordable while providing more usable light but they can not be daisy chained.
Baller Ed:
HLG Scorpion Diablo 630w
If you you got it like that and just wanna ball out... look no further.
Ventilation
Grow tents need high air flow to keep temps down, mold and mildew away, as well as contain smells from pungent plants. The very best way to get enough air flow and remove the plants strong smells is with an inline carbon filter and fan. A 4" fan will work fine for one 2x2, 3x3, or 2x4 tent, but move up to a 6" for a 2.7x5 to a 5x5 tent.
If you plan to have 2.7x5 or smaller tents near each other and want to use one fan and filter for both then a 6" setup will get the job done. For three or more smaller, or two 4x4 to 5x5 tents, you may want an 8" setup.
Any way you go, over-sizing the fan is generally a good idea especially if you get one with a variable speed controller, which is the only kind I recommend. Here are some links to the 4" and 6" setups I recommend:
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Vivosun 4" inline with speed controller Comes with filter, duct, and clamps.
Better: Vivosun 6" inline with speed controller Comes with filter, duct, and clamps.
I use this
Best: AC Infinity 6" inline with automatic speed controller - You'll also need to buy a carbon filter, duct, and clamps making this very expensive.
For the most part you will want to setup your ventilation outside your grow tent to maximize space inside the tent. Connect the flex duct to a top opening of your tent and run it to the inline fan suction side to pull air out of the tent and pushing it into the carbon filter which is attached directly to the fans discharge side. If you want to link two tents together get one of these Y adapters and connect it directly to the suction side of the inline fan. Be sure to keep your duct lengths similar so the draw through them is equal.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: AC Infinity 4"x4"x4"
Use with a 4" inline fan to vent two 2x2x5 tents
Better: AC Infinity 4"x4"x6"
Use with a 6" inline fan to vent two 3x3x6 tents
Best: AC Infinity 6"x6"x6"
I use this with a 6" VivoSun inline fan to vent two 2.7x5x7 tents.
I use this
The carbon in the carbon filters will eventually get saturated and no longer contain smells. This takes about a year depending on usage. To prolong it I recommend keeping the carbon filter detached until your plants start putting off a scent then connect the filter. When storing the filter be sure to keep it in an air tight bag. Once your filter is used up you can unscrew the flange on each side and swap the inlet and outlet this should extend the life several months. Beyond that you can drill out the rivets and open up the filter to replace the activated carbon inside with some from a bulk bag such as a 5lb bulk bag.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
5lb bulk refill of carbon. Its a little work to get get the old out and the new in but it costs less than replacing the whole filter.
Each tent comes with inlet vents that have screens on them. These need to be open for makeup air to enter the tent. Unfortunately, the vents let light, mold, pollen, dust, etc both in and out. To solve this I take a MERV 11 or higher air filer and velcro it over the air vents. MERV 11 blocks all of the particles I listed above. There are higher MERV numbers that block bacteria and viruses but the higher the number the more restricted the air flow is. For this reason, its best to stay as close to MERV 11 as possible. I'm using MERV 13 because its the lowest I could find that's 11 or higher in a roll or sheet format can easily be cut to size. This does not perfectly block light though it does help a lot. If you have light issues in the room with your grow tent you may want to put a cardboard box around the vent opening to act as a light trapping tunnel with your filter on the open end of the box.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Merv 13 Filter Material
This is an air intake filter off my tent after two months of running a Vivosun 6" inline with speed controller 24hrs a day. Don't skip the filter over your vents or this is going to be on your weed. Maybe two or three times this depending on how long your plants in that tent. Crazy right! Use filters.
