How to grow cannabis indoor on buget?

Indoor growing is by far the more expensive option, but it gives a great deal of control and discretion. Here is a rundown of what you will need to make an indoor environment. The following list contains both bought equipment and DIY equipment - it's your choice to make!

Grow space

Although there are many high-tech boxes and grow spaces you can buy on the market, they are overall unnecessary for producing a good harvest. You can make-do with a cupboard that you aren’t using. You don’t need something fancy in which to grow your marijuana, it just needs to do the trick. If you know anything about carpentry, you can even build a space that’s exactly the size that you want it to be. The space needs to fit just your plants, a light bulb and fans. While growing without intake and extractor fans isn’t ideal, if you’re on a really tight budget you could simply drill some holes for ventilation, and voila! You have a grow space!

Indoor grow space will usually have a light reflective material inside, but these can be expensive to purchase. Painting the inside of the space white will already help a lot though, and you can pick up white paint pretty cheap! Also, there is the possibility of buying emergency blankets that are very cheap and extremely reflective. You just need to buy enough of them to cover your grow space.. If you are going to use blankets, you will definitely need some fans to keep the temperature down. And please, don’t think you’re smart by starting a fire and asking those handsome firefighters for some free blankets 

GROW LIGHT:

This is the most important part of your grow, and could also be the most expensive.

If you are trying to grow on a budget, fluorescent  lights are the best place to start. These can be picked up at nearly any hardware store and are cheap to run. They are great for growing one or two small plants. They won’t get anywhere the yields of the more expensive HID grow lights and LED grow lights, but it is a great way to see how you feel about growing without dripping a large amount of money.

A lot of hobby growers will use HID lights. These are seen as the golden standard of growing, but create a lot of heat and require a lot of energy. So not only will you have to pay more for them, they will also cost you in electricity bills and you may need a cooling system. It can be argued that the bigger yields are worth the payoff, but if you are trying to grow on a budget, you need to consider exactly how often you intend to grow.

Lastly, if you are playing the long game, the best choice is an LED grow light. The initial investment is bigger than any other light, but it will save you money on the electricity bill – being the cheapest of all lights to run, plus they don’t increase the grow space temperature too much and you won’t need any special cooling system. Just make sure you do some research and get a good one if you decide to go down this route.

WATER:

When growing cannabis, there is no need for filtered or otherwise “special” water; tap water is more than sufficient for cannabis plants. For best results, though, we recommend letting tap water sit out for 24 hours so pH levels can settle, and the water temperature can balance out to a reasonable temperature.

However, there is an even better water source that’s both cheaper and more nutritious for plants: rainwater. That’s because rainwater forms around dust particles in the air, often dirt but in rural areas it might form around manure (i.e. fertilizer) which which is especially rich in nitrogen. Plus, because rainwater is free of chemical treatments like chlorine, the water can absorb deeper into the soil. And because chlorine blocks nutrient absorption, keeping it out of the watering cycle can boost nutrient uptake and encourage better plant growth.

SOIL:

Like the light system, a good soil will cost you a little bit more in the beginning, but it will be better for your plants and will save you money in nutrients. Saying this, if you are stretched, you can still get results from standard soil. Be careful brining in soil from outdoors, as this can contain pests.

NUTRIENTS

But if you still find yourself needing extra nutrient supplements, try to use ones made specifically for cannabis. This is important as you’ll be consuming the plant’s yields. If buds are grown with harmful chemicals, your cannabis can end up really hurting your body. In case you find yourself using a generic fertilizer, make sure it’s intended for edible products like vegetables or fruit. This will inform you that it’s ok to light up your bud after feeding it the product.

Vertafort has some great options that are super cheap. You dissolve a tablet in 3-5 litres of water to create the booster mix. This will feed as many plants as you can with the water. They have tablets both for the vegetative and the flower stage. Don’t be fooled by the marketing of other expensive brands who claim only their products can do the job. As long as you understand what you’re looking for, you’ll find cheap options. Don’t start before doing all the necessary research.

VENTILATION:

One area where we do not recommend trying to cut corners is your main exhaust or extraction fan. This is one area where you really want a unit that is designed to do the job properly. However, proper inline exhaust fans are well made and last for years so it’s worth checking on website for a second hand unit (always checking the seller’s ratings of course). Make sure you know the cubic feet per minute (CFM) that you are aiming for and look to buy a fan that can offer more than what you require and has a speed setting if your budget allows.Where you can save money (potentially LOTS of money) is on odor control by constructing your own carbon filter. Many growers have had success in this area and there are many example builds on the internet. 

CLIMATE:

It can’t be too hot, and it can’t be too cold, or else your babies could die or not grow healthy enough to produce anything. If you are growing with HPS system you will need a cooling ventilation system, if you are using LEDs you may not need anything. The best temperature for marijuana to grow is around 24° and 29°.

As you can see, as long as you take into consideration the needs of a cannabis plant, growing doesn’t have to be expensive. If you opt for indoors, then costs can be as low as €100 or so to set up -as long as you are crafty. Once set up, you are over the initial hurdle! As always remember, growing should be fun so enjoy it!