You are starting a marijuana growing operation and you’re wondering how to properly set up a cannabis grow room? This is a good question. Creating a conducive growing atmosphere is key to successful growing. Your cannabis grow room should reflect the attributes needed for cannabis plants to grow and thrive.
A full dedicated grow room design should incorporate these 5 vital elements:
- Light. Cannabis plants need light, so that photosynthesis is achieved. You should be able to control the lighting in the room. In other words, your grow room should not be influenced by outside or ambient light.
- Use LED and HPS lighting. It is good to use 400-watt bulbs for the growing phase, and for the plant’s flowering phase use a 600-watt HPS lamp for your plants. The growing phase typically needs 18 hours of light and the flowering phase needs approximately 12 hours of light. Of course, the non-lighted hours are dark, therefore, the need to control the lighting in the room. Note: Some stress is healthy for cannabis plants, however, too much stress, such as too much light (among other factors) can negatively affect healthy growth for your plants.
- Also, use white or reflective walls (aluminum- or tin foil-lined walls) for light reflection. Dark colors absorb light.
- Ventilation. As you want to control the light to your cannabis indoor grow room, you’ll also need to control air circulation. Have a filtered air flow system. You want to filter the exhaust air due to the strong odor that is emitted from growing marijuana plants. Marijuana plants need fresh air. (Plants convert CO2 into oxygen and carbohydrate molecules through the process of photosynthesis.) An oscillating fan will help distribute air and heat in your growroom.
- Water. Because watering is so important and there will inevitably be some water leakage from the plant containers, it’s good to have waterproofing for your grow room’s floor. Plastic sheeting can help cover the room’s floor. You will also want to be able to monitor the room’s humidity for it is an important factor in plant growth, but it can also encourage the growth of mold and fungus spores. You’ll want to have the correct amount of humidity.
- Temperature. The optimal temperature range for cannabis growing is between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit (20-27 degrees Celsius). The room should be warmer in the growing stage (up to 5 degrees F warmer than the stated temps) and a bit cooler in the flowering stage (70-80 degrees F). Temperature is an important factor for the plants’ growth. Ideal temp is 77 degrees F. 64 F is too cold, and 86 F is too hot.
- Nutrition. Cannabis plants need nutrition too. Make sure that you provide your plants the proper amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Too much nitrogen, however, may ‘burn’ your plants.
With these 5 tips in mind, you can build a successful cannabis grow room, which will lead to successful marijuana production.