Fans
The exhaust ventilation fans above do a great job of getting lots of fresh air into the tent now we need to make sure its moving around the plants keeping everything dry and swaying around. The plants need to be gently bobbing all around like they might in a nice breeze. This strengthens up their stems and aids in light penetration through the canopy. More importantly, to prevent mold and mildew, they need to dry off quickly when they perspire or are watered. If you're using fabric pots having air blow directly on the pots will keep them from getting moldy and help the soil dry out between watering. I have a friend that clips two 6" fans (this is her top pick) directly to opposing sides of her pots to help the soil dry out. I prefer one oscillating tower fan at least 40" tall and one oscillating air circulator. Be sure to look at the oscillation range as many are only 65deg. To hit every corner you'll likely want at least 90deg or as much as 360deg of oscillation. You can go cheap on fans but try to look out for UL listings as fans motors can eventually fail and no one wants a fire. Oh, almost forgot, be sure there is no lights on your fan! An LED indicator staying on during the dark cycle is a sure fire way to stress out your plants and cause unwanted effects.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
BESKAR 6 Inch Clip on Fan
I have friends that like this best
Comfort Zone CZ6C 6-Inch two pack is the set of fans I use in conjunction with some others.
These do not clip to vertical poles without sliding down. I have added horizontal polls to clip them on
I use this and like it best. It clips nicely to my lights for driver and heat-sink cooling.
Hurricane Classic Clip Fan 6 inch. These do not clip to vertical poles without sliding down. I have added horizontal polls to clip them on.
This and the Comfort Zone are essentially the same. This has a slightly longer arm.
I use this
Honeywell Turbo Force Oscillating Table Fan I use this on the floor of each of my tents to blow at the fabric pots to help them dry between watering.
I use this
You can see this fan in our: White Widow &
Baller Ed.
SECRET JARDIN Grow Tent Oscillating Pole Mount Air Circulation Monkey Fan.
(There are some issues with durability over time)
Humidity Control
The dreaded bud rot! We've got to watch the humidity range. At some point you'll probably need both a dehumidifier and a humidifier. I strongly recommend having one of each that turn themselves on and off at set targets. Also as a perk the water from the dehumidifier is essentially distilled my TDS meter reads it at less than 10ppm so this is as good as RO or distilled water. Be sure to add cal/mag with your feedings if you use the water from the dehumidifier. This is one of the ways I keep automatic water when I'm out of town. I set the dehumidifier up on a table and ran a hose to a 20gal plastic bin on the floor below it. I put a spigot in the bin a few inches down from the top and connected a hose to that which runs to a floor drain. Now the dehumidifier fills the bin and the bin overflows into the floor drain leaving me with a steady supply of water with no contaminants.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
GE Dehumidifier with 1 gal water container. I port mine to a bin, which is ported to overflow to a floor drain. I use the water for my plants and they love it. This pulls about 7 gal of water out of the air each day.
I use this
WIFI Cool mist Humidifier. I don't need a humidifier often but when I do this one works perfect. I don't put it in the grow tent. I place this near my tent's intake vents. I want the water vapor to be fully integrated in the air before hitting my plants so no moisture condenses leading to mold growth.
I use this
Evaporative Whole House Humidifier. This holds 6gal of water so if you have a larger room to humidify this will get it done without having to refill it every day.
To monitor in tent humidity and temperature I like both of these WiFi Temperature and Humidity Sensors. They both tracks for months showing all highs, lows, and averages. You can also ask Alexa what the temperature or humidity level is in your tent. I own both of these and would buy them both again.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: WiFi Temperature and Humidity Sensor I've gotten mine wet twice now when watering. Both times it read 100% humidity for a full day then went back to working fine. The negative is you have to pay more for high and low alerts.
Plugs in.
Accuracy +-5RH
I use this
Better: Govee WiFi Temperature Humidity Sensor. This one also works with Alexa. While the devise costs more than the other it includes high and low alerts in the software and the user interface is cleaner.
Runs on 3 AAA batteries that come with it.
