Home Grow Shopping List

Full disclosure- This article features links to products at my store (growerslove.com), as well as amazon affiliate links. These are all products or brands I have personally used in my garden and I feel confident recommending them to my friends and fellow growers. Buying from the GrowersLove store or using these amazon links helps support my mission to teach everyone to grow their own. Thank you for your support!

Home Grow Shopping List

Whenever I plan a grow, I always like to think about the 4 essential elements needed in every garden:

Light, Environment, Nutrition and Love!

We can use these fundamentals to help us make a shopping list for our new garden.

Below are my recommendations for a 2 x 2.5’ grow tent setup. These concepts and recommendations can be applied to larger grows too. Usually it just means going with a BIGGER version of the thing I recommend below.

You can scroll down to the bottom for a compact list of all the stuff mentioned in this article.

These are just some basic recommendations, If you want more detailed help with your grow or want to discuss your options, feel free to get in touch via the contact page at GrowersLove.com!

Light

Light is the engine that powers your grow. The quality and quantity of light in your garden goes a long way towards determining the quality and quantity of your harvest. Don’t go cheap on your lights! Invest in good lights that will last you for many years. I recommend BRIGHT WHITE LEDs that mimic the color of sunlight.

We will also need a timer to control when the light is on, adjustable rope hangers to adjust the hanging height, and a power strip to provide power to the lights and the rest of the grow.

2x2 budget lighting option- HLG 100

2x2 deluxe lighting option- HLG 135w DIY kit

2x2 overkill lighting option- HLG 225

Digital Timer- Nearpow timer

Power Strip- Tripplite power strip with 15’ cord

Adjustable Rope Hangers- Ac Infinity Rope Hangers

Environment

AC Infinity T4

You will need to provide your plants with the proper environmental conditions so they can grow and thrive. Temperature, Humidity, CO2, Air Movement and Odor Control are all important. The better you can dial in your environment, the happier your plants will be. For most small grows, Ventilation is the best way to manage the environment. Using a ventilation fan with a smart controller helps give you more control over your environmental conditions. Odor control is handled by a carbon filter, which will help filter odor particles out of the air. We will also need a thermometer + hygrometer to measure temperature and humidity, or a Grow Monitor that will track and log these conditions over time.

Depending on your setup, you may want to invest in a grow tent. Tents help provide a safe and secure environment for your plants to grow. Tents also block out light, allowing you to control the photoperiod inside. This is essential since most cannabis plants need an uninterrupted dark period every day in order to flower. If you plan to grow in a room or closet that's already enclosed and totally dark, you might not need a tent. If you are growing in an area with some ambient light, a grow tent will be needed.

I recommend investing in a good quality grow tent. Your tent is the home where your plants will be living, so spend the money to get a good one that will last you a long time. The last thing you want is your tent falling apart mid grow! The most common failure point of a grow tent is the ZIPPERS, so make sure to get a tent with QUALITY ZIPPERS.

Advanced tools like humidifiers or air conditioners may be needed for larger grows or to further dial in conditions when ventilation is not enough.

Tent (optional but strongly recommended)

Budget option- Gorilla Grow Tent Lite

Quality option- Gorilla Grow Tent Original

Ventilation Fan- AC Infinity T4 with smart controller

Odor Control- AC Infinity Carbon Filter

Ducting- AC Infinity 4 layer ducting

Circulation Fan- Air King Clip Fan

Combination Thermometer + hygrometer- Accurite digital Hygrometer & thermometer

Optional- Pulse Grow Monitor

Optional but possibly needed depending on setup-

Humidifier- Air Innovations Humidifier

Dehumidifier- Fridgidaire Dehumidifier

Air conditioner- Mini split recommended (call a pro!)

Heater- Radiator style electric heater

Nutrition

Nutrient Systems

Your plants need nutrients to grow and thrive. There are many different forms of plant nutrition, the important thing to keep in mind is that your Media, Nutrients, Additives, and Microbes all need to work together as a system. I recommend picking a “nutrient system” and sticking with the recipe until you get the hang of it. Once you understand the system you are working with, you can make small changes to make it more your style, or learn a new system if you want to change things up.

In general,

Media provides structure for roots to hold on to, and acts like a battery to store nutrition.

Nutrients are food for your plant. They are what charge up the battery and power plant growth.

Additives are bonus add ons that provide extra nutrition or help aid plant growth in other ways.

