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Are you looking to yield tons in a large space? If so, you'll need a big tent to enclose your mini-environment for cannabis. Let's start with the sizing... when we think BIG grow tent, we think you want at least the size of a large garage, perhaps a full bedroom or living room size. That puts you in the market for a large 5 x 9 ft Gorilla grow tent, or perhaps two 5 x 5 Apollo tents. It's really a tossup, the Apollo's are slightly less thick tent canvas on doors etc, as well as lighter poles/structure, but still all seem very study, compared to the Gorilla tents, which are better in almost every aspect, except of course price.
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Price: $704.17
The Gorilla tents are virtually lightproof and depending on your ventilation/fan setup, you can really have a smell proof tent with minimal leakage. The 6 x 10 with height extension Gorilla Grow tent is likely the biggest grow tent available. You can see our other grow tent sizes here, and learn about short grow tents here.
Watering your plant is undeniably a crucial part of the growing process. You care for your plant like you would care your baby. When you want to nurture it perfectly, everything you provide it should be perfect, even the amount of water! Smart grow tents presents the ultimate guide to everything you need to know to water your cannabis the right way.
When you water your cannabis make sure you have some runoff water after your pot is thoroughly soaked. Water at least quarter the volume of the planter. For example, if your planter is 1L, pour about 0.25 L of water in each irrigation.
Avoid keeping your roots saturated with proper drainage. Poke holes in the bottom of the pot else your plant may get waterlogged or overwatered. Some people put rocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage.
Cannabis does not like continuous irrigation!
Overwatering can damage the root system and rot the pant. It is important to water them thoroughly and then wait until its substrate dries completely. The drying process is essential for preserving the crop. Thus, you only need to water it every 3 -5 days. However, if you are growing it in a small planter at a later stage, you will have to water it more often.
Marijuana grows optimally with temperatures around 22 degree Celsius (room temperature) a pH of about 6.5. At this pH, the plant can easily absorb all the nutrients present in the soil.
Sometimes, the plant suffers from ‘nutrients lockout.' This is not due to excessive or deficiency of nutrients. This is mostly caused by the pH of water. Highly acidic water will restrict the plant from taking up the calcium and magnesium present in the soil, while highly alkaline water will hamper iron absorption.
Firstly, it is important to note that providing nutrient water to cannabis plant every day will lead to salt deposition over the soil surface. Therefore, make sure to do it alternatively. The plain water will clean salt deposits, if any.
The most important nutrients in the life of cannabis plant are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, sometimes abbreviated as N-P-K. Bottled nutrients have different proportions of these. The bottles list chemical ratios as three numbers. For example 20 – 5 – 5 contain five times more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. 0 - 0 - 10 contains only potassium.
Different stages of the cannabis plant demand these nutrients in various proportions.
N (High) – P (Medium) – K (High)
Purchase the bottle that has a high amount of nitrogen. Nitrogen supply is of uttermost importance during the initial vegetative stage of the plant. Thus, bottles with numbers 9-3-6 and 3-2-4 prove to the best for this stage. A 5-5-5 numbered bottle also works well, as it has a generic even NPK ratio.
The best nutrient ratio for this stage is 5-5-5. To prepare for the flowering stage, the plant needs nitrogen to develop more leaves and stem.
N (Low) – P (Medium) – K (High)
The plant needs to shift focus from growing more stems and leaves to growing more buds. Therefore, it is important to cut down on the nitrogen supply. Buds demand phosphorus and potassium supply for their growth. The best nutrients ratios for this stage are 5-15-14, 2-7-7 and 2-3-5.
We advise using liquid fertilizers minimally. The roots of marijuana plant absorb liquid fertilizers very swiftly. No, this is not a good thing because it leads to the misconception that the plant needs more nutrients. Thus, we intend to pour more liquid fertilizer to the plant. Ultimately, harming the plant.
Therefore, in case there arises a need to apply liquid fertilizer to the plant; make sure to mix the fertilizer in water at the source. The fertilizer should well-diluted and applied in appropriate proportions. When you have an option to choose from chemical and biological liquid fertilizers, without a second thought, go for the biological one. They are safer for the plant and non-toxic for your health.
Signs
Solution
Don’t keep watering it as you regularly do.
