# Using grow tent in winter...???? heat/cold



## krazygrow (Jun 4, 2011)

I know this isnt the season but im planning ahead for my next grow. I want to use a grow tent 4'x4'x7' with a 600w MH light. Only using it to start my seedlings and veg them for a month or so in soil during the winter months so they will be a nice size to put outside all summer. The tent will be in a building that has zero heat and zero insulation. 
Here is my question and concern: Will the 600w light heat the tent enough so the plants wont die. I live in canada and it gets -20C in winter. I will have a fan in the tent moving air around along with having a couple vents open on the tent to let fresh air in. Need some info since i have never tried this before.


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## ow.douglas (Jun 5, 2011)

What are the temps in that shed in winter? Do you plant to have the lamp on 24 hrs? You have electric in there to run the lamp, small space heater? How large is the shed?


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## krazygrow (Jun 5, 2011)

Yes running light 24hrs. there is electricity. the area is 40ft x 10ft. 3 walls are to the outside 1 wall is connected to the house. The reason I ask is I didnt want to run a heater to heat the entire space. I was hopping for the heat on from the light would be enough to keep the 4x4 tent up to temps. Im not sure the exact temps in the room currently during the winter months but im assuming around -17 degrees C. 
Would it be smart to build a platform off the ground a bit and then use a heat mat to keep the surface at a regular temp?


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## HSA (Jun 5, 2011)

Krazygrow: They tell us to keep the growing environment temperature between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. What that is in Celsius I couldn't tell you anymore. I haven't seen a math or science book in years. I would think that to grow in that room during the winter you'd have to not only keep them off the ground but insulate the floor, walls and ceiling and heat it as well. Is there any way you could partition that room to a smaller size to protect the tent and cut down the on the cost of the project? Is there a reason why can't you keep the tent inside your living quarters during the winter?


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## offworldvacations (Dec 17, 2011)

I have a very similar situation: any (useful) advice is welcome

*proposed solution* set up:
1. put plants on milk crates
2. put a small heater positioned to blow air underneath with a decent air flow helping it. 
3. use and TEMPERATURE set thermo trigger for desired day and night temps and place somewhere off the floor and away from the thin tent wall.
4. regulate humidity with humidistat or get cheap-o humidifier from bigbox store that has its own temp set thermo-trigger turn its elf off at desired temps.
you do not need co2. it will drop the temps. I do need fresh air. fresh air means cycling out the warm air with the right amount of humidity

_building:_ quanset hut like 30 feet x 60 feet, insulation is non existent. corrugated steel shell. 
lighting: induction/efdl 420 watts x2 these things don't create as much heat as hid, and efdl / induction lights work better. much betterer.
_grow tent_: 5x10 secret jardin pro 300w II grow tent
_altitude_: 1.1 miles, rocky mountains at the base 
_inside temps_: hit a low of 39 in the quanset hut on a night of teen temps

*TOOLS*
_temp trigger:_ thermostatic trigger temp setter with power supply plug-ins. it has two dial settings. day and night dials. i will try to keep the temp in the optimum zone.
_humidity device_: either ultrasonic mist or air forced wet media
_intake_: 20 inch square domestic type regular room air filter with soft carbon pads and pleated frams and squirrel cage fan _inside_, to put in filtered air. 
_exit scrubber_: not needed. (legal, on farm, and in the country)
_exhaust_: fan to be determined
_electricity_: ample supply
_water_: rocky mountain perfect and plentiful
_fan_: oscillating (LOWER AND ELEVATED)


help.............


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## peenutbudder (Oct 16, 2012)

Everyone move to California because it is better to grow in hot weather and keep the tent cooled down instead of heated up. It is very simple to keep temp leaves,co2 levels, humidity levels where you want with out much effort. In my climate almost all I need is cool air so heat Doesnt build up in the tent.


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## NoBarriers (Oct 16, 2012)

I have run rooms in an unheated attic that I made out of 1 1/2" insulation board. The veg box is 4x4 with a 400 W light and it stays at a perfect 75°.

I use a four-inch fan on a thermostat with a fan speed controller set low. Without the fan speed controller the fan would empty the box to quickly and it would make it ice cold. It takes a little time to figure out the setting but you want to slowly leach hot air out and bring cold air in slowly. There's no need for humidity control in the wintertime with this set up as the cold air is dry. 

I run a 4x8' 2000 W flower box that works the same way but with a 6" fan and a small space heater when the lights are off. 

Good luck


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## ChineseGreenthumb (Aug 25, 2015)

KrazyGrow

How did the grow go? Did you end up beating the cold? I'm thinking of trying something similar, and I would appreciate any lessons learned from your experience!


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## twistedwords (Aug 27, 2015)

Simple really. Get yourself a programmable thermostat like this one "LUX Win 100" and then get a floor standing radiant heater that the thermostat controls. What you end up with is a silent heater that only kicks on when needed by the thermostat and a radiant oil heater is very safe to use.


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## jacksthc (Aug 27, 2015)

make a large box with 100mm insulation sheets two 4" holes for air flow and put the tent in the box use a 4" fan/carbon to kill the smell, 1000w hps in the tent, top and lst the plants so there wide and short and adjust the hps so the light keeps the plants warm and use a hood like this 





parabolic hoods can be a 1m wide, get a deep one and all the heat from the light will be on the canopy 
should keep he plants warm


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## AlmightyKingSpider (Aug 6, 2017)

Jajaja funny cause I'm thinking of running my RDWC in my shed that has shingles and wood/vinyl sidings. I'm going to fit my 4.5x4.5x6.5 sunhut blackout with 4) 4 gallon square tubes with a exterior rez. If I can make this happen I will save the use of my 1/4 HP chiller. Gonna run 4 green rack under 600mh in a silver star 4xl veg the switch to 600hps Flo. Exhaust with scrubber and will use passive aur from flaps for intake. Water heater wand in rez for temp and day and night TEMP controller with a humi and dehumi incase.... my shed is separate..... Getting t ready for October to ride the cold.... 0 AC.. Will be watching this thread incase we find a Mentor  

Pax up and Vape 1


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## AlmightyKingSpider (Aug 6, 2017)

krazygrow said:


> I know this isnt the season but im planning ahead for my next grow. I want to use a grow tent 4'x4'x7' with a 600w MH light. Only using it to start my seedlings and veg them for a month or so in soil during the winter months so they will be a nice size to put outside all summer. The tent will be in a building that has zero heat and zero insulation.
> Here is my question and concern: Will the 600w light heat the tent enough so the plants wont die. I live in canada and it gets -20C in winter. I will have a fan in the tent moving air around along with having a couple vents open on the tent to let fresh air in. Need some info since i have never tried this before.





krazygrow said:


> I know this isnt the season but im planning ahead for my next grow. I want to use a grow tent 4'x4'x7' with a 600w MH light. Only using it to start my seedlings and veg them for a month or so in soil during the winter months so they will be a nice size to put outside all summer. The tent will be in a building that has zero heat and zero insulation.
> Here is my question and concern: Will the 600w light heat the tent enough so the plants wont die. I live in canada and it gets -20C in winter. I will have a fan in the tent moving air around along with having a couple vents open on the tent to let fresh air in. Need some info since i have never tried this before.


Dude so how did this work out....


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## BRANDON77 (Aug 11, 2017)

six years old....


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