Equipment Selection for Beginners

Have you decided to start indoor growing, but are not sure what equipment to buy? Choosing from the vast range of grow shops can be quite a challenge for beginner growers. Different equipment is needed for growing microgreens, tomatoes or medicinal plants. We will guide you step by step through buying a grow tent and everything you will need to get started.

Growing plants indoors requires careful preparation and the right equipment. The most important components of every indoor garden are a grow tent, grow lighting and a ventilation system. All these components need to be correctly sized to suit both the plants and the space you have available for growing. We will explain how to do this in the following lines.

Grow tent

Plants grown under artificial lighting need a stable and optimised environment for their growth. This is best achieved in the enclosed space of a grow tent, which is the basic building block of every indoor garden. The basic criteria for choosing a grow tent are the type and quantity of plants you plan to grow. Growers of microgreens or kitchen herbs will be fine with smaller tents with an area of up to 1 m². Sprouts, seedlings and most herbs do not grow very tall, so we recommend choosing a grow tent that allows plants to be grown on several levels, for example PROBOX PROPAGATOR L. You will need a larger grow tent for growing fruiting and flowering species, such as tomatoes, chilli peppers or medicinal plants. Most growers will be fine with tents measuring from 1x1 to 1.2x1.2 m², but you can also find more spacious versions with an area of 4 m² and more.

A quality grow tent should meet several parameters. The tent should be made of high-quality, sturdy fabric that does not let light or air through, and it must have strong seams and quality zips that can withstand daily use. The inside of the grow tent may be white or coated with a silver reflective film (mylar). Some manufacturers also offer grow tents in unusual shapes (Secret Jardin), others add practical windows to their models (BudBox) or offer extensive modification options (Secret Jardin). The price of a grow tent will vary depending on size and build quality, but even with cheaper budget options (Trafika, URBANBOX) you can grow a beautiful harvest.

Grow lighting

Plants need light, which they use in the process of photosynthesis, during which they convert its energy into glucose and oxygen. Under normal circumstances, the source of energy is sunlight, but in indoor growing the Sun is replaced by grow lights. With only minor exceptions, growers illuminate plants with special LED fixtures that imitate natural daylight. Grow lights with a predominance of the blue part of the spectrum (grow) are intended to support vegetative growth and are suitable for growing microgreens, salads, herbs or for the first part of the life cycle of flowering and fruiting species. Grow lights tinted towards the red part of the spectrum (flower) support flowering and ripening in plants. We covered the importance of the light spectrum for plant growth in one of our older articles on our blog, which you can find here.

Grow lighting must have not only the correct light spectrum, but also the appropriate intensity. Just as if you exposed them to the midday sun, you can burn germinating and young plants with a grow light that is too powerful. TLED technology is an excellent solution for growers of microgreens, herbs or salads, who usually light plants from very close range and on several levels. When growing tomatoes, chilli or medicinal plants, it is necessary to provide the plants with more energy in the order of hundreds of watts per m². Parameters such as PPF (the amount of photosynthetically active photons) and PPFD (the density of photon flux falling on an area) are key for assessing lighting efficiency. Less powerful lights have a PPF of around 0.8–1.5 μmol/J, while high-quality modules reach up to twice that. The ideal PPFD varies according to the growth stage of the plants, from 200–400 μmol/m²/s for seedlings to 600–1000 μmol/m²/s in the flowering stage.

You may also be interested in: The most important criteria for choosing grow lighting

Ventilation

As already mentioned, the growing space should be as well isolated from the surroundings as possible, but plants need a constant supply of fresh air. Extract fans remove warm and humid air from the grow tent. Fresh air intake can be passive, or a second fan can be used for this purpose, which is especially useful in larger grow tents. You will need one or two circulation fans inside the grow tent. These are designed to imitate the natural wind that affects plants outdoors and stimulates them to form strong stems. Constant air movement also makes life more difficult for pests and helps prevent hot or cold pockets of air from forming, for example under lights or in the corners of the grow room.

