How to Build a Grow Box
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
– Six 4 foot x 4 foot plywood sheets that are 1/2 inch thick.
– Wood screws
– Drill or screwdriver
– Saw
– 2 standard door hinges for the cabinets
– Wood glue caulking
– Two 6 inch ventilation fans, standard fans or computer fans.
– 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. Don’t 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