How To Make A Cheap Indoor Grow Setup

Have you always dreamed of having a marijuana grow house in the comfort of your own home but worried you can’t afford it? We’re here to teach you how to grow marijuana indoors without it costing an arm and a leg and show you how you can create a cheap indoor grow setup.

With marijuana now legalized in many states, you might be wondering how to make your own cheap indoor grow setup. Not everyone has the capital or space for big, expensive grow houses. Not to worry; if you want to germinate for your consumption, you won’t need a fancy setup. 

We’re here to guide you through setting up your very own budget grow room. 

Let’s get started! 

What do you need to buy for a cheap indoor grow setup?

Growing indoors is renowned for being an expensive operation. This doesn’t need to be the case. There’s no doubt that inside setups require a time commitment and some investment, but they don’t need to break the bank.

It’s possible to set up a cheap grow room if you know what to buy. We’ve put together all the basic requirements and costs for you to get the most out of your buck and grow weed cheap in the comfort of your home. 

According to our estimates, a cheap grow setup can cost as little as $170 if you choose to use all the basic materials mentioned below.

Tent

If you’re looking for a concealed grow tent setup, a 24x24 inch tent is the way to go. This fits into most small spaces and can be well hidden. 

To save money, a household cabinet lined with tin foil will work well as your tent. Tinfoil costs about $24 for two decent rolls.

The more expensive option here would be to buy a premade grow tent. These can cost anywhere between $65 (excluding all equipment) and $1000 including equipment. When looking to create a budget grow room, a DIY tent is undoubtedly the way to go.

Cheap grow lights

Grow lights are a must for any small indoor grow setup. LEDs are the most preferred because they don’t emit much heat or use excess energy. Unlike fluorescent lights, they are effective throughout the entire growth cycle.

Depending on the strain you choose and the stage of growth, you’ll need to provide between 12 and 18 hours of light per day. Make sure the bulbs you buy can accommodate this and won’t burn out too quickly.

Lighting can cost anywhere from $40-$70, depending on what bulbs you favor. This 150w version Mrhua 150W UFO LED Grow Light is a snip at $49.99. A two-pack of timer switches, made by BN-Link, comes in at $11.99.

You could get away without this, but we wouldn’t recommend it! Get hold of an AcuRite Monitor, which is suitable for use in a grow room and features a thermometer and digital hygrometer, for just $12.74.

Plant pots or grow containers

2-gallon pots are the standard for most budget grow rooms. Containers cost $4 each, including a saucer from nurseries. If you buy in bulk from an online retailer, you might find them cheaper. 

A 2-gallon pot can hold 1 cannabis plant. You can decide how many to buy depending on how much you’d like to grow at the beginning.

One way to save money for your budget grow box is to use containers lying around the house as pots. You’ll just need to drill holes in the bottom for drainage.

If you’d like more space, a 5-gallon pot will be suitable. These containers cost around $6 and can hold up to 2 weed plants.

Air circulation 

To successfully grow weed in a contained cheap indoor grow setup, you’ll need to provide plenty of ventilation to prevent air from getting stale.

This is a good little fan that should do the job in a closet or small grow tent. It features adjustable tilt, two speeds, and is very quiet. The Comfort Zone 6 inch fan is $14.99.

At an extra cost of $156, you’ll be able to acquire an inline fan with a fitted carbon filter and ducting. This is a much more effective way to provide air circulation and carbon filtration to your grow tent setup but isn’t for a tight budget.

Medium

You can use most ready-mixed potting soils for your easy indoor grow setup. The price for these starts at $18. Try to stay away from grounds with “slow-release” nutrients added. 

If you’d like to spend a little more on your medium to ensure happy cannabis plants and potentially larger harvests, you can try Coco-Loco. This coco-poir can provide some fabulous results. At $35, it lasts 3x longer than average potting soils, with one bag filling up to 12 gallons. 

If you’d like more advice on the most effective medium, speak to your nursery; they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. 

