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How awesome are grow boxes?
Even if your thumb is brown, a prefabricated grow box is built with a green thumb inside.
It pretty much takes away all the guess work that comes with setting up your grow room.
Instead of multiple trips to the hardware store, and hours of research online, you’ve only got to make one purchase and one decision.
Today, we take deep dive into grow boxes to look at the best grow box for beginners, how to set one up and a brief overview of how to grow cannabis in a grow cabinet.
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Table of Contents
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Why do You Need a Grow Box?
If you’ve never grown marijuana before, it’s not as simple as a common houseplant.
The environment can take quite a bit of tinkering to get right.
To get a full, potent, and bountiful harvest, you need to know about light spectrum, humidity, air flow, temperature, soil and so much more.
It takes time to work out these variables.
Unless, of course, you buy a grow box.
A grow box is an all-in-one kit for perfecting these conditions on the very first try.
To get a full, potent, and bountiful harvest, you need to know about light spectrum, humidity, air flow, temperature, soil, and so much more.
Designed by those who know all about growing cannabis, you’ll learn from the experts and work out the kinks, on your very first grow.
Reasons to Buy and Not Build a Marijuana Grow Cabinet
Maybe once you’ve got a few harvests under your belt, you’ll have a better idea of how you want to customize a grow box for your house.
But if growing marijuana is an entirely new concept for you, making the initial investment in a prefabricated grow box is a much better idea.
It takes much of the guesswork and risk out of growing marijuana.
Here are a few other common reasons why people buy instead of building their first grow box:
- No trial and error required
- Total turn-key operation
- Perfect odor control
- Stealth design
- The speed of set up
- Energy efficient
What is a Stealth Grow Box?
Even though its legal to grow marijuana in many states in the U.S., you might not be lucky enough to live in one.
You also might not want to advertise that you plan on growing marijuana in your home.
Today, most grow boxes or cabinets are built to keep the light hidden, the odor down and your little habit out of sight.
You’ll soon discover many stealthy grow boxes are designed to look like a plain piece of furniture, like a cupboard or office filing cabinet.
Tucked into the corner of a spare room or basement, most people won't notice its presence or immediately forget it's there.
Common Design Features of an Indoor Grow Box
An indoor grow box is a fully enclosed unit containing all the necessary parts to grow cannabis inside.
That means it comes with the appropriately sized lights and insulated walls to regulate temperature.
It should also have a tray designed to hold the plants—most of which will be a hydroponic setup.
Most grow boxes will have some ventilation, temperature, and humidity control as well.
A grow box comes perfectly formatted, based on its relative size, to house one or more plants.
They will be partially or fully automated, be both light and odor proof, and blend in with the surroundings.
You won’t need to perform any calculations about lighting or construction.
What to Consider Before You Purchase a Grow Box?
First and foremost, you’ll need to consider the size of the room you want to place the grow box in, and the number of plants you’ll want.
Typically, most beginner grow cabinets will only hold a handful of plants.
But a handful of plants will be more than enough to feed the habits of even the heaviest smoker.
You’ll also want to consider electricity requirements, although most boxes should work off standard North American voltage.
Almost all grow boxes are hydroponically designed, so keep that in mind if you are dead set on soil-based growing.
It may also be worthwhile to consider the available warranty as well.
What Strains Work Well in Grow Boxes?
Most beginners will want to stick with easy to grow strains.
Strains with basic needs, and not a lot of technical growing experience required.
You’ll also need to stick to small, stout and bushier plants, because of the size restrictions.
Depending on how much you want to advertise the cannabis growing in your spare bedroom, you may also want to look for low-odor strains.
Aurora Indica and G13 strains are a few of those mentioned by expert growers in online forums.
But if you want to make your own selection, look for indicas or indica dominant hybrids which will at least fit inside the cabinet.
Most sativas are going to grow too tall for the limited space in your grow box.
Check out this article if you want to see the best strains to grow in your new grow box.
Top Items to Put on Your Grow Box Shopping List
Depending on who supplies your grow box, it might come with some fertilizer and nutrient recommendations.
However, if not, look for liquid fertilizers with a “7-5-6” mix of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash.
You’ll also need a watering can, or if you want the most convenience, a hose from a tap within your house.
Although your grow box may already come fully automated, you could benefit from a secondary timer to help manage some of the scheduling of light and water cycles.
Once you’ve got these additional bits, pick up a copy of Marijuana Home Grower's Manual by Bill McCann, or Grow Great Marijuana: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Finest Cannabis by Logan Edwards to get growing.
How to Grow Cannabis in a Grow Cabinet
Before you can do anything, you obviously need to build the grow cabinet.
Follow the Instructions and set up your grow box.
While some cabinets might come fully set up, most will require a little hands-on construction to put the cabinet together, install the lights, the hydroponic trays and set up any fans.
The best designs should only require an hour or so of set up before you get started with the real work.
Every box will come with a set of instructions (hopefully better than Ikea).
Some companies may also have helpful instructional videos available through their website or Youtube page.
Start to Germinate Your Seeds
Whether you’ve bought your seeds online, or found a few hidden within your last batch of bud, you’ll need to germinate.
