Boot Camp How Growing in Tents Can Work For You By Harry Resin

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Boot Camp How Growing in Tents Can Work For You By Harry Resin"

Eugene Quinn
5 years ago
Views:

1 Boot Camp How Growing in Tents Can Work For You By Harry Resin Grow tents have fast crept up as the leading means for small home gardeners to easily set up a growroom. In the past, growers were forced to use closets or to construct their own rooms. Now, with the advent of prefabricated tents, indoor home growing is much easier. In Europe all the tents tend to be about two meters in height (about 6.5 feet). The smaller tents are usually one meter by one meter in length and width. This would be 3.25 feet by 3.25 feet. Some of the newest such as the mammoth are nearly 20 by 20. But the smaller tents are really easy, DIY style. One man can set up (or take down) a small tent in 15 to 20 minutes. I will gear most of the information towards the smaller home grower because if you are setting up a bigger room it is advisable to build it to your specifications the old fashion way, with wood and nails. Generally, grow tents could be broken down into two categories; those with the white PVC lining and those with the silver lining. There are many different brands as well and after extensive testing I would only go with the ones that have the silver on the inside. The white ones with the PVC tend to give off an odorless, colorless gas that adversely affects the plants. Now that you ve bought your grow tent what next? Set it up they are fairly selfexplanatory and come with easy assembly instructions. One thing to be careful with is lowering the fabric over the frame, it is important not to force it or pull too tightly as you really don t want to stretch the seems or break the zippers as this will eventually lead to future light leaks. After setting it up it is time to install your light and filters. Small Tents The following is an explanation for setting up a single-light, small tent. For the sake of this example, let s assume we are using the Darkroom 100 tent that measures 100 cm X 100 cm X 200 cm. In a small tent, growers generally will be using one light. Stick to a 600-watt lamp as this will allow for easier temperature control. Also, with a slightly larger tent you can easily upgrade to two 600-watt lights, which gives you 1,200 watts, as opposed to using just one 1000-watt light. To start, growers must first choose a high-intensity discharge (HID) bulb to grow with. It is usually best to use high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs for both your vegetative and flowering stages. Advanced growers might consider using a metal-halide (MH) bulb during vegetative and then switching to HPS for the flowering cycle, but beginners can get away using HPS for both. However, one could not use MH bulbs for both. The bulbs we use most often in Amsterdam (and around most of Europe) are the Phillips Son-T Pia Green Power as this bulb tends towards the warmer, orange/ red side of the spectrum that the plants need during flowering.

2 Once you ve selected your bulbs growers will need to choose a compatible ballast. Whenever possible, I would recommend using digital ballasts. Electronic and digital ballasts are not only the most efficient but also help you to maximize lumen output. However, new tests show that you must find bulbs specifically manufactured for those types of electronic and digital ballasts (i.e., that operate at the same higher frequency of the ballast). The reason for this is that conventional bulbs will burn out quicker and will cost you more money in the long term. As far as light hoods go, you can always get good results with the Adjust-a-Wing style reflectors as they give the widest possible spread of light from the bulb you are using. If you want to air-cool your lamp(s), be sure to get a hood with side flanges that will allow for ducting to connect the hood to a fan. Most tents have fitted holes placed near the tent tops to attach ductwork and allow the fan to sit atop or outside of the tent to exhaust heat. Set-Up Tips Once you have pulled the fabric tent over the frame you are now ready to begin setting up the interior of your grow tent. On the top of the tent are two metal bars that growers can use to hang the lights and possibly a filter. Start with hanging the light hood on the rails. Adjustable light hangers (that look like small rubber yoyo devices) will allow you to easily lower and raise a light. Once the hood is attached you will have to thread the power cord through one of the openings at the top of the tent. The wire you are using should be thick and well insulated. The ends of this wire will be attached to the light socket in the hood and the outer end will be attached to your ballast (preferably outside of the tent). If for some reason you must keep your ballasts inside the tent (like in the larger tent models) always keep them raised up and away from the floor and plants. This helps exhaust heat and keep gardens cooler; it also ensures that they don t get wet. Be sure to stabilize ballasts on shelves or securely mount them to boards to keep them out of harms way. Once you ve wired your light you are ready to plug it into the timer. One of the toughest things with grow tents is controlling the temperature, as the space is small its hard to regulate the airflow. In the smaller tents, it is advisable to stick with a small inline fan attached to a Can Filter for smell control and general air exhaust. A lot of airflow throughout the tent is key and best results come with good ventilation, One trick is to attach a small circulation fan in a corner of the tent to better move the air, and the plants tend to like the slight blowing in the wind effect. Usually this will make for larger and more compact buds. With airflow you need to pay careful attention to creating a pressure system between the air going in and the air going out. Air moves from high pressure to low pressure and without this pressure system the airflow in your tent will stand still and stagnate, not allowing the plants to breath well. Generally, a 350 cfm extraction fan will be sufficient to exhaust a small tent with one 600-watt light. For intake there are two options. The first deals with pressure: the principle is that as the exhaust fan sucks out the air, new airflow will be naturally pulled