Nutrients 

To help you grow weed cheaply, our Homegrown Cannabis Co online store sells a standard nutrient pack at only $49,99.

Your all in one nutrient kit includes: 

• Cannabis Seedling Booster. This gives seedings everything they need to grow and flourish without overwhelming them.
• Growtime cannabis fertilizer. Designed to boost and strengthen cannabis plants during the vegetative stage.
• Flowertime Fertilizer for Cannabis. An all-around booster to ensure healthy flowers and big, juicy buds.
• Cannabis Plant Booster. Additional nutrients for all extra growth needs.

The environmentally friendly organic nutrient pack contains all the same products as the standard nutrient pack but, as the name suggests, is 100% organic. At only $10 more, you can help care for the environment without breaking the bank.

Plant protectants are also available from the store and serve to prevent a wide range of pests and diseases. By spending a bit more, you can save yourself significant loss to pests. The weed plant protectant kit costs $39,99 and includes the following:

• Bug Blaster. A non-toxic bug spray that is known to rid cannabis of a wide variety of insects.
• Marijuana Root Guardian. For effective treatment of root diseases and pathogens such as Pythium and Fusarium. If detected early enough, you can restore root growth and ensure robust and healthy bud production in the future.
• Homegrown’s Cannabis Mold Shield. To effectively prevent and treat mold and other fungi on your marijuana. When smoked, moldy weed can cause unpleasant side effects and even land you in hospital if you’ve got an allergy to it. This one’s better treated than left.
• Homegrown’s Cannabis Plant Germ Genie. The immune booster for weed. This component boosts the plants’ resistance to disease, assists with growth, and increases bud yields.

Cheap weed seeds 

To find cheap weed seeds, you’ll want to visit our online store. We have buy one get one free (BOGO) promotions running on various all-around cannabis seeds, saving you money and searching time. With prices starting at $6, these are all perfect for a budget grow box. 

Optional Extras

Two handy items to add to your cheap weed grow box are a timer and thermometer.

As you’ll want to keep your light and dark times constant, a timer can be of great help. We sometimes forget to note the light phases, and a timer will eliminate human error on this one. Timers are relatively cheap at $10.

Weed prefers constant temperatures of between 70-85℉. If the number goes too far above or below this range, it may affect the harvest. With a thermometer, you can keep track and add on a heating element if need be. You can buy a simple color-changing thermometer strip online for as little as $1.

A hygrometer/thermometer is a prevalent method of measuring temperature as it measures humidity too. Humidity is just as important as the temp when it comes to weed, and this device measures both. Measuring humidity allows you to adjust elements as you need to and create an environment conducive to maximum bud production and health.

How to set up the cheap indoor grow setup

Now that you know what equipment you need to create your cheap indoor grow setup, let’s take a look step by step to put it all together.

• Choose a grow space. This will be an area where you’ll place your grow tent. A bedroom/cupboard/bathroom.
• Line your cabinet with tin foil. No air or light should be able to escape or enter from the outside and disturb the environment. The best way to check this is to place the tent in a dark room and shine a torch all around it. If light escapes, you’ll know where the gaps are and be able to fix them.
• Install your fan. A top corner is the best place to put one to provide the best circulation.
• Find a suitable spot for the carbon filter. Some duct tape and clamps on either end of the filter will allow you to attach it to the bars in your tent.
• Install lights. The best place for this is in the ceiling of the tent to provide even light to your cannabis plants.
• Place your timer outside the tent for easy readings. 
• Install your thermometer. You can stick it to the sides of the tent, and it’ll measure the temperature by changing colors.

Remember to make any cables running out of the tent airtight. You can wrap some foil around them or use some silicone to seal any open areas around holes.

The final puff

No matter your income or budget, there’s a way to make weed production a fun and affordable journey. If you’re looking to grow weed cheap at home, this article’s definitely for you.   

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About the author: Derek LaRose

Also known as Kronic from The Cannabis Kronicles, Derek LaRose is a young ambitious cultivator and a staple educator for indoor cultivation.