by Nebula Haze
250W HPS Grow Setup (For Hobbyist Growers)
This cannabis grow kit is great if you have a cool grow space (for example during the winter) because an HPS bulb gets hot (which helps raise the temperature) and even when the temperature is the same, marijuana plants are more cold-resistant under HPS compared to LEDs. Plants need to be warm to get the best results with LEDs.
- Average Yields: 4-9 ounces
- Total time: 2-4 months from seed to weed
- Grow space is 2’x4’x5’ or larger
Total Setup Cost: ~$400-500 ($500 includes professional smell filtering)
View a grow journal using this setup and here’s another grow journal in this setup.
About This Setup
The 250W HPS is a great option for small-scale indoor cannabis growing especially if you have a grow room that tends to get cold. It delivers good yields, high potency, and it’s easy to use. The 250W also escapes much of the heat issues that larger models of HPS have, though they still have that tell-tale color that can alert people to your cannabis grow if it escapes the tent.
Pros: Cheap, easy to use, great yields, awesome potency
Cons: Hard to find (they were popular before LEDs hit the scene), harsh yellow light is easily distinguishable as a grow light
My last harvest with a 250W HPS grow light (dry yield was 8.97 oz) – View a video of the plants just before harvest
Complete Grow Supply List
This cannabis grow room setup list includes all the supplies you need to grow from seed to harvest.
250W MH/HPS Grow Light
The only model I can find these days is this 250W HPS kit by HTG Supply. What’s nice is it comes with everything you need. Just plug it in and you’re good to go.
- A 250W HPS is a great grow light for beginners who have a grow room that gets cold, for example during the winter. Plants grow quickly and produce excellent bud quality, density, and yields.
Cost: $120
* Alternative all-in-one 150W HPS – This light is significantly smaller (it uses 100W less), but if you want a cheap “all-in-one” grow light kit with the ballast and reflector built together…
- 150W HPS Complete System with Bulb – Alternative “All-In-One” Kit: Sun System 150W. Harvest up to 5 oz with an $85 all-in-one light.
- 2-5 oz harvest
Grow Tent (recommended sizes)
Just about any grow tent brand works great, but I’ve had good luck with the CoolGrows tents and they’re pretty reasonably priced.
- 2’x4’x5′ tent – an example is Cool Grows 48”x24”x60”
- 2’x4’x6′ tent (you’ll appreciate the extra height) – I use the CoolGrows 48″x24″x72″ Grow Tent
- 3’x3’x6′ tent (this is a good tent if you want a square space) – an example is CoolGrows 36″x36″x72″
Cost: ~$95
6″ Exhaust Fan
An exhaust fan vents hot air and can be combined with a carbon filter to stop all smells from leaving the grow space. The 6″ size is plenty for a 250W.
- Example 1: Cheap but loud VIVOSUN 6 Inch 390 CFM exhaust fan. If you plan to use a carbon filter to stop smells, it’s typically cheaper to get a kit that contains both the fan and filter than to buy them separately. Avoid “booster” fans that cost under $35. Although they seem like a good deal, they’re not powerful enough to properly vent heat or use a carbon filter. I’ve tried.
- Example 2: Quiet but expensive AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S6 or premium CLOUDLINE T6 (T6 version is the same fan but has a digital interface)
- Learn more about setting up an exhaust fan
Cost: $75+ ($75-160)
Carbon Filter / Scrubber (optional)
Used with an exhaust fan to remove weed smell from the air. When set up properly, a carbon filter removes 100% of odors. Learn more about controlling odors
- Recommended: 6-inch Carbon Filter, 6″ x 16″ version (for the cheapest option, get a kit that contains both fan and carbon filter instead of buying them separately)
Cost: ~$80
Plant Pots
I prefer fabric pots or air pots because cannabis plants grow faster. However, standard hard-sided plant pots also work well and can be watered less often.
- Recommended: Fabric pots between 2-7 gallons (here’s the brand I used last but I just pick what looks good because any fabric pots work great)
- Alternative: Regular plant pots between 2-5 gallons
Cost: $20
Plants grow faster in fabric pots compared to hard-sided pots, but need to be watered more often
Grow Medium (Soil, Coco, Hydro)
Grow mediums can include coco coir or soil (hydroponics for more advanced growers) but if you’re not sure, a coco-based soil like Coco Loco is perfect for beginnners.
- Recommended Soil: One 2 cu ft bag bag of coco-based soil with perlite should be able to fill 15 gallons worth of pots. For example, it will fill 5 x 3-gallon fabric pots.
Cost: ~$40
Coco Loco is a coco-based soil that makes thriving cannabis plants
Nutrients
Many nutrient systems have a nutrient schedule so you give your plants the right ratios for each stage of life. Basically you use a “vegetative” or all-purpose plant nutrient for the first part of your plant’s life and a “bloom” or low-nitrogen nutrients when buds are forming.
Tip: Always start at half-strength with a new base nutrient system since the recommended amount can be too high for cannabis plants.
Recommended Base Nutrients: Dyna-Gro Grow + Bloom nutrient combo is excellent, cheap, and easy to use for growing cannabis.
- “Grow” bottle: Give 1 tsp per gallon of water during the vegetative stage
- “Bloom” bottle: Give 1 tsp/gallon of water during the flowering stage
Learn about other cannabis nutrients we recommend
Cost: $25
Dyna-Gro Grow + Bloom is my recommended nutrient system for newbies. One bottle for veg, one for bloom. 1 tsp/gallon. Super simple!
Seeds
See a list of recommended seed sources here.
Other Nice-to-Have Stuff
- 24-Hour Timer (to put your grow lights on a timer so the plants get a day and night period on a schedule). Why do cannabis plants need to be on a day/night schedule? What about autoflowering light schedules? – $10
- Water containers (I personally use a 3-gallon or 5-gallon water jug to mix up nutrients, but anything can work) – Much cheaper at Wal-Mart ($5-15) than online!
- Extra 1/8″ Rope Ratchets (sooooo handy) – These can be used to hang your grow light or carbon filter from inside the tent, and still be able to easily move it up and down without needing any strength. Your grow light usually comes with a set of rope ratchets, but it’s a great idea to get an extra set to hang the carbon filter – $10
- Thermometer/Humidity Monitor with a probe so you can keep track of the temperature inside the tent – $15
- PH Test Kit – Prevent potential nutrient deficiencies by testing the water pH: https://www.growweedeasy.com/ph – $20
- Measuring spoons for measuring out your nutrients (many people already have these) – $12
Learn about other cool growing tools
Estimated Cost: ~$400-500 ($485-505 with professional smell filtering) plus the cost of seeds
- Ultra budget (no smell filtering) – ~$400 plus the cost of seeds
- Only the necessary stuff + smell filtering: ~$485
- Get everything including the premium equipment and optional extras: ~$505
Got a 6+ oz Harvest! Read the tutorial on how to grow exactly like this! (in this setup)
A hydroponic plant grown in this setup (6+ oz harvest!) – Read the grow journal!
These plants were grown under a 250W HPS. Here’s the grow journal (the 250W HPS beat LEDs in a side-by-side experiment, check it out!)
More plants I grew under a 250W HPS in this setup