By Lydia Kibet
Cannabis growing is a thrilling experience!
The whole procedure of nurturing your plants from seed, vegetative phase, and flowering stage where you can smoke a bud is an excellent experience.
However, there are several things many marijuana growers overlook. The smell of weed! One issue that most growers have is the smell marijuana plants emit. If you’ve ever grown weed, I’m pretty sure you know the ‘skunk-like’ smell we’re talking about.
If you grow marijuana on a large scale, perhaps, you have this question in mind, how do I make my grow tent smell proof.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how to smell proof grow tent. Remember that marijuana plants produce a strong smell, and making a grow tent 100% smell proof is impossible, but you can achieve something nearly what you wanted.
Making your grow tent smell proof has become an important thing for the majority of marijuana growers. This is because the majority of the growers are located in regions where growing marijuana is illegal, or weed is entirely unlawful.
Also, there are regions where pot is legal, but the social stigma among growers has pushed them to do indoor cannabis growing. Therefore, marijuana smell has to be contained. But, where does weed smell come from? Read on!
Why do Marijuana Plants Smell Strongly?
Marijuana plants emit a distinct smell. Interestingly, even those who don’t smoke know how weed smells. A pot plant is going to smell like nothing that has never crossed your nose before.
In fact, the smell is so potent to the extent that it may linger around your house, and people can smell it miles away. But why does marijuana produce a potent smell?
Terpenes are chemical compounds linked to the odor of marijuana plants.
Some people might think that weed smells only when dried, or when it is smoked. Well, that’s not the case. Marijuana plants start to smell a few weeks after growing. During the growth cycle of marijuana plants, organic compounds called terpenes are emitted, the reason behind the smell. Some weed strains smell much more potent than others, but all of them have a specific smell.
Generally, the more potent the weed strain, the heavier the scent produced, and the better high you’ll be. The majority of weed buyers choose their weed strain depending on the type of scent it provides.
Terpenes are important for a number of reasons. First, the smell repels insects. Second, terpenes carry therapeutic properties that add the overall medicinal properties marijuana has.
Different terpenes offer different health benefits. Some have anti-inflammatory properties; some reduce anxiety and depression, other terpenes relieve pain. So, terpenes are essential to the cannabis plant
Methods to Use to Make Your Grow Tent Smell Proof
It’s hard to mask or totally control the smell of marijuana plants in a grow tent. Creating an airtight space where the scent cannot escape is impossible.
This is basically because your plants need fresh air while releasing stale air. So, making your tent airtight and smell proof is impossible.
To make your grow tent smell proof, you can utilize a variety of methods. Here are some of the methods to mask marijuana smell and get a smell proof grow tent.
1. Carbon Filters
Carbon filters are considered the best option when doing away with marijuana smell in a grow tent. A good carbon filter, in combination with an inline fan, works best.
Activated carbon is absorbent and can trap and neutralize the marijuana smell. The best thing is, filters can be used in more than one season of growth, therefore ensuring the odor is reduced.
Another tip is to use an inline fan, which can suck large amounts of air into the carbon filter. The more efficient the fan is, the larger the carbon filter, you’ll achieve the smell proof grow tent you need.
2. Direct Ventilation Exhaust Systems
The other thing you can use to make your tent smell proof is using big exhaust fans. You can install a ventilation system with quality fans directing it towards the window. The fan will suck the air while throwing it out in the open air, making sure weed smell does not remain in your home.
The apparent downfall here is that passersby can smell marijuana.
Depending on the cannabis strain and the number of plants you have, the smell can be a little bit or too much. That’s why carbon filters are the best because the scent can be contained.
3. Air Fresheners
Using air fresheners is another great way of getting rid of marijuana smell. Air fresheners don’t contain the odor but instead replace with a strong scented smell. The downfall of fresheners is that, when the smell fades away, marijuana smell will fill your grow tent.
So, you’ll need to either find alternate ways since freshener’s scent seems to fade after some time or spray a lot of air freshener every now and then. Besides, getting fresheners that will hide the smell of marijuana is quite expensive.
Therefore, the majority of the growers opt for carbon filters to achieve a smell proof grow tent.
4. Use Odor Absorbing Gels
Odor absorbing gels is one of the ways you can use to control the smell of weed. These gels work by neutralizing the smell of marijuana plants in the air.
However, odor control gels don’t work like carbon filters. Instead, they provide an intense scent to ensure that the weed smell is not the most ruling in the house. Unlike air fresheners, smell absorbing gels are considered to be much stronger, but they work similarly.
Odor absorbing gel is suitable for growers looking to grow marijuana on a small scale. This method can be quite costly if you grow marijuana in a large scale.
5. Temperature and Humidity Control
The hotter and more humid the grow tent is, the more the smell.
So, to ensure proper odor management in your grow room, make specific temperature and humidity levels are under control. Higher temperatures and humidity levels keep alive the smell of weed.
Marijuana plants in the vegetative phase emit little to no odor because the plants have not begun producing terpenes, organic compounds responsible for the cannabis aromatic properties.
As marijuana plants continue to grow, temperature and humidity become crucial to control in order to contain the odors. The best way to manage this is to use dehumidifiers and air conditioners.
6. Use Air Purifiers
Air purifiers can also help do away with weed smell. However, the majority of the air purifiers come with activated carbon filters, helping contain marijuana smell.
The activated carbon in the filters sucks in the smell making your grow tent smell proof. Using a purifier in a grow tent will make sure your marijuana plants are receiving quality air.
FAQs
Are grow tents smell proof?
Grow tents are not smell proof.
To qualify as a smell proof, a grow tent would mask 100% of the smell of marijuana plants. Indeed, grow tents are fantastic since they provide a controlled environment for weeds to grow.
While they come with reflective materials, carbon filters, ventilation systems, clip-on fans, among others, they don’t qualify as smell proof.
So, it’s impossible to get a 100% smell proof grow tent. Instead, you can use carbon filters or other available options to achieve the desired results of smell proofing.
When do marijuana plants start to smell?
If you’re looking to grow your own marijuana plants and worried about the smell, weed plants, don’t smell all the time.
As mentioned earlier, the smell starts after three weeks of growing.
However, during the vegetative phase, the smell is not different from any other greenery. But, during the flowering stage, as the buds grow more prominent, the stronger the smell becomes.
Which is the best method to achieve a smell proof grow tent?
Experts marijuana growers recommend the use of carbon filters to get a smell proof grow box.
This is because carbon filters are affordable, and your grow cabinet becomes smell proof.
Simply get a top-quality filter that uses absorbent charcoal. Given that whatever you need is to get rid of the marijuana odor, it works pretty well. While there are other options out there, a carbon filter is the most effective and the most revered method.
Growing cannabis indoors is fun!
But, understand that the odors linked with this hobby are not equally pleasing to everyone. Employing one of these methods to hide the smell of marijuana will not rob your bank. In fact, the investment is worth the silence of your unhindered family, neighbors, and friends.