Use of Grow Tents for your indoor weed highest yields

Thu, 05/Apr/18

Grow tents for weed help to keep things easy when you’re growing your cannabis plants indoor, and are the perfect choice for anyone who wants to grow indoor small amounts of marijuana – say 1 to 5 ounces per month. Grow tents for weed are easy to set up and convenient to use, they offer a lot of benefits for anyone who is keen to grow marijuana indoors, or the climate leave no other choice.

Why Need A Grow Tent For Indoor Marijuana Growing?

Grow tents for weed are pretty cheap and are designed especially to facilitate your marijuana growing experience. In contrast, if you try to set up an indoor weed grow space of your own with identical characteristics such as airtight vents, waterproofing, lightproofing and reflective walls, it will probably cost you significantly more than the cost of a good weed grow tent and you will have the extra difficulty of planning and setting up the space yourself: think about isolation good enough to prevent pests still holding a proper climate around your marijuana plants, proper ventilation, light leaks, smell issues – and a whole ton of small unpleasant issues are solved once and for all so simply when people invented a grow tent for weed, heh.

Quick and easy to set up, grow tents for weed only take an hour or a few to put all things together and it can be done by virtually everybody.

Discretion – grow tents for weed prevent light and smells of marijuana buds (flowers) from being released into the surrounding and are discreet enough to tuck away in a corner or closet without attracting unwanted attention.

Perpetual harvesting – weed grow tents (if several) are ideal for having two separate growing spaces to gain your better cultivation practices: i.e. use one grow tent for flowering when the buds appear and the other for the vegetative state – so that you can have a perpetual harvest of world-class pot, isn’t it crazy? Wow.

Easy Way Of Creating A Perfect Growing Environment

Grow tents for weed allow you to recreate nature but in ideal conditions. When you opt for a grow tent, you have many environmental factors taken care of for you.

Grow tents offer a number of environmental benefits including:

You can maximize your LED grow lights thanks to the reflective walls.

Read more: A Guide To Using LED Lights For Growing Medical Marijuana

Grow tents have been specially designed for weed and to accommodate all of the most common grow equipment. LED Grow lights can easily be hung and adjusted, a fan can easily be hooked up and there are vents and ports already provided for extra convenience.

Grow tents have been constructed to stop leakage of light either out of or into the tent. This helps plants to produce maximum numbers of bulbs while also helping to make your growing stealthy.

As grow tents are easy to clean and are waterproof, spills will be kept from damaging the floor and its floors and walls can easily be wiped down for low maintenance.

As grow tents for weed are sealed and equipped with inbuilt air ports and vents, it’s easy to install a fan and achieve optimal airflow. This will ensure that your cannabis plants get enough carbon dioxide — a.k.a. CO₂ — and that heat buildup won’t be a problem.

Odour won’t be a problem when you use a grow tents for weed crops indoor since you can use a carbon filter. As negative air pressure is generated in the sealed space, so long as a fan is on, the doors are closed and the carbon filter is in place, no smells can leak into your home.

Choosing The Right Size Indoor Tent

There are many different grow tent models available for weed growing in a range of sizes and it can sometimes be tricky to know which is the right one for you.

The best size for an indoor hobbyist is probably either a 2′ x 4′ (61 cm x 122 cm, floor area) or a 4′ x 4′ (122 cm x 122 cm, floor area). These are designed to accommodate the most popular LED grow lights. New growers will have plenty of room to grow a decent size yield but it won’t be so large that it’s overwhelming. You will be able to obtain convenient access to all of the plants, even those right at the back, however you will still be able to use a full sized grow light. If you would like to grow a larger yield, a 4′ x 4′ tent can accommodate the largest grow lights and it also has more height without being so large that it is unmanageable. Practically a tent with a bigger floor area is taller, but not always.

Height is important, with a minimum of 5 feet (152 cm) being essential and 7 feet (213 cm) being a better choice. This is because you won’t want your plant to grow into the light and accidentally get burned. If you have more height, you can use a more powerful light and therefore grow TALLER PLANTS with LARGER BUDS.