Dig your finger into the soil check if the soil is dry up to the first knuckle. If the medium is dry then water it until you see 30% runoff water drained
Signs
Solution
Water in large quantity and more often.
It is possible that the plant has outgrown the space. If this is the case, transfer it to a larger planter that can hold more water.
Most efficient way of watering plants is through drip line. It ensures that the plant gets water consistently and in appropriate quantity. It prevents waterlogging as it doesn’t let water stay on the surface. It helps distribute the water evenly across the planter.
A product of heated obsidian, perlite, is mixed with soil to loosen it. Perlite is an organic lightweight soil conditioner. It prevents caking while improving soil drainage and aeration. This also helps promote good oxygen flow.
Soil mixed with wood chips harms cannabis. Growing your marijuana in composted super soil is important. Organic super soil contains forest humus, sandy loam, and sphagnum peat moss. It is very healthy for cannabis plant.
Smart pots are weightless, flexible, reusable and eco-friendly fabric containers. They provide better oxygen flow, better drainage, and a better cooling system; It's a three-in-one solution for better cannabis growth.
Cannabis Watering Guide Conclusion
From this basic guide, novice growers may get a fair good idea about watering their cannabis. However, it is only a guide. Modifications to the basic principles can be made according to the choice of strain, type of medium, local climate and various other factors. We always encourage experimentation.
Cannabis growers know the most exciting part of what we do is experimenting and try different means to enhance cannabis plant yield. During the course, we provide nutrients and specific amounts of water. We wait with anticipation to see results.
Our biggest dismay is when everything turns out the opposite of expectations--the leaves start turning yellow. Instead of giving a better yield, its quality plummets.
What do we do? Let us first have a look at the reasons the leaves could probably turn yellow.
pH
In soil or hydroponics ensure that the pH of the soil checks out. The common reason for a cannabis plant having difficulty absorbing nutrients from the soil is unbalanced pH. The acidic or basic soil deprives the plant of nutrients, and the leaves turn yellow. Purchase a reliable PH test kit to maintain the ideal balance.
This meter costs only $15.99-$16.99. Jellas Pocket Size pH Meter is the ideal little tool for home and laboratory uses; water, hydroponics, soil, and more. It is highly accurate for measuring a range of 0-14 pH. It boasts a 0.1 pH resolution. The measurement & pH results display simultaneously on the LCD. All readings are reliable and quick. All you need to do is remove the protective cap and immerse the pH meter electrode into the solution. Then, turn the meter on with the switch. It beats the heck out of trying to see the colors of a litmus strip. The slim body unit is easy to store, and easy to carry with the pocket clip on the back of the meter. It also comes with a carry case for easy carry or and storage.
Nutrient deficiencies
If the plant is deficient in nitrogen, the lower leaves turn yellow while the new upper leaves look healthy. What usually happens is that the fresh leaves absorb more nitrogen to grow, and steal it from the older leaves. If you see this, you might want to consider changing the fertilizer. Here’s a look at the replacement combos available to give your plant the required quantity of nutrients.
This voodoo sauce develops bigger root systems to toughen the demands of high producing crops. Voodoo Juice isn’t technically fertilizer; it is a proprietary blend of laboratory-bred super bacteria that toughen the health of the plant and the growing medium by colonizing. Growers increase root systems for better nutrient uptake (including nitrogen), growing healthier plants with fewer cropping problems.
Big bud improves the weight, density, and quality of flowers and fruits. Apply it during the peak flowering phase. The right ratio of phosphorus to potassium with the help of L-amino complex ensures that abruptly developing blooms and fruits swell to their full size with added density. Big Bud also promotes better taste, smell, and yield.
In order to stop the environmental stresses from reducing crop gains, B-52 provides an entire balance of vitamins and growth cofactors. The multiple strains vitamin B present assist plants in the process of filtering water and nutrients without exhausting the plant. The ingredients in B-52 stimulate bigger root systems and assist to nourish a good and healthy plant.
