Ready for winter?
Credits Image: Sensiseeds
This year the cold arrived earlier, still in autumn and now the beginning of winter has already registered below average temperatures for the period.
Cannabis cultivation, like most plant species, does not like much variation in grow temperature. Not too high, not too low.
The ideal temperature for indoor growing is between 21°C and 29°C when the lights are on and 14°C and 21°C when they are off. The same goes for outdoor crops, but in this case you have less control as you are exposed to external factors.
Very low temperatures can stress plants and with that cause a series of blockages and nutrient deficiencies, growth retardation and even freezing plants depending on their location. Very high temperatures, in turn, can lead to root rot and the formation of mold and mildew.
The first step is to acquire a THERMOHIGROMETER, a digital device that measures the temperature and relative humidity of the environment and it is extremely important to take these readings daily! There are models like the PRO-HYGRO MEDIUM from Garden HighPro that can measure both inside and outside the greenhouse at the same time. In our virtual store you will find both BASIC and MEDIUM models.
It is also worth paying attention if the floor on which the plants are placed is very cold and passes moisture, as the temperature of the root region is as important as the temperature in the region of the leaves. Most indoor greenhouse brands come with a rubberized coating to cover the floor, as is the case with the PROBOX BASIC STOVE, but depending on the location it is important to put an extra coating such as E.V.A or even cardboard to improve insulation. There are some garden structures that help to lift dishes and pots off the ground.
Credits Image: Kushfly
Another simple solution for colder days is to use portable heaters in the room that are hooked up to a timer and program it to run for 15 to 30 minutes every hour. Some air conditioners have a timer function with heater as well. Avoid placing the heater too close to your plants as the heat close to it can be harmful to them.
For regions that are very cold, a good idea is to change the night for the day. Keep the lights on during the night when temperatures tend to drop and off during the day when temperatures rise again, but ATTENTION, it is very important that the place of the plants is completely sealed so that daylight does not infiltrate the site interrupting the night photoperiod. In the vegetative stage plants need 6 hours of total darkness and in the flowering stage they need 12 hours of total darkness.
Credits Image: Sensiseeds
If you use HID and HPS lamps in your grow room, they generate a lot of heat when turned on and this can help to balance the temperature during the winter, but if you use LED panels, a tip is to put the driver inside the greenhouse and this can increase the internal temperature a little.
For you who are a gardener who likes the outdoors and prefers to grow outdoors, now is the time to start building your greenhouse and prepare your grow room with powerful external heaters for the coming winter and early spring months that promise to be freezing cold. in some parts of Brazil.