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Which Grow Box is the Best? Which Grow Box Should You Choose?
Even the highest gardening skills will not suffice for plant cultivation if they do not grow in certain, strictly defined climatic conditions. Fortunately, grow boxes have been developed, allowing you to provide your plants with the ideal level of humidity or optimal temperature. What else is worth knowing about them? And which grow box will be the best for your plants? We answer!
Grow Boxes – What Are They?
It can be said that grow boxes are mini greenhouses that can be set up inside a building. They are also called "grow tents" and "plant tents" and are a great alternative to gardens and allotments – after all, not everyone has them. They have parameters that successfully allow the cultivation of many plants, including those particularly demanding. This is possible thanks to special equipment that takes care of the right humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide content, or even the intensity of lighting. Thanks to this, plants can develop freely.
It is well known that in Poland – due to weather conditions – it is not possible to grow many species of plants. The grow box kit perfectly solves this problem. Thanks to it, you can create a small "garden" in your own home and enjoy abundant harvests all year round. It is also important that such cultivation does not require the use of plant protection products or high doses of fertilizers. Moreover, grow boxes can also be placed in basements and garages. Depending on your needs, a grow box can even become an entire room.
What Can Be Grown in Grow Boxes?
Grow boxes are perfect for year-round plant cultivation. You can successfully grow herbs and flowers, vegetables, and even small trees or demanding, exotic shrubs. This is because grow boxes offer the possibility of individually adjusting the conditions in which the plants will develop and which are most beneficial for them. Thanks to grow boxes, their vegetative cycle can be extended. It is important that even those plants that naturally grow outside any covers can easily develop in them.
How to Choose the Perfect Grow Box?
Are you wondering how to choose the perfect grow box? Below you will find a tip.
Size
Before you decide to buy a specific grow box, think about what size it should be. This issue is related, among others, to the yield you want to achieve. Some plants also require, for example, smaller pots than others. For instance, for the cultivation of medical marijuana, pots that are lower and wider are required – this allows the root to spread sideways. In the case of beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, hollyhocks, or broad beans, pots that are taller and wider are needed. This is because they send one root deep into the soil, simultaneously creating shorter and thinner side roots. The size of the pot directly affects the yield you will get.
Grow Box for 1 Plant
Many customers start their adventure with a grow box by growing one plant, e.g., when it is not developing properly on the windowsill. Others, in turn, want to see if this type of cultivation makes sense in their case. If the given plant does not grow too tall, you can choose a grow tent with a base of 40x40 cm or 30x30 cm and not too great a height. However, if the plant is relatively large, it is best to choose a grow box with as great a height as possible.
Grow Box for 2 Plants
In a grow box with a base of 50x50 cm or 60x60 cm, you can fit two pots with a capacity of 12.5 liters. It is worth deciding on Air Pot pots, as plants grow faster in them. One plant can occupy a maximum area of 0.24 sq m. If you decide on a base size of 60x60 cm, you will gain additional space for various accessories, such as a humidifier or air mixing fan. In this case, the greater the height of the grow box, the better.
Grow Box for 4 Plants
Are you planning to grow 4 plants in a grow box? If so, it is best to choose a model with a base of 60x60 cm or 80x80 cm. In this case, it is also worth choosing a grow box with the greatest possible height. This will make it easier for you to care for the plants, and you will also have enough space for lighting and ventilation.
Grow Box for 9 or 10 Plants
If you have extensive experience in home plant cultivation, have already used grow boxes, and want to enlarge your home garden, you can successfully use models designed for, for example, 10 plants. However, it's better to opt for a grow box in which you can grow 9 of them. Why? Because it's easier to distribute such a number evenly on a square base. You can choose a model with a base size of 100x100 cm or 120x120 cm. It's worth noting, however, that even individuals with little experience also decide on grow boxes with such bases, as it's easier to maintain the appropriate climatic conditions in them.
Reflectors
Before purchasing a grow box, it's worth checking whether a complete set of reflectors is included. If not, they will need to be purchased separately. This is important because without this element, plants will not be able to grow evenly. On one side, they'll be well-lit, and on the other, not at all. This is an issue that beginners, in particular, should pay attention to, as they often forget about this component. This results in slowed flowering, whereas grow boxes should accelerate the entire process. Reflectors are also necessary if you're using, for example, HPS lamps.
Grow Box Lighting
Lighting is also very important in every grow box – without it, plants are unable to perform photosynthesis. The best options in this case are HPS and CFL lamps.
HPS lamps are high-pressure sodium lamps, which are popularly used due to the small size of the bulb, which is simultaneously very powerful. This allows you to successfully illuminate a large area. In grow boxes, you can find such lamps with powers of 250, 400, and 600 W. As for CFL lamps, their biggest advantage is their high energy efficiency. They can also have varied power.
Modern LED lamps, which are most often chosen by both beginners and professional users, come into play as well – if you decide on them, the frame's durability does not have to be large, as this type of lighting is simply light. In stores, you can also find MH, CMH/LEC, and plasma models.
Type of Grow Box
There are two basic types of grow boxes: silver and white.
A silver grow box is able to retain a greater amount of heat. This is because it features better insulation. This, in turn, means that a higher temperature can be maintained at night and it can be freely stored in a garage or basement. This is especially important because, for example, in the case of medical cannabis, growth is inhibited if the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius. By choosing a silver grow box, you will also reduce temperature fluctuations between day and night, improve plant growth quality, and thereby – increase your yields.
White grow tents, in turn, reflect and disperse light throughout the grow box better. They are able to provide plants with 20% more surface area on which they can perform photosynthesis. Besides, they do not create so-called "hot spots" (light streams). They also allow maintaining a lower temperature during plant lighting – this is of great significance especially for those who cultivate them in warmer conditions.
