So, you are the proud owner of 12 amazing plants. Rather than simply treat them as regular houseplants scattered throughout your living space, it helps to have a specific grow tent for them to live in, but what size grow tent for 12 plants?
That way, you can give them the light source, moisture, humidity, ventilation, and adequate living space for them to grow, thrive, and give you an excellent return on your investment.
How do you choose a grow tent size – and then choose a grow tent size for your 12 new plants? That is what we will discuss in this article.
How High Will Your Plants Grow?
Ultimately, the size of the grow tent for 12 fully grown adult plants is dependent on one key factor: adult plant height dimensions. How high would you like your fully grown plants to be? For most regular grow tents you can purchase on the market that are between 60” and 78” tall, you can fit 3 foot tall plants.
They will do nicely in three to five gallon sized plant pots. Would you like a taller plant? Then you will need to invest in not just larger plant pot sizes of around seven to ten gallons, but a larger grow tent area as well.
So, the size of your fully grown plants and how high you want them to be will determine your grow tent size. You will get more yield from a taller plant, especially one that has been bushed out with plenty of leaves. However, you will also need to purchase a larger grow tent. Twelve 4’ high plants will definitely require more space than 12- 3’ high plants.
Tips for Choosing Accurate Grow Tent Dimensions
Grow tents are offered in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are usually constructed in such a way that they have a smaller square or rectangular base and are much taller than they are wide.
This is to maximize the height area. It’s not so much shelf space that will cause you to overcrowd your plants; it’s the amount of height, too. You definitely want to keep that in mind. A good rule of thumb is to add at least four inches above your plant’s maximum grow height.
You also want to account for the difference in size between full-size plants and smaller plants that are developing. A very large grow tent for 12 full-size plants is going to have a bigger floor dimension than a tent for 12 smaller plants. For that, you’re looking for one that is at least 96” wide, 48” deep, and 78” tall. These grow tents can fit up to 12 full size plants and have adequate height space, too.
When you are a serious grower and need a lot of space, it’s more economical to have smaller plants mixed in with the full size ones; this helps save space as well.
One Grow Tent or Several?
For the simple reason that plants can have a massive difference in size between seedling and fully grown plant, you might want to invest in multiple grow tents rather than a single huge one. Split up your plants into smaller and full-size ones.
In addition to a large grow tent at least 96” wide for full-size plants, you could designate a taller and narrower grow tent with dimensions measuring around 48” wide, 24” deep, and 60” tall. In a grow tent like that, you could fit up to four full-size plants or eight smaller plants. You could purchase several of these smaller ones to have a nice variety in space between full-size plant requirements and small size plant requirements.
Younger plants have different grow tent requirements than fully grown adult plants. They require more light, a higher humidity level since their leaves are smaller, and lesser ventilation. Adult plants are hardier and don’t need as much strength from grow lights; they can handle decent humidity levels, and they overcrowd easier, so, it makes sense to separate juvenile plants from the full-grown ones.
Your Grow Tent Space
The grow tent size for 12 plants depends on how high you want your plants to grow, the mix between juveniles and full-grown adult plants, and the actual physical space requirements in your grow area. If you have enough space for very large grow tents, then go for it!
But if you do not, then you might have to economize on plant size, simply so that all 12 will be able to live comfortably.
I’m curious to find out what system you have been utilizing? I’m experiencing some small security issues to find something more risk-free. Do you have any recommendations?
Hi Saul, I am in China at the moment and can’t grow anything here (always follow the local laws). I guess the space you are using will dictate security problems and I am presuming you might live in an area where growing your own plants is not legal. If you want to push on regardless then a major issue will be the smell of the plants (not wanting to attract unnecessary attention) and this you can do something about by careful strain selection and not growing too much. I would also suggest avoiding strains that become very tall. If you are using a grow tent somewhere in your building or home then you will need to vent it if the strain has a strong odor which will probably require a carbon filter setup. Whatever you do, its best to stay within the laws, frustrating as that may be, and that will make growing your own in many areas a risky choice or a non-starter. Stay legally safe!