Space Bucket – A Compact Cannabis Growing Kit

If this is your first time hearing the term ‘Space Bucket,’ you’re not alone. However, if you are interested in the concept of potentially growing weed at home, it is a crucial tool to familiarize yourself with. 

These new little growth chambers are en vogue right now and can be built by just about anyone who has the will and determination to do it.

With personal space at a premium during the pandemic, it comes as no surprise that weed lovers would be gravitating towards growing their own bud in tight spots. And we’re not just talking about tossing a plant in your closet and seeing how it grows. 

A Space Bucket is a controlled environment for the cannabis cultivator who isn’t looking to harvest pounds upon pounds of their favourite gorgeous green. 

Instead, the purpose of a Space Bucket is to grow small amounts of weed in an efficient but effective manner.

Are you thinking of trying out your green thumb in more ways than one? If you want to learn more about small-scale cannabis cultivation, keep on reading!

What is a Space Bucket?

As we outlined above, a Space Bucket is a small, contained environment that houses all of the essential properties of a grow room. They’re typically made from standard 5-gallon plastic buckets and include enough space for at least one cannabis plant to grow and prosper. 

On top of having enough room to fit a plant comfortably, a Space Bucket should also possess enough space for lighting, ventilation, and a power supply.

Thanks to its low cost, a Space Bucket is an excellent option for budget growers or users looking to experiment with growing weed one plant at a time. 

What’s more, Space Buckets do not take up valuable real estate, making them the ideal growing method for those living in condos, dorms, or shared spaces. In fact, you could probably even fit a Space Bucket in the corner of your closet or hidden away in the garage.

We see you sneaky stoners! There’s no shame in it.

How Does a Space Bucket Work?

Saying that the concept of the Space Bucket is cool doesn’t do it justice. A Space Bucket is equally as graceful as it is efficient. 

The truth is, cannabis is a plant that isn’t all that difficult to grow. However, startup costs and equipment can create a barrier to entry.

For reference, the average closet harvest of cannabis requires hundreds of watts of power to operate successfully. A Space Bucket is a lot more systematic and can actually reflect nearly all of the light from the light source to the plant, making it deadly efficient. 

In fact, some Space Buckets have been able to successfully grow weed with only 100 watts of LED lighting, with high efficiency in energy consumption and a minimal increase in the electricity bill.

How to Make a Space Bucket

Think about making a Space Bucket as being similar to building a PC or modifying a car. They come in all levels of sophistication and can be either highly advanced or rudimentary in their function. 

Some Space Buckets have been fine-tuned so well that people have set them up to use their smartphones to track the temperature and humidity within the Space Bucket. 

So, in order to make a Space Bucket, here are some of the things you’ll need:

Equipment

• 2-4 x 5 Gallon black plastic buckets (more buckets for a taller and more complex Space Bucket)
• 1 x 5 Gallon plastic bucket lid
• 1 x Roll of duct tape
• 1 x Bottle of glue or other adhesive
• 1 x Reflective mylar roll
• 2 x 12 Volt 80mm computer fans (These work best due to them being flat)
• 1 x 12 Volt power strip
• 4 x Wire nuts
• 10 x Small zip ties
• 3 x Bolts
• 3 x Nuts
• 1 x 4-Socket light fixture
• 4 x 23-Watt compact fluorescent bulbs or an LED grow light
• 1 x Power drill
• 1 x Sharpened serrated knife

Step 1: Coat the Interior and Drill Some Holes

To start, drill some holes in the bottom of one bucket to provide a means of drainage. 

Using your glue or adhesive, begin coating the interior layer of one of your buckets with your reflective mylar. 

Once the interior has been coated in mylar and the drainage holes have been drilled, drill an additional 4 holes on the side and use them to attach your power strip using your zip-ties.

Step 2: Installing the Fans

Using your knife, begin cutting 2 slots for your fans in the wall of the same bucket. 

If you choose to opt for a different set of fans than the 80mm computer fans, you will have to measure the fans’ dimensions and create the slots accordingly. 

Once your fan slots have been created, drill a small hole near it so you can secure the fans to the bucket with some zip ties. Now, use some wire nuts to connect your fans to the power supply. 

When installing the fans, you’ll want to use one fan as an intake and the other as an exhaust.

Step 3: Adding Height to Your Space Bucket

Now, you’re going to want to create some spacers to give your Space Bucket additional height. 

If you’re using 3 buckets, grab 1 of your additional buckets. If you’re using 4, grab 2. The more buckets you use, the taller your weed plant will be able to grow.

You’ll need to cut the bottoms of the buckets off (not including the one with the fans) and place them overtop the original one with the fans. If done correctly, no light should be able to enter or exit the Space Bucket. 

You can use the bottoms of the additional buckets to catch the drainage from the Space Bucket.

Step 4: Placing the Light Fixture

With your last bucket, cut the bottom off once again in the same way you did the others. 

Now, place it on top of the other buckets and add the bucket lid on top. Using your knife, cut a slot for your light source and then place it there. 

To keep the light fixture in place, use your duct tape to keep it attached to the lid so that the bulbs are able to face the plant.

Step 5: Grow Some Weed

With all that said and done, your Space Bucket should be ready for use. 

As for the techniques behind growing the actual weed, that’s a whole other story.

Options Outside of a Space Bucket

If you’re excited at the prospect of potentially growing your own pot, a Space Bucket is an excellent way to start. It’s cost-effective without blowing all your money on something you may not want to pursue.

Alternatively, if you want to cut out the middle-man and get straight to the good green, there are numerous ways to do that. 

You can buy cannabis flower, concentrates, various types of edibles and more either via a traditional dispensary or online retailers where you can buy weed online and have it delivered straight to your door. 

Sometimes you aren’t looking to take on a DIY project, and that’s totally okay! With the above methods, all you need to do is spark up and enjoy.

Space Bucket – A Practical Pot-Growing Apparatus

For the handy marijuana growers who love to do their own DIY projects, a Space Bucket is a fantastic opportunity to grow some dank weed at a minimal cost of money and space. 

In other words, growing your own bud in a Space Bucket could be a fun and creative way to experiment and source your own cannabis without investing too much time and money into it. 

Granted, you will have to build the Space Bucket on your own, but you can also customize it to whichever level of sophistication suits your fancy. 

What’s more, making a Space Bucket could be an interesting little project to have while we are currently under lockdown.

If growing your own weed doesn’t sound all that appealing, that’s fine too! There are numerous avenues, either at dispensaries or places where you can buy weed online to enjoy your favourite icky sticky and cut out the creation process. 

Enjoy!