Plan your grow setup

A full-spectrum white LED drawing 200–300 W from the wall — about 25–38 W per square foot, which is what flowering cannabis needs. That's the number labelled "power draw" or "actual power", never the "1000W" on the box. Rectangular tent: one rectangular bar light, or two smaller lights side by side, spreads far better than one square board in the middle. It must dim.

The tent holds 48 cu ft. One full air change a minute is the base; then the things that make the fan work harder:

A 4-inch inline fan (rated 190–210 CFM) does that at about half speed — quiet, with headroom for summer. Buy it with a temperature-and-humidity controller: that's the part that makes the tent run itself.

Same diameter as the fan (4-inch) so nothing chokes the airflow, and a rated CFM at or above the fan's. Hang it at the top of the tent: filter → short duct → fan → duct out. The carbon lasts 12–18 months of continuous use.

2 plants fit this floor comfortably. Photoperiod plants grow to fill the tent: start in a 1-gallon pot or cup, move up to 5 gallon fabric before the flip. Fabric air-prunes roots and is very hard to overwater. A quality potting mix, or coco with 20–30% perlite if you'll feed at every watering. Saucers under each pot — and empty them.

Steel frame, heavy-duty zips, a removable floor tray, and at least two duct ports. Between reputable brands the tent matters least of all of this — spend on the light first, the fan second, the tent last.

• Clip fan — One 6-inch clip fan across the canopy per 2×2 of floor — stops the still, humid pockets where bud rot starts.
• Timer — 18 hours on for veg, then 12/12 to trigger flowering. An uninterrupted dark period is what keeps it flowering.
• Thermometer / hygrometer — Hung at canopy height. 72–85 °F and 45–60% in veg; cooler and drier in flower, down to 40% for the last weeks.
• Fan controller — A temperature-and-humidity controller on the exhaust fan is the one upgrade that makes the tent run itself.
• Jeweller's loupe (60×) — For reading trichomes at harvest — the difference between a week early and just right.

Plus a basic veg and bloom feed, cal-mag, and a pH pen. Start at a quarter of the label dose.