I have ONE 8X4 tent. If I were to use this as a flowering tent only, and have something consistently rotating from veg to flower, how many tents do I need? 2 veg tents? And approximately the recommended sizes?
There will be clones from each cycle and monster crop clones which take longer, and repeating. When do I start seeds to add new strain with clones? I’m just trying to dial this in so my turn around is better than every 4 months.
Some more details, after my first grow and canopy levels being the biggest issue, I would like a primarily indica dominant or hybrid cycle, and a sativa dominant cycle. Always taking clones from each cycle.
So far the maximum number of plants is 18. This number is variable and could end up less with suggestions and ideas. Lighting an ventilation is no issue, just space. I just want to make sure I have enough and don’t end up with plants with no space to go.
I’m throwing these ideas off of the best forum I know of. All ideas are appreciated. Thanks again all!
And for the tags of course
@bob31 @Countryboyjvd1971 @Donaldj @dbrn32 @Hogmaster @ktreez420 @Screwauger @MacGyverStoner @MAXHeadRoom @VelcroThumb
18 plants sounds like a lot fir that space imo
I grow max 4 plants per tent tents are 4x4 x7
In veg i can put 6-8 depending on age per tent
I actually have three tents one for sprout/seedlings
And then i have the other two tents for veg and flower
Youll want to start plants 3-4 weeks apart also just a fyi
How much room do you have to work with for second set up ? @Covertgrower
In my opinion, there’s a couple of ways you could go. I was experimenting with this first one befor I moved. I ran my larger area (3x6) on 12/12 all the time, and introduced plants two at a time. I would harvest 2-3 at a time from the center, then shift everything towards middle and introduce new plants at the edges. A new plant for every plant I would chop. I used smaller pots and less veg time than what @Countryboyjvd1971 does, so I had a little higher plant count. I think I had about 15 on the table at one time at most. It was a little squirrelly, but most of the plants took up just a little more area than the pots did. Running 2 strains was kind of a chore, but I had 2 fixtures and tried to keep one strain to left side and the other to right side and just ran lights at a little different height.
I had that for close to a year and never really got it dialed in. Waiting on trichs or being a dummy and making a mistake somewhere seemed to upset the flow regularly. But I’m confident a better grower or more time would’ve been able to iron things out to have a regular harvest interval from just 2 spaces. Going this route, I would sssume a 4x4 would be enough to feed the 4x8. You need a small spot for seed starting and clones. And enough room to have a couple of plants at a couple of various stages of veg. I feed the 3x6 from a 2x2 and was not enough room in my opinion.
Another option, going with 3 spaces, gives you the versatility to run a longer veg time and have larger plants. You may actually consider using the 4x8 for veg and going with a couple of 4x4 or 5x5 for flowering. Then you could do similar to @WillyJ and run the long veg times and just flower out a handful of plants per tent. Or use one veg, one flower, and tent three for overflow and/or experimental new strain type of stuff.
The right way for you will probably have to come from some trial and error. But you have way more options than vegging in one tent and then harvesting two different tents on a 4 week schedule. Which seems to be the norm
I’m with Country Boy on four plants max in a 4x4 tent and two other tents for the other phases of growth.
3 light rotation works best for me but I also only flower 1-2 plants in a space at a time thanks to my rotation my plants are typically 3’x3’-3’x4’ each once spread out. I did the 1 flower space perpetual in the past I find it easier to keep feedings and harvests on track with 2 flower spaces roughly 4 weeks apart
@Countryboyjvd1971 thanks for stopping by. The extra spaces I have to work in is a 4x4 area and possibly a 2X4 area. I feel pretty comfortable with the 17 I have in the tent currently. They also aren’t full sized yet, my mind might change about that later. They remain relatively short in height, but the two monster crop clones might get larger than I think.
@dbrn32 I could possibly use the 4x4 to use for flowering. I’m not sure why I was stuck on flowering in the large tent. If I used the 4x4 I could provide better lighting and more of it in a smaller area. This is a great point you make though.
@Donaldj you bring up another good point on schedules. If follow through on tbe sativa dominant cycle, the flowering times will be longer. (Usually) If I use the larger space for flowering, some will be able to be harvested, but I’ll run into a problem if I put fresh plants in the space for flowering that aren’t quite large enough yet.
