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How to Micro Grow Cannabis in a Computer Tower
So, you don't have the space to set up a cannabis grow tent indoors, and you certainly can't have the neighbours or cops coming across a crop in your backgarden. What is a grower to do? Allow us to explain why you should consider micro growing weed in a computer tower, and how to optimise your efforts for the best results.
While some cannabis growers have the luxury of raising tall, majestic specimens in the great outdoors or in a well-appointed grow tent in their home, others aren’t so lucky. Whether faced with limited space or forced to keep their fondness for cannabis under wraps, certain growers must think outside the box—by growing inside of one! That’s right, it’s perfectly possible to retrofit a computer tower into a grow box that will allow you to raise high-quality cannabis plants without drawing any attention to your grow, and without taking up extra room in your home.
This type of “micro growing” is nothing new; clandestine cannabis cultivators have been cropping weed in cupboards, closets, and buckets for what feels like aeons now—but computer towers offer some unique advantages that make them appealing to the modern cannabis grower. Without further ado, let’s explore why and how to use a PC tower to grow weed.
Contents:
What Is Micro Growing?
Though we might fantasise about acres of cannabis plants blowing in the wind, or intricate hydroponic systems housing dozens of specimens, the reality is that many of us are restricted to micro growing. As the name suggests, this form of growing focuses on optimising small spaces to churn out one or two compact cannabis plants.
Micro growing weed gives you the utmost control over your plant(s), and it usually involves relatively little maintenance throughout the growing cycle, as the scale of the operation is so small. This type of growing necessitates very few pieces of kit, and, as mentioned, it prioritises stealth and use of space above all else. Numerous different spaces in the home can be used to micro grow cannabis—even ones you might not initially think of, like bar fridges, cabinets, and, as is the focus of this article, computer towers.
Though you can source a micro grow tent online that will suitably house your plants, in some ways this defeats the purpose of using the space already at your disposal. That said, choose whatever works for you.
In addition to the space itself, certain strains are more suitable for growing within the confines of a computer tower or other micro grow hub. Generally, autoflowers are a good choice, as they tend to remain compact, don’t have any special lighting requirements, and still churn out good harvests for their size. Later on, we’ll detail some strains that are perfect for growing in your PC tower, as well as some appropriate plant training methods.
Micro Growing for Stealth
Arguably the most popular reason for choosing a micro grow setup is to keep your weed out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. While in some places there’s no need to hide your plants, in others, being found out can come with some serious repercussions. Whether it’s to hide your weed from the law or from your in-laws, stealth is the name of the game with micro growing.
Micro Growing: The Remedy for Lack of Space
Some micro growers might not even care about their plants being discovered—they just don’t have the room to carry out a conventional cannabis grow in a tent or spare room. In this case, a computer tower can be an excellent way to maximise the space you do have. And, thankfully, though computer towers are generally small, you can still achieve high-quality yields if you provide the right conditions.
Micro Grow in Computer Towers for Ultimate Stealth
We’ve teased you long enough; now it’s time to break down why and how to micro grow weed in a PC tower, specifically.
Why Choose Computer Towers?
Computer towers are far from a shocking sight. As many people already have one in their home, it works as one of the most discreet micro growing options available. While it’s not improbable that someone might open a “secret” cupboard in your bedroom, they’re very unlikely to bust open your PC equipment. Plus, when utilised appropriately, computer towers can make the perfect home for one or two tiny plants.
Where to Buy Micro Grow Computer Towers
You have a couple of options when it comes to selecting an appropriate computer tower for growing weed. To start, you can absolutely modify an existing (out-of-use) computer tower to house your cannabis plants. Otherwise, you can shop around for cheap PC towers for sale online, or, if it pleases you, you can purchase a specially made computer tower grow box. Indeed, ingenious individuals in the cannabis space have gone one step further to make growing weed in a computer tower even more streamlined. Though not necessary, these grow boxes come essentially ready to grow, and take the work out of retrofitting your own.