What To Look Out For

While you may be tempted to opt for an expensive all singing, all dancing grow tent, but the cheaper grow tents for weed are often just as good with almost all of the features that you’d find in the most expensive models.

2′ x 4′ x 5′ tents – A Little Short

61 cm x 122 cm x 152 cm (where 152 is height)

These 2′ x 4′ x 5′ tents are a little short, so unless you lack the space in your home for a taller model, this size is not ideal. If you need to go for this size, you will need to ensure that you watch how high your plants are growing.

4′ x 4′ x 7′ tents – Supporting Larger Grow

122 cm x 122 cm x 213 cm (where 213 is height)

These 4′ x 4′ x 7′ tents for weed are ideal for supporting larger grow lights and will give you plenty of height to accommodate taller plants and LED lights: more powerful for better yields, placing them high enough not to burn the leaves.

Read more: A Guide To Using LED Lights For Growing Medical Marijuana

Which Are The Best Grow Tents For Your Weed?

1. Width and height define number of cannabis plants, how many you can put onto the grow tent’s floor.

2. Height is responsible for better yields, healthier plants, more potent lights to use.

Once you have decided on the right grow tent for weed to meet your needs, you need to decide on which manufacturer’s product you would prefer to use. Here are some excellent models that come in a range of sizes to suit different setups.

OSHION 4′ x 2′ x 5′ Grow Tent For Weed

122 cm x 111 cm x 152 cm

This small, reliable grow tent is small enough to fit in compact spaces. It boasts excellent light efficiency with 600D material which is heavy duty and will ensure fast and better plant growth. Quick and easy to assemble in just 20 minutes, it is still incredibly sturdy and durable and as it looks like a zip up wardrobe, it is very discreet as well as being simple to clean thanks to a removable spill tray.

APOLLO HortiCulture 36” x 36” x 72”

91 cm x 91 cm x 183 cm

This small grow tent is ideal for just a few plants but as it is completely lightproof and features a 100% reflective mylar lining, it ensures that plants will grow strong and quickly. Super quick and easy to assemble this is a sturdy and durable tent which is also pest-proof and able to keep an optimal room temperature.

Ipower 48” x 24” x 60”

122 cm 61 cm x 152 cm

This medium sized grow tent offers more room to grow more cannabis plants and is a simple to clean, low maintenance option thanks to a removable floor tray. 100% light proof, its quality reflective surface maximizes your grow light’s potential and as it repels pests and keeps an optimal room temperature, you will enjoy perfect growing conditions. Sturdy and odor-proof, it also boasts excellent ventilation.

Ipyramid 48” x 48” x 78”

122 cm x 122 cm x 193 cm

This mid-sized grow tent is affordable yet high quality, and is sturdy and durable. Allowing for precise control of humidity, light intensity and temperature, it also has mesh windows so you can check on your plants without opening the tent.

VIVOSUN HortiCulture 60” x 60” x 80”

152 cm x 152 cm x 203 cm

This large model is tear proof and heavy duty as well as being fully lightproof. It is also simple to install, despite its larger size and as it is very sturdy, it allows for fast and healthy plant growth.

VIVOSUN 96” x 48” x 80”

244 cm x 122 cm x 203 cm

The extremely large grow tent is only suited to very large spaces but is surprisingly simple to install, even for someone who has never installed a grow tent before. Durable and strong, it is made from quality materials and it boasts dual ventilation docks. This is a solid, long lasting tent that will keep light firmly inside and temperatures at the optimal level for good quality plants.

GORILLA GGT59 5′ x 9′ x 6’11”

152 cm x 274 x 211 cm

For the best possible quality, Gorilla grow tents are top of the range and come in a wide range of sizes. Made from 100% metal interlocking as well as heavy duty materials, this is a durable and sturdy tent that can be up to 7’11” in height to accommodate the tallest plants and thanks to its diamond reflection technology, your plants will get sufficient light. While this is an expensive model, it is perfect for serious growers as it can grow a lot of plants and can take a weight of up to 300lbs for plenty of grow lights.

