One of the most common questions new growers ask: “How many plants can I fit in my tent?” The answer depends on your grow style, training method, and goals. This guide breaks it down so you can plan your setup with confidence.
The Quick Answer
Here’s the short version based on standard spacing:
| Tent Size | SOG (Small) | Standard (Medium) | SCROG (Large) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60×60 cm | 4 plants | 2 plants | 1 plant |
| 80×80 cm | 6 plants | 3 plants | 1-2 plants |
| 100×100 cm | 9 plants | 5 plants | 2-3 plants |
| 120×120 cm | 13 plants | 6-7 plants | 3-4 plants |
| 150×150 cm | 20 plants | 10 plants | 5 plants |
| 240×120 cm | 26 plants | 13 plants | 6-7 plants |
But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Let’s dig into the details.
Calculate Your Specific Setup
Use this calculator to find exactly how many plants fit in your tent dimensions:
Understanding Plant Spacing
The space each plant needs depends on how you grow it:
Small Plants (1 sq ft / ~30×30 cm)
Best for: Sea of Green (SOG), autoflowers, short veg cycles
SOG packs many small plants with minimal vegetative growth. Plants go into flower quickly after rooting, staying compact. This method maximizes the number of plants but requires more starts (seeds or clones).
Pros:
- Fastest time to harvest
- Works well with clones
- Efficient light use
Cons:
- Requires more plant starts
- Legal plant count limits may apply
- More plants to manage
Medium Plants (2 sq ft / ~45×45 cm)
Best for: LST, topping, mainlining, most home growers
This is the standard spacing for recreational and medical home grows. Plants get 4-6 weeks of veg with basic training techniques. It balances yield per plant with total plant count.
Pros:
- Flexible training options
- Manageable plant count
- Good balance of yield and effort
Cons:
- Longer veg than SOG
- Requires training skills
Large Plants (4 sq ft / ~60×60 cm)
Best for: SCROG, extended veg, maximum yield per plant
SCROG (Screen of Green) uses a screen to spread the canopy horizontally. Fewer plants fill more space. This method takes longer but maximizes yield per plant — important if you have legal plant count limits.
Pros:
- Maximum yield per plant
- Better for plant count limits
- Great canopy coverage
Cons:
- Longest veg time
- One plant problem affects more space
- Requires SCROG setup
Factors That Affect Plant Count
Pot Size Matters
Your pots need floor space too. A 20L fabric pot is roughly 30cm diameter — it takes more floor space than a 10L pot, even if the plant canopy is similar.
Common pot sizes:
- 7-10L: Good for medium plants, SOG
- 11-15L: Standard for most grows
- 20L+: Large plants, SCROG, outdoor
Leave Room for Access
Don’t fill 100% of your tent floor. You need space to:
- Water and feed plants
- Inspect for pests and problems
- Defoliate and train
- Harvest
Leave 10-15 cm around the edges as working space.
Height Limitations
Standard tents are 180-200 cm tall. After subtracting:
- Light hanging height (30-40 cm)
- Distance from light to canopy (30-50 cm)
- Pot height (20-30 cm)
You have roughly 80-120 cm for actual plant growth. Shorter tents (120-150 cm) need aggressive training to keep plants low.
Tent Size Recommendations
Small Tents (60×60 to 80×80 cm)
Best for: Personal supply, beginners, stealth grows
These tents work for 1-4 plants depending on method. They’re affordable and fit in closets or small rooms. The main limitation is heat — small spaces get hot quickly with lights.
Recommended:
- 60×60: 1-2 medium plants or 4 SOG
- 80×80: 2-3 medium plants or 6 SOG
Medium Tents (100×100 to 120×120 cm)
Best for: Most home growers, perpetual harvest setups
The 120×120 cm (4×4 ft) tent is the most popular size. It offers good yields without overwhelming beginners. You can run a solid perpetual harvest with 4-6 plants.
Recommended:
- 100×100: 4-5 medium plants or 2 SCROG
- 120×120: 6-8 medium plants or 3-4 SCROG
Large Tents (150×150 cm and up)
Best for: Serious hobbyists, medical patients needing larger quantities
These require more equipment investment — bigger lights, stronger ventilation, more electricity. But they scale yield significantly.
Recommended:
- 150×150: 8-10 medium plants or 5 SCROG
- 240×120: 10-14 medium plants or 6-8 SCROG
Common Mistakes
Overcrowding
More plants doesn’t mean more yield. Overcrowded plants:
- Block light from lower buds
- Create humidity pockets (mold risk)
- Compete for resources
- Make pest problems worse
Start with fewer plants than you think you need. You can always add more next grow.
Ignoring Airflow
Plants need air movement to strengthen stems and prevent mold. If your tent is packed wall-to-wall, air can’t circulate. Keep oscillating fans positioned to move air through the canopy.
Wrong Pot Size for Space
A 60×60 tent with four 20L pots leaves no room for the plants themselves. Match pot size to your tent:
- 60×60: 7-11L pots
- 80×80: 11-15L pots
- 120×120: 15-20L pots
Planning for Perpetual Harvest
If you’re running perpetual harvest (multiple tents or areas), consider:
- Veg space needs fewer plants — they’re smaller
- Flower space needs more room — plants spend longer there
- Factor in harvest frequency — harvesting every 2 weeks needs different spacing than every 4 weeks
For example, with 8-week flowering and 2-week harvest cycles, you need 4 plants in flower at different stages. Your flower tent should fit 4 medium plants comfortably.
Tips for Maximizing Your Space
- Train early — Start LST and topping in veg to control shape before flower
- Use the full height — Taller canopy = more bud sites if light reaches them
- Remove lower growth — Lollipop plants so energy goes to top buds
- Match genetics — Growing strains with similar heights prevents tall plants shading short ones
- Consider light footprint — Your light’s effective area matters as much as tent size
Next Steps
Once you know your plant count, you can plan the full timeline. When should you start seeds? When flip to flower? When will you harvest?
Plantegia helps you visualize your entire grow operation across time and space — seeing exactly when each plant moves, grows, and harvests.