Tips For Making Your Cannabis Grow Room Easier To Manage

Growing cannabis can be a time-consuming and expensive hobby. But, if you take some time to carefully plan your grow room before starting, and carefully manage it while growing, you can greatly improve the experience and reduce the likelihood of potential problems.

GROW ROOM VARIABLES

Here are some factors you should consider when equipping your grow room.

PICK THE RIGHT SPACE

Your very first consideration when setting up a grow room should be the grow space itself. Before you begin growing, try to gain a sense for how many plants you want to grow, which strain you want to grow, and what growing techniques you will use.

It is important to pick a grow space large enough to handle all of the plants you want to grow, but not so large that it would cause you to waste resources. As a rule of thumb, nine moderately sized plants can typically fit into a single square metre of space. You may find that a small and convenient place like a closet or large cupboard is oftentimes more than good enough to grow a small personal stash.

LIGHTING

It is extremely important to do some research on lighting before beginning work on your grow room. Not only do plants require different amounts of light at different stages of growth, but proper lighting is crucial to your plants’ yield potential.

There are different kinds of lights available to growers (LED, CFL, HPS), and which one you choose will largely depend on your needs, budget, and complementary equipment. For instance, while HPS lights may be more powerful than LED lights, they also tend to produce more heat—making them riskier, and to consume more energy—making them pricier.

When considering light installation, remember to leave space for adequate airflow above the light, as well as below it. When hanging your lights, it is best to use adjustable chains that can be repositioned as needed. Remember that most grow lights should be kept at least 25cm away from plants to avoid damaging them.

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROL

When growing cannabis, climate management will typically consist of managing temperature, humidity, and CO₂. Common climate management tools include thermometers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, humidistats, and fans.

Be aware that the humidity in your region may affect the conditions in your grow room. For example, growers on the coast may find that they need to reduce humidity, whereas growers in high-altitude regions may need to raise humidity. It’s probably a good idea to measure temperature and humidity in your grow room before starting. Plan accordingly!

Hygrometer / Thermometer

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Furthermore, remember that your room temperature and lighting choices are linked. If you are planning on using lights that emit high heat, you should expect to use extra fans or other temperature control tools.

VENTILATION

Growing cannabis in a well-ventilated area is key to avoiding the growth of mould and mildew.

Moreover, proper ventilation in your grow room can help lower the overall temperature by pumping out hot air, and by ensuring that your plants get a steady flow of moving air. Moreover, floor fans can help push up CO₂ (which is critical for plant growth) and cycle humid air, which tends to rise and stay at the top.

Using ducts and carbon filters in your grow room can significantly decrease the smell your weed produces.

WALLS

In order to make the most of light and space, take time to prepare the walls of your grow room with some reflective material. This will help light to bounce back onto your plant instead of being wasted. If reflective material is not an option, then Panda Film or even flat white walls could also work, although not as effectively.

GROW CANNABIS SMARTER, NOT HARDER

You can save yourself a lot of frustration by growing your cannabis smarter, not harder. Consider some of the following techniques to improve your quality of life during the growing season.

REDUCING ENERGY & SAVING MONEY

Growing cannabis indoors can be quite an expensive hobby. Taking steps to reduce the amount of energy your grow consumes can really save you some serious cash in the long-run.

Think carefully about the lights you will need to grow your plants. LED lights present somewhat of a learning curve and are believed to be slightly less effective than HPS lights. Despite this, they run cooler and use less electricity than most other kinds of grow lights, making them a tempting option for cost-conscious growers.

Moreover, try not to overdo it by using too much equipment, or by growing in a larger space than necessary. Think about exactly how many plants you want to grow and measure out how much space you think they will take up. This will give you a better idea of exactly what kind of grow space and equipment you need. Using too many lights or unnecessarily powerful fans can be a drain on your electricity and wallet.

MINIMISING THE NOISE OF YOUR GROW ROOM

Equipment such as ventilators, exhausts, air pumps, and tube vents can sometimes be incredibly noisy. Not only can this become extremely annoying, but it may draw the unwanted attention of nosy neighbours or passersby. Thankfully, the noise caused by your grow room can be significantly reduced in several ways.

For instance, adding a muffler to your grow room’s exhaust duct can prevent the whooshing noise and silence the airflow. Mufflers can either be purchased or built at home for very little money.

Fans attached to walls or touching the ground can create intense vibrations that cause lots of noise. In order to avoid this, consider placing your fans in enclosures (to hold them) and hanging them from the ceiling.

Furthermore, try not to leave your air or water pump directly on the floor. Doing so can cause vibrations and noise problems similar to fans. Instead, consider placing them on a vibration-absorbing rubber mat. If you do not wish to purchase one, it is possible that a yoga mat could work just as well.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Keeping everything clean and organised can save you from potentially frustrating problems during your grow. Avoid mixing things up by properly labelling everything, including cords. Quickly clean up any spills and regularly inspect air filters.

GROWING THE RIGHT STRAIN

Perhaps the smartest thing you can do for your grow is pick a strain that’s well-suited to your equipment and experience level. Not only that; but one that moves through its flowering phase in a reasonable time frame, and therefore won’t drain more energy than necessary.

For more info and inspiration, check out our articles on the best strains to grow indoors and the best strains to grow for beginners!

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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