Microbes help balance pH and make nutrients more plant available.

Try to follow a feeding chart or choose stuff that's designed to work together!

Example:

Media- Coco fiber

Nutrients- New Millennium liquid nutrients

Additives- Silica, New Millennium Winter Frost and Ruby Fulvic

Microbes- Recharge Soil Microbes

Check out www.DudeGrows.com/NutrientSystems to learn about 3 different nutrient systems I recommend for new growers.

Love

Love is all the care and attention you put into planning your grow and caring for your garden. This includes all sorts of different things like planning your garden, watering your plants, transplanting, trimming, cleaning, pest control and MORE! This might sound like a lot, but don’t worry, it just takes time and practice!

To provide this care, you will need some basic tools and supplies. You will also need to make decisions about things like what kind of seeds to buy. The decisions you make and the level of care you put into your garden all play a part in making it to harvest.

Here’s a list of tools to help you care for your plants. In time you may find you need other things, but this list should be enough to help you get started.

Seeds- Start with GOOD QUALITY genetics. Does not need to be super expensive, but don’t sell yourself short by going to cheap either! Invest in something good. You will spend a lot of time and effort caring for your plants, so make sure they are something you are EXCITED TO GROW!

Some affordable seed breeders to check out- Jinxproof Genetics, Irie Genetics, and Homegrown Natural Wonders

Pots- You will need a few different sizes. Some small pots for seeds, medium pots for baby plants, and some big pots for going into flower. Fabric pots and other breathable pots are a good choice because they help air prune the roots and reduce the risk of overwatering. I personally like Grass Roots Fabric Pots

Trays- It's a good idea to get some trays to put under your pots. This will help catch any excess water and keep it from making a mess. Make sure you always empty the trays after watering your plants, we don't want plants sitting in a puddle getting soggy. Seedling trays Larger Saucers

Watering can- You will need a way to water your plants. This can be a complicated irrigation system, or you can keep things simple and hand water. A watering can with a shower head type nozzle will help SLOW DOWN your watering. This will help ensure your pots are evenly watered, and will reduce the risk of overwatering. Watering can with shower head

Pump sprayer- Pests and pathogens are EVERYWHERE, so it's important to take steps to protect your garden. Doing a weekly preventative spray during VEG goes a LONG WAY towards helping prevent pest issues. Even just spraying weekly with cool soapy water will help wash off dirt and pests and keep your plants healthy. Chapin Pump sprayer small Chapin Sprayer Large

Check out the FREE Integrated Pest Management Guide at GrowersLove.com for more info on pest prevention.

Cleaning supplies- Keeping your grow clean helps prevent pests and other issues. It also makes your grow a more pleasant place to work. Make sure you’ve at least got a good broom and dust pan and a bottle of cleaning solution to use in your grow. Its a good idea to have dedicated cleaning supplies that are just for your grow. Having cleaning supplies handy will help encourage you to keep your grow area clean! Dust pan + brush Broom Tweetmint Enzyme Soap

Pruning Scissors- You will need a good pair of pruning scissors for pruning your plants and for trimming your bud after harvest. Its a good idea to have a couple pairs and to keep them clean! Fiskar Pruning Shears

30x/60x Scope- Its essential to have a little magnifier to check trichomes and inspect leaves for signs of pests or other problems. Pests can be REALLY SMALL, so it's important to have a powerful magnifier on hand to help spot them. 30x/60x scope

Notepad and camera- Its a good idea to take notes while you are growing. This can help you remember what you did, and help you plan for the future. Having a camera handy in your grow can help you document any problems so you can get help. It will also allow you to take and share pics of your garden, which can be a lot of fun! A clip on macro lens turns any cellphone camera into a powerful tool for photographing bugs or checking trichomes. Notebook Clip on Macro

This is just a basic list of supplies to help you get started! There is probably more stuff you will need, so make sure to leave some room in your budget to pick up the little stuff we might have forgotten!

Thanks for checking out this list! Keep in mind, these are just some basic general recommendations. If you want more detailed help with your grow or want to discuss your options, feel free to get in touch!

Please share this article and GrowersLove.com with the cannabis lovers in your life!

Help me spread the joys of growing cannabis across the universe!

GrowersLove!

-Andrew

Aka Soup the Gardener

Home Grower and

Founder of GrowersLove.com