Assembling a home grow box: materials for equipment and operating nuances

One of the most fashionable trends in progressive plant growing is growing plants in growboxes - closed, autonomous, full-cycle systems. A special grow tent for growing garden and berry crops at home can be purchased in stores.

It is quite possible to make a grow box with your own hands from materials available in everyday use. You will have to buy some additional things, but the costs will be several times less than the cost of purchasing a ready-made installation.

The advantages of this type of cultivation are compactness, independence from the season and weather conditions, autonomy and secrecy. The harvest can be obtained quickly, without much physical effort and without the use of chemicals.

Using these step-by-step instructions, you can easily cope with the simple task of growing.

Growbox: main characteristics of the equipment

A growbox or plant propagator is professional equipment that helps to grow seedlings and indoor flowers.
It also allows you to create a pleasant microclimate for plants and do everything to ensure that environmental conditions are favorable. It is great for many purposes. You can freely grow various fruit and vegetable crops in it. A growbox is an excellent replacement for many things, such as a winter garden, a country house or a greenhouse, because it takes up little space. It is located within the apartment and can help while away the long winter evenings.

Classification

Today there is a whole classification of these devices:

1. Standard. It is distinguished by its optimal dimensions. They are defined as 1000x1000x2000 mm. Such dimensions will help a young gardener to easily place a pair of mature photoperiodic plants that will not interfere with each other’s growth during their active flowering.
2. Stealth. It is the most difficult and interesting type of grow box, hidden and unnoticeable. It has many advantages, such as noise and light insulation.
3. Growcompact. It has small dimensions, which is why it fits in an ordinary room. This is a great option for those who need to grow small flowers.

Interesting! You can make a small grow box out of a refrigerator.

Carbon filter

The carbon filter is directly connected to the exhaust fan (sometimes it is connected by a duct pipe). This will eliminate the strong smell of cannabis before releasing the air. A carbon filter is critical if you are growing indoors and growing cannabis is illegal in your country. This will avoid problems with your neighbors and the police.

The carbon filter will eliminate the characteristic smell of cannabis, so you will avoid trouble.

Keep in mind that you will have to make holes for the ductwork to go in and out.

How to assemble equipment with your own hands: ready-made manufacturing schemes

There are many offers on the market. However, today you can create a growbox yourself. The main task is to provide acceptable conditions for growing plants. When designing begins, you can apply expert advice or go your own way.

To make this equipment you will need things and tools in the form of:

1. Cabinet, box or chipboard box;
2. Films with foil or other material;
3. Thermometer and hygrometer for measuring temperature and humidity;
4. Diode phytolamp, lamp or other lighting device;
5. Pots, boxes, containers where plants will be kept.

Next we move on to the creation process. How to make a growbox with your own hands:

1. Project . We prepare a drawing of the grow box, a diagram or a color project on the computer with how it will look;
2. Purchasing all material and storing it in one place.
3. Formation of a grow box . Schemes for construction can be found ready-made on the Internet. For example, you can use this:

Preparing the box

A cardboard box is not the best material for a grow box. It is better to choose a box made of chipboard or MDF, but if only a packaging box is available, then craftsmen will adapt that too. Don't rush to get rid of packaging material, polystyrene foam or bubble wrap.

It will serve for thermal insulation. It is better to prepare 2 boxes of different sizes. You can make a thermos out of them.

The box is cleaned of dust. It is better to disassemble it at the seams to make it easier to work with. They immediately determine where the door will be. It is better to place it on the side. To do this, make a cutout with the letter “P”. The door is pulled towards itself to open the exit to the box.

To ensure that the piece of cardboard fits snugly against the walls, it is recommended to attach a hook on the top side. It is made from a paper clip. A loop is put on it, which is made from the same paper clip.

If the cardboard box is only one size, then a fan is not installed in it. Ventilation occurs naturally. If you plan to make a thermos, then provide ventilation. A hole is made on the side wall for the device.

Additional holes are provided on the rear wall. To do this, use a stationery knife. The hole size is 1*10 cm. 4 round holes with a diameter of 1 cm are made at the bottom of the door, in increments of 2-3 cm.

