Many of us like to grow plants and other vegetables in the garden. But outdoor gardens can sometimes be a little bit costly. Did you know that you can save tons of this cost by building a grow room inside your shed? Minimum cost but maximum profit- this goes perfectly with a grow room inside your shed. Although you need to have a solid plan and the necessary equipment to achieve that. And I’m going to help you with just that.
In this article, we are going to talk about how to build a grow room in a shed. I’ll take you through the process so that you don’t face any trouble while you are doing it on your own. That way you won’t face any trouble whatsoever when you set it up yourself. So let’s get cracking without further ado.
But before we begin let’s know about few things that we should keep in consideration before moving forward.
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Factors to take into consideration for building a grow room in a shed
There are multiple factors to take into consideration before you can build your grow room in your shed. They are as below.
The design of the grow room
You must design your grow room properly otherwise your plant won’t survive much longer in there. You could sketch out the design first on a piece of paper. That way, when you are building the grow room you can have a glance at those sketches whenever it’s necessary.
It’s always a good idea to utilize as much as space possible so no area goes to waste.
There are few other things that you should also keep in mind, checking out the electricity system and plumbing system is highly advised. This will ensure no fire outbreaks in your shade and your plants also have enough water for them.
Before buying any kind of equipment make sure you make plans on where to put them and if there’s enough space for them inside your shed or not.
Ensuring no light goes out of the room
One of the principal reasons for growing plants and crops indoors is ensuring there’s enough light source available all the time. The sun can only give us light during the daytime but if we use artificial light sources we can get this power 24/7.
Use tapes and papers to seal all the ventilation so the light from outside can’t enter inside the shed. To test if the seals work properly, just turn off all the lights and if there are no leakages is seen then the work is done.
Building a reflective surface
Reflective surfaces are really handy when it comes to the productivity of the plants. If it’s placed properly then it helps the plants to grow faster by increasing the effectiveness of the lights. Following are some reflective surfaces you can use for your grow room.
- Mylar surface: This is probably the most common reflective surface you can found out there in the market. They have a success rate of 95% of reflecting lights whenever they fall on them.
Mylars should be placed on a wall with the help of tape so that they can reflect all over the room. Another thing to keep in mind is that mylars are very fragile, they can tear up very easily if someone constantly touches them.
So it is wise to not touch them often. Mylars which are made from aluminum metal works most effective amongst all the other options available.
- White paints: If you want to save cost then white paints can be a good alternative. Although their reflection rate is only 85% they do come at a lesser price tag. So if cost management is your main priority this could be a good option for you.
- Emergency blankets: This type of blanket is the cheapest one available in the market and it has a reflection rate of 70%. Although they have the lowest success rates amongst the other reflective surfaces that I’ve mentioned before they also come with the lowest price range, making it the best option if your running on a budget.
However, it also has a downside. Because of its characteristics, it can create a hotspot that can be harmful to your plants. So keep in mind that the walls are flat before using emergency blankets.
Picking the right lights
To ensure your plant gets the right amount of light need you need to provide the appropriate light source. These lights are different from those we use in our house. They give full spectrum, which is essential for plants to survive.
Following is a list of options from which you can choose the light you think would work best for you.
- Compact fluorescent light: These lights are really handy for your seeds. But they won’t work much on fully grown plants.
- High-pressure sodium light: The specialty of this kind of light is that they provide intense light at the orange spectrum. When your plants are in the flowering stage, these lights would work far more effectively.
- Metal-halide light: Just like HPS lights were effective in the orange spectrum, these lights are effective at the blue spectrum and are useful during the vegetation process.
- Light-emitting diode (LED) light: These lights are probably the most effective and commonly used growth lights available in the market. These lights are useful in every phase of your plant’s lifespan. They also don’t get heated up like other lights I’ve mentioned before.
If you are planning to use any of these lights it is advised to use hoods for them. They’ll help to spread the light equally and directly towards your plants. And if your lights get heated up too much use coolers on the hoods.
Usage of the electric timer
Electric timers can be a really handy tool when it comes to growing rooms. They turn on and turn off the lights automatically after calculating how much light your plants need in their particular phase of growth.
Sometimes we tend to forget to turn on and off the lights and get busy with other things in life. In cases like this, these electric timers can be proved very effective indeed.
Installing a good ventilation system
The ventilation system is really useful for clearing out excess heat from the room. At a certain point, you’ll room will get heated up because of all the lights being used. So, setting up a good ventilation system is mandatory for the safety of your plants.
It also helps to circulate Co2 inside your sheds which are vital for your plant’s survival. Following are some good ventilation systems.
- Oscillating fan: These fans help to get rid of any kind of hotspots that might be created to harm your plants. They do a pretty good job in preventing them.
- Carbon filter: Some plants like Marijuana spreads a smell that might be a little bit off to some people. This kind of smell can be tackled with carbon filters.
- Exhaust fan: If you want to maintain your plant’s growth it is necessary to give them fresh air. These fans will provide them with fresh Co2 every 3 to 4 minutes. Keeping your plants fresh and healthy.
- Air intake: For a properly ventilated grow room air intakes are also necessary. They help to replace the old air with fresh ones that keep the plants alive.
FAQs
Can you set up a grow tent inside of your shed?
Yes, you can and it also helps with the wind drafts. But an unseen fact about this is that it also makes it hot. But if an air conditioner is available it’s not much different than setting up inside a house.
What’s the process to make a grow room smell proof?
There are multiple ways to complete this process which include using carbon filters, ozone generators, odor absorbing gels, etc.
Should I run my carbon filter all the time?
No, it’s not necessary if you want to increase the filter’s life span. It can’t be kept off during the vegetation stage.
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Conclusion
Everyone wants to get the best use of space and equipment they have with minimal cost. And if you follow the provided guideline then there shouldn’t be much trouble when you set up your grow room inside your shed. Just follow and maintain the instructions and the work will be completed in no time, without fearing increasing expenses by taking any wrong steps while not knowing how to set up the grow room properly.