SEASONAL GROW TIPS
H
ow cold is too cold in a growroom?
Well, if it's too cold for human
comfort, it's too cold for plants. That is
the best rule of thumb, as most plants
thrive close to room temperature. For
example, humans tend to be quite
uncomfortable below 60°F or above 85°F,
and so do plants. For us to really sit
in comfort, air needs to be somewhere
between 67°F and 74°F, and most plants
thrive within the same settings.
If it gets extremely cold outside
where you live, it may be necessary to
completely close the airflow off from the
outer areas until temperatures come up
above freezing. When it is not possible
to buffer the air coming in, it is best
to close off external air completely.
Here are some other tips and tricks for
keeping things warm this season while
battling heating costs at the same time.
Disperse Heat from the
Growroom to Other Areas
With some planning, indoor growers
can easily utilize the heat created from
their growroom to heat other areas of the
building. Grow lights run on hundreds
or thousands of watts and thus create
an equal amount of heat. Think of a
1,000W light as a 1,000W heater. Energy
in equals heat out and most of that heat
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will end up leaving the growroom. Why
not capture it and utilize it? After all,
that energy is a fixed cost. Use inline
duct or can-style fans flexible ducting
equipment to guide the air where it is
needed. This can be in the crawl space,
in between floors, or simply from one
room to another. In the summer, growers
typically pump the heat out windows,
but in winter, it can easily be used to
increase the overall efficiency of the
building's heating system.
IF IT GETS EXTREMELY COLD
OUTSIDE WHERE YOU LIVE,
it may be necessary to completely
close the airflow off from the
outer areas until temperatures
come up above freezing."