How many plants can fit in a 4x2 grow tent? 2021 Updated

 There are a number of benefits of using LED grow lights. First of all, they are the most electricity and energy efficient option that growers have. Grow lights tend to consume a lot of electricity, especially if you use primitive forms of lights such as High Pressure Sodium lights or Metal Halides or quantum board led grow light. However, these modern-day lights are much more energy efficient and provide a much higher output of light by converting a lesser amount of electricity. 

Apart from that, another huge benefit of using LED grow lights over other types of grow lights is that LED grow lights can last much, much, longer compared to them. LED grow lights have an average life span of 40,000 hours – which is massive. Furthermore, if they go bad, they are easy to dispose as well and you can be assured that they will not cause you or the nature any harm because they do not have any toxic chemicals powering them. 

Grow lights need to perform with efficiency and power to mimic sunlight, and there should be enough power required to do so. Therefore, grow light with 50 to 80 watts per square foot of operation will be needed for the desired result. Lights with below the stated watts will be able to perform for your plants but will not be as efficient. Heat and light will be ideal with 50 watts and above of watts per square foot.

Your grow light must be in accordance with your grow area and spread of your plants. You need a size that covers your grow area with its efficiency with wattage output. Like a 250 watts of grow light is ideal for grow space of about 3 x 3 feet of area, a 400 watts will cover 4×4, a 600 watts will cover 6×6 feet and likewise. You will need coverage the most when your plants begin to grow and spread along with enough output. So, measure your grow area and order a size close to it or order in multiples. You can check out amazing grow lights in our article above.

You can do one plant and get just as high a yield if not higher if done in a scrog. More plants will allow you to fill your 4x2 grow tent a little quicker, allowing you to initiate flower a little quicker, and finally allowing you to harvest a little sooner.

Depending on different phases of their growth cycle, plants require different amounts of light as well. When the plants are in their earlier phase of growth, they need more lighting. The youngest of them all – seedlings require 22 hours of lighting. As they mature into a proper plant and enter the vegetative phase of growth, about 18 to 20 hours of light would be enough. As they grow taller you slowly reduce it to 16 hours. When the plants enter the pre-flowering phase of their growth cycle, they need about 16-14 hours of lighting and in the peak flowering phase, about 12 to 10 hours of lighting would be sufficient. The plant ‘rests’ in the dark hours. 

Mars Hydro TS3000 Quantum Board

Pros:

• Dissipates heat better to extend its lifespan


• Consumes and wastes less energy


• Promotes optimal growth for plants’ photosynthesis


• Releases minimum heat even after working for 17 hours day

Cons:

• The brightness doesn’t last that long


• The light beam is too narrow to cover other plants under it

ECO Farm Quantum Board

Plants have evolved to grow well under light cycles that the Earth provides them outdoors.  Long bright summer days and shorter less bright Fall and Spring Days.  This is why it is best to replicate these light cycles when growing indoors.  The following light cycles are recommended (by growth phase):

• Seedling/Clone Phase: 16+ hours on, 8- hours off


• Vegetative Phase: 18 hours on, 6 hours off


• Flowering Phase: 12 hours on, 12 hours off

A change in the light cycle will actually help trigger the plant to move on to the next growth phase, specifically from Vegetative to Flowering. It’s also important to keep in mind that some plants react poorly to interruptions in their light cycles.  Turning a light on in the middle of a dark phase, perhaps to check on your crops, can be detrimental to overall yield and should be avoided.

Now that LEDs are widely used by growers from different parts of the world, different versions arrive in the market. But instead of convincing you to buy from a single brand, we’ll let you decide on the product to buy. So, here are some tips and questions to answer so you can choose the LED grow lights:

• Look for chips

To make sure that your plants will grow, it has to have the right chips. In this case, the LED grow light that you should choose is the one with at least 3 watts. Any LED with less than 3 watts will not give your plants enough light coverage that can help them grow. Thus, every chip in the LED should have 3 watts since a 3 watts chip provides the best lighting solution.

You can notice this in blues, reds, and white LEDs so beware of those that only offer 1 watt each. Using 3 chips with 1 watt just to meet this requirement will not work either.

• Check the total output

Just like any other lighting solutions, you should also check its product description for the total output. Check the total number of units that the lamp has since it can also affect its produced amount of light. Some LED grow lights are built with 300, 400, 600, and even 1,000W. Before you head to the counter, check if it has at least 300W first. The higher the wattage the better since you can compensate for the loss of wattage over time.

• Consider its spectrum

Plants may grow under different kinds of light. However, it requires a specific amount of wavelength and spectrum to help them in photosynthesis. The best LEDs for growing indoor plants can provide a full spectrum that is necessary from their growth.

In this case, it should be able to provide enough amount of blues and reds as well as ultraviolet, and infrared. Depending on your plants’ stage of growth, their needed spectrum may also change to help them during the photosynthesis process.

• Look for its cooling aspects

Generally, LEDs produce less heat so a cooling system is not really necessary on some units. But since you’d be keeping these lamps on for more than 10 hours a day, you better check its cooling aspects. There are units with internal fans to protect the lamp from burning fast as well as your plants. The heat that comes out behind the bulbs should be protected with a cooling system to avoid burning its chips.

• Growing space

If LEDs vary in color, it also varies in size. Thus, be sure to measure the space you want to grow your plants to determine the exact size to buy. You also need to measure the lighting area to make sure that every plant you have is well-lighted. For high-light plants, you should have at least 32W/sq. ft. LEDs while low-light plants should have at least 11-18W/sq. ft.

• Ease of use

One of the most important things to look for when choosing an LED grow light is its ease of use. The best-LED lights for growing indoor plants should not give you a hard time while operating it. It should be flexible so you can adjust its lights depending on the kind of plant you have. At the same time, its growth stage should determine your LED’s placement.

When your best option to keep your plants alive is to keep them inside, it’s all on your artificial lighting. Seedlings, for instance, need extra care and bright light since insufficient light makes them weak and thin. Even if you put them in your windowsill that receives the most amount of sunlight, it may not be enough. Regardless of the kind of indoor plant you have, there are different brands and LED grow lights to choose from. Some can be too intense while others may provide insufficient lighting so be sure to read each product’s detail.