Ultimate Guide to Set Up Space to Grow Cannabis Indoors
Successfully growing cannabis indoors is not an easy task. However, with the increased interest in cultivating the plant for personal uses the market now offers a lot of great indoor equipment to make this process easy and effective.
You have probably already heard about how Cannabis is a plant that doesn’t require too much effort as it can grow under not so perfect conditions. Well, this might be true, however, the right treatment and excellent conditions are required for a healthy and potent plant that you sure should aspire for.
All you need to know is what are the natural conditions that cannabis grows under in nature and how to best substitute them in your indoor growing space. We hope that this guide will ease the process and help in making it very successful.
Plants and Soils
Before you start setting up your growing space you should decide on the number and type of plants you are about to cultivate. If you want to grow large plants, plan that you can store about 4 plants in one square meter. With average size plants you can plan to double the number in one square meter, therefore you can have 8 moderately sized plants or 16-20 small plants. This will dictate the size of the growing space and the type and amount of lights you should be using.
Choosing quality soil is very important, therefore you should consider buying it from a brand that sells cannabis-friendly soil only.
However, here we’ll list some of the sings that tell if the soil is good for cannabis:
• It is very dark
• Loose in texture
• Holds the water and it doesn’t get muddy
• The water easily drains to the bottom
Setting up Space
First off, you should start by picking a good place in terms of size and location. Consider that it should be permanent as replacing is not advisable, and before setting up anything clean it well.
A closet or wardrobe that is light-proof and set up in a dark and dry place can be suitable. However, it is recommended to use an indoor growing tent. You can find many different types of tents on the market and whatever your choice is you can rest assure you have a perfect space to begin growing. They are light-proof, odor-proof and can come with additional equipment for placing the ventilation fans and lights.
Setting up the Lights
When it comes to lights most growers are nowadays choosing led grow lights. Whit the constant advancements in the LED technology these lights have become:
• More efficient
• Economic- they consume less energy than any other
• Have a longer lifespan
• They come in many different shapes and sizes –suitable for any size of growing space
• They heat up less which means the temperature will be more controllable, also you can put them closer and increase the light intensity while avoiding the risk of burning the plants
• You can have LEDs with the right spectrum of colors to get the most out of your buds
Preparing Ventilation
Both lights and ventilation fans can be included in all-in-one kit boxes with a growing tent. However, custom design space is better for optimal results.
Ventilation is important in order to keep the plants fresh with the moving air and make them feel like home (nature). You need two types of ventilation fans – one that ventilates the air inside keeping a good temperature and controlling the humidity and other that is designed to pump the hot air out.
Ventilation is prevention for molds, mildews, spider mites and other pathogenic infections that can seriously damage your plants. It also helps in regulating the heat which is very important.
If you are growing in a wardrobe or closet you can make holes in upper corners to install the fans. Some people choose to leave the door slightly open. However, it is advisable to choose a good combination of fans and place them according to the manufacturer’s guidelines to be sure of the proper ventilating effect.
Regulating the Temperature and Humidity
These two factors have a great impact on the plants, thus you need to find a way to constantly control them. You can do this by installing some measuring instruments inside the grow space – thermometer and humidistat are a must.
The temperature and humidity depend greatly on the climate in your region. Therefore you can assume what would be your pros and cons. When it comes to temperature the ideal range for growing cannabis is between 65 and 80°F or 18 - 26°C. As for humidity, the advice is to be kept between 30 and 50 percent.