Overdrive fulfills the need to reach maximum fruit swell and blossom girth within the later flowering phase. It supplies ripening plants with the correct nutritional balance of phosphates, potassium, vitamins and other necessary cofactors. Plants near maturity make their biggest weight gains within the final weeks, and overdrive helps to amplify and extend this natural process for bigger yields. The appropriate blend brightens the color, intensifies fragrances and flavors and very importantly concentrates oil contents in flowers and fruits harvested.
Flooding
If you decide to add more water to the plant with an expectation that it will grow faster, you are likely just suffocating your plant. Adding an excessive amount of water will only cause breathing issues to the roots. Thus, roots cannot properly absorb the nutrients. This ultimately turns its leaves yellow in color. The over flooding problem can be solved by using drip irrigation. Instead of flooding your plant with jars of water, make pin sized holes and provide water drop by drop in controlled amounts over a more extended period of time.
This device helps maintain the water feed of your plant at just $20.99. Place the 9-12 inch round flood & drip shield on top of your plant, and you instantly gain control over your feeding plan. This product is the perfect base tool for a top feeder or someone who enjoys the benefits of a drip system and likes the results of a top feed. In addition to curing over-flooding, the Flora Flex eliminates algae and pesticides by covering the media.
Attack of insects
Marijuana is not just a delectable treat for us; it is prey to all plant-consuming creatures. Unfortunately, cannabis is also more prone to insects than other plants. As these insects start feasting on the plant, the leaves change color from green to yellow. At times, it may also turn the leaves bronze.
Pests are very difficult to clear up as the leaves are most probably going to die rather than recover. In order to prevent bugs, start treating your plant for these types of insects in advance. Remember that even when your plant looks healthy, they may already carry insect eggs. So, spray your plants with the treatment before you go to bed, and call it a day.
These are the four primary reasons why your cannabis plant may turn yellow. When you look closer, you can often discover the culprit and correct it to recover yield. However, yellow leaves are usually a symptom of a more significant issue. When left untreated, they cause a great deal of damage to your return.
How can we ensure that our cannabis in a healthy condition and all efforts of growing it do not end up in vain? Pay attention to the signs of our dear plants, and give them exactly what they need. Guaranteed they will return the love.
So you're thinking of growing a variety of vegetables indoors with a grow tent? That's awesome! We're here to help!
Let's start with the best vegetables to grow in grow tents.
Peppers - green, red, and/or chili peppers can all grow easily in an indoor grow tent, with tremendous yields. We recommend hydroponics for the best results, and 6-8 hours of light cycle per day (although check your seed source for more specific ranges)
Cauliflower - cauliflower, and it's healthy green cousin broccoli, are both wonderful to grow indoors. They need lots of water and good airflow, but can provide tremendous yields with the best hydro equipment and overall environment.
Beans - green beans and white beans are some of the easiest to grow, and here's a helpful tip: use a trellis or netting along with stakes to keep them under control and give them something to wind around, while avoiding crawling up to the hot lights. Although, if you use LED grow lights, you don't have to worry as much about hot temps from the grow light, as they are very cool.
Tomatoes - tomatoes are one of my personal favorites for growing in a high quality grow tent. Tomatoes can yield a ton, have a million uses, and are relatively easy to care for. Just make sure you have a good grow tent setup and proper ventilation to discourage any mold or fungus.
Strawberries - delicious juicy strawberries are perfect for the height restrictions often seen with smaller grow tents. You can pack many into a small space, and you can even grow vertically in a custom setup for max utilization of grow space indoors.
You can even get creative and grow indoors from vegetable scraps. Andy Whiteley from Wake Up World gives us the following awesome advice:
Celery, Bok Choi, Romaine Lettuce & Cabbage
Similar to leeks, these vegetables will re-grow from the white root end. Cut the stalks off as you normally would, and place the root end in a shallow bowl of water – enough to cover the roots but not the top of your cutting. Place it in a sunny window position, occasionally spraying your cutting with water to keep the top moist.After a few days, you should start to see roots and new leaves appear. After a week or so, transplant it into soil with just the leaves showing above the level of the soil. The plant will continue to grow, and within a few weeks it will sprout a whole new head.
Alternatively you can plant your cutting directly into soil (without starting the process in water) but you will need to keep the soil very moist for the first week until the new shoots start to appear.
Do you wish to twirl your magic wand and increase the yields from your cannabis plant? Thy wish is granted!
