Would you like to grow your own marijuana plants, but don't have any garden space? Perhaps you have a lack of space in your apartment - or nosy neighbors? Never fear; there is an option that may surprise you - growing weed in a closet!
We know it sounds crazy, but the results will amaze you. Keep reading to find out why growing weed in the a closet space could be the answer you're looking for and the three best strains of weed seeds that are most likely to thrive:
How to grow weed in a closet?
- Preparing the closet
- Getting the lighting right
- Containers
- Ventilation
- Growing medium
- Choosing the right seeds
- Air conditioning system
1. Preparing the closet
First of all, you will need to empty your wardrobe. Completely clear it of all your clothes, shoes, magazines, and anything else you may have lurking in there. You could opt for a cupboard or cabinet, but wardrobes or closets are your best option for growing cannabis indoors without a grow tent. This is because of their size and the fact that they usually have in-built storage shelves.
Your closet space needs to be at least 120 centimeters (four feet) in height and 180 centimeters (70 inches) in width. The higher, the better, especially if you are planning to grow tall Sativa cannabis plants.
Clean everything thoroughly. Hoover the closet from top to bottom and then give everything a good wipe with a mild bleach solution. It cannot be emphasized enough that no traces of dust, dirt, and mold should be left in the wardrobe! Before you start to grow cannabis plants in your closet, make sure your grow room furniture is completely dry.
Make sure the inside of the wardrobe is white. Most modern flatpack wardrobes are already white, but if yours has a natural wood finish, get some paint and give it a makeover. This is to maximize the effect of the artificial lighting you will need to deploy when growing your cannabis seeds.
2. Getting the best lights for growing weed in your closet
The good news is that there is no need to spend lots of money on really expensive lighting systems when setting up your grow closet. As the plants are growing in a confined space, too much exposure to light could actually harm your marijuana plants. However, choosing the best light is very important as it is the only source of light to which your seedlings will be exposed to.
Three main types of light are suitable for closet grows: Fluorescent grow lights, High-Intensity Discharge (HID) grow lights, and Light Emitting Diode (LED) grow lights. Each of these have their own set of pros and cons.
Fluorescent grow lights
Fluorescent grow lights are cheap, don't emit a lot of heat, offer a broad light spectrum and use standard plug socket fittings. They work well in small spaces and are ideal for use on seedlings and the vegetative phase. However, most fluorescent grow lights aren't as powerful as other light sources, which can affect your yield.
HID grow lights
There are at least three types of HID lights: Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH), High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH).
HID lights offer a great spectrum for all stages. MH lights are ideal for the vegetative phase, HPS for the flowering, and CMH for all phases. They have been used successfully by indoor growers for many years. It is essential to choose dimmable HID lights as they may produce too much heat in the confined space of a wardrobe.
HID lights give great harvests, but will use loads of electricity. These days, they're pretty much considered the old school option because of LED lights.
LED grow lights
LED lights are undeniably the best choice for stealth grows. They are easy to install, ultra-energy-efficient, and emit little heat. If you are worried about electricity bills, LEDs are the right choice for you.
They are long-lasting and available in a wide range of shapes and styles. Choosing one can be confusing and the initial start-up cost can be high, but overall, we recommend LED lights for growing weed in a wardrobe.
A 600W LED grow light is ideal. Use an adjustable height hanging system to alter the position of the light as the plants grow.
3. Containers
The world is your oyster when it comes to things you can use as containers. We've even heard of old computer towers being used, but whatever you use, make sure it has enough depth for the roots.
Related article: Weed Plant Pot Size Guide
Fabric pots are becoming increasingly popular. They allow excess water to drain and allow oxygen to access the roots.
4. Ventilation
Good ventilation is vital for weed plants to grow healthily. Stagnant air quickly leads to mold, and a ruined crop. You have to bring fresh air in from outside of the room and exhaust the hot air out of the room.
No matter how you do it, you need to make sure cool air comes in and hot air goes out. Bringing in fresh air is not just for temp control, but also to replenish the CO2 the plants will be absorbing extremely rapidly.
Ventilation is probably the most difficult and confusing challenge you will need to overcome - even more so if you need to avoid detection. If your room has a window, leave it open as much as possible.
You could also install an exhaust fan, although this will involve some potentially noisy drilling. One option is to use a small oscillating fan - or two would be even better if you have the room.
Place one desk fan at the bottom of the wardrobe blowing cool air in and one fan at the top (near the light) blowing the hot air back out. You will need to leave your closet door slightly ajar.
5. The growing medium
Soil is the obvious choice for growing in a closet, although it can be a bit messy when it spills. Soil is the foundation for a good weed crop, so use the best potting mix you can afford, ideally one with a perlite blend.
It will have enough nutrients for two to three weeks so you won't need to worry about fertiliser for a while. Growing cannabis in Coco coir is a great alternative, but keep in mind you will have to add some nutrients when using this growing medium.
You could also use a small hydroponics system that uses water as the growing medium. This method has many advantages allowing a greater degree of control over the irrigation and added nutrients. Plants also tend to grow more quickly, so researching hydroponics is always something we would recommend.
It is worth remembering that weed smells as it grows so if you are worried about people finding your stealth grow, you need to choose less pungent varieties. Keep things discreet by keeping some clothes piled on top of the wardrobe for maximum effect.
Deploy a generous use of air freshener to help mask the smell - we like Neutradol One Touch which effectively masks odors without being overpowering. You can also install a carbon filter, which can reduce the intensity of the smell. It's fair to say though, that no method of growing weed is 100 percent safe from detection.