Accuracy +-3RH
I use this
Temperature Control
For indoor grows in an air conditioned area you may not have to do anything when using modern LED lighting and a good inline exhaust fan assemblies as outlined above. But if the room starts to get to hot or cold you might want supplemental control without having to blast the AC or Heat in your entire house. Or, If like many, you're growing in a garage or shed then temperature control is going to be a real factor but it doesn't have to be complicated. Space heaters and portable AC units or window AC units can get the job done.
Heating: Putting a space heater in a grow tent seems like a terrible idea! I put a space heater in the same room as my tent. I use an oil filled electric radiator. These have no glowing red hot elements or fans. They bring the temperature up slowly and uniformly without directly heating the surface of anything like radiant quarts heaters do. We certainly don't want to heat up the surface of our tent! we just want to warm the air that's getting pulled into it. Most of these, including the one I use, don't have specific temperature settings. Mine has a dial to set. I like to get the room to the temperature I want, 73deg. I then turn the dial till it cuts off. When the temp lowers about 5deg it will cut on and run till its back to +-73 and cut off... Thats all there is too it. I place it away from anything else and keep a close eye on it for any signs of trouble.
Cooling: Air conditioners are a little more complicated. You can of course use a window unit or a portable AC unit, I do. But, these do cause a positive air pressure problem. You're now pulling air from outside and pumping it into a room... that air has to go somewhere so its pushed through every nook and cranny. This is not a big deal most of the time. But if your grow area is in a garage attached to your house you may push your garage air and smells into your house. However, most garages are far from air tight. Typically there are gaps around the garage doors. If you're garage is like this than the pressure may not be an issue.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Pelonis Electric Oil Filled Radiator I keep mine on the medium heater element setting so the cord never heats up. I found that using any space heater for a long period of time on max setting is a recipe for disaster. I dialed mine in to where the area never gets below 65deg.
I use this
LG Dual Inverter Window AC with Wi-Fi is 9,500 BTU and suitable for a space up to 450sf, perfect or a two car garage. The Wifi lets you control it from anywhere which is convenient when traveling during the summer months.
Timers
Having a good timer or timers is critical. I'm big on automation and being able to control elements while out of town. I only recommend smart plugs and very specifically the Kasa smart power strip. This lets you:
Control / program each individual outlet setting as many times on/off in a day as you want from your smart phone.
Turn on/off each outlet with the push of a physical button directly on the strip.
Monitors power consumption of each individual outlet.
Set up an away mode that's different from your normal programing (I use this as a high/low temp mode, we'll get into this later)
Use Alexa to turn outlets on/off.
Why I love this so much... Lets say you're on vacation and you hear there is a heat advisory back home. You remotely check your grow tent temperature WiFi Temp & Humidity Sensor and realize is way to hot. If you have a light array instead of one big light and are using the Kasa Smart Power strip or similar smart timer then you can control each light individually. In a tent with two lights you could have one light off for an hour then switch on while the other turns off. cycling your lights this way gives each plant reasonable direct light while cutting your light heat in half, third, our fourth. This can be saved as a routine and turned on or off whenever temps are too high.
Another scenario. Lets say your lights have dimmers and you were in your tent trimming with the lights turned down to save your eyes. Hours later you can't remember if you turned the dimmer back up. No problem, load up the Kasa app and check the power consumption of your light outlet to know exactly what level its at. If you're using the ViparSpectra XS1500 then you would see 150 watts use at max power and about 20 watts use when dimmed all the way down. The same is true for the inline fan with variable controller, you can tell what speed its at by its power consumption and you can turn it off or on remotely to help maintain optimal tent temps.
I use it for circulating fans as well. Your plants need air flow but its not good to have too much direct air coming only from one direction. I use this to program fans to turn on and off throughout the day giving the plant plenty of circulation without wind burn.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Kasa Smart Plug Mini I use these anytime I need a supplemental timer.
I use this
Better: Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip with 3 outlets and 2 always on USB ports. This can handle up to 1875w.
Best: Kasa Smart Power strip with 6 outlets and 3 always on UBS ports. This can handle up to 1875w. I'm using one for two tents close together.