3 through the vents at the bottom of the tent. The second option utilizes a small intake fan. This is the most advisable because, as discussed previously, airflow is one of the most important aspects for healthy gardens (outside of light and water) and based on past experience I don t really feel you get enough airflow relying on pressure alone. Use a small 250 cfm intake fan to pull in fresh, cool air into the tent. Always remember to keep the intake fan low (where air is cooler) and the exhaust fans high (as hot air from lamps will rise). Also, it should be noted that a small circulation fan in the tent to circulate and move air around plants is extremely important and aids them in respiration. Growing Your Garden Now it is time to decide on how you re going to grow your plants. An important distinction to make is whether you want to grow for taste or yield? I prefer soil with an organic food line and guanos, but this doesn t always mean the most killer yields. It is possible for growers to get both, but given the choice I will always grow for taste when growing for my head stash. The more chemically-enhanced, synthetic boosters tend to negatively effect flavor, even when well flushed. Soil is also an easier medium to grow in as it s more forgiving towards mistakes. It may seem at first that hydro is easier because you let the system water your plants for you, but with a small crop there is nothing like going into your tent, moving your pots around and watering them by hand. Some sound advice is that fewer plants can equal more both in quality and even in yield. Growers can also opt for a sea-of-green (SOG) style canopy but in my experience the best yields and healthiest plants that I ve grown in a tent were in big pots and with only a few plants. In smaller tents growing only four to six plants in large pots and vegging them for at least a month can turn out a very successful crop. Again, you could always fill your tent with pots and grow your plants in a SOG with a net trellis, but I tend to stick with what has worked best for me in the past. One you ve decided on the direction you are going to move in you will next have to decide on both grow medium and plant food. As mentioned, soil is the easiest and most forgiving media to work with. The main drawback is disposal but with a light feeding program you can always go through your soil when you are done, clean it and reuse it. If you do opt for a small hydroponic set up, an excellent system to use is pot containers filled with Hydroton pellets (or similar clay aggregate) as the grow medium. The reason for this is that with plants in stand-alone pots you can easily make adjustments for each plant as needed. For example, if one needs to be flushed for some reason, like it didn't like the last feeding, then you could always take it off the line and flush it by hand. This system also allows for multiple options in nutrient delivery. It is relatively easy to set up a small reservoir system that runs drip-emitter feeds off of a main water line for automated feeding. Certain deep-water bucket systems can also utilize netted pots in the top of the buckets filled with clay aggregate to hold plants. The buckets flood from the bottom up to feed root systems, but plants can be removed from the bucket tops for maintenance. These hydro systems give growers more freedom for corrections.