How To Set Up Your Grow Tents For Weed

When setting up your grow tent, you’ll need :

A grow tent, A grow light, A carbon filter.

1. Before you begin setting up your grow tent, you need to make sure you have the time and space to dedicate to the project. Clean up the area where you plan to build the tent and then do the construction in the place where you plan to keep it.
2. Hang your grow light using a rope ratchet as this will allow you to adjust the lights whenever necessary without accidentally dropping them on the plants. Ensure that the rope you choose to secure the lights can handle the weight.
3. Hang your exhaust fan in the tent as this will muffle the noise it makes while running and ensures that there is a straight path from the light to the fan for the best possible airflow and circulation.
4. Ensure you have a way of allowing fresh air into the tent. Usually, grow tents will have a removable vent at the bottom. The best way to get a good airflow without risking light leakage is to create a small light trap by facing down the intake vent enough to allow air through but no light.
5. Connect the carbon filter to remove any telltale odors. Hang it with a rope ratchet so it can easily be adjusted. You will need an airtight line between the fan and the carbon filter to make sure no smells escape. You will probably want the filter to be hung towards the rear of the tent so it won’t get in your way. So long as the fan is running and the tent stays shut, there should be no smells escaping into your property.
6. Now your tent is all set up, all you need to do is double check all of the components before you add your plants. Run a sound check to make sure your fans aren’t too noisy. Their sound can be hugely reduced by hanging them instead of allowing them to sit on the floor. By keeping them clean, you will also stop sounds from occurring. Water and air pumps should also be placed on something other than the ground as this will muffle any vibrations which cause excess noise. Next, check that no smells or light are escaping from the grow tent. Turn the light on and run the fan for a day to ensure that everything works as it should. You should see the tent’s sides bowing slightly inwards when the fan is turned on. This will mean that negative air pressure is being created and this stops odors from escaping into your home while the tent remains closed. Also check that you have attached the carbon filter securely to the exhaust fan and no air can leak out or in. Having a strong seal will guarantee that all air leaving the tent will pass through the filter first to remove all smells. Also walk around you home once at each time of day to check for any telltale sounds, smells or lights.
7. Finally, run a safety check. Everything inside your grow tent should be completely secure with all electronic equipment off the ground in case of an accidental water spillage. Ensure no cords are hanging in the tent as this will ensure greater safety too.
8. Now you are ready to add your container with its growing media and seeds in it. All you need to do is to give your plants nutrients and water them regularly and then when they have reached 6 weeks, put the grow lights onto a timer which turns on and off in 12 hour cycles and you buds will begin to grow within one or two weeks.

An indoor grow tent for weed is a practical and convenient way to grow cannabis plants inside your home and is the easiest way to obtain a perfect growing environment for the best quality product.

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Cultivating Proper Trichomes

Wed, 16/Aug/17

Many cannabis growers are in love with what they grow. It’s natural to be proud of one’s achievements, especially when their development is dependant on so many factors: light, air, environment, watering, etc. etc. But rather than focusing purely on the size of the cannabis plant and the number of flowers it produces, it pays (literally) to dedicate time to help the plant produce the most rosin, and therefore the most potent trichomes, which it can.

Trichomes

Trichomes are small sugar granule-like crystals made from the rosin the plants excrete to thrive in its environment. Some of the oils repel pests, while others attract pollinating insects. Like various glands in a human body, the glands of a plant (trichomes) contain all chemistry the plant produces, and this includes all terpenes and flavonoids and, of course, cannabinoids. The following growing weed at home tutorial is focused on what you, the home cannabis grower, can do to stimulate rosin production which, in turn, is what forms those sparkly trichomes. When you master the art of cultivating proper trichomes the results will be evident in the lab-testing stage where you will notice higher concentrations of CBD, THC, terpenes, and other desireable cannabinoids.

Males And Females Of Cannabis Plant

There are male and females of the marijuana plant, and it’s only females being producing flowering buds that can later be smoked or turned into an extract. If you start with feminized seeds, all of the seeds you germinate have the potential to produce potent flowers but none feminized seeds will have to be sorted out in the flowering phase: Both males and females will sprout buds, but they will appear different on either plant—females with their long, whitish hairs, and males with hanging “balls.” Remove the boys immediately before they pollinate the females or you won’t get as big a harvest.

