GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
The geographical location of a garden will be the
ultimate factor determining how much the winter
climate will affect an indoor garden or greenhouse
operation. Growers who live in warm climates will have
a few minor changes to make in preparation for the
winter. However, growers who live in cold climates may
need to make some major changes to their growrooms
before the cold sets in. As an example, a grower in
southern California will probably see a welcomed
reduction in the garden’s cooling requirements during
the winter months but not much else. On the other hand,
a grower in Colorado or Michigan will need to adjust the
way the growroom operates during the cold weather.
“A LOT OF GROWERS
SWEAR BY USING
VARIABLE SPEED FANS
EQUIPPED WITH A
SPEED CONTROLLER.”
CONFIGURATION OF THE
VENTILATION SYSTEM
The configuration of the ventilation system plays a
considerable part in how much the cold winter weather
will affect an indoor garden. Many growers rely on
motorized fans to bring fresh air (containing fresh CO 2 )
into the growing space. As the temperature outside drops,
the way the ventilation system operates will need to be
adjusted. Depending on a grower’s geographical location,
there may be a large variance between the temperature
of the air brought into the growroom during the summer
months and the air brought into the growroom during the
winter months. Growers with intake fans connected to an
outside source should pay close attention to the garden’s
operating temperature as the winter months approach. As
the temperature outside falls, the amount of time it takes
for the fans to effectively cool the garden’s environment
will decrease. Growers who use cycle timers to control the
ventilation system will need to reduce the operation time of
the fans or the growroom temperature could become too cold.
Even growrooms equipped with atmospheric controllers
may need to have the parameters of the ventilation system
adjusted so the operating temperature stays uniform. If a
large amount of frigid air enters a growroom in a relatively
short period of time, it may be difficult for the plants and the
atmospheric controller to process. A lot of growers swear by
using variable speed fans equipped with a speed controller.
grow cycle
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