When choosing ventilation for a grow tent, the size of the tent, the type of plants grown and the intensity of the lighting all play a role. The output of the extract fan is usually stated in m³/h and should be at least 2–3 times the volume of the tent. An essential accessory when growing strongly aromatic species is a carbon filter that absorbs odour. You will also need several metres of ventilation ducting, preferably silenced, metal cable ties and several carabiners (Rope Ratchet or a similar type) for hanging lights.

You may also be interested in: Where and how to correctly place fans in a tent or grow room

We have shown how to assemble and equip your first grow tent step by step. Now you only need to decide which growing medium and growing method you will choose. Useful tips on how to do this can be found on our growing blog.

Would you like to start growing plants under artificial lighting, but do not know where to begin? Are you finding your way through the confusing range of supplies for indoor growers? Do not despair, we have prepared discounted indoor growing sets for you, which contain everything you need to get started. In the following article, we will guide you step by step through all the essential components of your first grow box.

Indoor growing, that is, the cultivation of plants under artificial lighting, is a modern and efficient way to grow plenty of healthy home-grown vegetables, herbs or medicinal plants in a small space. This method makes it possible to grow plants in a controlled and optimised environment, thanks to which they will grow faster and more efficiently than outdoors. With indoor growing, you can grow all year round, you are not limited by the whims of the weather, and your home garden will take up no more space than a wardrobe. TRAFIKA 150W LED growing set is suitable for growing herbs, smaller varieties of tomatoes and chilli peppers, strawberries, microgreens and medicinal plants.

What you will find in the TRAFIKA 150W set

Trafika Growtent 80 – The grow tent, or grow box, is the cornerstone of your indoor growing room. These special tents are designed so that they comfortably accommodate plants planted in pots or a hydroponic system, a grow light, ventilation and all cabling. It is important that the grow box does not let light through, because many plant species are photoperiodic and changes in the length of daylight affect their growth and flowering. Trafika Growtent provides you with 0.64 square metres of growing space up to a height of 160 centimetres. This is enough to grow roughly nine medium-sized plants.

How to use Trafika Growtent 80 – For placing the grow tent, choose a well-ventilated room with a constant temperature in the range of 18-25 °C. Avoid places with direct sunlight, overheated attics or unventilated damp basements. Do not forget that you will need a source of electricity for grow lights, fans and other equipment.

Trafika LED panel 150W – Grow lights replace natural sunlight indoors, which is the basic source of energy for photosynthesis in plants. The more intense the radiation, the more energy you provide to the plants and the more harvest you will collect.

How to use Trafika LED panel 150W – Medium-intensity LED lights are most suitable for growing herbs, tomatoes, chilli peppers, lettuce, microgreens or for raising seedlings for outdoor planting. Remember that small plants need less intense light. During germination, raise the panel 60-80 centimetres above the substrate. Once the plants have grown, you can shine the light on them from a distance of 40-60 cm from the tops.

Garden High PRO fan – The extract fan is used to remove warm and humid air from the growing space. Fresh air enters the grow box under pressure through vents designed for this purpose. Some growers also use a fan for air intake, but this is usually only necessary with larger tents and growing rooms.

How to install the Garden High PRO fan – Place the extract fan inside the tent on the top bars so that there is space left for connecting an air filter. Finally, connect air duct to the fan outlet and pull it out of the tent through the opening in the upper part of the tent.

Airontek odour filter – Plants grown under artificial lighting can smell very strongly and their aroma can easily spread throughout the flat. A high-quality odour filter with a long service life is essential for removing unwanted odours from the grow box.

How to install the odour filter – Attach the odour filter to the extract fan with cable ties so that the drawn-in air flows through it (in front of the fan). Replace the filter with a new one every three to four growing cycles or once a year.

Pots with saucers – Plastic or fabric pots are more suitable for indoor growing than terracotta or ceramic ones. The advantage of plastic pots lies in their low price and weight, as well as the possibility of repeated use.

Mechanical timer – Timers are used to automate lighting in the grow box and simulate the day and night cycle.

