Maximum Yield USA December 2020 / January 2021 | Page 38

THE IMPORTANCE OF AIR PURIFICATION IN THE GROWROOM

by Rich Hamilton
Supplying fresh , clean air through the use of a proper ventilation system is of utmost importance to your growing environment . Get it right and you have one of the keys to producing bigger and better yields .

Why do your plants need fresh air and how do they use it ? Ideally in your growroom you want conditions exceeding those a plant would experience naturally . One of these conditions is the provision of fresh air that is rich in CO 2 so the plant can perform the maximum amount of photosynthesis possible . Plants are used to natural environmental exposure , wind , and an endless supply of fresh air . It is obvious that in comparison , the environment of a growroom can be still and stagnant , with a low concentration of CO 2 . An ongoing stream of fresh air brought from the outside and passing through the growing environment is a must to keep CO 2 levels optimized , allowing the plant to perform photosynthesis and boost growth and yield .

Air Flow in a Closed System
There are some closed-system environments that can be very effective for the right crops . A closed system is an environment that is completely closed to any outside factors including air coming in or out . The air in the grow environment is simply re-circulated using a conditioning unit . While these systems do work very well , even a closed-system expert will tell you that a breath of fresh air in that closed room every now and again does the plants a world of good . Plants are very susceptible to temperature fluctuations and generally perform best under stable conditions . When growing indoors we are substituting the sun for grow lights so there is a risk of over- or under-heating a growroom .
38 Maximum Yield