5 min read
Choosing your first grow tent: height, airflow and what else to budget for
The short version. Choose height before floor space - lights, a filter and a fan take 40 to 60cm off the top before a plant grows a leaf, so a 2m space is comfortable and a 1.6m one is a daily compromise. Budget for extraction, ducting and a way to hang it all at the same time as the space itself, because the tent alone grows nothing.
A tent, a lined cupboard or a sealed corner of the garage all do the same job: they give you a small volume you can actually control. Getting that volume right at the start saves more money than any single piece of gear, because everything you buy afterwards is sized to it.
Height first, floor space second
Stack it up before you measure the floor. A reflector and lamp hang below the frame. A carbon filter and fan usually hang beside or above them. Add ratchet hangers and the ducting elbow and you can lose more than half a metre before the plant gets a say.
| Overall height | Roughly left for the plant | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6m | 1.0 - 1.2m | Seedlings, cuttings, short crops, herbs |
| 1.8m | 1.2 - 1.4m | Most home crops if you keep them trained |
| 2.0m and over | 1.4 - 1.6m | Taller fruiting plants, less pruning pressure |
Floor space is easier to judge: work out how many finished plants you want, allow for the canopy they will reach rather than the pot they start in, and leave yourself room to get an arm behind them.
Tent, or line the room yourself?
A ready-made tent is quick and comes down when you move. Lining an existing room with reflective film costs less per square metre, fits an odd-shaped space, and is usually the better answer for a garage or a spare room you are not going to reconfigure.
Black-and-white panda film lines a room white side in - the black backing stops light escaping through the wall behind it.
If you go the lining route, the white side faces the plants and the black side faces the wall. There is a full walk-through in our guide to setting up a grow room in an Auckland garage, including what to do about a concrete floor and winter condensation.
What has to be bought at the same time
This is where first-time budgets come unstuck. The enclosure is the cheap part.
- Extraction. A fan sized to replace the room volume about once a minute. Our fans and filters range includes matched combos such as the 250mm fan and filter, which saves you matching flanges yourself. There is a sizing walk-through in how to size an extraction fan and carbon filter.
- Ducting. Matched to the fan collar - 250mm or 315mm. Keep the run short and the bends few.
- Light. A complete kit is the simplest start; see the Kittset Deepbowl and Kittset Batwing in grow light kits, or build your own from lighting parts.
- Something to hang it from. Check the frame's stated load before you hang a filter off it.
- Pots and medium. A 27L pot and a bag of coco will see most crops through.
Reflector shape changes the footprint
Two kits at the same wattage can light very different areas. A batwing spreads light wide and shallow, which suits a low space where the lamp cannot be far from the canopy. A deep bowl throws a more concentrated, deeper pattern that suits taller rooms and denser planting. Neither is better in the abstract - it depends on the box you are lighting. We cover the difference in what is in an HID grow light kit.
The Kittset Deepbowl is a complete kit, ready to hang.
When a controller starts to earn its place
One light on a plug-in timer is fine. Once you are running several, a light management unit such as the LMU 24 switches them together, takes the switching load off the ballasts and gives you one place to set the timing. It is not a first purchase, but it is worth knowing what you are growing towards.
Buying it in person
If you are unsure, bring the room measurements in. We are at 46 Wharf Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula and the team runs gear themselves - see store details and hours, or order online and collect.
Frequently asked questions
What height grow tent should I get?
2m or taller if you have the ceiling for it. Lights, a carbon filter, a fan and hangers take roughly 40 to 60cm off the top, so a 1.6m tent leaves only about 1.0 to 1.2m of growing height.
Is a tent better than lining a room?
They do the same job differently. A tent is faster to set up and portable; lining a room with reflective film is usually cheaper per square metre and fits awkward spaces. For a permanent setup in a garage, lining the room often wins.
What size extraction fan do I need?
Work out the room volume in cubic metres - length by width by height - and look for a fan rated comfortably above that figure per minute. Ducting, bends and a carbon filter all reduce real airflow, so buy headroom rather than an exact match.
Which way round does panda film go?
White side facing into the room so it reflects light onto the plants, black side against the wall so light does not pass through and the surface behind stays clean.
Batwing or deep bowl reflector?
A batwing spreads light wider and shallower, which suits low rooms where the lamp sits close to the canopy. A deep bowl concentrates it and throws further down, which suits taller spaces. Match the shape to the room rather than picking one as a default.
Do I need a light controller straight away?
No. A single light on a good timer is fine. A light management unit starts to make sense once you are switching several lights together and want the timing and the switching load handled in one place.