How to set the timer – The length of illumination for plants will depend on the species and also the age of the plants. For photoperiodic species, it is important to switch to flowering once the plants have reached the required height and mass.

Airontek Thermo-Hygro Maxmin thermometer and hygrometer – Monitoring temperature and humidity is essential for indoor growing. For most plant species, the temperature in the growing space should not fall below 16 °C or exceed 28 °C. The optimum air humidity ranges between 40-80% depending on the age of the plants. Seedlings and young plants need moisture, while flowering plants or plants before harvest need a drier environment, which helps prevent mould.

How to install the thermometer with hygrometer and probe – Place the thermometer with hygrometer inside the growing space at the level of the plant tops in an accessible place. With the remote probe of the thermometer, you can measure either the air temperature in the root zone (at ground level) or outside the tent.

Now you are ready to start growing. Indoors, you can grow in soil in the traditional way, but you can also use modern growing media such as coco, rockwool or perlite. If you are not sure which medium to choose, read our Guide to growing media. Plants grown indoors also need fertilisers, which provide them with enough nutrients so that they can use all the energy from artificial lighting for growth. You can use the full range of effective fertilisers, from mineral to fully organic, depending on the growing method you choose.

Have you become enthusiastic about indoor growing and would like to learn more? Do not hesitate and visit our blog, where you will find a number of useful tips and guides for indoor growers.

If the layout does not suit you and you would like to adjust the growing set to your needs, take a look at the TRAFIKA brand range or contact us and we will be happy to build a set tailored to you.

Indoor cultivation can seem like quite a challenge – complex equipment, EC and pH measurements, switching light modes, and endless fine-tuning of details. But it can also be done more simply. All you need is the right approach, and nature will take care of most of the work. We will show you the easiest way to grow indoors for beginners or for those who want to cultivate easily without unnecessary stress.

Indoor cultivation takes many forms – from high-tech hydroponic gardens, through growing in pots, to raised beds. What all these methods have in common, however, is the optimised environment in which the plants are kept. Unlike outdoor growing, indoors plants have access to the maximum possible amount of light and water, and the growing space has the ideal temperature and air humidity. The only thing that can slow them down in such conditions is a lack of nutrients. Proper plant nutrition is often the stumbling block for both beginners and advanced growers. How can this be avoided?

You may also be interested in: My first grow box – equipment for beginner indoor growers

Growing in pre-fertilised substrates

Just as there are many cultivation methods, there are countless ways to feed plants. Many indoor growers use highly effective mineral fertilisers. These are extremely effective, but they have one major disadvantage – plants become literally dependent on them. Mineral salts bypass the natural nutrient cycle, which depends on the cooperation of soil microorganisms and plants. That is also why they work so quickly. However, this ability comes at the cost of the need to fertilise often and precisely using a nutrient solution with adjusted pH and EC. Mineral fertilisers are usually used in hydroponics and in growing in soilless substrates such as coco, mineral wool (Grodan), perlite or expanded clay (LECA).

You may also be interested in: Mineral or organic fertilisers – which should you choose?

Organic fertilisers stand in contrast to mineral ones. They require soil microorganisms to work and therefore function somewhat more slowly. But that is precisely where their magic lies. Simply put, in organic growing all the nutrients that plants obtain from the soil must first be processed by microbes. The advantage of this process is that plants take from the soil only what they really need. It is enough for the substrate to contain sufficient nutrients. Thanks to this, complex measuring is not necessary when growing with organic fertilisers, and the risk of over-fertilisation is minimal.

Under the broad term organic fertilisers, you will find various formulations. Liquid organic fertilisers, which are added regularly to watering, are very popular among growers. However, if you want to grow really simply, go for dry organic fertilisers and pre-fertilised growing substrates. The following nutrition programmes are intended for growing in soil, and what they have in common is that for a large part of the growing cycle you will water the plants only with clean water, while the fertilisers take care of the rest.

