One of the most essential pieces of equipment you’ll need to garden indoors is a grow tent. There are many of these on the market, including different makes, models, sizes, and materials. However, buying one will require an investment as well as time to research the different options. If you’d rather put some elbow grease into creating your own indoor gardening space, it’s possible to make your own grow tent with a few simple supplies. Use the guide below to learn all you need for getting started with this type of tent.
Supplies Checklist:
- 4-6″ Fan
- PVC Pipes
- Mylar Film Coating
- Grow Light
- Canvas
- Velcro Strip
- Marker
- Glue Gun
Steps to Make a Grow Tent
1. Build the Frame
The frame is the first thing you’ll need to build, so pick up PVC piping that measures the dimensions you want your tent in particular to be. You’ll also need to buy connectors where the piping can fit together to create the shape of the actual tent. These supplies can easily be found at a home improvement store. Once you have these, building the tent is as easy as pushing the piping into the connectors until it’s secured. To help improve sturdiness, you can wrap duct tape around the connectors where they meet with the piping.
Tip: There are a lot of incredibly detailed diagrams online you can use to build your tent. If you don’t have a specific design in mind, it’s recommended to use one of these.
2. Create the Tent
Measure out the canvas so that it will fit around the structure that you created in the first step. After this, measure out the Mylar so it’s the same dimensions as the canvas. You’ll then need to secure the Mylar to the canvas, so that the reflective side is facing out. You can do this by sewing, but if you’re not good at sewing, you can just as easily duct tape these together. From here, you’ll want to cover the piping structure with the canvas and Mylar cover you just created.
3. Create a Velcro Door
While the cover is on the structure, use a marker to draw out an area that will be the door. Take the canvas off of the structure and cut along the area you just marked, making sure you leave part of the “door” connected to the cover (only cut along one side). Next, you’ll use your hot glue gun to glue Velcro to the inside of the “door” and Velcro adhesive to the outside of the wall. Once this dries, your door should seal shut and easily open/close.
4. Cut Ventilation Areas
If you plan on using ventilation, you should cut this out on the back of your cover so that it’s the same size as the piping that will be transferring air.
5. Install Grow Light and Fan
Once you have a grow light and fan that are suitable for the size of tent you have, install them on the top of your tent using the piping and some duct tape. Make sure the fan is angled to reach all of the plants and the light is strong enough to accommodate your entire garden.
6. Install the Cover
The final step before you put your plants into the tent is to actually cover the structure with the tent for the final time. If you’re not handy with a sewing machine, you may need duct tape to make sure the cover is as secure as possible. You may also need duct tape to secure the pipe to the ventilation area you cut out in step 4. While it might not look like a professional fan, it will work just fine.
Your First Grow Tent
Building your first grow tent will be a process packed full of learning, including mistakes and how to avoid them in the future. Keep in mind that your first try may not look professional but it should function well if you have all holes covered. In the future, it may be worth it to build the structure yourself and purchase a cover that has ventilation holes and zippered doors already built in. Until then, enjoy growing in your own DIY tent!
If you have no time to make a diy grow tent best option is to buy a
grow tent from online.
