Using Plant Humidifiers For Home-Growing Cannabis

Before you build your cannabis grow room, there are a few pieces of equipment that you need to invest in. One such piece of equipment is a humidifier for plants. Controlling humidity levels is crucial to various facets of cannabis cultivation, from keeping diseases and pests at bay to ensuring that your buds have top-notch taste and aroma.

In this blog post, you will learn a few key concepts about humidity and how it affects your crops and a few recommendations if you are on the market for a humidifier.

What Is Humidity?

In a nutshell, humidity refers to the water vapour level in the air. The humidity is high when there is a high amount of water vapour in the air.

Now, if you are cultivating cannabis, you have to pay close attention to relative humidity or RH. RH refers to the maximum water vapour pressure ratio to partial water vapour pressure at the same temperature.

You can only find the ideal RH level for your grow room by considering temperature, especially during harvest time. It is vital to control the RH level in your indoor setup, but it is also critical to control temperature.

Suppose the temperature in your growing room is too hot, especially when your crops are at the flowering stage. In that case, your buds will become airy and fluffy. Worse, they can lose some of their potency.

If the temperature in your growing room is too cold, you will notice stunted growth among your crops. When the temperature decreases near the freezing point, there is a considerable risk that your weed plants will die.

The Optimal Humidity Level for Your Crops

What then is the ideal RH level for your grow room? That depends on a few factors, starting with the cannabis seeds you plan to succeed.

If you are keen on growing Indica strains, be aware that these plants originate from mountainous regions with relatively low prevailing temperatures. Sativa strains on the other hand, were originally grown in warmer climates, where the temperature and humidity are quite high. They are tropical plants in that regard. With hybrid cannabis, you must consider its dominant strain and the breeders’ recommendations.

Humidity and the Cannabis Growth Stages

Another factor you should consider when determining the optimal RH level for your cannabis plants is their growth stage.

The cannabis growth stages are typically divided into four parts. Here is a general guideline for the appropriate humidity levels for each growth stage of your indoor plants.

• Seedling stage

Whether starting with cannabis seeds or clones, you must set the humidity level between 65% and 75%. At this stage, the roots of your cannabis plants aren’t fully established. Furthermore, a higher RH level allows your crops to get a substantial portion of their moisture requirement through their leaves.

• Vegetative stage

Once your plants are vegetative, you must reduce the RH level by five percent. Typically, cannabis growers set the humidity level in their grow rooms between 40% and 70%. At this stage, your marijuana plants can draw moisture from the substrate and evaporate through their leaves.

• Flowering stage

When your weed plants flower, you must keep the humidity in your grow room between 40% and 50%. Some cannabis cultivators set the RH level at 55%. That is acceptable, but keep the humidity level below 60%.

• Late flowering stage

About one to two weeks before harvest, lower the humidity between 30% and 40%. While this is not mandatory, lowering the moisture to this range can help boost yields as well as enhance your buds’ aroma, flavour, and overall bag appeal.

Poor Humidity and Its Effects on Your Marijuana Plants

Humidity is one factor that you shouldn’t take lightly if you are serious about cultivating the best cannabis and maximizing the yield of your weed plants.

High humidity can leave your crops vulnerable to both mould and mildew. Both can do extensive damage to produce as they can spread quickly. There are even circumstances where entire crops have been ruined by these issues. High humidity can also prevent proper nutrient uptake of indoor plants. When that happens, your plants can suffer from the effects of nutrient deficits. Low humidity is just as bad. When the humidity in your grow room is too low, your cannabis plants can succumb to heat stress and dry out.

Here are a few signs that can indicate that you have poor humidity in your grow room.

• Stunted growth

Mature plants need lower humidity compared to younger plants. If you cannot provide the optimal humidity level in your grow room, your plants won’t grow as fast as they possibly can.

• Bud rot

Bud rot is a mould or fungal infection that targets the inner part of weed plants. Once a plant is affected by this infection, it can turn brown or white in colour. And when that happens, that particular plant is good as dead.

• White powdery mildew

White powdery mildew is another fungal infection that affects weed plants in grow rooms that have high humidity. An affected plant becomes covered in powder-like mildew. The problem with this fungal infection is that during the early stages of growth, cannabis requires high humidity.

• Nutrient problems

Suppose your plants have yellowing leaves, especially around the edges. In that case, they might be suffering from a nutrient burn. One of the reasons behind this issue is low humidity coupled with high temperatures. Both can cause plants to take in more moisture. And when that happens, the affected plant absorbs more nutrients than it needs.

How to Increase and Decrease Humidity in Your Grow Room

Now that you have a fair understanding of the importance of controlling humidity in your grow room, the next relevant question to ask is how to reduce or increase humidity. Here is a brief guide to help you achieve your specific goal.

Reducing humidity

If your goal is to reduce humidity inside your grow room, one of the first things you need to do is remove warm air using an exhaust fan. Next, turn on your dehumidifier. It also helps to schedule watering when you turn on your grow lamps.