@Loneviking you bring up a good point also on the numbers. It seems the best answer I’m seeing from everyone is just less plants.
I really appreciate everyone’s input, and it might just be trial and error in the beginning. This is something I’m considering, I haven’t ordered anything yet, and likely won’t be ordered until after Christmas anyways. If the kids only knew these plants keep the parents sanity sometimes. If anyone has any other suggestions please don’t hesitate. I respect everyone’s input as most of you have more experience than myself. If one things comes out of this, I should probably consider less plants next grow cycle. @WillyJ if you have input, I’m listening.
You can have plants in different stages of flower they all dont need ro be at same weeks 12/12 will still be your schedule
You’re correct @Countryboyjvd1971 that goes back to fewer plants, so there’s space to squeak one in if I have to.
All are photos, I didn’t want to complicate things with autos. I want more grow experience before I jump on the auto wagon. @Countryboyjvd1971
Do you already have 4x4 and 2x4 tents? Or you saying that’s what you have room to add?
@dbrn32 that is the leftover room I have to add. I may have room for another 2x4 but I would have to double check measurements. 3 grow spaces minimum for sure though. I currently only have the 4x8 tent.
So if the majority of your grow is going to be indica, but you still want some sativa, I’ve been tossing some thoughts around. Start 3 sativa in a 2x4, veg them like 3 weeks and take a few cuttings before you flip them. Throw cuttings in 4x4 to root and veg until you can identify best pheno. Give that mother treatment, take clones estimated 5 weeks before harvest to replace. 2 weeks to root and roughly 3 week veg should be plenty to make a decent pull on long flowering sativa. And should only take up about 25% of the 4x4. The rest of the 4x4 dedicate to an indica mom or two, and take a couple of cuttings at whatever frequency you want to harvest. Then insert into 4x8 as you harvest plants.
I originally thought the bigger space may be good to feed others. But if you can’t get to at least two additional 4x4’s it will be a waste of space. It doesn’t make sense to spend months vegging large plants to not have anywhere to put them. Especially growing from clone, where you essentially have no additional cost of having larger plant count. You can take cuttings every week and have them in your 4x4 at various stage of veg. Once they hit about 3 weeks, pot them up and throw them in flower the next week. Your plants will be a little smaller, but you’d have room for probably 40 of them if you wanted. Figure about 3 a week and you’d have 24-27 plants max. But 3 gallon pots would be plenty, and your commitment per plant would be small. If you got a wild hair to change up strains, you’re not into anything on 2 months veg. You just start seeds and plug in your cuttings as soon as you’re able to take them.
@dbrn32 I like the idea of just having shorter veg times, and smaller plants. I vegged my last grow for 2 months and was happy with the size. Yields will be might be smaller from a clone but won’t matter because of the amount of plants there will be consistently. The mother plant idea will work when I eventually find “my strain of choice” haven’t found it yet. I’m dying to to plant the ILGM Jack Herer beans, and I’m trying not to click the buy button on train wreck or green crack from ILGM. I actually haven’t considered keeping a mother plant at all, just taking clones of the clones etc. the turn around time will be faster with a mother though maybe. I’m seeing a minimum of three grow spaces at least though. And a small 4th for seedlings. I should go take measurements and see if there might be wiggle room. This is all a brainstorm at this point, and wanted bounce ideas off the best place I know. Thanks.
I picked up a small clone done on amazon a while ago. It’s about a third of the size of a normal one. I will see if a can find a link. If you’re not taking a lot of clones it’s perfect. You can just keep it in your veg area without hardly taking up any space at all. I put a small shelf in the bottom of my tent with a diy led specifically for it. And the mother plant sat on top of the shelf. Would save you from needing a specific area just for that.
I just looked and I don’t see it. I see similar ones with shorter dome, and one that’s 15x9”. But I think the one I have is like 12”x7” with around a 6” dome.
It’s an oddball size for sure. But it worked great for cloning in small batches.
It’s like this, but bigger and taller dome.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071CYJQYT/ref=pd_aw_sim_86_of_2?tag=greenrel-20
I’m going through my sales history and don’t see it either. Maybe I’m an idiot and got it at local shop or something.
An nice, my local Walmart has those. Very practical for staring seeds
I have a clone dome, but it’s 72 cell version and is a decent sized. Along with heat mat. @dbrn32