How to Choose the Right Grow Tents Size for Cannabis

The Size of Your Grow Tent Matters

The size of the tent you choose is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Together with your plant choices, it will inform your selection of supporting components and contribute to your overall operating costs.

If you choose an oversized tent, you run the risk of paying more for your basic equipment and for the energy necessary to power your lights, fans and other equipment. If you choose an undersized tent, you risk creating a crowded and potentially unhealthy environment for your plants, or one that simply won’t accommodate mature plants, even after aggressive staking or trellising and pruning.

Even though grow tents are available in lots of different shapes and sizes, the one thing they all have in common is their basic purpose—to contain and cultivate plants. You can find tabletop models, and tents that fit into walk-in or sliding-door closets.

There are tents large enough to dwarf a basement or attic, but fill a suburban garage. Square and rectangular tents are both popular, and you can find ones with low, high or adjustable-height ceilings. With all these options, how do you choose?

What goes on inside the tent will help determine the right size for your needs. For example, if you plan to get a jump start on outdoor spring planting by cultivating seedlings, you may be able to get by with a small, low tent. Seedlings wouldn’t necessarily need a roomy ceiling height, but they probably need adjustable lighting designed to enhance vegetative growth.

Basic section Grow Tents(2x2ft)

Stick to 1-2 plants in2x2ft grow tents

250w to 400w HID grow lights will cover your plants just fine (Note: 600w, 1000w, or double-ended lights are too intense [though CMH’s will work just fine in there])

Maximum LED Wattage: 270w

2’ x 2’ grow tents are ideal for the beginner grower or growers with limited space. It from veg to flower and is perfect for use as a seedling and clone tent. Growing plants in a grow tent will allow you to completely control your growing environment, will help keep your garden free of pests and contaminants, and contains any potential mess created from the growing process. This size indoor grow tent is also commonly used as a "mother tent". Mother tents are used to keep your favorite strains in the veg stage long term so you can take cuttings as you need them so you always have clones ready to grow.

Small Grow Tents (3ftx3ft & 2ftx4ft)

Stick to 2-4 plants in 3x3ft grow tents or 2x4ft grow tents

250w to 400w HID grow lights will cover your plants just fine (Note: 600w, 1000w, or double-ended lights are too intense [though CMH’s will work just fine in there])

Maximum LED Wattage: 270w

Micro and hobby growers are used to working in tight spaces. Whether it’s one of those tiny high tech grow units or a repurposed wardrobe, growers used to growing a couple of plants usually grow in a space of around 3ftx3ft, 2ftx4ft, or smaller.

DIY and fancy setups alike are convenient but their environments can be hard to control. There’s usually little to no proper ventilation in those small spaces, which makes it tricky to control temperature and humidity, leading to an underwhelming harvest. Even high tech setups tend to keep temps down by using low-powered lights that can leave you with an underwhelming harvest. That’s where Small grow tents come in handy.

3ftx3ft and 2ftx4ft are great sizes to grow 2-4 fruit and flowering plants comfortably. Though you can cram more plants in there if you’d like to Sea of Green in a small space, without a lot of room to work around your plants things can get hairy in that grow room quickly. Remember that the more plants you have the more living organisms you have breathing in your growing space which means they’ll need room, light, and fresh air to breathe properly.

Medium Grow Tents (4ftx4ft & 5ftx5ft)

Good for 4-6 plants comfortably in 4x4ft or 5x5ft grow tents

400w & 600w HID’s, single and double-ended lights acceptable

Maximum LED Wattage: 540w’s, includes IR and UV spectrums for more aromatic tastier yields

Some of us know firsthand the struggle to find a place to grow a good harvest. We can’t just set up shop in our living rooms, so we’d need to fit our plants into a shed or a closet. For those shed and closet growers who want to grow around 4-6 plants a Medium (4ftx4ft & 5ftx5ft) grow tent’s going to be the best place to house your plants.

Not only will they be able to breathe a lot better in a tent, but your plants will also have better access to elements like CO2 in the air in a medium sized grow tent. Closets and sheds can have ventilation issues and if your plants can’t get a good stream of air they can’t breathe. When they can’t breathe they can’t eat, which means they aren’t growing. Putting your plants in a grow tent with plenty of access to fresh air is vital in making sure they grow properly.

Another great thing about moving into a tent from a closet or a shed is the control you have over pests. While it’s virtually impossible to make sure no pests get on to your plants, imagine how many pests are hiding in your carpets, outside under/in sheds, and around your house. Controlling pests out in the open can be an uphill battle outside of grow tents because they can just keep coming back from the outside. In a grow tent you have the ability to seal off the majority of your growing area to assure that only the pests that can enter are the ones that are relatively simple to get rid of.

