Zip Ties: The Gardener's All Purpose Tool

I have built several grow rooms now and tried out a few strains. I have, if nothing else, learned this one nugget of truth. Zip ties are amazingly useful.

For those who don't know, zip ties are those strips of plastic that have a box-shaped opening on one end, where one inserts the other end, in a loop. You pull the loose end through the hole and it becomes tighter. They do not become more loose, but they can be tightened multiple times. You can get them at Home Depot, or on the internet for very low prices. They come in many sizes, and I recommend getting multiple lengths, widths, and strengths.


I use them to LST branches, I use the color coded ones to identify strains(cheaper than plant markers, and you always have a free tool to LST a small branch with, if needed). I use the bigger ones to hang my fans and lights. To do this, I generally link several in a chain, or as in the case with my squirrel fan, I created a harness of zip ties around the body of the fan before hanging it. The thicker industrial zip ties can easily support a reflector.

If you grow hydroponically, zip ties will be extremely useful clamping hosing onto drain fittings or feeding tubes.

Pick yourself up a pack of at least a hundred, however, as you can easily use ten or more LSTing a plant, or around twenty to hang a reflector or similar piece of hardware.

Useful, yes. But I no longer use them on plants, since I discovered VELCRO plant ties!

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Originally Posted by psteve

Useful, yes. But I no longer use them on plants, since I discovered VELCRO plant ties!

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i assume you wash them with every plant, could regular velcro work as long as i clean it out just in case some pollen or spider mites get in?