The surface of the unfolded box is covered with reflective material. This can be foil film or aluminum tape. A mirror surface is necessary for uniform distribution of heat and light in the container.

The box is assembled and given its original shape. Preparatory work is completed if there is only one box available. If there are two packages, strengthen the thermal insulation and make a thermos. To do this, wrap the smaller box in bubble wrap.

Scotch tape is used for this. If polystyrene foam is used instead of film, it is glued with Moment glue. Larger packaging is adjusted to fit the workpiece, but it can be used as a removable cover. A ventilation hole is made in the insulation and in the cover for supply and exhaust ventilation.

You can install a computer fan in the growbox out of the box, which is designed in the form of a “thermos”. He works for exhaustion. Holes measuring 10*10 cm are made for it. They must be in all boxes and in thermal insulation.

It is recommended to install the Soler&Palau device at 13 W, air exchange 93 m3/h. The result is a box in which it is necessary to install lighting devices. You can place mini-hydroponics in it.

In a package 910 cm high, 600 cm long, 470 cm wide, you can grow greens, onions, and garlic. Some growers place vegetable seedlings in a box. Plants are grown in soil or hydroponically. The system is made by hand.

Lighting

Many people are mistaken in thinking that any lamps are suitable for lighting a grow room. To grow a certain plant, it requires certain lighting and temperature. The fact is that incandescent lamps, for example, emit additional heat and have a strong glow. This may destroy some flowers if exposed directly to the lamp.

Types of suitable lamps for growboxes:

1. HPS lamps are sodium lamps that are required to provide additional illumination to plants or to illuminate streets;
2. CFLs are considered small fluorescent lighting fixtures;
3. ESL in translation means energy saving lamps;
4. 4 Led are distinguished by special LED properties in order for enhanced plant growth to occur.

More about growing plants: how to make aeroponics equipment with your own hands.

How to grow Krasulla at home can be found in the following article.

Features of poinsettia care: .

Period 1. Vegetative

Vegetative growth is a period when the plant needs abundant light and air. Set the frequent air renewal mode on the automatic ventilation control panel. Neon lamps with blue lighting or sodium lamps are suitable for lighting.

It is better to set the light at 18 o'clock and the shadow at 6 o'clock. As you move into the flowering phase, reduce the light phase by 30 minutes per day until you switch the plant to 12 hours light, 12 hours shade.

Ventilation

There must be ventilation; there are no restrictions on choice. The main thing is that the chosen system helps renew the air inside it and get rid of the hot air emitted by the lamp. If you use the advice of agronomists, you can come to a common decision on temperature. For all plants it should be from +22 to +27 0 C.

You can create proper operation of ventilation and all equipment if you use things in the form of an electronic timer or relay. This is an optional equipment, but it makes life much easier. The timer turns on and off for lighting along with the fan device in the box. During the development or growing season, you need to know that at this time all flowers need to be given light for up to eighteen hours during the day and six hours at night. When it becomes an adult and begins to flower, additional lighting can be set for twelve hours during the day and the same number of hours at night.

Which stealth to choose?

A growbox is a cabinet. Externally, it does not differ from ordinary home furniture. Choose a model based on color, size and texture so that it fits well into the interior of the room. “Beds” with tomatoes are hidden in the closet. The grow box has all the necessary equipment to create the most favorable microclimate for the full development of plants.

To make growing tomatoes less hassle-free, hydroponics is used. In this case, there is no need to prepare fertile soil, fertilize, or treat plants against diseases. The technology for growing tomatoes hydroponically involves the use of nutrient solutions prepared from mineral fertilizers.

Plants take the necessary nutrients from them. The crops do not get sick, develop faster than when grown in a garden plot, and are characterized by increased productivity and prolonged fruiting.