Moisten a piece of paper towel, and fold your seeds inside.
Set onto a plate, and set aside in a warm dark place.
Keep the towel moist over the coming days, and check back to see if any seeds have sprouted.
After a week, if there are still seeds with no signs of life, it’s safe to say they are dead.
Collect the living seeds, and tuck them into your soil, coco husks or other hydroponic medium.
Control Air Flow for Stronger Plants and Temperature Control
Cannabis plants thrive with a little breeze.
When introduced during the plants ‘teenage’ stage (as it starts to veg out) careful fan placement will encourage stronger stalks.
Sturdy stalks can carry heavier buds, and avoid spindly branches.
Having fans placed strategically at the top and bottom of the grow cabinet will regulate the temperature, humidity and boost air circulation throughout the cabinet.
If your box doesn't come with its fans, you can purchase a couple of small USB or desktop fans, which should do the trick. You might also need to pick up an AC for your grow box if it is too hot to grow where you live.
What Temperature Setting Do Cannabis Plants Require?
The best grow box will come with a shiny, tinfoil like thermal foil covering the insides of the cabinet.
This foil helps maintain a warm, temperate environment for the cannabis.
After all, cannabis is a tropical creature, and it loves warm, muggy environments.
Usually, seedlings thrive with room temperature, or a little bit warmer.
Hovering between 70 to 85°F.
The vegetative stage tends to enjoy the same slightly warmer, temperature as the seedlings.
Once you enter into flowering stages of growth, you’ll want to bring the temperatures down slightly, hovering between 65 to 80°F.
Always keep it a little less hot at night to allow the plants to rest.
What Do You Need to Know About Humidity?
Humidity is another concern, especially for first-time growers, who may find it gets out of hand in the small grow cabinet.
Some grow boxes will have automatic controls monitoring humidity.
They may even come equipped with ventilation mechanisms to release excess humidity.
If your grow box doesn’t have this, you’ll want to purchase a monitor.
Too much humidity can foster mold, mildew and fungi, all detrimental to your plants' health.
Seedlings need high humidity to get started, between 65 to 70 percent.
Plants in the vegetative stage, require between 40 to 70 percent.
And the flowering stage of marijuana needs even less, 40 to 50 percent moisture in the air.
If you need help to control your humidity, check out our buying guides on humidifiers here and dehumidifiers here.
Understanding Light Cycles for Growing Cannabis
As an indoor Marijuana farmer, you maintain full control over the light cycle within your grow box.
It’s you who sets sunrise and sunset, and changes the schedule to trigger the different stages of growth.
In the seedling stage, you’ll want to aim for a light schedule with 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
The vegetative stage, meant to mimic the early spring and summer months, has much longer light cycles than a standard day.
Technically you could hit 24 hours of light, but usually, it’ll be closer to 18 hours of light.
Finally, to trigger the plants to enter into the flowering stage, you’ll want to switch the schedule to 12 hours on and 12 off.
What About Light Spectrum?
Almost all grow boxes these days come with an LED light set up.
The tiny growing space of a grow box is just too small for the heat produced by more conventional metal halide and HPS lighting systems.
These lights, covering the full visible spectrum of light waves, are energy efficient, low heat and sometimes spectrum adjustable.
If they do adjust, you’ll want to set them to display different colors during different stages of growth.
Blue light is important during the vegetative stage, as it encourages growth and foliage.
As the plant enters into the flowering stage, you’ll start to shift the light towards the red end of the spectrum, which encourages trichome development.
Improve Your Grow Cabinet Yields
According to the experts, you can learn to improve indoor harvests over time, by adopting a few helpful tips.
Tip #1: Master fertilization techniques. Customize your fertilizer process for the seedling, vegetative and flower stages.
Tip #2: Master indoor pruning techniques. To force the plant to focus its entire development into the colas, you’ll need to master the art of shock pruning early on in the marijuana growing cycles.
Tip #3: Introduce CO2. If done safely in your indoor operation, a CO2 boost during the flowering stage can also improve yields. Check out the CO2 controllers we recommend here.
Tip #4: Introduce Controlled Stresses. This may include bending and warping bits of the plant as it grows to strengthen the stalks.
Tip #5: Flush Your Hydroponic System. Every so often your plants are going to need a break from the nutrients you provide. At least once a week, flush the hydroponic system with pure, clean water to let your plants breath a little.
The Best Grow Box for Beginners
Grobo One Automated Grow Box
If you envision a grow box purchase coming fully assembled with no construction required, the Grobo is the perfect investment.
It’s a plug-and-play design which makes it the best grow box for beginners.
Its sleek, sexy, and one of the best looking options out there today.
While it's not going to hide your marijuana growing habits from the family, it’s fully automated and looks beautiful alongside other pieces of furniture, even out in the open.
With wooden accents, white surfaces, and subtle neon lights, it’s sure to be a conversation piece.
And, you can use it as a side table.
It’s a larger option from our “best of" list, measuring four feet high, with tons of space for a beautiful indoor cannabis grow.
