So, you have decided to give the marijuana growing business a go and you have found that it isn’t too complicated. However, your growing investments don’t seem to do as well as what you may have hoped for.
You have done all the research and have the perfect soil for marijuana, your watering schedule is set to a timer which keeps you from over or under watering your plants. Your lighting is perfect and you have replicated the ideal growing conditions in your grow room.
So, what could be the problem? One of the most overlooked aspects of a grow room is air circulation. So why is air circulation so important and how do you improve it?
Benefits of good air circulation
All living creatures, be it plant or animal have seven life processes that keep them alive. One of the main processes is breathing.
Plants also breathe, so you can imagine how difficult it would be for your cannabis seedling to grow if it can’t breathe properly. It doesn’t matter if you have all the other components, if your air supply is insufficient, your plants won’t thrive.
Strong, healthy plants
In nature, plants have natural airflow in the form of a breeze or gusts. Apart from the breeze that gives the plants the air that they need, it makes them structurally stronger as well.
As the breeze moves through the branches, it stimulates the new growing cells and fortifies the structure of the plant. However, if the breeze is too strong, it could also do more damage than good.
When the stem isn’t strong enough, it could snap in a strong wind and die. This is one of the reasons why a controlled environment could be more beneficial for the plants.
Natural pest deterrent
You might have noticed that your plants don’t look as healthy after a while. In the beginning, your seedlings look healthy and resilient. However, after a couple of weeks, you start to notice that all is not so happy in your growth room.
The humidity builds, the temperature rises and there is no air flow. Before you know it, there are moldy patches on some of your marijuana plants. You also notice other pests and wonder where they come from.
Airflow is nature’s way of getting rid of some of these pests and keeping the mold at bay.
Maintains humidity and temperature.
Greenhouses are amazing in that they let the natural light from the sun in and create an environment where there is a healthy balance between heat, moisture and light.
Your growth room might not have all the perks of a greenhouse, and you will have to monitor the temperature and humidity to keep the environment ideal.
Airflow maintains a healthy balance and keeps the humidity levels and temperatures in check. Without going into the science of it all, when you circulate air, you balance all the elements in your growth room out. It’s like mixing all the ingredients of a healthy smoothie.
Circulations improvement methods
Now that we have established the importance of air circulation, we need to look at how circulation can be improved. Seeing that you are indoors, you need to plan your system out beforehand to ensure that you have adequate air circulation.
You need to take into account that your plants won’t always stay little seedlings and that they can grow to become well over a meter tall. As they grow, they change the flow patterns in the room.
Using fans
You don’t need to break the bank to develop an airflow system in your grow room. Using ordinary swivel head fans will do the trick. The placement of your fans is very important, though. At first, you won’t need too many fans, seeing that the wind won’t be obstructed by too much biomass.
When your plants grow, however, they act as buffers and the wind only reaches a couple of areas. In a square grow room, having a central fan or two is ideal for when the plants become bigger.
A corner fan in each of the corners will ensure that the outer perimeter is well looked after, where the inner fans will ensure that the middle plants are stimulated.
Dual fans system
You don’t want to create a torrent of wind in your grow room, but you want the air circulation to be spread across the entire area. When your plants become bigger, you will need to consider having fans near the ground, as well as fans above the main canopy.
Marijuana plants grow to become very dense, especially if the conditions are favorable. Having two levels of wind, or a dual fan system will ensure that both the top and the bottom of your plants have enough airflow.
If your grow room is bigger than the average basement, then you should consider a more industrial size system.
Airflow and exhaust systems
Airflow and exhaust systems might cost a bit more to install, but it would be like a spa treatment for your cannabis plants. After all, the healthier your plants, the healthier your investment. So, coughing up a bit of cash, in the beginning, will go a long way in keeping your investment healthy.
The intake fan should ideally be placed as low as possible. Oxygen is a heavy gas and is more abundant the lower you go. Your plants will receive fresh air at a constant rate and the breeze will help the growth process.
The extractor fan should be placed as far as possible in the opposite corner from the intake. This will encourage airflow and replace the air every one to five minutes.
In short, here is what you need to do to ensure proper airflow:
- Don’t squeeze too many plants into your growth room.
- Make sure you have enough fan power to circulate above and below the canopy.
- If the room size permits, get an airflow exhaust system.
- Examine your plants frequently and move them around if you find humid areas.
