Everything you need to know to set up an indoor cannabis growing space
When we are going to set up an indoor cannabis crop, there are times when we don’t know whether to do it in a closet or if we are going to set up a growing room. We will give some recommendations on the materials needed to enable a room in which to grow marijuana in the best way and without spending much money.
Normally when you are sure that you are going to use an entire room to grow, you must prepare it so that you do not have problems during cultivation. This means that the investment is going to be a little bigger than if we set up a cultivation closet. But it is much more comfortable and you can get much larger productions than in the closet.
Disinfection of indoor cannabis growing space
Whether we opt for a cultivation closet or if we decide to grow in a larger space or room, the first thing we have to do before starting the assembly of the space is to clean and disinfect it thoroughly. This action includes the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the door frames and the windows. Bleach is a good disinfectant.
If we clean and disinfect the cultivation species before beginning the cultivation, we will make pests and fungi take much longer to appear, which is very important for plant health.
First decisions
When grown in an open room, the first thing we have to be clear about is the amount of lights we are going to work with. We are going to give a very common example that is to grow with two 600W HPS bulbs in a 2 x 2 x 2.20 cm room.
We have shown two 600W HPS equipment as an example, but practically the same calculation can be done if we use three 315w LEC devices. It is necessary to know the number of bulbs and their power to determine the power of the extractor.
Reflective material to line the indoor cannabis growing space
To cultivate in the best way and not waste the light, it is necessary to cover the walls of the indoor growing space with reflective material. We can cover the walls completely or also cover the walls to an approximate height of one and a half meters. A good idea is to use a stapler because the double-sided tape is peeled off by heat and the American tape may come out a bit expensive.
Preparation of the extraction and intraction system
After lining the walls of the indoor cannabis cultivation space we must prepare the extraction and intraction system. Remember to prepare the window so that nothing is visible from the outside. Many people believe that it is enough to lower the blind, place the extraction tube in the upper part and the intraction in the lower part. This is a mistake because the air that comes out of the extraction tube hits the blind and is absorbed by the intractor, introducing stale and hot air into the interior cultivation space.
A good idea is to use the window only for the extraction of air and to place a grid for the entry of passive air at the entrance door. The placement of the extraction tube and the fresh air inlet can be done in different ways, but we have given you an easy solution.
Extraction system for indoor cannabis growing space
After preparing the space where we are going to extract the stale air and where we are going to introduce fresh air, it is time to install the extractor and the intractor. Exhaust fans usually make noise and produce vibrations that pass through contact with other materials and can be felt from outside the indoor growing space.
To avoid this we recommend using a soundproof box that we will fix to the ceiling or failing that, we can anchor the extractor to the ceiling using some eyebolts and rubber washers to prevent the vibration from being transferred to the ceiling.
In the case of the intractor, if you are going to use one and you are not going to install a grid for the passive entry of fresh air, it must be located just on the other side where the extractor is located, to be as low as possible and on top of a Padded base to prevent vibration from spreading to the ground.
Odor filter installation
After having prepared the window, and when we have the extractor anchored to the ceiling and the well positioned intractor, it is time to place the odor filter. The installation of the odor filter can be done when we prepare the indoor growing space or we can install it when we change the photoperiod to 12/12. The difference lies in the consumption of the same filter. If used from the beginning it will be spent in a short time, if we install it in flowering we can use it for longer.
To anchor the filter to the ceiling we will use a pair of eyebolts and a pair of fastening ropes. To make the connection of the filter to the extractor we will have to use flexible aluminum tube. If we want to ensure that the air renewal and its filtering are homogeneous, the filter should be placed as centered as possible.
Connection via aluminum hose
After anchoring the extractor, the filter and the intractor, they must be connected by using flexible aluminum tube. We simply have to fix the tube to the mouth of the odor filter first, by means of flanges or clamps. Then we connect that section to the extractor, trying to keep the tube always straight without any curve. Finally we have to make the connection of the extractor to the outlet that we have previously prepared.
The connection of the flexible aluminum tube to the intractor is not complicated. The only difference may be in the diameter of the same, since normally the intractor is usually smaller than the extractor. Make the connection of the intractor to the input socket that we have designed by using metal flanges or clamps.
Lighting kits for indoor cannabis growing space
After placing the extraction, intraction and filtering systems and having lined the walls, we have to install the lighting equipment with which we are going to grow marijuana. It is best that the ballasts remain outside the cultivation space to avoid the heat they generate. The heat of the ballasts can be beneficial if we grow in winter, but with the arrival of spring and rising temperatures, they must be placed outside the cultivation space. If it is not possible, we will install them on a wooden board anchored to the wall, as high as possible and away from the plants. To hang the spotlights correctly, we must first measure the cultivation area for each bulb and look exactly where the center of the bulb is, to later make the holes in the ceiling in the right place.
How to install indoor cannabis grow lights in a closet or room
Ventilation of indoor cannabis growing space
If we want to have the indoor cannabis cultivation space well ventilated, it is important to install two wall or floor fans, as you prefer. What is important is to install them in strategic points to help the air that enters through the intractor, be distributed throughout the room in a homogeneous way. For this it is best to place a fan in front of the intractor and place the other fan on the opposite side. In this way it is possible to distribute the fresh air perfectly throughout all the plants.
Use of the timer box
To be able to control all the electronic materials with which we are going to work in our cultivation room, it is very important to use a timer clock, or as in this case, a timer box. By using a timer box we manage to control all electronic devices through a single device easily and easily.
It is advisable to put it in an accessible place and at the same time allow the wiring of the different electronic components to reach it. For greater security it is advisable to install a small fire extinguisher just above the timer box.
Thermohygrometer in the indoor cannabis growing space
After installing all the electronic components, it is time to check that everything works correctly so that cannabis seeds can begin to germinate. But it is important to place a thermohygrometer between the means of the two lighting equipment and observe the parameters it shows in terms of temperature and humidity.
Although the temperature is within the ideal parameters for cannabis cultivation, the relative humidity is probably below that necessary for the plants to develop properly during their first weeks of life. This is due to the large cultivation space, in which maintaining optimal temperature and humidity conditions are a bit more difficult than in a closet.
Humidifier in the indoor cannabis growing space
If we grow in an indoor cultivation space that is large it is necessary to use a humidifier or even several. The relative humidity of the environment must be maintained within a few percentages during the first weeks of the life of the plant, if not, it is most likely that the plant does not show its maximum potential.
To achieve a perfect distribution of moisture, put the humidifier in the middle of the cultivation space and reinforce the distribution of steam created with the use of a fan. After a few hours change the site humidifier and put it just to the opposite side, to avoid that the plants closest to it have excess moisture and may suffer problems because of fungi.
Attention
One of the most important things you should do is to make sure that you don’t see anything from the outside and that the extraction and intraction system works correctly, since otherwise you may have problems because of odors.