Smart Grow Tents brings you an ultimate guide to enhance your cannabis plant yield by training your plants. I am sure the first question that may have popped in your mind is- What is plant training? Training in any form of teaching something to someone. In this case, plant training means teaching (manipulating) your plants physically, so they grow more bud sites eventually resulting in better yields. What are you waiting for? Learn some hypnotics for your weed plant right away.
‘Topping’ is to cut the growing shoot off the main central stem (leaving a tiny portion), this would result in a larger growth of the two secondary stems in compensation. Top those two stems again, once they have grown healthy.
Why: Control the plant height so that it can use all its energy to grow laterally, producing more branches and buds in turn. This is also called breaking the apical dominance.
How: Do not top the plant too early or it may not recover. For best results, wait until your plant has 4-6 nodes. At this stage, it is strong enough to grow new leaves every day and will recover much faster.
During the seedling stage, crush the branches using your forefingers and thumb until it can be felt to give. Be extra careful when you do this else you may end up breaking the branch. Try to practice it on other plants before trying on your cannabis plant.
Why: You can improve the plant growth by significantly by increasing the flow of nutrients in the area that is crimped.
How: Pinch the plant in the stem section just below the nodes. You do not want to flatten the stem completely. Be very delicate. Similarly to topping, damaging your plant too early or too late will reduce its productivity. You want to crimp the plant when it has 3-5 nodes. If the plant is already budding, it is too late.
A SCROG is a netting type wire or mesh screen attached at the desired height. If you leave a plant in the pot without training, it will likely develop only one central cola. However, the SCROG helps spread out light evenly across the whole plant. Every branch has the chance to grow into a decent cola. A SCROG boosts yields as high as five buds per plant.
Why: This method is ideal for indoor plants where height is an obstacle. SCROGS will help the cannabis plant grow laterally, using all its energy to grow out and yield better results. The screen of Green is useful for indoor growing because it prevents the plant from getting burnt by the light.
How: Using a SCROG is easy. Once your plant enters the vegetative stage, start weaving branches through the screen. When pruning, tuck any fan leaves under the screen. A SCROG will keep your growth even and easy to maintain.
This technique is the process of removing undergrowth from the bottom of the plant. It is not getting much light and will not produce buds. Why leave it for your plant to waste energy, when they could be concentrating on producing flowers.
Why: The accessible light intensity is inversely proportional to distance. During the late flowering stage, the amount of light penetrated to the bottom 1/3rd stems and leaves is negligible. However, the plant is still using its energy to grow those parts. Remove these so that the entire energy goes into developing higher stems and leaves.
How: The timing is critical. Removing the branches too early may result in new replaced stems growth and the usage of extra energy. Late removal also results in energy wasted as the plant already spent that energy. For the best results, lollipop then just before they start flowering. Only remove the bottom third of the plant. Removing anymore will reduce your yield. An advanced level of this is ‘Lollipopping,' where the growers remove all the lateral branches leaving one huge central cola (stem). This should be done only after a good practice.
Trellising marijuana is a technique often used outdoor, where growers have more space and less direct influence on lighting and climate. A trellis system (purchased from any local Medical Cannabis store or any online site) is used to support the plant and make it stand erect. You can also build a basic trellis system from basic household items like bungee cords, bamboo stakes, and cotton rope.
Why: As the cannabis plant reaches the late flowering stage, it becomes heavy and is unable to withstand the weight of the buds. It starts bending before completing its growth. It needs to be tied up straight to let it grow completely.
How: When you first more your starts outside, install a tomato cage to support any initial growth. As the plant gets older, you want to install 4 T-posts around the circle of the cage. Each post can be up of 10 feet long. These support the middle branches. Finally, your vertical trellis will catch the top, most fragile branches.
These are just a few of the best techniques curated by Smart Grow Tents for our readers. You may choose If you have used any of these techniques, please let us know how beneficial were these to you. If not, let us know if there are some other means by which we can help you out.
At least once, you must have come across a friend who brags about his/her quality of cannabis. The one that grows the dank. Out of curiosity, you may have even tried to check their honesty level. Top-shelf weed is hard to come by, but you will know it when you smoke it.
