How many plants and what technique for a small grow tent

[Ghost25]

Hey guys, planning my second grow it will be in a grow tent with dimensions 27''×27''×63''.

Currently I'm planning on growing Wonder Woman (fem) from Nirvana though I haven't actually ordered the seeds.

I will be growing with DWC and LEDs. I want a fast, high yield harvest. I'm willing to buy a bit more seed if it cuts the time to harvest by a few weeks.

The question is how many plants should I get and how long should I aim to veg to get the best balance between short time, high yield and cost of seed?

I could have one plant, veg it for a a long time while I train it and then flower. Or I could grow a lot of seeds and try to flower early. What do you guys think?

Here's some possible layouts proposed by the tent manufacturer.

 

[Blazeee]

1 large plant or 4 smaller plants in that space, personally i would do 1 larger plant, veg her out for a while, top and train her then throw a screen in there.

 

[Calgrow]

I would do 1 plant. That is a small space you might get frustrated dealing with more the one.
You want a little room for air to circulate around.

 

[AgentPothead]

I have a 2ftx2ft I'm using as a clone tent atm, and I would go the 1 large plant or 2 smaller plants for ease of watering. Trying to water all 4 of those would be a major hassle I think. If you are using a self watering setup, you could maybe get away with 4, but I think that would be pushing it tbh. Either way you should definitely look into low stress training them in such a small area. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=6090

 

[Guy Brush]

It's possible to grow 12-16 plants inside a tent of that size, as long as the the pots fit inside. You can decide for yourself how much diversity/selection you want to have going on. Anything is possible.

 

[Ghost25]

OK, the consensus seems to be that one plant is ideal. A 5 gallon bucket is 14.5" tall, the tent is only 63" plus I need to hang the light and even though it's an LED I imagine it will need at least a few inches of clearance.

Does this sound reasonable or should I look for a shorter reservoir? Nirvana says Wonder Woman should stretch double at most and as little as 1/3 taller. Does this sound reasonable?

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

Go shorter and wider. Cannabis roots like to spread out and it will give you more head room. I have grown in 5 gallon buckets and would recommend a shorter/wider container instead. I use soil though.

 

[AgentPothead]

The 10 gallon fabric smart pots are about 16 inches diameter and 11 inches tall. The 20 gallon fabric smart pots are about 20 inch diameter and 15 inches tall. You could just fit a 20 gallon one in there I think, they tend to be wider and flatter.

 

[Ghost25]

The 10 gallon fabric smart pots are about 16 inches diameter and 11 inches tall. The 20 gallon fabric smart pots are about 20 inch diameter and 15 inches tall. You could just fit a 20 gallon one in there I think, they tend to be wider and flatter.

Well I'm going to be doing DWC so fabric pots won't do me much good. Might use a tote container instead of a bucket.

 

[AgentPothead]

Well I'm going to be doing DWC so fabric pots won't do me much good. Might use a tote container instead of a bucket.

If you go tote, the HDX 12 gallon will fit in there okay. If you can find a 15 gallon/60 quart tote it should almost perfectly fit in there. The 17 gallon ones are about 3 inches too long.

 

[Ghost25]

If you go tote, the HDX 12 gallon will fit in there okay. If you can find a 15 gallon/60 quart tote it should almost perfectly fit in there. The 17 gallon ones are about 3 inches too long.

Thanks, the HDX 12 gallon looks perfect. Even if it's only a bit shorter than the 5 gallon bucket the bigger volume is nice.

Only a few more things to figure out:

1. What nutrient system? I've used GH Flora series before, as well as the Maxi series. Both worked OK, irritating that Maxi didn't fully dissolve and Flora was so dilute you go through the bottle super fast. I'm thinking about the FloraNova series this time, any thoughts?

2. Ventilation. Looking at the Hurricane 4" or 6" I have a variac so I should be able to control the speed. Do I need the 6" or should I stick with 4"? 6" is only $14 more. 4" is 171CFM 6" is 435CFM. Is this brand even the right choice and what filter should I get with it?

 

[AgentPothead]

I've only used Canna in coco for nutrients. Everything since then has been in organic soil mixes and adding some potash during flower. So sorry but I can't really offer any recommendations on nutes.
On ventilation I think the rule of thumb is to exchange the air in the tent every 3 minutes? So you take the cubic feet of your tent and divide by 3 and that's the minimum CFM you want on your exhaust. My tent is 40 square feet, my fan is 240CFM so I could theoretically empty my tent out every 10 seconds, but my carbon filter slows that down. Your tent is roughly 20 square feet, so you should be able to get by with the 4" for sure. I cannot speak to brands though, I have only used the TerraBloom fan that I bought last year. It has been running 24/7 though so I will vouch for that.

 

[Ghost25]

I've only used Canna in coco for nutrients. Everything since then has been in organic soil mixes and adding some potash during flower. So sorry but I can't really offer any recommendations on nutes.
On ventilation I think the rule of thumb is to exchange the air in the tent every 3 minutes? So you take the cubic feet of your tent and divide by 3 and that's the minimum CFM you want on your exhaust. My tent is 40 square feet, my fan is 240CFM so I could theoretically empty my tent out every 10 seconds, but my carbon filter slows that down. Your tent is roughly 20 square feet, so you should be able to get by with the 4" for sure. I cannot speak to brands though, I have only used the TerraBloom fan that I bought last year. It has been running 24/7 though so I will vouch for that.

Thanks, yeah I went ahead and bought the FloraNova and the 4" Hurricane fan. Main reason for the fan is odor control, since I'm using LEDs I'm not too worried that heat will be a serious issue.

I'll start a proper grow diary once I get my equipment and actually start growing.

 

[troutman]

If you start from regular seeds go with a full pack of 10 seeds.

Reason: 1/2 will probably be males and then you will be left with 4-5 female plants.

 

[AgentPothead]

Thanks, yeah I went ahead and bought the FloraNova and the 4" Hurricane fan. Main reason for the fan is odor control, since I'm using LEDs I'm not too worried that heat will be a serious issue.

I'll start a proper grow diary once I get my equipment and actually start growing.

Welcome bro. If it's odor control, definitely get a carbon filter too. In my experience, I have better results scrubbing the air if the filter is in the tent and the fan is pulling out of the tent. I had to move my filter outside the tent and it seems like some smell is escaping now that the fan is in push mode.

 

[troutman]

For added odor control you can set air fresheners near your door.
I have taped laundry fabric dryer sheets to the backside of my door before.
Ona Block works nice for this too.

 

[AgentPothead]

Isn't there like a plastic tub of odor eater crystals or something people recommend? But don't put it in the tent itself cause it can make the plants smell funny?

 

[troutman]

Isn't there like a plastic tub of odor eater crystals or something people recommend? But don't put it in the tent itself cause it can make the plants smell funny?

I mentioned it above. It's called Ona Block.

 

[AgentPothead]

I mentioned it above. It's called Ona Block.

Hahah I read that and didn't know wtf an ona block was. But now I know. Learning everyday.