A grow tent is a compact, enclosed space specifically designed for growing plants indoors. It is essentially a portable growing chamber made of materials that can regulate light and airflow. Grow tents are often used by gardening enthusiasts and professional growers to optimize growing conditions for plants.

Here are some features of a grow tent:

  • Reflective interior walls: The inside of the tent is usually covered with a reflective material, such as mylar, to distribute the light evenly and thus promote plant growth.
  • Air vents: Grow tents are equipped with ventilation holes to allow for air circulation and temperature control. This is important to prevent mold growth and overheating.
  • Lighting: Grow lights that mimic the sun, such as LED lights or HPS lights, are often placed in the tent to provide the plants with sufficient light.
  • Control over the environment: Because the tent is an enclosed space, the grower can precisely control factors such as temperature, humidity and light intensity.

Grow tents are popular for growing all sorts of plants, including vegetables, herbs, flowers, and even certain medicinal plants like cannabis. They are convenient because they take up little space and can be used all year round, regardless of the weather outside.

An HPS lamp (High Pressure Sodium Lamp) is a type of gas discharge lamp that is often used for lighting when growing plants indoors. HPS lamps are known for their efficient light output and are widely used in horticulture, especially in the flowering stage of plants. Here are some features of HPS lamps:

Health Benefits

  • Light source: HPS lamps work by heating sodium vapor to high pressure, which results in an intense light. The bulb contains a mixture of sodium and mercury vapor, and when electricity is passed through the bulb, these gases ionize and give off light.

Light color

  • Red/Orange Spectrum: The light produced by an HPS lamp has a red-orange spectrum. This is beneficial for the flowering and fruiting phase of plants, because it mimics the natural autumn light, which stimulates the plants to develop flowers and fruits.

Benefits

  • High Efficiency: HPS lamps are very efficient at converting energy into light, meaning they produce a high light output per watt of electricity. This makes them popular for commercial growing environments.
  • High Light Intensity: HPS lamps produce a powerful light intensity, which is beneficial for plant growth, especially in large spaces.

Cons

  • Heat production: A major disadvantage of HPS lamps is that they generate a lot of heat. This can greatly increase the temperature in a grow room, making additional ventilation or cooling necessary.
  • Energy consumption: While HPS lamps are efficient in terms of light output, they still consume significant amounts of energy, especially when compared to more modern technologies such as LED lamps.

HPS lights are a popular choice for growers who focus on high yields and vigorous flowering of plants, especially in larger grow spaces. They are often used in combination with other light sources to support different growth stages of plants.

The difference between LED and HPS lighting is significant, especially when it comes to horticultural applications such as growing plants indoors. Both types of lighting have their pros and cons. Here is a summary of the main differences:

1. Energy efficiency

  • LED (Light Emitting Diode): LED lighting is very energy efficient. It converts more of the electricity into light and less into heat, which results in lower energy costs.
  • HPS (High Pressure Sodium): Although HPS lamps are also relatively efficient, they consume more energy than LED lamps and convert a larger portion of the energy into heat rather than light.

2. Heat production

  • LEDs: LED lights produce much less heat, which reduces the risk of overheating the grow room. This reduces the need for cooling or ventilation.
  • HPS: HPS lamps produce a lot of heat. This can lead to higher temperatures in the grow room, requiring additional cooling or ventilation to keep the ambient temperature under control.

3. Light spectrum

  • LEDs: Modern LED lights can provide a full spectrum of light, from blue to red. This allows them to be adapted to different growth phases of plants (vegetation and flowering). Some LEDs even provide UV and infrared light, which mimics a full spectrum of light.
  • HPS: HPS lamps produce light mainly in the red-orange spectrum, which is beneficial for the flowering phase of plants, but less suitable for the vegetative growth phase. This makes them less versatile than LED lamps.

4. Longevity

  • LEDs: LED lights have a long lifespan, often between 50.000 and 100.000 hours. This means they last for years without needing to be replaced often.
  • HPS: HPS lamps have a shorter lifespan, usually around 10.000 to 24.000 hours. They also lose their light intensity over time, meaning they need to be replaced regularly to maintain optimal results.