Increasing humidity

If you think your grow room needs a higher humidity level, you need to keep warm air inside. One of the easiest ways to do that is to lower the power of your exhaust fan. Another quick and easy trick that you can do to increase humidity is to place open containers filled with water around your plants. In watering your plants, consider spraying just the soil while avoiding getting the buds wet. Finally, consider switching on your humidifier to help increase and keep moisture.

Regular monitoring of RH levels in your grow space is essential. As such, you should strongly consider investing in a hygrometer and a thermometer. Both can help you get an accurate reading of the humidity and temperature in your to grow room.

Why You Need a Humidifier for Your Grow Room

A humidifier is an invaluable tool that cannabis growers should have in their arsenal. But what exactly is a humidifier, and do you need to invest in one?

A humidifier is a device that increases humidity in a room. Essentially, a humidifier increases the moisture in the air, either by evaporation or misting. Although there are humidifiers that need to be turned on manually, most of the models currently available in the market today are automated, making it easier for even new cannabis cultivators.

Factors to Consider Before Buying a Humidifier

Buying a humidifier can be daunting with so many options, especially if you are new to the hobby. To help you make an informed choice, here are a few factors to consider when you are on the market for a humidifier for your grow room.

1. Budget

As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. That applies to almost everything, including humidifiers. However, you do not need to spend a small fortune to get one. In fact, there are great options at every price point. Of course, if you want a model loaded with features, you must shell out more money.

2. Size of your grow room

Another critical factor to consider when shopping for a plant humidifier is the size of your grow room.

Just like air conditioners, your humidifier should match the size of the area where it will be placed. Otherwise, you can’t maximize the features of the humidifier. When researching humidifiers for plants, check their compatibility with the size of your grow room.

3. Noise emitted

Although there are quiet humidifiers, there are those that emit noise. That isn’t a dealbreaker. However, suppose you are putting a grow tent inside your bedroom. In that case, you should know beforehand if the specific model you are eyeing to buy produces a high level of noise. If you want a humidifier that makes little to no noise, check out warm mist humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers, and air washer humidifiers are great options to consider.

4. Residue production

Cool misters and ultrasonic humidifiers produce white residue, a byproduct of their operation. Note that this residue can clog the filters in your grow room and blanket your weed plants. To avoid this issue, consider looking at warm mist humidifiers and evaporators instead.

5. Manual vs. automated

Automated humidifiers take out the need to operate. With these humidifiers, you can set when the unit turns on, leading to a consistent humidity level in your growing space.

6. Maintenance required

Like most appliances and pieces of equipment, humidifiers require maintenance and cleaning. If you have a tight schedule, you might opt for a model that doesn’t require extensive work to maintain and clean.

7. The climate in your area

The type of humidifier you invest in should suit your area’s prevailing climate. For example, if you live in a location that has a dry and warm climate, your indoor plants need a cool mist humidifier. On the other hand, if you live in an area where it can get really cold, a warm mister humidifier should be on your shopping list.

Common Types of Humidifiers for Plants

All plant humidifiers operate following the same principles. However, the five kinds of humidifiers have a few key differences. Here is a brief glimpse of each type you ought to know before buying a plant humidifier.

• Warm mist humidifiers

A warm mist humidifier warms the water up before releasing it into the environment. This type of plant humidifier is perfect if you live in a location with a cold climate.

Compared to cool mist humidifiers, warm mist humidifiers have a quieter operation. They can also kill harmful microorganisms in the water by elevating their temperature.

• Cool mist humidifiers

A cool mist humidifier is best used to increase humidity in your grow room while decreasing the temperature.

This type of humidifier for plants is quite versatile yet easy to operate. You can use it both for outdoor and indoor setups.

• Ultrasonic humidifiers

Looking for a plant humidifier that ticks a lot of boxes? Then it would help if you considered purchasing an ultrasonic humidifier.

This humidifier can produce warm or cool mist and help you control the temperature in your grow room. Plus, it is pretty easy to maintain and does not generate a lot of noise.

• Evaporative humidifiers

Evaporative humidifiers are fitted with moist filters where air passes through. But unlike other plant humidifiers, this appliance doesn’t change the temperature in the grow room.

Its filters can kill harmful organisms and do not produce a mineral residue. It is perfect for cannabis growers who do not wish to tinker with things, as this device is relatively easy to use.

Other Ways to Increase Humidity Levels

Still waiting to be ready to invest in an ultrasonic, cool mist, or warm mist humidifier? There are a few things that you can do to increase humidity levels inside your grow room. However, these methods may not be as effective as the best plant humidifier. But if you don’t have the budget and want to control humidity levels, these will do in the meantime.

For one, you can add large plants into your grow room. Aside from cannabis plants, you can introduce other plants as well. You can also place water bowls inside your grow room, especially in areas near the ventilation. Alternatively, you can hang wet towels, especially if your plant humidifier broke down and you need to increase indoor humidity levels fast. If you are handy with tools, you should build your own humidifier.

Note that most of these alternatives will do if you are in a pinch. However, only some can replace the best plant humidifiers. A humidifier might save you a few dollars, but you can recoup your investment over the long haul.