Crop shading is an important tool for cultivators. It helps them make the most of their outdoor growing space and turn Mother Nature’s gifts into a harvest of high quality cannabis.
The optimum conditions for growing cannabis outdoors depend on several factors. These include light, temperature, water, and pests and weeds.
Light
Light plays a crucial role in the development of cannabis plants. It fuels photosynthesis, which converts light energy into chemical energy that can be used by the plant to grow.
As a result, it’s essential to understand the plant’s physiology and choose the right lighting for each stage of its growth cycle. This way, you can increase yield and improve crop quality, while reducing water usage and energy costs.
One of the best ways to optimize lighting for your cannabis cultivation is by using crop shading, which covers the canopy of the plant. This will help you prevent sudden temperature changes that could compromise the integrity of your crop.
Crop shading also increases humidity levels to protect the crop from mold and fungi, while providing more airflow for nutrient uptake. This is especially helpful if the cultivation area has a high altitude, which can cause condensation and moisture build-up.
Some growers use a combination of different light treatments to maximize yields and ensure their crops are healthy. For example, they may start with blue enriched light during the vegetative phase of plant growth, which will help to develop healthier leaves and encourage strong stems and roots.
Then, they’ll transition to a red enriched LED light during flowering, which will encourage buds and increase the production of resins and trichomes in the flower. Some growers also choose to treat their crop with UV light during the flowering phase, which has been found to stimulate purpling of the flowers and plants.
The best way to optimize lighting for your cannabis cultivation is by working with an experienced lighting consultant. They can help you choose the right lighting for your needs and create a custom light plan to ensure your crop receives the exact amount of light needed.
Temperature
When it comes to cannabis cultivation, temperature is one of the most important factors that can influence the quality and yield of your crops. Keeping temperature and humidity levels in the desired ranges and as constant as possible will ensure that your plants are growing healthy.
Temperature is also a key factor in controlling plant growth, particularly during the flowering phase of the plant. The ideal temperature for this stage is between 28-30degC (82-86degF) and the humidity level should be around 80%.
This is essential for maintaining the health of your plants and ensuring that they are producing good quality flowers. When the temperatures are too high, the leaves may wilt or the roots can find it difficult to uptake water.
The temperature in your grow room should be regulated by using a thermostat. The thermostat will measure the temperature and set the temperature accordingly so that it remains within the range you have set.
It is also important to install fans in your grow rooms and greenhouse zones. These fans help distribute the temperature more evenly throughout the crop and break up microclimates around the leaves. They will also help control powdery mildew.
As well as regulating temperature and humidity, it is important to keep an eye on the lighting conditions in your cannabis growing space. This will determine whether your plants are getting the light they need at each stage of their development.
If you are planning to grow autoflowers in your shade cloth, then it is essential to keep the temperature at a reasonable level as the plants will need sunlight for their vegetative and flowering phases. Moreover, if the weather conditions change during this period, you should make sure to adjust your shade cloth to avoid burning your plants.
Water
Cannabis cultivation is a complex process, and water plays an integral role in helping the plants thrive. Using the right water, based on your grow conditions, will help you maximize growth and yields.
The water temperature you use can also make a difference. Hot water can damage the roots of a plant, as it is less oxygenated and can prevent them from absorbing nutrients. It is also important to avoid watering too often, as this can cause the root system to weaken.
In addition, you should monitor the pH levels of the water you use. Ideally, the water should have a pH value of about 6.5 for your cannabis to grow in its optimal state.
You can test the pH of your water with a simple, cheap pH meter to see whether it’s in the range that best suits your grow medium. Too acidic water can kill your plant, while too alkaline can halt or slow growth.
Some cities have incredibly hard water with high amounts of chlorine, calcium and magnesium, which can interfere with plant growth. These contaminants can be removed by letting the water sit out for at least 24 hours before watering your plants.
Adding perlite to the soil can improve drainage, ensuring that water does not sit too long in the pot and can run off easily after drenching. This will reduce the risk of excess moisture and mould buildup, resulting in healthy plants and a great final harvest.
The exact amount of water a plant needs is determined by its stage of life cycle, soil type and temperature. As a rule of thumb, cannabis plants should be watered every two to three days during the vegetative stage and every four to five days after the flowering phase.
Pests
Whether you are growing your own cannabis for personal use or commercially, pests can be a serious problem. They can stunt the growth of your plants, decrease their yields and quality and even cause plant diseases.
If you are a grower and want to keep your cannabis production safe and clean, there are several things you can do. One is to monitor and inspect your plants and respond to any signs of a pest infestation immediately.
Another way to control pests in your cultivation is to use crop shading. Crop shading is a form of plastic that can be used to block UV rays and light transmission in your crop. It can be in the form of UV-open plastics (280 to 320 nanometers), which allow more resin and trichome production in the flowers, or closed UV (380 nanometers) that prevents whiteflies and thrips from affecting your crops.
It’s important to use crop shading in conjunction with other controls to maximize your yield and product quality. For example, a high-performance heating, ventilation, cooling and dehumidification system can be used to maintain target environmental conditions that can help you reduce the number of pests in your crop.
In addition, there are several beneficial insects that you can use to keep your cannabis pest-free. Ladybirds, for instance, are carnivorous and will eat thousands of aphids, mites and thrips over their lifetimes.
Similarly, predatory mites, which feed on spider mites, are also an effective tool for controlling this pest. In addition to these biological controls, you can also use beneficial nematodes to help prevent the emergence of pests before they damage your crop. Nematodes are soil-based organisms that consume the eggs and larvae of many common garden pests, including fungus gnats, root aphids and thrips.
Weeds
If you’re a fan of cannabis, but don’t have the space for a large garden, you can easily grow your own plants in an indoor grow room. This is a cost-effective way to cultivate marijuana and produce high-quality buds at the same time.
However, a successful crop requires special care, especially in regard to light. Cannabis plants need to receive a specific type of light, in order to perform photosynthesis and grow their leaves. Likewise, they require a particular temperature range to avoid stress and ensure optimal development.
Another way to help cannabis cultivation is through crop shading, which refers to the use of plastic films that cover a part of the area where you wish to cultivate your cannabis. This technique allows you to control the light spectrum, as well as other factors such as thermal radiation.
When growing weed under a crop shading system, it is crucial to make sure that you’re using the right type of film, in order to get the most out of your grow. You should also consider the level of radiation that the area where your crop will be located offers, as this can influence the quality of the harvest you’ll be able to produce.
It’s also important to choose the right grow containers for your weed plant. The ideal container should have the proper air circulation, drainage, and nutrient absorption.
You should also ensure that you choose a grow medium that is conducive to a strong rooting system, as cannabis plants need to establish a network of roots in order to develop a thriving plant. This is the only way that you can guarantee a good yield.
