By Agnes Marie Williams

If you want to have complete control over your growing environment, as well as lighting, watering, pest control as well as ventilation, you should use a grow box. It is a way to grow indoor gardens which allows you much more control than growing outside.

It is possible to make your own grow box of a size of your pleasing very easily. You need to decide on the size based on your crop size as well as the space you have. Below is a simple guide on how you can make your own grow box using a basic plan for a 4 foot x 4 foot grow box. You can make this bigger or smaller by adding or subtracting lumber dimensions to your specific needs.

Material needed

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Six 4 foot x 4 foot plywood sheets that are inch thick.

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Wood screws

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Drill or screwdriver

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Saw

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2 standard door hinges for the cabinets

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Wood glue caulking

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Two 6 inch ventilation fans, standard fans or computer fans.

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White paint, mylar or other reflective material

How to Construct

You will need to first place some plywood on the ground. Next, stand a sheet next to it making sure they are lined up straight. Now do the same thing on the opposite side, and drill in the sides (all four walls) using screws. Now only one side (or top) should be left. To add this, line up the plywood and screw this in using hinges along one side, turning into a door. You need to make sure the door fits properly so open and close it a few times to make sure it is working dine. To make the box more solid, use 3-4 screws per side.

Now use caulking or wood glue on the inside of every joint and connecting point between the plywood sheets to make sure they are sealed properly. Dont seal in the door side, but the remainder need to be sealed. Make sure the glue/caulk has dried before proceeding.

Ventilation

You will now need to add ventilation since no grow box is complete without proper ventilation. All plans need a healthy growing environment which means a flow of fresh air in the box as well as removing the spent air out of the box as well as removing the heat.

For this, you need to drill two six inch holed into the box, one being preferably in the middle of one of the side walls of the box and the other on the opposite wall somewhere a couple of inches from the roof of the box. You will install the fans in these holes, making sure one blows air outwards and one blows air inwards. You will need to use more caulk or glue to seal the area around the fans to make sure no light is getting in.

Lighting

You will need to install lighting based on the light you are using, but you can use the following guide for more kinds of lighting.

Start by drilling two holes on both sides of the top of the box, making sure the holes are only as big as they need to be to let the chains/ropes through. Try to make sure the holes are matched to the length of the fixture you are using. Pull the hanging chains through these holes and pull tight so they light is about inch from the ceiling. Now while still holding tight drill each hanging chain with a screw into the plywood, only till it is firmly in wood but try not to go all the way through. You can also tie the 2 chains together on the outside so that they do not come loose but do not make them to tight as you have to lower and raise your lighting during the course of your grow.

After you have done the lighting, you will remove the light and apply your reflective material on the walls. You want to use either white paint on the entire inside or Mylar or something similar to that. Try and cover the entire surface on the inside so you get the most out of your lighting.

Arranging the Plant(s)

You will need to arrange the plants based on your personal needs and requirements. This depends on whether you are using hydroponics or soil. All you have to do is place them inside the box, and most people find square boxes to be the most efficient way of making the most out of the space they have.

By now, your grow box should be set. You just need to make sure the lighting and ventilation is working fine and you can then start growing plants in it.

About the Author: Agnes Williams is the author of Hydroponics 101 which is available on

besthydroponics101.com

. The book was written with the help of professional growers and is sold with 12 month free support.

Source:

isnare.com

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