I use this
A common issue in grow areas is light leaks during the dark cycle. This can stress the plants and cause female plants to herm (grow male plant parts and pollinate itself). To avoid this the room your tent is in should be dark at night. Nothings worse than realizing you left the light on and the vents in the tent let light in all night. to avoid this I use a Kasa Smart Light Switch it lets you set on and off times as well as turn the lights on and off from the switch, your phone, and Alexa. I set the light to turn off at the same time as my tent dark cycle starts. I also set it to turn off every hour after that point so if I use the room and forget the lights on, they wont stay on long.
Kasa Smart Light Switch - This has saved my plants countless times.
I use this
Pots
Smart pots / fabric pots seem to be the most popular mostly due to the idea of Air Pruning. This is where the roots die off when they hit the air/dry dirt at the side of the fabric pot and signal a new root to start growing. In a plastic pot the root does not die off it keeps growing circling around the pot becoming root bound.
Can you use a bucket? Sure just drill a lot of holes in it for water and air to pass through. This has the advantage of being very easy to wipe clean and drill holes in for low stress straining (LST) attachment points. Interestingly a 5gal bucket is the same volume as a 7gal pot.
Lets talk about the size of the pot or bucket:
For indoor plants a 5gal pot is going to be the minimum size and 7gal the largest. You could use a 10gal pot but keep in mind the larger the pot the more water and nutrients you need to give it. Most indoor tents are not tall enough to support more than a plant in a 7gal pot. 3gal pots while common really do not let the plant grow as large as it could to fill out a tent unless you are going to use the sea of green growing method which I can not use in my state due to plant number limitations.
I'm only going to recommend the AC Infinity fabric pot because:
The fabric walls are thick and stand on their own
The handles are low, out of the way, and don't tear.
There are built in riveted holes for low stress training tie down points (Not that you can't put a bobby pin through any fabric pot and probably will add some to these pots)
They stand up to washing and reusing.
Be sure to set your pots on risers in saucers to collect the run off water. This isn't just for preventing water leak messes but for collecting samples for run off meter test to modify your plant feeding before your plant ever shows signs of nutrient deficiency or PH lockout. Here is a link to a video I made showing this metering proccess Mix Nutrients, PH & TDS Test, and Water. You'll need to drain the water out of the saucer each time it collects. If you don't remove it, it will evaporate leaving behind all its salt based nutrition. Your next water run off will dissolve that left behind salt and your run off meter values will be off the charts. To get the water out of the pot without moving my plants (which are under scrog nets) I use a shop vac with a micro dealer attachment to suck it out.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: AC Infinity Heavy Duty Fabric Pots 5gal
Better: AC Infinity Heavy Duty Fabric Pots 7gal
I use this
You can see these pots featured in our: White Widow &
Planting Saucer Tray 16" is what i place under each fabric pot and in this i place a riser placed in a saucer like this so i can collect run off easy.
I use this
You can see these saucers featured in our: White Widow &
16" Pot Elevator is what I use to elevate my pots in their saucers so the roots aren't sitting in water rotting and allows me access to collect run off for testing.
I use this
You can see these saucers featured in our: White Widow &
Micro Vacuum Attachment 7 Piece Kit is what I use on my shop vac to suck up the standing water in my plant saucers without having to move the plants, or the risers out of the way. This fits through the waffle holes of the pot elevator.
I use this
Meters & Testing
When watering many growers are looking to get about 20% run off. This keeps salts dissolving and running out of the soil to prevent nutrient burn. Frequently growers will use a total dissolved solids meter (TDS) to measure the dissolved solids in their feed water in parts per million (PPM) then they measure the run off water and see how much was left behind or picked up so they can adjust the strength of the next feeding before seeing negative effects in the plant.