How to Make Your Own Micro Grow Computer Tower
If you decide to put together your own grow box, there are a few things you should know. Primarily, as you might imagine, you’ll need to gut your PC tower—this means you’ll never be able to use it for computer-related purposes again. If you want to bypass this process, you may be able to find computer tower cases secondhand that have already been stripped of their insides.
Make Your Micro Grow Tower as Stealthy as Possible
Though it will no longer be functional for computing purposes, you should still try to make your PC tower blend in as much as possible to avoid detection. Do your best to make it appear as though the tower is connected to your monitor. You can even put some books or plants on top of it to make it seem like part of the furniture.
How to Set Up Your Micro Grow Computer Tower
While a micro grow is relatively hands-off compared to larger operations, there are certain conditions that you need to ensure in order to achieve success; in particular, lighting, ventilation, and odour control.
Lighting
It doesn’t matter how small your grow is—your plants need light! However, you don’t want to overdo it, either.
In terms of which lighting setup to choose, we generally recommend LEDs for computer tower grows, as they give off the appropriate light spectrum for marijuana, but don’t run too hot (unlike HID lights, which can become incredibly hot and dramatically increase the risk of fire in confined spaces). Thankfully, quality LEDs are no longer as expensive as they once were, which means you should be able to pick up a set without breaking the bank.
To optimise light exposure, you also need to line your PC box with reflective material, such as Mylar, panda film, or, if money is especially tight, aluminium foil.
Finally, it’s important to consider the PPFD rating of the space. PPFD tells us how much light is actually being delivered to and absorbed by the plant. Thankfully, you can use a device called a spectroradiometer to tell you if your plants are getting what they need. For reference, different phases of growth have different optimal PPFD ratings, so it’s important to familiarise yourself with the ideal figures.
Ventilation
Like lighting, ventilation is something that cannabis plants require, regardless of the size of the operation. In a perfect world, you could set up an external exhaust fan to ensure constant air circulation. Realistically, though, this will likely just draw attention to your grow. Instead, a simple PC fan can be enough to prevent air from becoming stagnant and harbouring pests and pathogens. You can also simply open the tower door as needed to allow necessary air exchange.
Odour Control
Ah, the smell of flowering weed plants—what could be better? While stoners love the signature marijuana pong, it can be the most damning evidence that you’re growing cannabis in the confines of your home. For this reason, you should aim to minimise the aroma released from your grow box.
While a dedicated carbon scrubber is undeniably the most effective tool for this job, it looks suspect, and honestly is probably overkill. Instead, consider installing an air filter in the room in which your grow box is situated. This, in addition to using an effective odour neutraliser, can help to keep things on the down low.
Micro Growing Cannabis: How to Tame Your Plants
Now, although proper strain choice is most crucial to keeping the scale of your grow small, there are additional ways to optimise space for the best results.
Training
Training needn’t be some elaborate, difficult-to-conduct form of plant surgery. It can be as simple as bending and tying down shoots, either in the form of traditional LST or ScrOG—the latter of which involves creating a uniform “carpet” of buds. These methods help to limit the final height of the plant, and allow for more light to penetrate the bud sites you’re looking to capitalise on.
Container Size
Container size is another easy way to limit the size of your plant. You have to go small—we’re talking 5l or even less, depending on the size of your PC tower and your lighting setup. With that said, it’s likely that your plant will require daily watering, but make sure not to overwater either.
Micro Growing: Choose Your Strain Wisely
We can’t stress the importance of strain selection enough. Choosing a sativa with the propensity to double its size during the flowering stretch just doesn't make sense. Instead, limit yourself to autoflowering hybrids. While you can grow photoperiod strains, autoflowers tend to be naturally short and stout, and most importantly, they don’t require a change in the light cycle to flower and aren't sensitive to light leaks. This last point is crucial, as light leaks during the dark phase are certainly possible when growing in a computer tower, and this can be enough to ruin an entire grow if cultivating photoperiod plants.
