Choosing the right indoor grow package
Not every all-in-one indoor growing package is the same. Most grow packages either have too much unnecessary equipment or not enough important equipment to get you going right away. I've been consulting customers for over 5 years on successful indoor gardening setups as well as being an avid gardener myself. I've seen all types of budgets and grow sizes and no matter what your need is, there is a universal basic setup that every grow operation requires. What is it? Watch this quick video about our breakdown first and then I'll go into detail about why certain pieces to your garden are important for a successful and fruitful harvest:

Breakdown

Everything You Need For a Complete Grow Room:

  • Grow Light System
  • Grow/Garden Area
  • Ventilation/Odor Control
  • Environment Control
  • Nutrients
  • Grow Bags/ Pots
  • Growing Medium (not included in grow packages)
When picking a grow package, consider what's appropriate for your growing area and the number of plants you're growing.

Grow Light Systems

Large indoor grow room with lights hanging above plants
The 3 grow packages covered in the video comes standard with the traditional Yield Lab high-intensity discharge (HID) grow light system in 3 different wattage size: 400 watts, 600 watts, and 1000 watts. If you haven't seen a grow light kit before, each grow light kit comes with a high-pressure sodium bulb for flowering (HPS) and a metal halide bulb for the vegging cycle (MH). This system of lighting has become a staple for indoor horticulture and many seasoned growers prefer this system. The bulbs are secured inside a reflector that helps redirect light towards your plants. Depending on the reflector, you can create a wider spread of light with less penetrating power or a narrow but stronger light source. The bulbs are charged by a digital ballast with dimming and super lumens features. The dimming feature helps reduce heat and electricity consumption when growing indoors. This can help lower your electricity bill and keep a maintainable indoor garden environment with less heat. Keep in mind, however, that dimming your ballast means lowering the electrical frequency that emits your bulbs. The color or spectrum of the bulb changes when you doing so, which means providing a less beneficial light spectrum depending on your grow cycle. The super lumens feature increases the frequency of your ballast allowing your bulb to radiate brighter and more intense lights for your garden. We mentioned before why it benefits you the most to use the super lumens feature (It's #4 in the article). To summarize, if you're replacing your bulbs regularly then using the super lumens feature helps maximize your bulbs output which gives you a larger garden and heavier yields. Do you want more fruits and flowers after every harvest? Use the super lumens feature. The Yield Lab grow light kit also includes a pair of rope ratchet hangers to adjust your reflector height and a 24-hour timer to set up your lighting schedule. The 600 Watt Specialist Grow Package and the 1000 Watt Professional Series Grow Package comes with supplemental LED grow lights. Supplemental lighting can be utilized for extra light coverage, seeds, or clones.

Hobbyist Series Include:

1x 400w Yield Lab HPS + MH Grow Light System

Specialist Series Include:

1x 600w Yield Lab HPS + MH Grow Light System 2x 36w Advance Spectrum MAX Dual Band LED Supplemental Grow Bulbs

Professional Series Include:

2x 1000w Yield Lab HPS + MH Grow Light System 2x 50w Advance Spectrum Dual Band LED Supplemental Grow Panels

Grow/Garden Area

Dimensions and specifications of a Yield Lab 94'x94'x78' grow tent
This depends on the number of plants you're able to grow in the space you're gardening in. We covered this topic in an in-depth article on how to choose the right size grow tent, but in a nutshell, the basic questions you should ask yourself is:
  • If 1 plant needs a minimum of 1 sq.ft. of space to grow, how much room do I need? Then add half of that to the equation to make room for filters and supplies.
  • Where am I going to exhaust my heat? Out of a window? Through a hole in the ceiling? This will help determine what venting option you need in your grow tent.