5. Costs

  • LEDs: LED lights are more expensive to purchase than HPS lights, but their lower energy consumption and longer lifespan can offset this initial cost in the long run.
  • HPS: HPS lamps are cheaper to purchase, but their higher energy consumption and shorter lifespan can mean higher long-term operating costs.

6. Light intensity

  • LEDs: LED lights can provide very intense light, especially modern models. They are effective at directing light directly to plants without much loss of light.
  • HPS: HPS lights are known for their powerful light intensity, especially in large grow rooms. However, they often require reflectors to spread the light efficiently.

7. Adjustability

  • LEDs: LED lights can be adjusted to provide specific spectrums for different plant growth stages. Some models even have dimming functions and programmable settings.
  • HPS: HPS lamps offer little flexibility in terms of adjustability. They provide a single spectrum and often require additional light sources for other growth phases.

Conclusion

  • LED-lighting is generally better suited for smaller or energy-efficient grow tent setups, especially if you want control over the full light spectrum and save costs in the long run.
  • HPS lighting is still popular in larger commercial setups where powerful light intensity and relatively low initial costs are important, especially during the flowering stage of plants.

So the choice between LED and HPS depends on your specific needs, budget, and the size of your grow space.

Growing tomatoes in a grow tent is a great way to enjoy fresh, homegrown tomatoes all year round. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, growing tomatoes in a controlled environment offers numerous advantages.

Why Grow Tomatoes in a Grow Tent?

  1. Freshness and Taste: Homegrown tomatoes often taste much better than those from the supermarket. This is because you can pick them at their peak, when they are fully ripe and their flavour is at its best.
  2. Environmental control: In a grow tent you have complete control over the growing conditions, such as temperature, humidity and light. This means that you can create ideal conditions for the tomatoes, regardless of the season or the climate outside.
  3. Protection against pests: Tomato plants in a grow tent are better protected from pests and diseases that are common in an outdoor environment. This reduces the need for pesticides and ensures healthier plants.
  4. Space saving: A grow tent takes up relatively little space and can even be used in small apartments. This makes it possible to grow tomatoes even if you don't have a large garden.

How to Grow Tomatoes in a Grow Tent?

  1. Choose the Right Grow Tent: Make sure you choose a tent with enough height and space for the tomato plants to grow. A tent of at least 120x120x200 cm is ideal for growing tomatoes.
  2. Use Quality Soil: Fill large pots with a good quality potting soil that is rich in nutrients. Tomatoes like well-drained soil, so make sure the pots have drainage holes.
  3. Lighting: Tomato plants need a lot of light to grow well. Use powerful grow lights, such as LED or HPS lights, which provide a light spectrum similar to sunlight. Make sure the lights are on for 14-18 hours per day.
  4. Temperature and Humidity: Keep the temperature in the grow tent between 20-25°C during the day and slightly cooler at night. Humidity should be around 60-70% during the vegetative phase and slightly lower during flowering.
  5. Fertilization and Watering: Tomato plants need regular feeding. Use a fertilizer rich in nitrogen in the early growth stage and switch to a fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium during flowering. Water the plants regularly, but make sure the soil does not remain too wet to prevent root rot.
  6. Support and Pruning: As the plants grow, they will need support to support the heavy bunches of tomatoes. Use stakes or a tomato spiral to support the plants. Prune the lower leaves to promote air circulation and prevent disease.
  7. Pollination: In a closed grow tent, natural pollination can be difficult. Shake the plants gently to help pollination or use a small fan to improve airflow.

By following these steps, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of delicious, juicy tomatoes straight from your own grow tent. It’s a rewarding hobby that’s not only healthy, but also satisfying when you finally get to pick your own fresh tomatoes.

Connecting a mini fan with a filter

The black flange has a bayonet connection that you screw onto the filter, so your filter is complete.
The plug connection is placed in the flange and then the mini fan.

For example, use duct tape to create an airtight connection and attach the hose with a hose clamp to the other side of the mini fan.

