Your First DIY Grow Box

Thankfully, a grow tent isn’t a prerequisite for cultivating great ganja. In fact, there’s an easy way home-growers could create a compact grow space on the cheap: build a DIY grow box!

Sure, a DIY grow box or DIY grow tent won’t offer the same space or protection as a professional tent, but it’s a significantly cheaper way to grow a few cannabis plants. As a bonus, DIY grow boxes take up little space and are super stealthy, both of which are priorities for most home-growers.

Before you assemble the materials for a DIY grow box, there are a few considerations you need to keep in mind. For starters, where are you going to put your box?

Since most people who get interested in DIY grow boxes have limited space, it’s safe to assume you’re thinking about a closet set-up. There are plenty of reasons why many at-home cannabis cultivators remain “in the closet.” Not only are closets easy to access, but they are also super stealthy.

Just because closets are popular, however, doesn’t mean they’re the only place you could put your DIY stealth grow box. For instance, many home-growers report success growing ganja in the basement. People who have a basement set-up enjoy superb insulation and increased space.

Of course, you have to weigh all of these considerations against your home layout, comfort level, and the materials that work for your budget. Wherever you choose to place your grow box, you must ensure it’s clean, well-insulated, and has easy access to electrical outlets.

After you’ve decided where you want to place your DIY grow box, you need to take proper measurements of your grow space. Grab a handy tape measurer and jot down the length, width, and height of the area you’re interested in using.

If it helps, you could draw a model of your grow box on graph paper or enter it into a computer program like SketchUp. This drawing will give you a better sense of how much room your plants could grow before hitting the light unit.

While you’ve got your measuring tape, you could also figure out the exact dimensions of the fans and outlet plugs you’ll use in your grow box. Although you could wait to take these measurements, it’s handy to have this info as early as possible

We’re going to share a technique for building a cardboard box DIY set-up, but please remember there are many other options available to home-growers. We encourage you to research different indoor grow setups to find a style that works for your budget.

For our DIY grow box project, you’ll need the following items:

• A cardboard box that fits in your grow space
• LED grow light
• Two tiny fans
• Box cutter
• A roll of aluminum foil
• A pencil
• Velcro pads or magnets
• Glue

1. Before you get started hacking away at your cardboard box, double-check that it fits your grow space. You want your plant to have plenty of room to for your plants to rise without hitting your LED light.
2. After you’ve ensured your box is a good fit, cut along three edges on one side to create a door.
3. Some growers like to attach magnets or Velcro strips to the opening’s sides to keep the opening flap from remaining open.
4. Now, it’s time to use your fan diameter measurements to draw cut-out marks in pencil. The first mark should be a few inches above the box’s bottom across from the opening door. The second mark should be on the side a few inches below the top.
5. Note: the bottom fan should bring air in, but the top fan should push air outward.
6. Before cutting out these squares, make one final outline on the top of your box that will fit your light’s outlet plug.
7. With all of your openings marked, it’s time to cut these lines with a sharp box cutter.
8. Take a few moments to test that your fans and your light outlet fit these holes snugly. Make adjustments if necessary.
9. Once your fans and light fit comfortably, it’s time to roll out your aluminum foil and cover your grow box’s interior. If you’re having a tough time keeping the foil in place, consider using glue or double-sided tape.
10. Grab your box cutter again and make cuts on the aluminum foil for the fan and light spaces.
11. Lastly, secure your fans and light inside your grow container, plug them into a nearby electrical socket, and test out your new DIY grow box!

Since DIY grow boxes are compact, it’s not a good idea to plant strains that require a lot of space to grow. Specifically, sativa strains often perform poorly in DIY grow box set-ups.

In most cases, home-growers prefer autoflowering seeds in DIY grow boxes. These strains never grow above five-feet tall, which makes them very easy to manage indoors. As a bonus, auto strains don’t have a set photoperiod, which means you won’t have to worry about strict lighting schedules.

If you’d prefer to grow non-auto seeds, you should research strains that don’t grow too tall and perform well indoors. In most cases, you’ll have the best luck cultivating feminized indica strains in your DIY grow box.

You can get started on your grow with the wide selection of seeds offered from ILGM. Click Here to view more.

Although it’s not challenging to build a grow box, we understand there are degrees of DIY skill. If you’re someone who can’t tell a box cutter from a barometer, you might be thinking about splurging on a professional grow box.

Before you spend your hard-earned cash, it’s worth noting these boxes cost big bucks. In fact, many grow boxes retail for over $1,000, making them pricier than most professional grow tents.

It’s a better idea for home-growers to invest in a high-quality grow tent rather than buy a pre-made grow box. In addition to their relative affordability, grow tents offer cultivators a whole lot more space to cultivate.

Generally, expert cultivators only recommend pre-made grow boxes if you have extremely limited space and can’t be bothered with DIY projects.

For many at-home cultivators, building a grow box is a no-brainer. Not only are grow boxes compact, but they’re also cheap and surprisingly simple to make.

If you don’t like the cardboard box method listed above, then there are plenty of other options to consider. For instance, many cultivators have successfully created grow boxes using Styrofoam boards, cheap Ikea cabinets, and even old PC monitors. We encourage you to research different DIY grow box designs to find what works best for your skills and space.