And another thing to remember and not to forget:

The Hermaphrodite Alert

Because of sudden changes in the environment of the plant the female plants can become shocked into becoming hermaphroditic if you don’t keep the growing conditions consistent and that’s a big waste of time and energy.

Encouraging trichomes in the flowering phase

Switch the light to 12-hours on and 12-hours off to signal to the plants that it is the “end of summer” and that harvest time is around the corner. Now is the time for them to switch from their vegetative phase to the flowering phase.

Wind

Even something as simple as keeping each cannabis “cola” bathed in good air flow, right to the end of the flowering stage, will help to increase bud size and rosin production. The end stage is the most challenging when it comes to stimulating rosin production and trichome growth. The plants are crowded in their space, vying for light and air and nutrients, but it’s not the time for you to quit and be satisfied with the trichomes that already exist. This is the final stretch, after all! Cannabis is a plant that relies on wind to pollinate, but it also knows when it’s futile to waste energy on buds that won’t be passing on their genetics. The cannabis plant will, therefore, save its energy so that it can put it toward buds that are exposed to a breeze. This is the optimal time to separate plants a little more, give them plenty of space, and kick that airflow into gear without making the room into a wind tunnel. Remember, the more energy a plant expels in the adult growth stage, the more rosin-filled the yields will be.

On the image: Transparent Trichomes on a Leaf of Cannabis Plant

Trichomes Matter

Trichomes are small hears (coming from Greek “trichomes” are translated as “hairs”). They are on the epidermis (“skin”) of a plant. Technically they are glands, and plants use them for many chemical purposes: whether it is attacking a prey for a carnivorous plant or a psychedelic message to humanity or maybe only a medical help.

Like various glands in a human body the glands of a plant (trichomes) contain all chemistry the plant produce, and this includes all terpenes and flavonoids and of course THC. A combination of these mentioned contents indeed determines the quality and the properties of marijuana and quality of a cannabis plant. This makes trichomes of cannabis plants to be so important. Same importance as the weight of dry buds.

No trichomes? Don’t freak out

Allow your marijuana plants to have 2-3 months of time to flower to their fullest. Even if they have beautiful big buds, you won’t see full trichome expression on the leaves and buds until the end of the flowering phase. Check with your seed provider for an idea of how long you should wait; each genetic strain is different. You can also tell when the flowering phase is over and the harvest is ripe by observing the white hairs on the flowers turn a red or orange-tinted brown. The buds should be frosted with trichomes and will likely emit a powerful odor.

Preserving trichomes while harvest & trimming

Cut the whole plant just above the soil but avoid touching the sticky buds lest you lose precious trichomes doing so. Use small, sharp scissors to clip the leaves, often called “trim,” away from the buds and toss those leaves away. They are not suitable for smoking, but some people will juice them (resulting in a non-psychoactive, but nutritionally delicious drink). Then, clip the smaller, frosted, leaves that are closer to the bud and use a pollinator to agitate the trichomes off of them; ideal for pressing into hash or extracting with oil or butter for edibles. What’s left is the perfect little bud, just like you see at a dispensary but it’s still too moist to smoke.

Curing cannabis with trichomes in mind

Curing is a slow, tedious process but it will leave you with buds that burst apart between your fingers and burn beautifully. Do not use forced heat to cure your cannabis; leaving the buds in the oven or drying them with a hairdryer will rob it of oils and terpenes, completely ruining the taste and overall effect of the bud.

Simply leave the buds alone in a dark, dry room for about seven days. Move the buds to a glass jar in the same room, returning daily to take the lid off for about 20 minutes each day to release any humidity. When the stems snap quickly but still have some moisture inside, it means the curing process is nearly done. A hygrometer will help monitor RH levels, or Boveda packs will control the RH to the degree you desire. Store cannabis in a UV safe container for another 2–4 months to allow the chemical processes in the weed to slow down completely and for the THC and other cannabinoids to finish developing.

