Last Updated on January 6, 2023 by Jason Nguyen
When it comes to setting up a grow room for your home-grown marijuana plants, one must invest in quality equipment, devices, tools, and supplies. However, it’s no surprise that these upgrades may come at a hefty price.
You don’t have to burn your wallet and buy the most expensive brands to ensure a smooth grow room operation, though. Expensive doesn’t necessarily equate to high-quality nor effectivity. In fact, you can implement some practical grow room ideas even if you’re on a budget.
Here are three major ideas to consider.
1. Choose Energy-efficient Lighting For Indoor Grow Rooms
According to expert cannabis growers, one of the biggest factors you will want to think about when looking at different lighting options for your indoor grow room is the kind of light you’ll employ. Most people choose between fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs by default because these two options have been proven to be the best lights for marijuana-growing rooms.
To be more specific, select your indoor grow room lighting options based on particular needs:
CFL Bulbs
If you have an area where you need more light, you could opt for compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs allow more light to penetrate the grow space, allowing for more light to reach the plants. This is one of the many reasons why using CFL bulbs is a reasonable choice for lighting the marijuana grow tent.
LED Lights
Another type of light you can avail for your marijuana grow tent is the light-emitting diode or LED lamp. These bulbs use less energy than standard bulbs, but they don’t produce as much light as regular fluorescent bulbs. These are great options for growing rooms where the amount of light you want is minimal or when you need more light but don’t want it to shine directly on the plants.
HID Bulbs
If you’re growing tall plants like Indicas, then using high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs would be the smarter option. For shorter plants like Sativas, you may want to consider compact fluorescent bulbs since they’re able to produce a larger amount of light.
2. Choose The Suitable Grow Tent
There are several necessary factors and aspects to consider when purchasing a suitable grow tent for your home-growing needs. Assessing your requirements would help you narrow down a few good choices before settling for the best option.
To start, check the following considerations when surveying for a suitable grow tent:
Portable Or Permanent
The first thing to decide when purchasing a grow tent is whether you want a portable or permanent kind. In case you plan on moving the tent later on, you will want to make sure that it can readily be picked up from one location to another.
This feature might come in handy should you have the need to move the grow tent around the garden for transplanting activities. It also becomes a necessity if you’re growing more than a few different plants as your growing requirements could change over time.
Measurements
When buying a grow tent, of course it’s crucial to check its weight and other dimensions before buying it. It goes without saying that these specifications should also coincide with the measurements of the area where the tent will be housed.
Leave some margin for error when considering the numbers, but it’s never best to just estimate them. Be specific to get the best grow tent for your needs.
Outdoor Or Indoor Use
Another important aspect to consider is how the grow tent will be utilized. Will you be growing indoors or outdoors? Various specifications might need to be adjusted to suit this specific requirement. When in the store, ask to see a sample of models that suit both conditions, then compare and contrast their features according to your plans.
Sunlight Exposure
You will also need to pay special attention to how much sunlight will be allowed to come into the grow tent. Also, think about the weather and make sure to buy a model that can withstand harsh environmental elements.
3. Know Where To Buy Affordable Equipment
Whether you want to grow via a soil medium or a hydroponic system, it’s necessary to have complete grow room equipment for a successful operation. Yes, it’s possible to achieve this goal on a budget—if you know where to look.
If you’re wondering how to find the best places to buy the most affordable grow room equipment, start with these options:
Online Marketplaces
One of the first places to start when looking for grow room equipment is online marketplaces. The auction section has thousands upon thousands of items for sale.
One thing to note, though, is that you need to distinguish between so-called ‘cheap items’ and real affordable items. Sometimes, the former could be just recycled pieces of equipment. If you’re lucky enough to find some low-cost equipment online, you will likely be buying a refurbished product. Check to see if the seller could offer brand-new ones.
Auction Sites
Another good place to survey for cheap supplies is online auction sites. While these sites could appear sketchy at first, there are a few reputable places that offer great deals on a wide variety of items. If you look hard enough, you could eventually find the equipment you need at a reasonable price.
Wholesalers
The last and best place to look for affordable equipment is from wholesalers. If you could locate these wholesalers, expect to pay close to wholesale prices for the items you need.
When trying to find reasonably priced grow room equipment, remember that you’re not limited to just a couple of sources. There are some great suppliers out there, so don’t let your budget stop you from finding the tools you need.
Conclusion
There are plenty of budget-friendly ways when setting up a grow room. It’s crucial to find ways to promote efficiency in your grow room for long-term savings, such as investing in LED lights. Also, one of the things to consider when buying a grow tent is the ability to easily move it from one location to another, so you don’t have to establish another grow room.
Take some time to consider before purchasing your equipment and supplies to make the right choice for your grow room.