How To Raise Or Lower Humidity In A Grow Tent
In gardening, there are basic growth requirements that you have to provide for your plants to grow, bear fruit, or produce flowers. The right amount of sunlight, water, humidity, and the correct type of soil can all give you thriving plants. Providing these growth requirements is relatively easy in areas with moderate climates. But how about for those in areas with cold winters or sweltering summers? Is gardening an impossible task for plant-lovers residing in these areas? Gardening is a little bit difficult, especially in the northern parts of the United States, mainly because of the cold temperature that can damage tender plants. These reasons are why grow tents grew in popularity. Grow tents make gardening easy regardless of your area’s climate or if you want to grow plants indoors successfully.
Humidity is a significant concern when it comes to taking care of plants. Humidity is difficult to monitor and control, unlike sunlight and water. You can quickly tell the absence of the sun and water. Humidity is difficult to measure unless you have the right tool for it. Humidity is an essential factor. If you think you are providing the right amount of water and sunlight, but your plants still die, humidity is most often the reason. Growing plants in a grow tent is easy. If the plants need more or less humidity, you can easily do so because you have complete control of the environment with just one click or switch. But how do you do it? How to raise or lower humidity in a grow tent? How to control humidity in a grow tent? If you need answers to these questions, you’ve landed on the right page! Let’s dive in.
How humidity affects the growth of your plants
The ideal humidity for houseplants, which of course, includes those plants growing inside a grow tent, is anywhere between 40% to 60%. Most plants don’t do well in dry environments because houseplants originally lived in the forest where it’s humid. You need to provide the right humidity level so the plants can grow at their best inside the grow tent. But first, what is humidity? Humidity is often interchanged with moisture and is best when mentioned as the opposite of the word “dry.” Humidity is water vapor in the air. An excellent example of an environment that is humid is after rain. Most plants cannot tolerate dry conditions, so set the proper humidity levels inside your grow tent.
Low humidity means that the surrounding is dry. Water will quickly take away from the leaves of your plants. The roots will soak up as much water as they can from the soil because moisture is essential to photosynthesis. This will result in the yellowing of leaves, leaf drops, and falling off of flower buds. On the other hand, too much humidity will build mold in the soil. Fungal disorders, white mold, pests, and rotting will also occur if there is too much humidity. Certain types of plants need a specific level of moisture. The grow tent must have this level of moisture so that the houseplants are safe from any diseases.
How to raise the humidity in a grow tent.
Humidity is a growing requirement that is very difficult to provide. Without the right tool, you won’t be able to tell if the grow tent has the right humidity level for your plants. But you can easily recognize the lack of humidity if you regularly monitor your houseplants. If you spot yellow leaves, mold, and other problems on any part of the plant, humidity is the one to blame. If the humidity level needs to be improved, here are some ways to raise the humidity in a grow tent.
1. Use a humidifier
Probably the easiest way to increase humidity in a grow tent is to place a humidifier inside the grow tent. You can buy a new one, especially for your houseplants, or you can share the humidifier you use inside your room. Humidifiers are for times when the surrounding feels dry. Breathing is difficult in a dry environment. Plants struggle when the climate is dry because it requires the most water. The humidifier will be the one to supply the plant with its needed moisture. It’s much better if the humidifier has a large tank for water to function for much longer without you needing to supply water from time to time. Don’t go past the required humidity levels because too much humidity is also undesirable.
2. Mist the plants
If the humidity level doesn’t need much improvement, you can fill a spray bottle with water and spray it onto your plants. Misting can instantly increase the humidity level inside the grow tent. Gently spray water onto the leaves of your plant. Misting works best for seedlings or young plants. It is ideal for misting in the morning, so the plant has the entire day to dry up. Do not spray too much water on the plant because soaking can lead to mold buildup.
3. Provide additional water sources
For an environment to be humid, water must be present. If inside the grow tent the air feels dry, you can increase humidity by allowing several water sources inside the grow tent. There are two ways how you can do this. First is by placing bowls of water inside the grow tent. This task is easy and is very effective in raising the humidity levels. The second is to put wet sponges inside the grow tent. If you have limited floor space because sponges fit anywhere, you put them. They also dry fast, raising the humidity levels inside the grow tent.
How to lower humidity in a grow tent.
Too much humidity can kill the plants inside the grow tent. Recall that too much water vapor inside the air causes mold and other plant problems. It would be best if you didn’t go beyond the required humidity level so that your plants grow nicely inside the grow tent. Here are some ways you can lower humidity in a grow tent.
1. Stop overwatering the plants
The main reason for too much humidity is too much water. Avoid overwatering the plants because it can lead to rotting. Overwatering can drown the plants and increase the humidity level creating a very undesirable growing condition.
2. Add more fans
For the water to evaporate, thus lower humidity, you need to add more ventilation. To do this, add fans inside the grow tent. Fans effectively lower the moisture to the appropriate level that the plants desire.
Conclusion
Humidity is a vital growth requirement for plants because the humidity is difficult to monitor and record. Nevertheless, you can’t deny the fact that humidity has a significant impact on the life of your plants. High and low humidity levels can both damage them. Set the humidity level according to what the plant wants. If you need to improve humidity, the most effective way to do this is by using a humidifier. If you need to lower humidity, you can easily do so by improving the ventilation inside the grow tent.