Large Grow Tents (6ftx6ft & 4ftx8ft)

Grows 7-10 plants comfortably in 6x6ft or 4x8ft grow tents

Total of 600-1200w’s of HID light, single and double ended (DE recommended)

Maximum LED Wattage: 810w’s, include IR and UV spectrums for more aromatic tastier yields

When things are too big for a closet and you need an entire room you’ll want to start looking into Large grow room, those grow tents around 6ftx6ft and 8ftx4ft. Given your plant species and whether you want to train them, these tents are enough to house around 7-10 plants comfortably.

With the ability to grow so many plants, most big-time growers consider either splitting these tents into vegging and flowering rooms, or they simply set two side by side and create a perpetual harvesting machine. That said, these tents are not only great for a personal grower, but these size tents are also made for production. Getting a large grow tent will bring any personal grower into the co-op realm of growing, so while we definitely love them be aware that these tents are meant to harvest a good amount.

Growing that many plants will require some serious wattage, so make sure you’re working with a total wattage of at least 600w to 1200w’s of HID lighting (single, double ended, and CMH) or up to 810w’s of LED lighting. When it comes to larger wattage requirements in these big tents, we recommend using higher powered lights to do the job instead of lower wattage lights. For example, if you need 1200w’s of HID power we suggest going with 2x 600w HID’s and not 3x 400w’s.

While they both offer the same total amount of watts- moreover, 3x 400w’s can offer a more even spread of light across your canopy- the canopy penetration and total lumen output of 600w’s are stronger than 400w’s. 400w HPS bulbs offer around 55000 lumens each, whereas 600w HPS bulbs kick out around 90,000 lumens. That means 3x 400w’s give you a total of 165,000 lumens, whereas 2x 600w’s give you 180,000 lumens. That’s a difference of 15,000 lumens, and when every lumen counts you’re better off with fewer high wattage lights than with more lower wattage ones.

Extra Large Grow Tents (larger than 4ftx8ft)

Grow 10-12+ plants comfortably in tents bigger than 4x8ft

HID and LED calculations will vary depending on how many plants you’re growing and how large your XL grow tent will be

Some say if you’re going to use a huge space to grow in- an area for 10-12+ plants- it’s better to convert an entire room or build a greenhouse. But realistically, what’s easier: buying and setting up a grow tent meant to house growing equipment or converting an entire area of an apartment, house, or warehouse into an indoor growing area? Our money’s on the grow tent.

If large grow tents are for smaller grow-op’s, then extra large tents are made for full-on collectives, both in size and functionality. You can fit tons of plants in there to grow from start to finish, or split/section off rooms to offer different light cycles, feeding schedules, and even different environments.

What Layout of Grow Tent Works Best?

After you figure out what size tent will best suit your needs, evaluate the location you have in mind to determine the most suitable configuration. Now is the time to think outside the tent. The best layout is one that will suit your room and make maintaining the tent and its contents easier. Don’t underestimate the value of convenient access. More than one tent has been punctured by a tool-wielding indoor gardener with more skill than space to work with.

Grow tents have many functional features, most of which are fixed on side walls or at the front or back. For best results, make a drawing of your planned installation and compare it to the tent you’re interested in purchasing. It will help you avoid problems later.

Tips for Setting up Your First Grow Tent or Portable Grow Room:

If you plan to locate your tent in a corner, make sure you aren’t blocking a view port, door or reach-in access.

Do the vents and ports on the tent correspond to your planned installation in minimum number and location? Most quality tents have multiple conveniently located openings for different functions, but it still pays to check.

Is the tent location adjacent to or near your planned intake and exhaust locations?

Do you have adequate electrical access? Grow tent components can draw significant power, so check your home’s electrical system and make sure you don’t have large appliances connected to the same circuit. In fact, having a dedicated circuit for a medium- to large-sized grow tent set-up is ideal.

Do you plan to mount a fan? If so, will it be inside or outside the tent?

Are you going to keep the tent in a furnished, occupied room in your home? If so, consider a tent with good blackout or light-blocking features from ports, vents and around zippers, and invest in a tent with a quality spill tray.

Is there enough room around the tent to store tools and supplies?

If you’re using a hydroponic set-up, consider how you’ll manage maintenance functions easily and efficiently.

These are all practical considerations, and ones you’ve probably encountered if you’ve installed a grow tent before. If this is your first tent, or if it’s been a while, paying attention to the details now will save you time and regrets later.

When you remove your new grow tent from the box, it may look like a pile of fabric and poles and fittings, but a lot of careful planning went into its development and fabrication. From the thread density of the fabric to the design of its light-resistant vents, most grow tents are built with painstaking attention to detail. If you’re looking for a home for your precious plants, a grow tent may not be the great outdoors, but it’s the next best thing.