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Growing Environment
| Air Circulation |
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If the air in the garden is still, plants tend to use up all the Co2 next to the leaf surface. Then a dead air space forms stifingthe stomata, slowing growth. The air will also stratifies with warm air risingand colder air settling in the bottom of the room, and lets not forget howimportant air circulation is for prevention of insects and fungus, mold sporesare present in all growrooms.
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| Air Ventilation |
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Ventilation is the key to a good growroom. If you do not have enough fresh air, and a suitable temperature, plants can suffocate. An exhaust fan, especially the steel ball bearing types are quiet and much more efficient than 10 of the budget ceiling fans. Ideally you should have a fan with an air exchange of 10 to 15 times the growroom size per hour. Remember, the more fresh air the better. Carbon Dioxide Enrichment systems are fine when a grower is experienced, but to a beginner they represent more problems than they are worth. Ask a Store for advice.
The results of using lighting in an indoor environment are at least remarkable.
The benefits of controlling a plants environment are numerous, and you should speak to your local Hydroponic Store about the results obtainable.
When indoors you must bring in all that is present outdoors naturaly into the growroom, with good fresh airventilation, fresh air is inexpensive and real easy to find. fresh air is one ofthe most overlooked factors. Experienced gardeners know the importance of freshair and take alot of care to set up a proper air movement.
The main threefactors are, stomata,ventilation, and circulation. lets start with STOMATA whichis microscopic pores located on the underside of the leaves. the stomataregulate the flow of gasses in and out of the plant. it is very inportant tohave air movement to keep these pores clean and free of filmy residues, dust,
pollen etc.
On the average a 10' x 10' garden will use from 10 to 30 gallons of water per week.It transpires and evaporates into the air so gallons of water are held in theair. And if this moisture is left in the room, the leaves will get limp,transpiration and the stomata will be stifled. Remember the flow of waterthrough the plant helps keep it erect. Successful indoor gardeners know that avent fan is a important as water, light, heat, and fertilizer. In some instancesit is more important.
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| Air Conditioning |
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| Temperature Range Day vs. Night |
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If you want your plants to grow quickly and stay healthy, it’s important that you keep them within
their ‘comfort zone’. This is between 70-80°C. Most plants are very comfortable up to 80 °C, but are
sensitive to higher temperatures.
Plants are very sensitive to differences in temperature between the light cycle and dark cycle. To measure the night and day temperature
you need a max-min thermometer. If you want fast vegetative growth, you need to try and keep
your night and day temperatures as close as possible. However, to promote flowering and fruiting,
you need to increase the difference between night and day by + 6 to 15 °F (day). If your temperature
differential is bigger than 15°F, you’ll put your plant under stress. The sugars your plants have
made during the light cycle will be poorly transported in the dark cycle, thus lowering growth rates.
Consequences of high temperature:
Small pores on the leaves (stomata) allow water vapour and gasses to leave the leaf and keep the
plant cool (transpiration). If your plants are within their temperature ‘comfort zone’ and
are transpiring healthily, they’ll keep themselves a few degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature.
As a defence mechanism to conserve water, your plants’ stomata will start to close at around 85 °F.
With the stomata shut, your plants will not be able to transpire to keep themselves cool. If the
temperature remains too high, the water trapped in your plants’ leaves can overheat, causing
internal cell and enzyme damage. The result is poor growth and unhealthy plants.
If the temperature in your grow room is too high, your plants will respond in a few ways. They’ll
appear stretched as the inter-node distance increases with a high temperature. This results in very
airy flowers or poor fruit quality. During high temperatures, your plants will have difficultly laying
down dense material because their sugar energy is being used so fast that they cut back on the
energy used to make flowers and fruit.
High heat is often associated with summer and low humidity in grow rooms. As a result, the roots of
plants take more water than nutrient salts to compensate for the loss of water from the leaf due to
high transpiration. This increases the nutrient strength in your reservoir or media leading to nutrient
lockout, which can cause over-fertilization.
The time of day your lights come on can also have a big effect on your grow room
temperature. In the hotter months, it’s advisable that you start the light cycle in the
evening, running the lights through the night. This allows you to bring in cooler night
time air into your room during the light cycle and avoids extreme mid-day temperatures.
(Running your lights through the night is great in Winter also, counteracting extreme
low temperatures outside at night).
If your grow room temperature is constantly high and growth is affected, you may want
to invest in an air conditioner. Air conditioners
are the most effective way to reduce high temperatures in the hotter months.
They remove water from the air, thus lowering humidity. A humidifier may be needed
when using air conditioning units.
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| Plastic / Mylar Sheeting |
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| Humidity Control |
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| Co2 Enrichment |
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Overlooked by many growers, Carbon Dioxide is vital for healthy plant growth.
In fact, maintaining optimum levels of Carbon Dioxide can significantly
improve the yield of your plants.
CO2 or Carbon Dioxide is a colorless, odorless, and slightly acid-tasting gas, sometimes called carbonic acid gas, the molecule of which consists of one atom of carbon joined to two atoms of oxygen (CO2).
Without Carbon Dioxide your plants will not grow. This is because it’s essential for photosynthesis –
the process by which your plants use Light, Water, and Carbon Dioxide to make glucose (plant
food). Your plants need glucose for healthy growth.
Photosynthesis can only take place in the light period. This is when the leaves of your plants
absorb Carbon Dioxide and give out Oxygen. During the hours of darkness, the leaves give off
Carbon Dioxide and absorb Oxygen.
At a higher temperature and light level, the absorption of Carbon Dioxide and the rate of photosy
thesis will also increase until a maximum is reached. Most growers are aware that optimum light
and temperature can enhance plant growth. However, they are not often aware that even if optimum light and temperature
are achieved, a lack of Carbon Dioxide can be a limiting factor – which means you will not get the
best results from your plants.
in the atmosphere there’s about 300-400ppm of Carbon Dioxide. In a tight
grow room with little/no ventilation the Carbon Dioxide present will not last long. If Carbon Dioxide
runs out, your plants will stop photosynthesising, and eventually stop growing. To prevent such a
situation, you need to ensure that there is an adequate amount of ventilation in your grow room
By increasing the level of Carbon Dioxide to 1000-1500ppm during the light period, it is possible
We would recommend that you start adding Carbon Dioxide as soon as you put your plants into
your chosen hydroponic system. You should continue adding Carbon Dioxide up until harvest.
Never suddenly remove the extra Carbon Dioxide you are supplying to your plants. This can have
an adverse effect on your plants’ overall development.
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| Odor Control |
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