Tomatoes are distinguished by voluminous bushes and a well-developed root system. They need to be tied up so that the branches and leaves do not shade the fruits. The bush is formed by cutting off the stepsons through the leaf node. For growing tomatoes, three-dimensional structures are chosen. Domestic manufacturer GrowBase offers the following equipment:

• growbox “Karapuz” - it is made in dark colors, the frame is made of chipboard; cabinet height 1350 cm, area 550*450 cm; it can accommodate 3 tomato bushes; the box is equipped with an LED strip emitting green light; the cabinet has a ventilation and cooling system that operates automatically;
• “Domestic pig” - the model is suitable for interiors in light colors; 3-4 tomato bushes are placed in the box; its height is 2 m, width and length 60 cm; 4 45 W ESL lamps are installed in the cabinet; a ventilation system with a carbon filter is provided; tomatoes in a grow box develop faster; the system can be created at temperatures from 0 0C to 45 0C;
• “Leviathan” - the model looks like an ordinary double-door wardrobe; mobile design, on roller legs; the box can accommodate up to 5-6 bushes;
• The Centurion model looks interesting; The growbox is made to look like antique furniture; it holds 2-3 plants;
• in the hallway you can install a “Changing room” cabinet; it is already equipped with a hydroponic installation for 2 bushes; the complex includes tools for preparing nutrient solutions, pH and EC meters; periodic flooding technology is used; it is good for tomatoes;
• “Home greenhouse” - a hydroponic system designed for 8 plants; wardrobe with 4 doors; all equipment works automatically.

Along with grow boxes, which are installed anywhere in the room, grow tents are used. If the boxes are stationary equipment, then the awnings are a tent that can be folded if there is no need for it.

The tent is made of non-flammable materials and is completely sealed. As a rule, there is no hydroponics in it; The system must be purchased separately. The following models are suitable for growing tomatoes:

• Probox 120 – height 2 m, width and length 120 cm; lighting is provided by 600 W HPS lamps; the box contains hydroponics for 4 plants;
• Growroom Secret Jardin - equipment designed for growing a large number of vegetables; a separate room is provided for it; models are selected depending on the size of the room;
• if you need to grow 3-4 tomato bushes, then choose “GrowDom” tents 120*120*200 cm or a larger cabinet 145*145*200 cm.

Temperature compliance

What temperature should the grow box be? Everyone loves stability, including plants. Make sure that the temperature set for their growth always remains the same. Remember that lamps heat the air very much. In addition, they can burn the leaves and then they will dry out faster. Use blowing fans and carbon filters.

If you need to lower the temperature by 1-2C, use a humidifier, but do not get carried away with it, since humidity cannot exceed 65-70% at the vegetative stage and 55-60% at flowering. If the problem is low temperature, install heaters.

Target

As a result, you will end up with something similar to this:

Homemade growbox.

With some minor differences, of course.

Once you've got everything together, there are a couple more things you need to get your grow room up and running:

• Ventilation system
• Carbon filter
• Lighting fixtures

Unfortunately, you can't make them at home (unless you have experience with electronics), so you'll have to buy them.

Whether you buy or make the equipment mentioned above yourself, in both cases you need to make sure that you do not overload the electrical circuit and be very careful to avoid fire or other serious problems.

Watering and moistening

Watering should be moderate. It is necessary to select it according to the type of a certain flower. It needs to be done at least once a day. Automatic watering allows you to permanently eliminate the problem of drying out and waterlogging of substrates. It helps the young gardener get rid of the need to water all the time. The volume of the tank for automatic watering is calculated according to the type of greenhouse and the number of plants. You can roughly calculate using this simple formula: 30 liters per 1 sq. m. Remember that during the growing season less liquid is consumed than during the flowering process.

Selection of materials

To make a grow box with your own hands you will need:

The first stage of assembly will be the installation of the frame and the preparation of internal surfaces. The growbox should not have any cracks and allow outside light to pass through. Doors must close tightly.

The inside of the box must be painted with matte white paint. Glossy does not reflect light as well. When choosing paint, you need to ensure that it does not release toxic substances at elevated temperatures.

Penofol is a non-woven insulating and reflective material that is convenient to use and helps save up to 20% of electricity on lighting. It can be quickly strengthened using a construction stapler or double-sided tape. The joints are additionally reinforced with foil tape.