Hobbyist Series Recommended Grow Tent Size (in inches):

  • Yield Lab 48" x 24" x 60" Grow Tent
  • Yield Lab 32"x 32" x 63" Grow Tent

Specialist Series Recommended Grow Tent Size (in inches):

  • Yield Lab 48" x 48" x 78" Grow Tent
  • Yield Lab 60"x 60" x 78" Grow Tent

Professional Recommended Grow Tent Size (in inches):

  • Yield Lab 78" x 78" x 78" Grow Tent
  • Yield Lab 96" x 48" x 78" Grow Tent

Ventilation/Odor Control

Ventilation in a grow tent
Figuring out your grow tent and ventilation is a two-step process. Once you figured out where you're pulling in the fresh air from outside and exhausting stale air, you need to set up your high output fans and ducting properly. Be sure that everything is sturdy and done properly. If you half-ass this, it's possible that later on in your grow something could fall and destroy your crop, light leaks can cause growth issues and pockets of stale air is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Take your time and do it right. Odor control with a charcoal filter will help with any lingering smells from your garden. Each kit comes with 1 charcoal filter to help eliminate unwanted odors that can keep nosy neighbors and guests from being suspicious. Unless, you know, you don't mind that they know you're growing some dank tomatoes or something.

Hobbyist Series Include:

1x 6" 440CFM High Output Duct Fan 1x 6" Charcoal Filter

Specialist Series Include:

1x 6" 440CFM High Output Duct Fan 1x 6" Charcoal Filter

Professional Series Include:

2x 6" 440CFM High Output Duct Fan 1x 6" Charcoal Filter
What does CFM mean? It stands for Cubic Feet per Minute and it's a measurement of how long it takes to completely remove stale air so if your grow tent is 4ft x 4ft x 6ft in cubic feet (96 cubic ft.), 440CFM is enough air power to replace your stale air quickly. Keep in mind that CFM reduces when you start adding ducting.

Environment Control

We provide a simple and compact way to add cO2 into your garden. Why is cO2 important? It's what your plants breathe in to help photosynthesize and exhales oxygen as a result. Because there is not enough cO2 in the air, supplementing your environment with it will help increase plant growth and in return, increase overall yield. Each grow package includes at least one cO2 bag to help enrich your environment.

Nutrients

Nutrients are what your plants feed on. We include Humboldt Nutrients in every grow package that has all the essential macronutrients for your plants. It's a great start to have a basic feeding schedule for your plants to thrive on.

Hobbyist Series Include:

1x Humboldt Nutrient Oneness - Provides all essential macronutrients (N-P-K) and a balanced assortment of micronutrients. It's an easy nutrient to start with as a newbie.

Specialist and Professional Series Include:

1x Humboldt Nutrient Master A 1x Humboldt Nutrient Master B The Specialist and the Professional Series Grow Packages include the premium blend of nutrients and are dedicated to experienced growers. Master A is used during the vegging cycle and Master B is added during the flowering cycle for your plants.

Grow Bags/Pots

Grow bags and pots are basic but essential for your garden. We chose to use fabric grow bags for the Hobbyist and Specialist Series because they are lightweight, reusable, and easy to transfer. The grow bags have black inner lining to give your healthy roots complete darkness and drain holes for excess water run-off. For serious growers, the Professional Series Grow Package comes with plastic pots with drain holes for run-off as well.

Growing Medium (not included in grow packages)

The growing medium is the only thing you would need to purchase separately to complete your grow tent setup. If you're growing with a hydroponic system then you don't need the pots and can use any soil-less medium to help you out (hydroton, vermiculite, coco coir, rockwool, etc.).
Various Foxfarm grow mediums
However, if you're into growing with soil, we recommend getting a neutral pH soil like Fox Farm's Ocean Forest and add some vermiculite or perlite to prevent compacting and allows aeration. Hope this breakdown was helpful. We try to provide quality indoor grow packages that take the stress out of figuring out the right components for every program no matter if you're just starting or experienced with growing indoors. For more information, consider checking out our other articles: 5 Easy Steps To Set Up A Yield Lab Grow Light System Everything You Need To Know About Propagation Indoor Gardening Supplies – the Essentials

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