6. Choosing the right seeds for a closet grow
As mentioned earlier, it is sensible to carefully choose varieties of cannabis that doesn't grow too tall. Sativa seeds grow tall and lanky plants. Indica seeds are better as they tend to be shorter and bushier.
Autoflower seeds are a great choice for wardrobe grows as they rarely grow taller than one meter and are generally straightforward to grow with the best characteristics of Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis.
Here are three fabulous strains that would thrive in a closet, grow and reward you with a delightful crop in the privacy of your bedroom!
1. Girl Scout Cookies autoflower
Girl Scout Cookies autoflower seeds are a complex cross between West Coast OG, Durban Poison and Ruderalis, and grow into a reliable plant that copes well with being grown indoors in an enclosed space.
Her high levels of THC have made her famous for medicinal use across the world, but especially in the land of her birth: California. The result is a vigorous, easy-to-grow autoflowering cannabis strain, nicely balanced Sativa / Indica genetics, with a short flowering season and an impressively powerful end product.
Autoflower Girl Scout Cookies cannabis plants are small to medium in size, with a solid structure, and a small distance between the nodes and medium-sized leaves. She develops into a fairly compact plant. She often forms a beautiful and thick main cola, which is accompanied by many other compact flowers.
Her fragrance is so strong and omnipresent that we recommend using a good odor filter with active charcoal to contain it. Or your stealth grow will not remain hidden for long!
Girl Scout Cookies auto has a pleasing richness in terms of smell and flavor, with tangy, sweet, and earthy notes, and she also shows a superb balance in terms of her effects.
She is ideal for beginners as well as for connoisseurs and is suitable for anyone looking for a physical and mental effect, good power, and long-lasting. The stone is a heavy, cerebral high that does not lead to couch-lock. You might want to have some chocolate chip cookies on hand though to deal with the munchies.
2. Northern Lights autoflower
Northern Lights autoflower seeds are the result of the cross between a Northern Lights and a Ruderalis. The result is an Indica-dominant auto-flowering hybrid, vigorous, robust, easy to grow, short flowering, powerful, and highly productive - in fact, she is famous for being one of the most highly yielding autos.
The Northern Lights Autoflower is a marvelous small plant, with a solid and compact structure, with a small distance between the nodes and fairly large leaves. Sge grows like a small Christmas tree, with a generous production of delicious, fairly compact resinous buds.
It's possible to achieve a quality culture in a reduced space indoors, or more confidentially outdoors. Depending on where you live, getting several crops a year is possible. We recommend adding 30% coconut coir to your substrate to improve the oxygenation of the latter and optimize the general development of the plant.
Northern Lights autoflower has a sweet aroma and taste, with notes of ripe sweet fruit, exotic wood, and earth. The effect is powerful and relaxing, ideal for a relaxing evening.
3. White Widow autoflower
White Widow is a legendary strain so many growers couldn't wait to find out what the autoflower version was like. And the results did not disappoint. White Widow autoflower seeds are part of a strain famous for her proclivity - her Ruderalis genetics mean that it is possible to achieve three to four crops per year.
White Widow Autos are nice, small plants, ideal for stealth grows; the plants typically measure at maturity between 90cm and 1.50m and will allow you to harvest around 100g per plant. The plant will be mature and ready to harvest about two months after the end of her flowering stage. Be careful with the fertilizers; this variety fears root burns, which you will lose on the final harvest.
White Widow Auto is an attractive plant, with dark, green leaves that are covered in a lovely sticky resin by the time you are ready to harvest.
The taste of White Widow Auto is very close to the original White Widow; perhaps the taste is a slightly chemical lemon flavour with notes of incense.
The taste is generally a little more earthy than with the classic White Widow; this is certainly due to the Ruderalis genetics. The smoke is quite light, you can feel it in your throat, but it does not make you cough.
7. Invest in an air conditioning system
An air conditioning system is not strictly necessary but will make your life easier by performing the following functions:
- Reducing the temperature - things can easily get a little too overheated in that closet!
- Dehumidifying your room - use a hygrometer to check that the air doesn't get too dry.
- Bringing in new air - if you are concerned about ventilation, an AC unit will definitely help.
How to care for your weed plants?
Once your plants are in place, you can relax and enjoy watching them grow - and they will grow fast. However, don't close the door and forget about them! You will need to check on your plants at least twice a day - possibly more if they are showing signs of stress.
Once in the morning and once at night is a good starting point. Check the soil to see that it is not too dry or too wet. You will also need to closely observe signs of change in your plants' pistils to determine the right time to harvest so regularly checking on plants throughout their life cycle is a good habit to get into.
How many plants fit in my closet?
This really depends on the size of your closet, although it would be hard to fit more than ten marijuana plants in the largest type of wardrobe. For a small space, you can grow one or two plants.
A large wardrobe with roughly the same grow space as a three by three grow tent can accommodate between two to four cannabis plants. If this is the first time you have grown (closet) weed - or anything - we recommend starting with one or two plants.
What have we learned?
We've uncovered the intriguing possibility of growing your own weed in a closet, offering a practical solution for a limited space or privacy concerns. We've highlighted key steps, from preparing your closet and ensuring optimal lighting to choosing the right containers, ensuring ventilation, and selecting a suitable growing medium.
We've also emphasized the importance of choosing the right cannabis seeds, discussed the optional air conditioning system, and how to maintain your plants. With the right preparation, equipment, and care, you can cultivate your own marijuana plants in your closet. From beginners to experienced growers, this could be an exciting, rewarding, and discreet journey into indoor cannabis cultivation.
Ready to grow your (first) weed plant in your closet? Check out our weed seeds discount page, to get the best deal on your next grow. If you want to learn more about the art of cannabis cultivation, you should visit our Learning Center for many more articles and guides.