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How Many Plants Can You Grow In a Grow Tent?

Are you planning to start an indoor grow setup? Indoor grow setups usually involve the use of grow tents, which helps growers control the environment of the plants.

You get to set when sunrise and sunset takes place when used in tandem with grow lights. And you control the environment inside by monitoring and shifting temperatures and humidity levels.

One of the things taken for granted in planning an indoor grow setup is the number of plants you can put inside. Some growers make that mistake of underutilizing grow tent real estate when they could have put more plants, as more plants means a larger harvest.

That said, it is imperative to know how many plants you can put inside a grow tent, given the dimensions, so that you can efficiently use your gardening assets with minimal wastage.

So, how many plants can one grow in the most common grow tent sizes?

And the answer is: it depends.

  

 

Indoor Growing Methods

Before buying a grow tent, you may want to consider the growing style.

Are you going for a sea of green, or will you be pruning leaves now and then? Will you be keeping things low?

There are five (5) growing styles you can use with a grow tent, each having its set of advantages and disadvantages. These growing styles also affect how many plants you can put inside a grow tent, so it would be good to see which one you should go for, vis-à-vis your grow tent size.

 

Screen of Green

 

Screen of Green Method

 

The Screen of Green growing style employs a screen that helps you track the height of your cannabis plant so that you can prune them accordingly.

The Screen of Green offers benefits, such as less water and nutrients consumption, efficient use of growing space, and works with seedlings and cuttings. It also only needs 0.25 square feet of space, so you can make the most of the grow tent.

But, a Screen of Green needs growers to be extra meticulous. If you plan to use a Screen of Green style, you should track the growth of your plant so you can prune them, as needed.

Screen of Greens often works better with Sativas, so that should be something to consider.

 

Topping

Topping involves pruning the highest part of the plant and takes advantage of stress-exposure to induce the production of more buds. You’d use this technique to increase yields without adding any more enhancers.

This style has the potential of having more colas after trimming the main cola. This method lets you make the most out of the capacity of your plants. Aside from more colas, topping your plant makes room for better light absorption.

While topping can be done anytime, it is best done during mature stages, which makes colas more accessible and visible.

If you plan to do topping on your cannabis, you need to earmark at least 0.75 square feet of space.

 

Low-Stress Training

Low-Stress Training is a growing style that maximizes grow space and light while keeping height uniform. As cannabis grows into a more conical-shape, Low-Stress Training changes the growth direction towards a horizontal spread to keep the height of your plants uniform.

The advantage of Low-Stress Training is a much more efficient light distribution, through equal growth. Better light distribution improves the nutrient and quality of buds.

The disadvantage of the Low-Stress Training on cannabis lies more on the quantity of plants. It’s harder to manage more plants using this method. This method works best for home growers who are planting only a handful of plants.

Since the Low-Stress Training directs the stalk of the plant to move horizontally, the ideal grow space per plant is pegged at two (2) square feet.

 

Sea of Green

 

Sea of Green

 

A Sea of Green is a low-stress growing technique that works best for smaller cannabis plants. If done right, you can get a high number of yields in a lesser amount of time and can do many harvests in a year.

Compared to the Screen of Green method, the Sea of Green focuses on having more plants and get them to harvest at a faster time, while the Screen of Green prolongs vegetation periods.

Advantages of the Screen of Green method is that it can provide more yields in a lesser period, have many layers stacked, it does not need much vertical space, and works exceptionally for commercial-scale growing.

But, a Sea of Green needs more attention, is more prone to pests and plant diseases, and if you are not careful enough, you may break local laws on cultivating cannabis.

If you plan to do a Sea of Green, you need at least one (1) square foot of space per plant.

 

Medium-sized Grows

Medium-sized grows are usually reserved for medium to large plants. They need more space around it to branch out.

This method is straightforward, and you do not need to alter the direction of growth and requires less maintenance.

The disadvantage to this method is that it needs more space. For every plant you put in the grow tent, allot at least two (2) square feet of space, but the recommended is four (4) square feet.

 

  

Spacing Guidelines

As a rule of thumb, consider these allocations for each plant per square foot:

  • Sea of Green: 1 square foot 
  • Medium Grows: 4 square feet 
  • Screen of Green: 0.25 square feet 
  • Topping: 0.75 for Topping
  • Low-Stress Training: 2 square feet 


Remember that these growing styles have respective advantages and disadvantages. So it would be good to consider that in choosing your grow tent.

 

  

How Many Plants Can You Fit in a Particular Grow Tent Size?

Now that you are familiar with the possible growing methods, here’s a quick breakdown of how many you can put in your tent.

Note that in some cases, you may encounter extra space that can still fit in another plant or two. Should you fill that space? It is highly discouraged to fill in those gaps you may find. You would want to have an equal distribution of lights and nutrients so the plants grow properly.

Grow tents also have added equipment to aid in the growth of your plants, so you have to factor in these tools in your space.