Lets also talk a bit about water PH. Cannabis growing in soil likes to be between 6 and 7 on the PH scale. Its very easy to go outside this range once you add nutrients to the water. So you'll need to pick up a bottle of PH up and PH down to bring it back into range ahead of each watering. When the water PH is too high or low some nutrients will no longer be available to the plant. You shouldn't always bring it to the exact same PH as different nutrients are taken up at different PH levels so moving around between 6 and 7 is ideal.
If you get this Vivosun PH meter, I like, then you'll also want to get liquid 6.86 calibration solution. The meter needs to be calibrated before its first use and the powders that come with it sometimes lead to undesirable results. You can use these calibration solutions more than once. Here is a full video tutorial, we made, on calibrating the PH meter so you don't run into PH lockout even though you're regularly testing your feed water and run off.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Vivosun TDS and PH meters are perfect especially for the price. Just be sure to calibrate the PH meter from time to time.
I use this
Biopharma PH calibration solution will dial your PH meter in closer than you need.
These do not work of the Apera or Blue Lab meters as they are the wrong values.
I use this
See these used in my PH meter calibration video on YouTube.
Better: Apera Instruments AI209-T Value Series PH20 pH Tester Combo Kit, including the Maintenance Set, and a CalPod Solution Holder for Easy Calibration. This is a great kit.
Best: Apera Instruments AI311 Premium Series PH60 Waterproof pH Pocket Tester Kit, Replaceable Probe, ±0.01 pH Accuracy
Apera Instruments AI1114 pH Calibration Solution Kit (7.00, 4.00), 16 oz. for Each, Plus Apera CalPod Solution Holder. If you get an Apera or Blue Lab meter without the calibration solutions these are the ones you'll need in the right PH. These do not work for the Vivosun meter
Best: Bluelab PENPH pH Pen, Digital Meter for Water with Easy Two Point Calibration and Double Junction Probe Test Kit for Hydroponic System and Indoor Plant Grow.
Baller Ed: Bluelab MONGUA Guardian Monitor for pH, Temperature, and Conductivity (TDS) Measurements in Water with Easy Calibration, 3 in 1 Digital Nutrient Meter for Hydroponic System and Indoor Plant Grow White
Standard PH up & dn kit There are lots out there and they're all similar.
I use this
See this used in my Mix Nutrients, PH & TDS Test, and Water video
Watering
You can of course just fill a watering can, mix in some nutrients, ph balance your water, and feed your plants. But when you're looking to water every three days or so its a big ask when you go out of town. So I use the Rainpoint Wifi Water System its inexpensive and easy to set up. In the app you set the watering frequency and run duration from 1 to 30min which delivers about 2gal of water max. In late veg and flower growth stage you may need one of these pumps for every two plants to deliver enough water automatically. If you're doing two tents with one in veg and one in flower then two of these pumps pulling from separate water buckets one with veg nutrients and one with blooming nutrients is perfect!
To keep the water in your bucket or bin oxygenated and not growing any funk put an inexpensive air bubbler in it.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Rainpoint WIFI water system is perfect for smaller plants or two full size indoor plants. To feed 4 plants get a second one. The water filter sometimes clogs if you use liquid fish fertilizer. So I use an extra air bubbler stone as an intake filter and it works great.
I use this
10 Sets White Drip Emitters This was hard to find, try I dare you. These work with the Rainpoint Water system Adding more emitters increases the systems total flow and provides a more even water disbursement.
I use this
Air Bubbler I think any will work but this is inexpensive and has served me well.
I use this
Sometimes I manually water. Maybe one strain uses more water than another or has a specific nutrient deficiency the others don't. Maybe I think there are dry pockets in my growth medium the drip water emitters aren't getting. There are lots of reasons for manual watering, whatever yours are one things for sure using a watering can in a grow tent is a pain in the butt. You're not going to water from over top your canopy and get all the leaves wet, that's a recipe for a mold and mildew disaster. Getting under the canopy especially if you're using a SCROG net causes some limitations. I have small watering cans, but I don't use them anymore. I use a 5gal bucket which I marked in 1gal increments. I drilled a hole in the bottom a put a spout on it with a 3/8" tube that's about 6' long. I set this up on a table outside the tent and use gravity to water the plants. Its great, I mix and PH the feed water right in the bucket and never have to lift it when its full.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
1/2gal Watering Can This small can is great for when the plants are little and still works to get under a SCROG net when they are big but you might have to fill it 3 times for a large plant.
