A grow tent allows you to have an indoor garden to make up for your lack of outdoor space. When I first decided I wanted to set up a grow tent, I was in a quandary as to what size grow tent for 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, or 20 plants.
The size of the grow tent is the very first and most important issue that needs to be decided on when planning for an indoor garden.
Based on experience, I learned that a very small or very large tent may not be right for the purpose of your indoor garden – to grow healthy plants and maximize yield.
Table of Contents
Grow tent size vis-à-vis number of plants
Grow tents are available in various shapes and sizes. The most popular grow tents are the square and rectangle types.
Some grow tents have high, low, or adjustable heights. With so many options, how do you choose the right size to grow tent?
Most professional indoor gardeners and grow tent manufacturers recommend that this guide be used in picking the right size to grow tent for the number of plants you intend to grow.
2 plants – 2′ x 2′ Grow Tent
4 plants – 2′ x 4′ or 3′ x 3′ Grow Tents
6 plants – 4′ x 4′ Grow Tent
9 plants – 4’ x 8’ or 5′ x 5′ Grow Tents
12 plants – 5’ x 9’, 8′ x 8′ or 10′ x 10′ Grow Tents
20 plants – 8’ x 16’ Grow Tent
An oversized grow tent will need more fans, grow lights, and other equipment.
An undersized grow tent, on the other hand, will not create an ideal growing environment for your plants because, once mature, your plants may get crowded.
Factors to consider in choosing the right size to grow tent
There are several factors that come into play when choosing the ideal grow tent size for the number of plants you wish to grow.
1. Type of plants
Different plants have different sizes. Sizes are determined based on stem diameter, height, and structure of the leaves grow.
Given a grow tent size, you need to determine how many plants will comfortably fit in based on the matured size of the plants.
A crowded grow tent will affect the proper circulation of air and the amount of light inside the tent and, naturally, the overall growth of the plant.
2. Cultivation strategies
Continuous harvesting or growing plants in cycles will affect the number of plants you can fit inside a grow tent. Decide whether you want to grow your plants until harvesting in only one tent.
If you are a continuous harvester, you will often go for separate tents for the vegetation, flowering, and harvesting stages of plant growth. In different stages, the same size tent will be able to fit a different number of plants.
The number of plants that will fit into the same size tents will also vary depending on how you will want to grow your plants.
If you are into growing small plants with frequent harvesting, then more plants will fit into your grow tent. Lesser number of plants will fit inside the tent if you want to grow your plants really wide.
How you intend to grow your plants, as well as the containers, hydro system, and lights you use, will affect the number of plants that will fit inside same-sized tents.
3. System selection
Choosing between a soil-based or hydroponic system will also affect the number of plants a grow tent can comfortably accommodate.
In a hydroponic indoor garden, plants do not need to compete for light and water; thus, you will be able to position plants closer to each other in a hydroponic tent than in a soil-based system.
As such more plants will fit inside a hydroponic tent than in a soil-based tent of the same size.
4. Power sources available
Grow tents require a lot of light. Most homes accommodate 100 amp services with breakers for 15, 20, and 24 amperes.
Some homes, though, are built with more amp service. Given this scenario, a 2′ x 4′ grow tent can fit up to 4 plants, while in some homes, 2-3 plants are feasible.
The number of plants you can grow in a tent is dependent on the available power for the grow lights.
Your plants will need ample lighting to grow healthy and strong. As a general rule, light in 600-1000 Watts is ideal for 4 full-grown plants.
The number of lights you can run inside the tent will determine the number of plants you can grow, as one grow light is good for only a certain number of plants.
5. Available space
It is common for many beginner indoor gardeners to first decide on the number of plants they wish to grow, choose the right-sized grow tent, and decide where to set up the tent.
While this may be the right way to go, it is important first to determine if you have the available space inside your home to set up the tent.
The grow tent should be a few 1 or 2 feet smaller than the available space for ease of setting up and maintenance. Measure the height, length, and width of the space you plan to install your grow tent.
Some components of the grow tent may be outside the tent itself, so you will need to consider more space than the actual size of the tent.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors to consider in determining the number of plants you can grow for a particular size of grow tent.
While there is a guide or a manufacturer’s recommendation, the type of plant you are growing, the type of system you are using in your tent, the cultivating method, and the amount of electric power available will determine the number of plants a tent can accommodate.
A grow tent creates an ideal growing environment for your plants to grow healthy and strong for more yield.
Overcrowding your grow tent will not achieve this purpose, as it will compromise the proper growth of your plants.