BioNova Living Soil

BioNova Living Soil is an organic soil fertiliser that enriches any soil substrate with the necessary nutrients and all the required microbes. You can use any standard growing substrate; the most suitable are those intended for organic growing (for example Canna BIO Terra) or light mix type substrates. Avoid only heavily pre-fertilised mixes containing mineral fertilisers. After mixing, you will obtain an organic substrate that only needs to be watered, throughout the entire growing cycle.

You may also be interested in: Everything about BioNova Living Soil

Biotabs

Biotabs is a brand of organic fertilisers that offers a complete nutrition programme for organic growing. The basis consists of solid fertiliser tablets, which can be combined with all standard substrates except pre-fertilised ones. At the beginning of the growing cycle, the tablets are inserted into the pot, and the plants are watered only with water. In the Biotabs programme you will then find a range of useful organic additives with which you can enrich the substrate, as well as liquid organic products for plant protection and support of flowering.

You may also be interested in: Everything about Biotabs organic fertilisers

Pre-fertilised soil mixes

Pre-fertilised horticultural substrates differ from the previous two options in that they do not always contain only organic fertilisers. Light-mix type substrates contain only a small amount of fertiliser, which lasts the plants for the first few weeks of life, and are then combined with organic or mineral fertilisers. Nutrients in heavily fertilised substrates last longer, but certainly not for the entire growing cycle. A proven practice for many growers is to use liquid organic fertilisers in combination with these substrates. This gives them the best of both worlds. In the first few weeks, they do not need to fertilise the plants during the peak of the vegetative phase, and during flowering they can supply the plants with nutrients as needed.

You may also be interested in: How to choose a horticultural soil substrate

How to grow in pre-fertilised substrates

Although a substrate full of nutrients will certainly do a lot of the work for you, your indoor garden will still need some care. An optimal climate in the growing space is a given. We have discussed the importance of temperature, air humidity and the amount of light many times on the Higarden blog. If it is too cold in the growing space or you are lighting the plants with weak light, they will not thrive even with the best fertilisers.

You may also be interested in: What are the ideal conditions for indoor growing

If you are growing with organic fertilisers, always water the plants with clean water that you have left to stand or filtered to remove chlorine. Chlorine harms the microorganisms in the soil. Soil microbes are also killed by the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides or by too many salts from mineral fertilisers.

 It may happen that the plants lack nutrients. For example, if you leave them in the vegetative phase for a very long time, grow plants with a long flowering period, or have used a pot that is too small. In such a case, you can supply the plants with nutrients using a fast-acting liquid organic fertiliser. If you want to act really quickly, you can switch to mineral fertilisers for growing in soil during the growing cycle.

You can find more practical guides, product reviews and growing tips on the Higarden blog, where we draw on real experiences from indoor and outdoor growers.

Have you decided to take advantage of our Christmas offer on grow tents and treat yourself, or someone else, to a brand-new grow box this year with everything needed for year-round operation? This article is here to make it as easy as possible for all enthusiastic beginners to choose a выгодný set for an indoor home garden. Everyone will find something suitable, and everyone can then harvest several times in the coming year!

By the way, the Christmas tree is practically the only thing that cannot be grown in a grow tent... Otherwise, it is entirely up to you. Once you have thought through what kind of herbs, fruit or vegetables you will fill your new grow box with, you can easily choose the appropriate size. The dimensions of the tent – the size of the growing area – are the first important parameters according to which you can choose from a wide range of grow sets.

To begin with, complete sets are absolutely indispensable! You do not have to choose individual components, whose correct combination and mutual compatibility are not only crucial for a successful and healthy harvest, but also take some time, especially, as they say, on a green field without any experience.

To make choosing a gift as easy as possible for you, one that will, with a little care, give you or the recipient fragrant and juicy gifts of nature several times a year, we have divided our exclusive range of grow sets into the 3 categories below. We will proceed nicely step by step, or rather in ascending order, from the less financially demanding variants using technologies proven over decades to the most modern technologies, which are certainly worth investing in and can be a luxurious start to indoor gardening, or the perfect gift for someone who already devotes themselves to growing.