4 Some Tips on Feeding Plants Now, on to the nutrients. There is no need for a boring lecture on N-P-K ratios, but I will say that in my experience it is a good idea to get to know what the various nutrients do. This includes the primary macronutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) as well as the secondary group of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S). This is especially true with the micronutrients such as zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), etc. It is after all the combination of these elements that make up the plants diet. One rule of thumb is to halve or even quarter the recommended dosages on the side of nutrient packaging. Nutrient companies, of course, have one goal which is to sell nutrients, therefore they want you to use more. The reality is that plants don t need that much food. Ok, there will always be some strains that like to eat more then others, but for the most part it is better to under feed then to over feed. The absolute key to great tasting bud is a minimum of at least two weeks flushing with fresh water with absolutely no nutrients (though growers may need to add ph up or down depending on where the water source is). This will flush out the nutrients and allow the sugars in the plant to break down. This is a key step for great tasting bud Harvesting One of the biggest confusions in growing is when to harvest your buds. One of my friend s, Soma of Soma Seeds in Amsterdam, always says, Once you think its ready, then wait another week. This is definitely sound advice. What is ripe cannabis? Trichomes on flowers go through several stages towards the end of their growth cycle. To begin with, they start off clear and as they ripen turn milky white. This is when the THC level is at its highest, right at the beginning of the harvest cycle. As the THC degrades it becomes Cannabinol (CBN). This can be seen when the crystals change colors into a brownish, red-amber shade. This shift will continue even once you ve cut and dried your buds. As they go through the curing process the THC continues to degrade into CBN. It is for this reason that harvest timing is so personal. It really depends on what type of high you like. The THC high gives more of the rushier buzz while the CBN s (and CBD s) add more of a body buzz or stoned feeling. This is the same for the indicas as it is for the sativas; the earlier you cut your garden, the higher the levels of THC compared to the levels of CBN. The Dutch government s medical marijuana, produced by the Bedrocan BV grow facility, is actually cut down right at the point where the THC is the highest, which for some might be a bit early. THC is highly psychoactive compared to other cannabinoids, whereas CBD for example has more physical and bodily effects. Again this really is a personal preference. Personally, I harvest when 20 to 25 percent of the trichomes are amber in color.

5 Remember to let the plants dry out in the last few days prior to harvesting. Once the garden is ready to be cut down, let them sit in their pots for 24 hours to dry them out. Next, cut them down at the bottom of the stem and hang them upside down. Ideally, a cedar or other type of wooden closet is the best for drying, but in a pinch with no other options hanging them in the tent is ok. Hang them upside down from the metal frame that crosses the top of the tent. One tip is to tie a rubber band around the bottom of the plant and then insert an opened paper clip into the elastic band. You can then use the clip to fasten the plant to the support bars of the tent. Slightly lower the air circulation in the drying area but keep the filter on. It is crucial that you have good filtration at this point, as this is the smelliest time of your cycle. Investing in a second air filter and fan to set up just outside the tent is a very good idea. You ll need this extra filter anyway during the manicuring. Hanging buds should be dried after about a week to ten days. It is always best to dry it slowly as this makes for the dankest buds possible. Once they re dried its time to manicure the buds by trimming off the undesirable (and unsmokable plant matter). Start by pulling off all of the big fan leaves from the hanging plants. This will get them as clean as possible before you take out the scissors. A smart way to trim plants is above a fine screen, which will deliver some amazing dry-sieved hash. But you can also trim them on any flat surface. Be sure to cut off all stems and even smaller sugar leaves sticking out of buds. Be careful not to bruise resin glands within the flowers when getting inside to pull out the longer leaves. Don t forget to save the trim for a later time when you can make bubble hash Once you ve manicured your buds it is now time to put them in glass jars and begin curing them. Curing is really just a secondary drying process that happens much slower than when the buds were hang drying. A good cure is a minimum of a month, though most growers tend to rush this process in order to get paid. The jars should be opened at least once a day for 10 minutes during this process to let the moisture in the buds and jars slowly evaporate. From personal experience the hazes cure the best and can go into cures as long as a year as long as the buds are stored in a cool, dark environment. The indicas, however, tend to start loosing flavor after about three months. Hopefully, this will help you enjoy the buds of your labor and have fun growing your own smoke, in your first tent grow.

Hydrobuilder Grow Tent Packages - Package Assembly Instructions -

Hydrobuilder Grow Tent Packages - Package Assembly Instructions - Need Assistance or Have Questions? We want you to enjoy using your new grow equipment and are available for help Monday thru Friday 9-5PST