From my brief time reading these forums, it is clear that there are some very creative and knowledgeable growers here when it comes to keeping as many plants as possible happy and healthy in very confined indoor growing spaces. So I thought I would ask a question which has been on my mind for years, but have never found a conclusive answer to: What is the smallest viable tent/cabinet set up from which you have successfully produced open pollinated seed?
For a little background, I grow in a continuously recycled / composted living soil outdoor and have done all my previous seed breeding that way through open pollination. I have always wanted to expand the number of open pollination hybridization runs for my own lines or landrace/heirloom reproduction runs I am able to do at once and in a given year. I have a 3-tier rack of LED seed starting lights that I currently use for seed starting / phenotype selection / mother plants but they are open and not suitable for pollination. Ideally the tent/cabinet system would be quiet, scentless, and small enough to fit in a bedroom, while offering space for 2-3 completely isolated open pollination runs at once. I am especially interested in DIY options / custom set ups.
I know I’m asking for a lot here, but any help or links to relevant info would be much appreciated.
I use a 2x4 with a t5. Makes thousands of seed. I went with mars hydro tent. And I just replace bulbs when needed. Some might prefer a 3x3. But this will double as a clone/seedling tent on off runs for buds.
Sorry no pics right meow
Having multiple seed runs in the same house will make your stuff not true to what you’re trying to make. Pollen gets everywhere
I just did my first open pollination inside a 2x2 and it was the absolute perfect size. I used 5 females and 5 males in shallow ~4inx4in bonsai containers.I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do it in any smaller of space.
You could do 4 small plants(2 male, 2 female for genetic diversity?) in 1 gallon pots in a 2x2 tent. It gets crowded and the plants won’t be real happy. But I’ve done it.
But, if you really want to do micro-scale seed breeding… model your grow after some of @Mr.Sparkle grows, in a small IKEA cabinet.
Smallest I’ve done seed making wise but done smaller growing wise is a PC case of say just about 1sqft.
Saying that with jamming say 9-12 plants in said space and even as you go up in pot volume and grow area the issue is on the lower side you don’t get full or true plant expression, myself for say my past pump and straight coco growing my threshold for pot volume I was comfortable with was say 2x a solo cup or about 1liter in volume where you could get a good view of structure of the plants and that’s with allowing them not to be crowded, solos you can still make hundred to thousands of seed from its just typically the structure of them is pole like and more so the more plants you try to jam together.
As for spaces lots can be done though I’d be looking at 2-4sqft on the min side for say 2-6ish plants
Convert a chest of drawers with 4 or 5 drawers high. Make it a false face and open from the side or back. It gives enough height for decent lighting at the top and ventilation\filtration\ozone out the bottom with wire racks for shelves and scrog. Clean efficient setup in a small footprint.