I use this
Bucket Spigot Drill a 1" dia hole in any bucket or bin to install one of these. I use a 5gal plastic bucket. You need a 1" drill bit to install this.
I use this
3/8" tube This is more than you need, but you might be happy to have extra. I'm working on a section explaining how i keep 10gal of dehumidifier water and have it overflow through a spigot and tube like this to a floor drain.
I use this
Food Grade 5 gal Bucket from Walmart for $3.00 they have a lid for $1.50.
I use this
My gravity bucket watering setup. Simple, inexpensive, saves my back. All around a win.
Plant Training
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Soft Garden Wire Is perfect for supporting stretched out seedlings. Poke a few inches of this into the grow medium next to the stem. Make a loose loop around your seedling to support it until it can support itself (also increase your light power).
Garden Twist Tie Spool Perfect for low stress training. Just put a bobby pin through a fabric pot for a connection point or drill a hole in plastic pots or use binder clips with either. I used this to connect a scrog net to conduit / tent polls.
I use this
Strechy Lower & Upper SCROG Net with 4" & 6" square openings is used for training the plant short and flat in the scrog style. This net fits square tents best up to 4x4. Connects to polls with hooks it comes with
in a rectangle shaped tent this still works it just has rectangle shape holes and sometimes pulls towards the middle at the ends or sides, but its not to bad in up to a 2x4'
I use this
Lower SCROG Net with 3.5" x 3.5" square openings is used for training the plant short and flat in the scrog style. This net cuts to fit any tent up to 5' in the short direction. Connect to polls with twist ties or zip ties.
You can see this net featured in our: Week 2 - White Widow CBD &
Blueberry - last day of veg grow videos.
I use this
Upper SCROG Net with 6"x6" square openings gets added later in your grow as the buds need supporting. This net cuts to fit any tent up to 5' in the short direction. Connect to polls with twist ties or zip ties.
I use this
Lower and Upper Strechy SCROG Net with 4" x 4" and 6"x6" square openings. These are meant for square tents but do work in rectangular tents. The net openings get bigger as the tent size increases from a 2x2. It does fit in my 2.7'x5' tent. The 4" hole lower net ended up having holes 8" which was too large. I used the other 3.5" net I've listed. Smaller squares would have been nice on the upper but it worked. I love stretching the net over buds, rather than trying to bend the buds below.
I use this
Dry | Process | Storage
Drying your harvest: Most hang it up in the tent they harvested from so they can do a 48hr dark cycle, if desired, and keep running their exhaust fan with carbon filter. This works well to reduce humidity and prevent the formation of mold. If your harvested stems have a Y shape to them you can thread them on to a clothing hanger to hang them on a tent cross bar. Otherwise, a hanging clip rack works very well while they are on the stems and a hanging mesh bag for once you trim the buds off the stems. I throw all the leaf trimmings and larf into brown paper bags and give them a daily shake, to stir it up, so everything drys evenly without rotting.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
SS Drying Rack is perfect for strait stems. It can be a little tricky to balance. Be sure to to keep your buds from touching and leave room for air flow around each.
Growsun 2ft 8 Layer Herb Drying Rack is perfect for drying trimmed buds.