Experience
Before purchasing a grow box, consider your experience. If you are just starting your adventure with home plant cultivation, it's best to acquire ready-made kits equipped with all the necessary elements. Initially, it's worth testing a small model of a grow box, which contains everything needed for cultivation. It's also important that it's relatively durable and light, so it can be easily installed. If, on the other hand, you have been growing plants in this manner for a long time and want to expand your cultivation, it's worth deciding on larger, modern grow boxes.
Other Important Parameters
Proper grow boxes should be airtight and well-ventilated at the same time. The airtightness protects against the escape of unpleasant odors and allows maintaining the right climatic conditions. A closed, solid construction should ensure that the light emitted stays inside and reflects off the walls thanks to the use of specialized material. It's also important that the grow tent can be easily assembled, disassembled, and reassembled. Attention should also be paid to the manufacturer – this ensures that the grow box will not disappoint you at the least expected moment. It's also good to consider the power of lighting needed for the proper development of the plant before purchasing. The amount of water it requires is also an important factor.
Grow boxes can be equipped with additional elements that facilitate the entire cultivation process. For example, some of them may contain mechanisms for watering seedlings. Often, air-purifying filters appear inside them – this is important because a large amount of fresh air is required for cultivation (plants grown outdoors have access to it at all times).
Attention should also be paid to the ventilation holes, which allow connecting grow tents to an inlet fan or an exhaust fan along with a carbon filter. They should also have ventilation windows, which enable the intake of air from the outside. The presence of all these elements means that during the day, you can satisfy the plants' need for carbon dioxide, and at night, for oxygen. Some grow tents are equipped with viewing windows, making it much easier to observe the plants.
Remember, to ensure the right humidity for the plant, you might need dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and air conditioners, and most importantly, a hygrometer, which allows you to precisely regulate this parameter. A thermometer will also be useful to keep an eye on how ventilation regulates the temperature. If you invest in the aforementioned devices (dehumidifiers, etc.), it's also worth thinking about controllers that will coordinate their work.
When browsing the range of grow boxes, you might also come across models with timer programmers, which can further help you achieve the desired results. Heat loss limiting mats also come into play. High-quality zippers should not be forgotten either. They might seem like minor details at first glance, but in reality, many people complain about them. The zippers in many grow tents break quickly, which then requires their replacement. Some people do this multiple times!
Recommended Grow Boxes
Wondering which grow boxes are worth paying attention to? Here they are.
Herbgarden and RoyalRoom Grow Boxes
First up are the Herbgarden grow boxes. This is a Polish brand with its headquarters in Warsaw. Thanks to its products, you'll gain fresh plants or high-quality sprouts, and no preparations are needed for their cultivation.
Herbgarden offers two variants of grow boxes: the classic silver version (Silver) and white (White). When it comes to the former, it can be found in as many as 10 different sizes. Its great advantage is the price, which of course varies depending on the size of the grow box. It can be said that it is a grow box for every budget. It distributes light better than the white version. The White variant, in turn, stands out because it reflects light better and does not reflect temperature. If you use sodium HPS lamps, it will be the ideal choice.
It's worth adding that every grow tent of this brand is equipped with additional zipper lining, which translates into light-tightness and trouble-free sliding. Herbgarden grow boxes also offer easy assembly, and the material they are made from can be washed.
Herbgarden grow boxes use a specialized material, MYLAR, that reflects and disperses light well. As for the reflection itself, it is at the level of 90-100%. This distinguishes it from other materials used to build grow tents. Its properties are ideally suited for constructing tall grow tents.
Walls made of MYLAR increase plants' access to light and allow it to be dispersed to their lower parts – in this way, it reaches them from every side, not just from above. Thanks to its ability to reflect rays, it can increase access to light by even 30%! This, in turn, relates to access to a greater amount of heat, which translates into faster growth of the plants – it also reflects thermal energy. All this allows maintaining optimal temperature in the grow box with minimal lighting.
This material also stands out for its good resistance to moisture and extreme temperatures. Moreover, it is characterized by high durability, so you can be sure that it will serve you for a long time. In addition, it is free of any toxins – it does not pose a threat either to the cultivated plants or to the environment. Thanks to the MYLAR material, the grow box is also relatively light.
It's worth noting that all Herbgarden grow boxes are energy-efficient and effective. They are equipped with all conveniences that facilitate cultivation, including components for air purification, maintaining proper temperature and air composition, illuminating crops, as well as watering and fertilizing plants. Importantly, each grow box can be modularly expanded by attaching more grow boxes and equipment, thereby further developing the cultivation and enhancing one's skills.
Homebox Grow Boxes
Homebox is a German brand that has been producing grow boxes for many years. It can be said to be a pioneer in this field. It manufactures high-quality cultivation tents, with Ambient being the most popular product line of this type, serving as a continuation of the former Evolution line. A sturdy frame and a covering made from thick material that demonstrates great durability are just two of many of their advantages. It's also worth mentioning the internal coating, which uses a reflective white film and PAR+ technology. This film reflects a large amount of photosynthetic radiation – the type utilized by plants in the photosynthesis process. It's also important that products from the Ambient line are available in a wide range of sizes.
Secret Jardin Grow Boxes
Another set of grow boxes worth mentioning are those created by the Belgian company Secret Jardin. They are characterized by high-quality craftsmanship, and the covering made from thick material makes them largely resistant to wear. Inside, you can notice the aforementioned MYLAR, which prevents light concentration. The entire grow boxes boast a very sturdy construction, allowing for easy suspension of lamps and a carbon filter responsible for eliminating unpleasant odors. In Secret Jardin grow boxes, it's also easy to notice a large number of passive ventilation holes.
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