 

2' x 2' Grow Tents

 

Secret Jardin Dark Street V4 60 2' x 2' Grow Tent
        • Sea of Green: 4 plants
        • Medium Grow: 1 plant
        • Screen of Green: 16 plants
        • Low-Stress Training: 2 plants 
        • Topping: 5 plants

 

The 2' x 2' Grow Tent is the most common grow tent used by many home growers. It’s small, compact, and perfect for states that regulate the number of cannabis plants allowed for personal use.

If you plan to use a 2' x 2' Grow Tent, you can do four (4) plants for a Sea of Green, and you can have one (1) plant if you are doing a medium grow. A 2' x 2' Grow Tent also lets you have 16 plants for a Screen of Green and two (2) plants for Low-Stress Training. You can have five (5) plants for Topping, although you might be able to squeeze in one more. But it’s better to stay at five (5) and not risk sacrificing the quality of your plants.

 

2' x 4' Grow Tents

 

Gorilla Grow Tent Shorty 2' x 4' Grow Tent
        • Sea of Green: 8 plants
        • Medium Grow: 2 plants
        • Screen of Green: 32 plants
        • Low-Stress Training: 4 plants 
        • Topping: 10 plants

 

2' x 4' Grow Tents are just a pair of 2' x 2' grow tents put together, side by side. The same rule still applies here, and thus you get twice the capacity of a 2' x 2' grow tent.

That means you get eight (8) plants for a Sea of Green, two (2) plants for a medium grow, 32 plants for a Screen of Green, four (4) plants for Low-Stress Training, and ten (10) plants for Topping with some room to spare.

  

3' x 3' Grow Tents

 

Secret Jardin Dark Room V3 DR90 3' x 3' Grow Tent
        • Sea of Green: 9 plants
        • Medium Grow: 2 plants
        • Screen of Green: 12 plants
        • Low-Stress Training: 4 plants 
        • Topping: 12 plants

 

3' x 3' Grow Tents are slightly bigger than 2 x 2 Grow Tents, but they can contain more than you think.

For a Sea of Green, you can have nine (9) plants, 12 plants for a Screen of Green, and 12 plants for Topping.

You can also have two (2) plants on a medium grow, four (4) plants on Low-Stress Training. But you are better off using a rectangular grow tent so that each plant gets its square grow space with an even yet, well-distributed light spectrum.

 

 

4' x 4' Grow Tents

 

Secret Jardin Dark Room V3 DR120 4' x 4' Indoor Grow Tent
        • Sea of Green: 16 plants
        • Medium Grow: 4 plants
        • Screen of Green: 64 plants
        • Low-Stress Training: 8 plants 
        • Topping: 21 plants

 

4' x 4' Grow Tents are a common grow tent size used by home growers because it can handle high wattage HPS lamps.

For this setup size, you can have 16 plants for a Sea of Green, 64 plants for a Screen of Green, and four (4) plants for a medium grow. You can do 21 plants for Toppings and eight (8) plants for Low-Stress Training and space them well, but you may want to use a rectangular grow tent for better space management.

 

 

5' x 5' Grow Tents

 

Gorilla Grow Tent 5' x 5' Indoor Grow Tent
        • Sea of Green: 25 plants
        • Medium Grow: 6 plant
        • Screen of Green: 100 plants
        • Low-Stress Training: 12 plants 
        • Topping: 33 plants

 

5' x 5' Grow Tents are like the 4' x 4' Grow Setups since they are also excellent for handling high-powered grow lights.

In this case, you can do 25 plants for a Sea of Green and 100 plants for a Screen of Green. A medium grow will give you space for six (6) plants, Topping gives you space for 33 plants, and 12 plants for Low-Stress Training, and still have a little wiggle room to tend to your plants.

 

 

 

Which Are The Best Grow Tent For These Sizes?

If you are looking for a 2' x 2' Grow Tent, consider getting a Secret Jardin DS 60. The DS 60 uses a 190M durable fabric, a 95 percent reflective mylar surface, and a mesh frame, which you can use for Screen of Green setups.

The Gorilla Grow Tent Shorty is a viable option for 2' x 4' Grow Tents. It’s compact, has an EZ-view Window and 360-degree access, so you need not enter the tent to reach the other side of your plants. And if you need extra space, it comes with a 9-inch expansion kit.

For 3' x 3' Grow Tents, you might want to check out the Gorilla Grow Tent 3' x 3'. Like the Shorty, this grow tent uses durable fabric and a reflective mylar surface. And if you need more space, the Gorilla Grow Tent 3' x 3' can expand up to almost 8 feet in height.

If you are looking for 4' x 4' grow tents, the Gorilla Grow Tent Lite is an excellent choice. It’s an affordable option but features the same quality you can expect from the brand. It’s only drawback is, it does not come with an extension kit, as you need to buy it separately.

For 5' x 5' Grow Tents, you should consider the Gorilla Grow Tent 5' x 5', especially if you want to use high-powered grow lights. It can stand at almost 7 feet, which allows you to hang a variety of grow lights and adjust them accordingly to prevent burning.

 

Conclusion

The number of plants you can have on a grow tent will always depend on the goals for the harvest.

You need to think about it closely, as it is not recommended to shift in the middle of the growth cycle. You may compromise the quality of the plant, should you decide to do so. With that in mind, you may want to try out different growing styles so you can determine which works best for you.

   

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