Processing:
Hand trimming buds - This is how I always do it. Friends are usually itching to help. Its nice to get together for harvest... sit back, hangout, and trim. But hand trimming is time consuming and hard on arthritic hands. There are auto trimmers that can get it done for you, the results aren't as pretty and they knock of some trichomes, but hey its quick, easy, and saves your hands.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
VIVOSUN 19 inch Bud Leaf Bowl Trimmer is fairly self explanatory. Put your leafy buds in and give it a spin. While I don't use one of these if you have hand issue or just want to save time. This is a solid investment.
Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruner is perfect for trimming plants and buds. As with almost everything on this page, this is the pair I have. Its spring is mild so you don't get hand fatigue.
I have a pack of 6 less expensive pruners. They are no where near as good or comfortable as these Fiskars.
I use this
Keif Collection - When trimming I do it over paper or over a screened bottom trim bin. At the end you're left with a bunch of keif to use however you'd like.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: Trim Bin is probably the most popular option around. The shape does not work well for me. I am always annoyed when trying to move my hands around this bin. Why have the blocking plastic in the middle between your hands? But, just cause I don't like it doesn't mean its not for you... it is the most popular pick.
Better: VIVOSUN Trim Bin is a reasonable bang for the buck. Personally, I like this shape better because there is nothing blocking my hands from moving around close to the screen.
Best: I've tried several trim trays and this one has both quality and comfort. I'm sure the cost of this one will be going up over time but currently is a lower price option with higher quality than its the competition.
I use this
Trash: I've tried several trim trays and this "EcoSpeed LED Trim Bin" is the worst. Its sold by various sellers and looks like the quality tray in photos, so its hard to tell apart. Be aware this is out there and stick to couldn't even give this away and feel good about it. I had to return it. The plastic is thin, flexible, and breakable.
Rosin Pressing - There are a few ways to press rosin which is a great way to process and extra larf and buds. Once extracted the rosin has a very long shelf life. Currently, Virginia does not allow home grown weed to be concentrated but it does not disallow non-home grown. Be sure to check the laws where ever you are. The simplest way with the highest yield is to pre-press your material in a mold. Then place the puck of molded material into your press if you have one. If you don't you can still do this with a little weedgineering.
Filter micron size to product being pressed. The larger the micron size the more rosin will come through but at a lower quality:
25microns - Kief & hash - highest quality
37microns - Kief & hash - very high quality
90microns - Flower - high quality
120microns - Flower - medium quantity and quality
160microns - Flower - higher quintet lower quality
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Unbleached Parchment Paper Roll, 13 In X 164 Ft 2 pack
Rosin Press Bags 2x4 inch. Be sure to select the correct micron level for the product you're pressing.
Pre-Press Mold 2x4 Inch. This is a solid metal mold and should be used with a press.
NugSmasher Mini Heat Press. Best on Amazon for personal rosin production.
Concentrate Collection, Carving, and Cleaning Tool Kit with Silicone Mat, Cleaning Prep Pads, and Metal Case.
Bubble Hash - The leaves, trimmings, and larf I had drying in paper bags goes to making bubble hash. To make it all you need is bubble hash filter bags, a 5 gal bucket, water, and ice. What I do is put all the dried stuff from my paper bags into a 5 gal bucket of 50/50 water and ice. I stir it for about 15min moving in one direction then the other. I pour that into a bucket lined with the bubble hash filter bags. This works better than stirring directly in the bucket lined with the bubble hash filter bags. If standing around stirring isn't for you, there are table top bubble hash washing machines to do it for you. Once you run the liquid through the bags, scrape up all the hash from the bottom of each bag. The finest micron bag at the bottom has the most pure hash. Typically, after the first collection, you'll re-wash the same trimmings and run it through the bags one more time.
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
Good: BUBBLEBAGDUDE 5 Gallon 5 Bag Set is perfect for strait stems. It can be a little tricky to balance. Be sure to to keep your buds from touching and leave room for air flow around each.
Better: All Mesh 5 Gallon 5 Bag Set these are all mesh and can not be mixed directly in. They drain much faster than bags with mesh only on the bottoms.