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When to cut a Bud – mind the color of trichomes

Tue, 25/Jul/17

Patience we have for the whole marijuana growing period and, of course, we do not want them cut a day or two before the nugs get to their most potent state. “When to cut a bud” question arises, and here we give an answer and a couple of considerations to understand the whole idea.

The most common recommendation and the classic approach, so to say, is “WHEN approximately a one half of the trichomes of the particular marijuana plant change their color from milky to amber”, the latter is orange. Makes sense and it works. Let’s discover now the full iceberg of the pot gathering techniques, and why this color even changes to amber. Not just because it’s beautiful.

As always, this is a matter of taste, both literal taste and feeling the potency of marijuana, so don’t you be shy experimenting. There are other periods in the growing cycle when you can try cutting the marijuana plant. Maybe edibles are the very purpose and your intention is to try to cure them after, as by decarbing, and then taste if such may “hit the target” better or not. Any other purpose even if a commercial one, however, the “A roughly one half of the trichomes are amber in color” just works.

Transparent trichomes, Milky trichomes and Amber trichomes

The earliest possible (or reasonable) time when you can cut your marijuana plant is the stage when one half of trichomes are transparent, while the other half only starts applying the color of milk, which is white but people call it milky for the marijuana buds. The resulting marijuana, cut at this stage, shall reportedly give a higher euphoric effect when smoked but such shall last a shorter time. Also the marijuana cut on the “milky stage” shall not feature a “deep taste”, not too deep comparing to the cuts during the amber period of the weed development. A matter of immature chemistry of the compounds of a plant I can guess, such as trichomes responsible for the taste, and active components responsible for the HIGHness and other effects. Same as other fruits of nature basically.

Use of Microscope

The experienced marijuana growers really use the microscope to determine the condition of trichomes with the help of the powerful optics. Not all of them of course. Yes, you heard it right, the microscope. The enormous magnification helps clearly to discover the trichomes condition, the amount of color in them, and not only color. The color of trichomes you can see with a bare eye, yes, but magnified you shall see how the color spreads, then you shall make notes as a real cannabis scientist, and make your decisions somewhat scientifically. Exploration is the power horse of the science.

The microscope’s main purpose when aplied to the buds growing and trichomes detection is the precision! A little geeky, I agree, but finding your “secret formula” is a beautiful motivation, after all.

— 1 — Young Transparent Trichomes

The transparent color of marijuana trichomes on the buds (technically speaking, this is the absence of any color) shows the plant is not yet ready. The transparent trichomes hardly contain any THCA or THC, where the latter is the main psycho-active component of marijuana but not the only one, and the former is its previous chemical form as “acid” (that is why we have the letter “A” over there in the THCA name). To be precise, there shall be THCA (the acid) dominating in the marijuana buds and shall convert later into pure THC. This is called decarbing and happens when you smoke weed or infuse the edibles:

The process of THCA converting into THC is called “decarboxylation”

— 2 — Trichomes Become Milky

As time goes on the marijuana trichomes are losing their transparency becoming milky, read “non-transparent”. The milky color of marijuana trichomes on the leaves and buds demonstrates the growing amount of THC (or THCA) and such usually is reckoned as the high maximum.

— 3 — Amber Trichomes

The amber color comes and spreads when THCA (THC acid) in trichomes starts being “destroyed” into THC, the active component per se. Firstly, the very tip top goes amber like a small hat, which is well seen under microscope! Apparently, you can try using a jeweler’s magnifying glass giving 10x magnification and might work satisfactory enough. Something different you will definitely see and a good pair of eyes shall not harm, of course.

Read about Why and when Weed is Purple

Already want a microscope?

Do you want a microscope now to detect when to cut your marijuana plant and start collecting the frosty nugs? Yes, me too, but more for the scientific purpose, or call it general curiosity. However, the trichomes are well seen with a bare eye indeed, as for the color and some structural things. But a regular 10x magnifying glass (jewelers use such and sell in their shops) is already providing a greater discovery, try it, loads of fun!

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