SODIUM DISCHARGE LAMPS

Successful beginnings without having to dig deep into your pocket!

Get a tent from the legendary Dutch manufacturer Mammoth, whose uncompromising quality, even in the “basic” version, is praised by beginner and hobby growers from all over the world. By purchasing the whole set, you not only save significantly, but you also do not have to deal with choosing ventilation, pots, cables, hanging systems, or lighting, which in itself means choosing mutually compatible lamps, reflectors or, for example, a ballast. In short, you do not have to deal with anything. 100% joy – 0% worry.

If you plan to grow herbs with a strong aroma at home, you will certainly appreciate the basic set including an odour filter for discreet operation directly inside the home all year round. You will only pay a few hundred extra, but the comfort is definitely worth it.

We will be happy to help you fine-tune your first basic set according to your ideas and add a few practical tips, tricks and recommendations from our experts to get you started. Just write to us at the well-known address info@higarden.eu.

LED SETS

Sets that include lighting using modern LED technology will bring you greater comfort when growing as well as energy savings. The same will certainly be appreciated by the person you give a set such as this one as a Christmas gift. If you do not need to focus on the lowest possible purchase price, “LEDs” are simply a level above the sodium discharge lamps mentioned above and will bring even more joy to plants and growers with every harvest and during the activities that precede it.

An LED set represents the golden middle way for year-round growing in the comfort of your home. An exceptionally comfortable start and introduction to growing processes, or a lovely gift for someone who already grows herbs and deserves to move up a level!

The image below is again for illustration only. We will be happy to help you fine-tune your selected LED set exactly to suit your individual ideas and possibilities. Our experts are fully at your disposal, not only before Christmas. Do not hesitate to consult us via the e-mail address  info@higarden.eu.

CMH SETS

Whether you intend to reward yourself or someone who deserves it, this latest set is refined down to the smallest detail in terms of selected components and materials used, and it already belongs among the most powerful options you could wish for, or directly treat yourself to...

Do you want to keep up with the times and are satisfied with nothing but the best? CMH is the absolute number one on the high-pressure lamp market.

The 315 W grow set is literally packed with top-quality equipment, whether it is the lighting LUMii Solar or the grow box itself. This discounted complete package includes everything you will need to get started straight away! For example substrates, pots, ducting and ventilation, an activated carbon filter or complete nutrition – basic fertilisers and super supplements for plants from our favourite and increasingly popular brand among growers all over the world, Bionova. 

To make sure your order is a safe bet, we will also be happy to help you fine-tune the selected CMH set according to your ideas and possibilities.

If you are choosing your first tent with accessories, you may also find something from our special offer useful, where you will find excellent unpacked products with a significant discount.

Now you know that the grow tent depends primarily on the size of the area and the type of light. The other elements must be adapted accordingly. If you have any wishes or questions, write to us (info@higarden.eu) or call us directly ( 777698622 )

A small tip to begin with - If you do not know which medium to grow in, forget hydro, coco and the like. Start in substrate. It is the natural method that is most forgiving of mistakes, and once you have tried it and “fine-tuned” it in soil and reached its limits, move on to another medium. At that point, you will know much better what you want and what you expect from the growing method.

- Grow tents (grow boxes)
- Grow box sets
- LED sets
- Fertilisers
- Substrates

Indoor grower may have a season all year round, but the long winter is often an impulse to buy a new grow tent, even for growers who have so far focused only on outdoor gardening. Whether that is exactly your case, or you want to treat yourself to a brand-new grow box with accessories for Christmas, we have a tip for you on how to save money and at the same time achieve higher yields thanks to modern technologies and a finely tuned configuration of all components.

Choosing a grow box is one thing, but selecting the necessary accessories to suit your needs and, last but not least, connecting them properly at home so that it functions correctly, from lighting through various types of ventilation equipment to growing medium and fertilisers, is another matter. Of course, we will be happy to advise you when choosing a grow box and accessories, but why not save a little money and at the same time gain the certainty of a carefully assembled set by our specialists?