I use this
Bubble Bag Machine - 5 Gallon 8 Bag Ice Bubble Bags Mixing Kit is perfect for mixing your trimmings for bubble hash. It has a 15 minute timer built in so you can be washing one batch while sifting another.
Mini Washing Machine is perfect for mixing your trimmings for bubble hash. Its very similar to the one that comes with the Bubble bag dude kit but costs less. I've seen it in action getting the job done.
Curing and Storage- I like to use ball jars and open them a few times a day until the humidity in the jar stabilizes. Then I vacuum seal the jars and they hold for a long long time. There jar tops made for easy "burping" during the stabilizing period that can also be vacuumed without needing a food saver type devise
(click pictures to check price and or buy at amazon)
12 Mini Temp & Humidity Meters I place one of these in each jar to get an idea of the inside humidity. These are inaccurate! this just gives you a loose range to know when you're done burping.
I use this
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer I use the accessory port on this with an attachment that goes over a ball jar lid and sucks all the air out. This works amazingly well and holds for a long time. I don't use the bags for cannabis because its compresses the buds into rock solid nuggets.
I use this
FoodSaver Ball Jar Sealer Kit This is the ball jar sealer kit I use with my food saver. It comes with the hose as well as regular and wide mouth jar attachments.
I use this
Burp Lids Curing Kit - Fits All Wide Mouth Mason Jar Containers - A Home Harvesting Essential. 4 lids + extraction pump. Vacuum sealed for successful cure.
Ball Mason 32 oz Wide Mouth Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12 Jars.
I use this
CRYPT - Canisters are perfect for storing flower you want to get at more frequently. They keep light out and have a humidity meter built into the lid. Put a bovada pack in it to regulate the humidity since you'll be opening and closing it a lot.
Boveda 62% RH 2-Way Humidity Control After you're done burping your jars and they have stabilized near 62% humidity these Boveda packs will hold the jars exactly there by taking or adding moisture to the jar.
I use this
Nice to have
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40X loop A quick way to check trichome development to know when to harvest or suspect pest damage.
I use this
Wireless Digital Microscope This is AMAZING for getting in ultra close and really seeing the trichome action, plus you can take both photos and videos with it. to share weed porn with friends, like me!
This scope was used to take the 1000x photo of the thrips on the pest control page.
I use this
Water Meter connects to a garden hose making measuring water by .1gal increments super easy. I leave mine outside, connected to the hose, in the rain with no problems.
I use this
10 ml Glass Droppers I rubber banded one of these to each nutrient bottle. These are good for small or large batches and can get to the bottom of most nutrient bottles like the Fox Farm's Trio.
I use this
Etekcity Infrared Thermometer is both affordable and reliable. This is the most economical option for one that works reliably.
You'll want to use one to take the temp of your leaves under your light to make sure they are not getting too hot before you see any burning!
I use this
WYZE Cam v3 with Color Night Vision is a plug in WiFi video camera with an IP65 rating so you can confidently install it outside in the rain or inside your grow tent.
Also great to monitor plant health, growth, and keep and eye out for thieves around your outdoor grow.
I use this
Extreme Green Power Hand Scrub, 60 oz Jar removes the sticky smelly stuff from your hands quick and easy. without the use of harsh chemicals. This size container is the best bang for the buck. It doesn't go bad.
I use this
The Cannabis Grow Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana for Recreational and Medicinal Use. If you're thinking about getting a book to go deeper than I have on this site. I think I've read them all and this is a winner!
Wen duel fuel generator. You don't want to lose power in veg stage with photo plants and have them go into flower. Spend a couple hundred bucks and have a generator on site! This is the one I chose because it runs on gas or propane. I've only ever run propane through it so I've never run into the problems small gas engines have. Also propane never goes bad so its easy to keep a couple extra tanks around. This size will not only run your grow-lights but also a space heater in case its cold. Its been awesome to have, its saved my grows and the contents of my fridge and freezer several times.
I use this