During the coldest season of the year, it is common to adjust garden's parameters to adapt them to lowest temperatures. Marijuana is a plant that can vary so much its growth and flowering depending on temperatures. In this post we will talk about how to balance temperatures growing indoors.

There are strains more likely to hottest climates, some are better for colder climates and even higer altitudes. In general, we can define that temperatures lower than 18ºC can slow down plants evolution.

First thing we must know from our grow-room or grow-tent are average temperatures, max and min. Is really simple to place thermo hygrometer in the middle of the garden and wait for 24h to check values. These tools are able to mesure instant temperature, and humidity, and save maximum and minimum values from each one. For marijuana plants, best average temperature is arround 24ºC (being 30ºC a high value and 18ºC a low value). If temperatures are over than 30ºC or lower than 18ºC we should act to solution it.

Solutions to increase grow-room's temperatures during winter

During the coldest season, when air temperatures are considerably lower, the frozen air incoming to indoor gardens modifies grower's wanted temperatures. These cold air will freeze the whole room and then extracted again.

Plants odours needings force growers to keep fans and extractors working, so there is a doubt on how to act to balance between temperature range and plant's breathing needing.

We can act three ways to solve a temperature problem:

temporizador cultivo marihuana

Temporizizing functioning of extractors: Regulating manually, periods of on and off, with a timmer.

Control Humedad

Dimming intake and outake: There are many dimmers available that allow grower modiffy the power used. Some work as a simple dimmer (manually), more complex ones use temperature probes and dimmers to work as a enviroment controller do.

Calefactor de ceramica

Using heaters to warm the grow-room: Heaters are a must have tool for growers in cold areas. There are some known heaters more efficient (ceramic heaters). Jeaters, in general, include a temperature probe to offer a superior autonomy to the heater (it switch on and off depending on the temperature chosen).

In favor / Against

Temporize the extractors: Is a temporary solution, not too professional, that is limited by a constant change of the enviroment conditions. Grower can become a garden's slave, being so difficult to keep a perfect temperature.

  • In favor: Simple and economic.
  • Against: High differences between max and min temepratures. It is so difficult to know in wich exact moment is the minimum, nor the maximum, if we are not in the garden for 24 hours. May cause odour problems by accumulation.

Control of the intake and outakeof the grow-room: Probably a cheap solution for an accurate control of the air system.

  • In favor: If customer takes a dimmer, with a temperature probe included, will have a wider margin for acting. There are many analog models with temperature probe, and also improved ones able to control al the enviroment of a grow-room.
  • Against: If customer takes the simplest dimmer, will only be able to regulate the power of functioning, something really absurd (specially if temperatures trend to rise up), because extractors would keep working with the dimmed option. A dimmed extractor could not be enough fresh air incomming.

Use heaters and air conditioners: Is the most professional solution. Most of the air conditioners, and heaters, include an own temperature probe to give the tool the autonomy need.

  • In favor (heaters): Heaters are a really cheap option ( by its price) to solution little to medium problems of low temperatures, in grow-rooms, and medium gardens. Thera are many digital ceramic heaters prepared to work alone or controller by a Climate controller. Most heaters are 1000w to 2000w, and include their own temperature probe. In many models you can program it just for certain hours (we pre-know are going to be the coldest ones).
  • In favor (air conditioners): Air conditioners are more powerful equipments, and more efficient too, than ceramic heaters. A good air conditioner is able to warm up a medium/big space fast and easily. All air conditioners include a temperature probe to let them work just setting the preferred temperature. Easy to set up and keep a range temperature stable.
  • Against: Both, heaters and air conditioners, will increase the existing electricity bill. Depending on the time working, per day, the bill could increase considerably. Is dificult to justify its use for a single 400w-600 watts lamp (consume can easily be multiplied per 5, using a 2000w heater).

Conclusion

The best way to keep a good temperature range constant, being efficient in electricity use, and without suffering smell problems, is to use a Climate controller in order to set everything under digital control. Climate controllers could control:

Controlador digital de temperatura

  • Hours of functioning, and percentage of functioning of intractor, and extractor.

  • Switch on/off air conditioners, or heaters, if needed.