See arrow on mini fan for airflow direction.

mini fan with filter 2

Complete grow tent manual

There are 2 separate systems:
1| Climate: Extraction tube fan climate control (for heat regulation and odor extraction)
2| Lighting: SET (for simulating nature) 24/18 hours=growth 12 hours=growth

1| Climate:
Extraction tube fan climate control (for heat regulation and odor extraction)

The tube fan is placed at the top of the tent, the carbon filter is placed on the suction side and the hose goes outside on the blowing side.
(Note: an arrow on the tube fan indicates the air direction)
The plug from the tube fan goes through a hole in the back of the grow tent directly to a wall socket or timer.

You can mount a small piece of hose between the carbon filter and the tube fan, which is then secured with the supplied hose clamps.
then also mount the hose to the outside using the supplied hose clamp.

! For example, if you have chosen a tube fan with a built-in fan controller.
There are 2 rotary knobs on the tube fan, one to set the temperature and the other to set the minimum extraction.
(the minimum position is the position when the lamp is off/or when it is colder than the set temperature)

To set the minimum position, proceed as follows:
make sure the long wire on the tube fan (temperature sensor) is at plant height and turn the temperature knob all the way to 35 degrees,
Now you can adjust the minimum setting with the other knob on the tube fan.
Make sure that you let the tube fan extract air so slowly that it always creates a slight vacuum.
You can check this by closing the tent almost completely and blowing cigarette smoke through the inlet.
When the smoke is sucked in, the tent is a nice vacuum.
If this is not the case, turn the knob on the tube fan clockwise (so that the tube fan runs faster) until the smoke,
It is sucked in, so no odor can ever escape from the grow tent.
If you now turn the temperature knob towards 5 degrees, the extractor will automatically extract more air,
And if you now turn the degree knob towards 35 degrees, the extractor will automatically start extracting at the minimum setting.
Set the temperature knob to approximately 25 degrees.

You can now see how many degrees it will be in the tent via the min max thermo hygro meter (which is at plant height and in the shade),
if the meter goes above 28 degrees, you should slowly turn the temperature knob of the sensor to zero until you see the tube fan
If you hear the extraction working harder, stop, as more warm air is now being extracted.
When the sensor senses that it is getting colder, it will automatically start extracting again at the minimum setting.

You will not need a carbon filter for the first week(s) because the plants do not smell yet, and because of the humidity it is better to install it later.
NOTE: If this is installed, make sure there is an airtight seal between the carbon filter and the tube fan, because of the smell in the last weeks of the harvest.

TIP: When growing small plants, set the extraction as low as possible for the first week, which will increase the humidity in the grow tent.
TIP: Do not connect the carbon filter for the first 2 weeks due to high humidity (but do connect the tube fan!) in connection with the lifespan/function of the carbon filter.

2| Lighting:
Lighting (Lamp) SET (for simulating natural sun) 24/18 hours=growth 12 hours=growth

(a)
A connection cable is mounted on the hood (4m long). Brown on brown, and blue on blue and green yellow on green yellow or chassis (iron outside)
The connection cable (4 meters long) is brought out again through the (small) tent hole at the back and connected to the transformer/VSA (ballast)
You can now hang the hood using the easy roller sets, then you can screw in the bulb, make sure that
you do not touch the glass with your hands, in order to keep the lamp clean. And do not forget to remove the protective film from the hood!

On the top right of the transformer/VSA you will see a lamp drawn and arrows where the brown and blue should be connected by color
(on the philips its this is on the left!) On the base plate you will see a crosshead screw to which the green yellow (earth) must be connected.

Then you can connect the plug with cord (2m long) to the ELT VSA on the left side on the terminal blocks where the brown and blue are colored
Must be connected, (on the Philips it is on the right!) and the green yellow (earth) on the ground plate at the
other must be connected. (so there are 2 green/yellow wires together.

For example, if you choose an LED lamp or a Digital Set, everything is Plug And Play and you do not need to connect any wires.
and you can skip everything from point (a) onwards.

Then you can connect a switch box or time clock.
By pressing the pins on the clock inwards or outwards you can set the time when the lamp should turn on/off.
Then the lighting system is connected and the timer can be set to 18 hours (growth)

From seed to leaf from growth to flowering, grow your own!
Good luck! Kind regards, Team DeSjop Online
Updated on 20-06-2024

Tips, Suggestions, comments, experiences, all feedback is welcome!