In our range you will find grow box sets (grow tents) for all categories of growers, from complete beginners to the most experienced and demanding. It depends solely on your plans and needs.

For beginners: a lot of value for little money and completely hassle-free

• Basic set, equipped with a 250W discharge lamp and an odour filter for discreet home herb growing, based on a grow tent from a legendary Dutch manufacturer, can be purchased for less than seven thousand crowns.
• Simply connect everything and in a few weeks you can harvest for the first time! That is what we call an affordable start for everyone.

Our TIP: Mammoth grow tents are now taller and better. That is also why they form the standard basis of all discounted sets, so you can read everything you need about them HERE in a separate article dedicated to them.

LED sets as an investment with a quick return, even for beginners

• A grow indoor set, containing modern LEDLED diodes, pays off right from the start. We stand by that.
• Moreover, as you can see, the cheapest version of an LED set costs only a few hundred crowns more than the above-mentioned basic set with a discharge lamp.
• We wrote in detail about why investing in LED lighting is clearly worthwhile and how this technology compares with classic high-pressure discharge lamps in a separate article, which you can read HERE.

LED set with Lumatek lighting will take your yields to a higher level. How high will it be?

• If you do not need to choose the cheapest possible setup at the beginning, or if you started some time ago with the cheapest possible setup but now it is time to move on, then in our range focus on LED sets with Lumatek lighting.
• The Attis range is undoubtedly the golden middle way for more demanding beginners and advanced growers.
• For example, the LED Set 200W Attis BASIC includes, in addition to the LED light from the ATTIS range by Lumatek, still unsurpassed pioneer in the field of LED grow lights, a silent RAM fan, and a top-quality carbon filter PRO-ECO VF takes care of reliable neutralisation of unwanted odours. We praise these odour filters in another separate article, which you can read HERE. Together with the 300W Attis BASIC LED set, this set is one of the best-selling in its class, so perhaps it will not surprise you too much that the price also includes, among other things, the most popular fertilisers and the renowned Soil, also referred to as soil mixes or peat mixes, which may be more heavily (Growmixes, Allmixes,...) or only slightly (Lightmixes) pre-fertilised, i.e. they contain nutrients for the first weeks of the growing cycle. Inert substrate from the Dutch brand BioNova.
• The professional variant with Attis lighting is the LED Set 300W Attis MASTER for just under twenty thousand crowns, which more customers have bought than any other set right after the basic set, and so we have also given it the cover photo for this article. No wonder, the price-to-performance ratio is truly dreamlike. But the best is yet to come, so read on...

• Next come the LED sets combined with ZEUS lighting from Lumatek. A quality tent is an integral part of every grow set with us, but if you are looking for added value or the latest trends and want to invest in a new professional grow box with accessories, LED sets with Lumatek ZEUS lighting are the right choice for you! 
• LED Set 465W ZEUS
• LED Set 600W ZEUS PRO
• Below follow LED sets that have been given the long-awaited new product on the market for LED grow lights. You can read more about it HERE.
• LED Set 600W ZEUS PRO 2.9
• LED Set DOUBLE 2x600W ZEUS PRO 2.9

Do you rather belong to growers who swear by discharge lamps with ballasts and reflectors? We have already introduced the basic 250W set, but you can still choose between 400W, 600W and 1000W sets, divided into basic, medium and pro variants.

Whichever of the discounted grow sets you like, we will be happy to adjust the final configuration according to your requirements and preferences. For example, if you would like to keep the accessories the same, but as the basis of the set you would prefer the light design gem HOMEbox Ambient (link to the article below), no problem. We are always happy to accommodate you as much as possible. Just contact us at the well-known address info@higarden.eu.

What to read next? 

• Comparison of top LED lights from Lumatek: ZEUS PRO vs. ZEUS PRO 2.9
• Stylish HOMEbox Ambient grow tents combine the pleasant with the useful
• Indoor plant cultivation and the savings associated with it