Now, it’s time for you to brag about your cannabis. Why? Smart Grow Tents is revealing the top 10 secrets of growing prime quality top-shelf weeds, right at home. So, where are the secrets?
Expecting a prime quality after sowing a mediocre one? As you sow so shall you reap. The seeds that you sow should pass certain tests to qualify as top shelf weed.
All seeds should be feminized
Check for its potency of THC
No clones, no bag seeds. Only seeds from trusted seed banks
Understand the combination of other chemicals: cannabinoids and terpenoids, for example
Over fertilizing or adding too many nutrients to the soil can harm your cannabis plant resulting in delicate leaves and poor-quality weed. Prepare your soil well in advance in the Autumn, before the planned season of growth. Make sure you give it ample time to fertilize on its own using natural biodegradables and compost. If possible, test the soil before planting cannabis seeds. You’ll want to measure nutrients and PH levels.
Smoking weed is as much about the aroma therapeutic experience as well as some of the varying “feelings” of being high. The unique combination of terpenes contributes to the unique flavor and layered experiences. Limonene gives you a happy, upper-type effect. Myrcene creates a more relaxed high. While some strains come rich with terpenes, others do not. To obtain a strong smell and taste to your cannabis; you need to increase the terpene content in your plant by artificially adding it.
Recent technology allows scientists to extract the terpenes and suspend them in oils. You can apply these oils after harvest. Limonene comes from citrus. Linalool is derived from lavender. Myrcene is from mangos. Humulene comes from hops. However, if you use extracted terpenes, know that you will be adding additional terpenes that are not native to cannabis.
Moderately acidic pH helps cannabis plant grow. Try to maintain the water pH between 5.5 to 6.5. Do not forget to regularly check the pH as it will keep changing as the plant metabolizes the nutrients. If the levels rise above 7.5, the roots cannot process the available boron ions, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. If the pH drops below 6, often the roots cannot fully process calcium, magnesium, or phosphoric acid.
Humidity at different levels in different stages helps to enhance the cannabis growth as follows:
Since you have to keep decreasing the humidity at various levels, a dehumidifier could prove to be very handy.
An adequate amount of air and light (especially during the entire flowering stage) significantly increases the size and density of your buds. Cannabis is wind-pollinated in the wild. Therefore, a good exhaust system, blowing fans, and lights will strengthen and make the buds more viable.
Also, you need to remember that the temperature during the night should be 3 degrees cooler (compared to in the day in order to simulate wild growth. However, the temperature gradation depends on various factors. Always place your thermometer in the shade, and in various locations around the room to give an accurate reading.
Only harvest the buds a few at a time as they mature. This helps you get the best quality from each bud. White pistils are the first indication that the THC in the buds have matured.
For more accuracy, it’s more than looking at the pistils. If you are looking with your bare eyes, you’ll want to wait until 60-70% of hairs darken. For a more relaxing strain, wait until 70-90% of hairs darken.
When using a magnifier, you’ll want to look at the trichomes, which look like mushroom-shaped crystals. When the weed is optimal for harvest, the trichomes will appear more milky, and less transparent.
Curing is the process of removing moisture from the bud. The longer you allow it to cure, the stronger it is, and the better it tastes.
Optimally, you want to maintain the harvested cannabis a humidity between 45-55% and a temperature between 60 and 70°F. The slow, mild curing process converts non-psychoactive cannabinoids to THCA. As a result, your cannabis increases in potency. If you dry the crop too rapidly, it can degrade the quality and quantity of terpenes.
A lot of factors like nutrients deficiency or over supply, heat stress, irregular water supply, lack of supplements like bloom boosters, etc. can affect the bud quality. Neglecting the post-harvest period is harmful too. Monitor your temperatures, humidity, nutrients, and pH levels often inform your decisions about growing and harvesting top-shelf weed. For more in depth tips on the different stages on growing and harvest, you can also sign up for Smart Grow Tents blog updates.
If it isn’t possible for you to focus on all the above points, set a plan to improve your quality point-by-point. Select all the aspects that are feasible to you, and work on perfecting those. Eventually, you find your own techniques to grow the best quality with some trials and errors. That’s how you learn to grow the best weed. If you are facing any difficulties or have any queries regarding the process, let us know in the comments below.
