If you’re thinking about starting a indoor grow operation, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what size grow tent to get.
Grow tents come in a wide range of sizes, however, it’s important to choose a size that is appropriate for your needs.
If you get a tent that is too small, your plants will quickly outgrow it and you’ll be forced to upgrade. On the other hand, if you get a tent that is too large, you’ll be wasting space and money on air vents and grow lights to properly light that tent space.
What Size Grow Tent Do I Need?
For larger plants you want to give plants around 2 square feet of growing space (2 feet by 2 feet). For a 2×4′ tent you can properly fit 2 plants, for a 4’x4′ plant you can fit 4 plants, etc. Full charts listed below for different sized plants.
Keep in mind that you need to leave some room for a humidifier, and other tent accessories, so don’t expect to be able to include every square inch of the grow tent size for plant space.
Grow Tent Size Options
Grow tents come in all shapes and sizes, from small 2′ x 2′ models that are perfect for 1-2 plants, to massive 8′ x 8′ structures that can accommodate dozens of plants. You can even order a custom grow tent if you need more space, or one that fits in a specific space.
Here are some of the most common grow tent sizes:
- 2′ x 2′ – 4 square feet
- 2′ x 4′ – 8 square feet
- 4′ x 4′ – 16 square feet
- 4′ x 6′ – 24 square feet
- 6′ x 6′ – 36 square feet
- 6′ x 8′ – 48 square feet
- 8′ x 8′ – 64 square feet
If you divide the square footage by 2, that’ll give you a good idea of how many large plants you can fit in the space. I define “large plants” vs “small plants” below so you can get a better idea.
How to Pick the Right Size Grow Tent for Your Plants
Choosing the right size grow tent is going to depend on quite a few factors, but the main factor in determining how much space you need is what types of plants you’ll be growing.
Determine What Plants You’ll Be Growing
The type of plants you’ll be growing will drastically impact the number of plants you can fit in the indoor grow tent.
When growing plants indoors, you also want to keep in mind the height of the plant, not just the “size”. I’ve broken down this list into small, medium, and large plants to help you decide the right amount of growing space you’ll need.
Large plants
Large plants are ones that are going to need that 2×2 foot space for growing. These are plants like:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Cannabis plants
- Eggplant
Medium Plants
Medium plants are going to need slightly less space than the larger plants, but should still have around 18 inches on each side.
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Leafy greens
Small Plants
Small plants are a great option for a grow tent because grow space can be limited depending on the size of your tent.
- Herbs (basil, mint, cilantro and more)
- Alliums (onions, chives, garlic)
Here is how many of each plant would fit well in a grow tent of each size.
| Large Plants | Medium Plants | Small Plants | ||
| 2×2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2×4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| 4×4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |
| 4×6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | |
| 6×6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | |
| 6×8 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
How Many Plants Fit in Each Size Grow Tent
Let’s walk through some of the more common sizes of grow tents and how many plants they can fit in them. These numbers are based on growing a larger plant in a standard size grow bag.
How Many Plants in a 2×2 Grow Tent?
A 2’x2′ grow tent is really made for just one plant to have enough room to grow. It’s great for new indoor growers who are just getting their feet wet and looking for a perfect environment to grow indoors.
How Many Plants in a 2×4 Grow Tent?
In a 2×4 grow tent, you can easily fit 2 plants in the space along with the humidifier.
- Medium plants – 2
- Small plant – 4
A 24″x48″ grow tent is a great option for 2 larger plants, like tomatoes or peppers.
How Many Plants in a 4×4 Grow Tent?
In a 4×4 grow tent, you can fit 4 large plants and the humidifier. If you’re growing smaller plants, you can get around 6-8 plants in the space.
This will allow those larger plants enough room to grow healthy and get enough air circulation around the plants.
How Many Plants in a 4×6 Grow Tent?
You can comfortably fit 6 large plants in a 4’x6′ grow tent.
You can even fit a 7th plant (medium or large) where that green dot is above for more growing room. The plant canopy might be tight, but it’ll be enough space.
What Size Grow Tent for 12 Plants?
| Large Plants | Medium Plants | Small Plants | |
| 2 plants | 2×4 | 2×4 | 2×2 |
| 4 plants | 4×4 | 4×4 | 2×4 |
| 6 plants | 4×8 | 4×8 | 4×4 |
| 8 plants | 4×8 | 4×8 | 4×8 |
| 10 plants | 5×5 | 5×5 | 4×8 |
| 12 plants | 2 – 4’x8’s | 2-4’x8’s | 4×8 |
Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Grow Tent
Grow Light Sizing
When you’re filling up a grow tent with plants for an indoor garden, you want to make sure each plant is going to get enough sunlight to properly grow. So you’ll want to check your grow light specs and make sure they will fill up the whole space.
For a larger size tent, you’ll probably want to get multiple grow lights to fill out the space well as the edges of grow lights tend to get less light concentration than the middle.
Generally, if you buy a grow tent kit you’ll be getting a grow light that is perfectly sized for that space.
Vertical Space
Most of the time our minds initially go to how to many pots or grow bags you can fit in the space to grow plants, i.e. the horizontal space. But you also need to keep in mind the vertical space of your tent and your plant’s height.
Mature plants are going to need extra space and more room as they grow. The Gorilla grow tent is nice because you can extend the growing height about a foot on almost every model they sell, turning it into a larger tent.
You’re going to have grow lights, carbon filters, and other growing supplies hanging down from the ceiling which are going to remove some high that a larger plant needs.
What’s the Difference Between Grow Tents and Grow Cabinets?
A grow cabinet is very similar to a grow tent, but there are quite a few differences.
A grow tent is generally more affordable and flexible as you can move it around much easier. However, with a grow tent, it’s quite obvious what it is to your guests.
A grow cabinet on the other hand, looks much more discreet and can be hidden well amongst other furniture in a home. However, come at a premium and are often 30-40% more expensive than a grow tent.
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