Like all the other well-known names, the Grobo comes with a package of fertilizers and nutrients, as well as coco starter packs designed for hydroponic growing.
Its energy efficient, relying on powerful LED lights, and its chocked full of some of the most innovative new cannabis technology on the market.
Because it’s fully automated, it measures many environmental conditions and helps you take care of your first tiny little seedlings, even if you don’t entirely know what you are doing.
Dealzer Grandma's Secret Garden 3.0
A tiny little grow box for the beginner marijuana farmer who doesn’t have tons of space in their house.
Standing only three feet tall, it will tuck nicely into a closet or under a table.
It’s ideally suited to quick-harvest crops, as you’ll need to quickly power through the vegetative stage to keep the plants short and stocky.
Bushy, little indicas work perfectly for this small cabinet.
It comes prepared with nine plugs and is set up for a hydroponic grow.
However, you might want to grow fewer plants in the small space to truly get the most out of their production.
The grow box comes with two sets of lights, with tons of lumen output for both stages of cannabis development, the vegetative stage and the flowering stage.
The two lights are the 6500k grow bulbs and 2700k flowering bulbs.
Importantly, the box also allows you, the farmer, to adjust the height of the lights as your plants grow.
It is also carefully designed to avoid issues with skunky odor escaping the box, and comes partially automated with a timer and other features.
Part of the benefits of this grow cabinet is that it doesn’t require any assembly!
As soon as it arrives, you can plug it in and get started.
Plus, it comes with grandmothers seal of approval, even if you use it to grow cannabis.
Cloudponics GroBox Fully Automated Smart Hydroponic at-Home Grow System
What would be better than a fully automated grow setup?
What about full automation, with full control directly into the palm of your hand.
The Cloudponics GroBox brings environmental reports and control to a linked mobile application, meaning you can continuously manage your crop, without actually being at home.
The system makes it easy, even if you have no idea what you are doing.
Simply select strain on the mobile app, and the Cloudponics operation knows precisely what environmental conditions to initiate.
Going on vacation?
No problem!
You should still be able to maintain a healthy crop through the helpful controls of the mobile app.
With a full-blown filtration system back by one of the best carbon filters, it ensures none of the pungent cannabis smell lingers out into your living space.
The cabinet itself is nearly 30 inches tall, which is the perfect size for a small at-home operation, and it has beautiful wood paneling to compliment other furniture in your living room.
The design also emits a gentle and soothing backlit cloud-shaped light from the front panel, so you know its working hard to produce the herb you love.
Supercloset Superbox Fully Automated Turnkey Growbox
Perhaps one of the best designs on the market today, Supercloset is a brand name trusted among many cannabis growers.
It is 30” by 18” by 24”, and looks like any other piece of boring office furniture.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume this box was filled with invoices and paperwork, not chock full of marijuana.
It comes equipped to support a maximum of ten plants, but again you can grow a little less to get the most bud out of the small space.
It is also one of the few, fully integrated systems including the fans, air filters, nutrients, meters, and hydroponic systems you’ll need to get started.
With roughly 90 minutes of set up time, it does take a bit of elbow grease to prepare, but the Supercloset name is one widely used, even by highly professional operations.
You’ll hear the name Supercloset pop up quite frequently among cannabis enthusiasts.
If you have any concern about figuring out the environmental settings and nutrients of your first crop, the SuperCloset system does come with everything you need to get started.
You won’t have to make any last minute trip to the garden or hardware store to get your seedlings underway.
It’s ready to go, with everything you need, as soon as it arrives.
Yield Machine Max 4 Foot LED Grow Box
Finally, a high yield grow box, without the high costs associated with some of the other more established brands.
Its taller than some of the other brands on our list as well, meaning bigger, bushier plants, and more bud to harvest.
The four-foot option is the newest model from Yield Machine, coming with a ton of new features.
This includes a new hydroponic tray, capable of holding up to 20 quarts, three times bigger than the original.
It comes preloaded with a 150 watt High Powered LED, which you can easily adjust as your tiny seedlings grow up into mature cannabis plants.
Yield Machine adds a few helpful nutrients into the grow box package, including FloraGro, Floramicro, and FloraBloom.
All three nutrients are full size, for a full harvest.
With its nine plant capacity, you'll find even the skunkiest smelling plants are kept in check by the full odor control design for the Yield Machine.
Even with the two large exhaust fans pumping out the extra humidity and heat, the filtration system keeps the cannabis in check.
While it may not be the best grow box for beginners, it is one that will still help you grow some great cannabis.
Conclusion
If you are new to growing cannabis, picking up the best grow box for beginners will ensure your first grow goes smoothly.
While you will still have a lot of work with the actual growing, not having to worry about the environment lets you focus on more important things like:
- Negative symptoms
- Training techniques
- & harvesting
The best grow cabinet is going to be ready to go out of the box, blends in well with your house and doesn't let any light or odor leak out.
Have you ever grown in a grow box? Tell us about your experience below!
You should also take the time to check out grow tents as a grow box alternative. You can find our guide here: https://thcoverdose.com/best-grow-tent/
Last update on 2021-03-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API