Finally, in terms of getting the best bang for your buck, it’s all about F1 hybrids. These industry-changing plants are exceptionally uniform, reliable, robust, and high-yielding—despite topping out at low heights.
With that said, below we review five strains that are fabulous candidates for a PC grow.
Titan F1
Topping out at just 55–75cm (or even less if trained), Titan F1 is capable of delivering a truly astounding amount of buds for her size. This sweet and savoury specimen derives from IBLs of Blue Dream, Sugar Magnolia, and Amnesia, and takes just 70–75 days to go from germination to harvest.
Titan F1
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Blue Dream x Sugar Magnolia x Amnesia |
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40 - 45 days |
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THC: Ultra-high |
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Calming, Focus , Physically Relaxing, Uplifting |
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70 - 75 days after germination |
Apollo F1
Another F1 superstar, Apollo takes a breezy 80 days to grow from a seedling to a mature, bud-bearing plant of around 65cm in height. And what buds they are! Descending from IBLs of Lemon, Black Domina, and Sugar Magnolia, Apollo F1 exhibits a floral aroma and soothing effects.
Apollo F1
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Lemon x Black Domina x Sugar Mangolia |
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45 - 50 days |
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THC: Very high |
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Calming, Creative, Motivating , Physically Relaxing |
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75 - 80 days after sprouting |
Epsilon F1
Epsilon F1 is truly a micro grower's dream. All it takes is 60 days from germination to harvest superb yields from compact plants. With a lineage featuring the likes of Blue Dream, Blueberry, Amnesia Lemon Haze, and Black Domina, Epsilon F1 showcases excellence at every turn. After you pack up your PC tower grow, gear up for a strong, long-lasting high from cured Epsilon F1 buds.
Epsilon F1
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Blue Dream x Blueberry x Amnesia Lemon Haze x Black Domina |
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30 - 40 days |
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THC: Very high |
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Calming, Long Lasting , Physically Relaxing |
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60 days after germination |
Royal Dwarf
Royal Dwarf is worthy of her regal title, as she manages to churn out up to 200g/m², despite reaching heights as small as 40cm. As the cherry on top, it takes only 9–10 weeks from germination for this strain to be ready to harvest. This small Skunk descendent contains a cool 13% THC, giving rise to a chilled, creative high.
Royal Dwarf
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Skunk x Ruderalis |
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150 - 200 gr/m2 |
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40 - 70 cm |
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6 - 7 weeks |
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THC: 13% |
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Sativa 10% Indica 60% Ruderalis 30% |
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30 - 80 gr/plant |
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50 - 90 cm |
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9 - 10 weeks after sprouting |
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Creative, Motivating |
Quick One
Quick, indeed! This strain is fast to finish, but never to the detriment of bud quality. In optimal conditions, up to 325g/m² is up for grabs from plants that max out at around 50cm in height. Can you think of a more perfect specimen for micro growing? Mild in THC, Quick One is a perfect daytime or social smoke for chilling the nerves, and treats users to an earthy, citrusy flavour.
Quick One
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Lowryder 1 x Old School Indica |
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275 - 325 gr/m2 |
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50 - 60 cm |
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5 - 6 Weeks |
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THC: 13% |
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Sativa 10% Indica 60% Ruderalis 30% |
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100 - 150 gr/plant |
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60 - 100 cm |
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9 - 10 weeks after sprouting |
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Physically Relaxing |
Master the Art of Computer Tower Micro Growing
In our exploration of computer tower growing, we hope to have informed you of the benefits of this micro grow method, as well as some key tips to ensure success. Above all else, make sure you select an appropriate strain, ensure adequate lighting and ventilation, and choose a container that is suitable for the confines of your tower.
So, don’t feel discouraged if you need to keep your cannabis grow-op on the smaller side, or you simply can’t expose your plants to the outside world—go for a PC tower grow! It just might become one of your favourite ways to grow. Armed with the knowledge provided in this guide, you’re ready to go out and crop some quality buds from compact cannabis plants.
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