Greenhouses offer growers a safe, natural environment for cannabis cultivation. They allow natural light into the greenhouse and are also a great way to lower energy costs for cannabis growers.
Growing cannabis in a greenhouse also allows you to grow larger plants that will produce more cannabis per plant. A greenhouse can also help you extend your growing season by providing longer periods of sunshine during the warmer summer months.
Light
Whether you are looking to grow indoors or outdoors, your cannabis plants need the right amount of light to flourish. A greenhouse is a great place to meet those needs.
LED grow lights are a popular choice because they provide the perfect lighting for growing cannabis plants. They can be set to provide the right amount of light, intensity and spectrum for each stage of plant growth.
One of the best parts about LEDs is that they allow you to set your own light schedule and adjust lighting based on real-time conditions. This allows you to maximize crop yields and quality, while reducing your energy costs.
For instance, Oreon’s LED grow lights can be adjusted to deliver the perfect light for your cannabis plants at any time.
Greenhouse growers can use their lights to achieve a wide range of goals, from maximizing yields to controlling levels of THC and other cannabinoid production. They can also stimulate stem elongation, flowering, and uniformity of cannabis plant growth.
Many cannabis growers also utilize the use of light deprivation, which can trigger their plants to flower on demand. This technique is becoming more and more popular in the cannabis industry.
Some greenhouses may choose to use blackout curtains to help control light pollution and ensure their plants re-veg without disturbing other nearby residents. However, blackout curtains are a costly investment and some growers may be unwilling to make the commitment.
Despite these limitations, many growers are still relying on fluorescent lamps to meet their greenhouse light needs. Fluorescents are a good choice because they provide the highest light quality (high red:far red) and their bulbs last longer than LEDs.
However, the high power consumption of fluorescents can be a negative. This is because it can take a lot of electricity to run the lights, which isn’t ideal for the environment or your wallet.
Another option is to install solar panels, which can be used to power your greenhouse lighting. However, this will depend on your greenhouse location and the rebates offered by your local utility company.
The most important thing to remember is that greenhouses are a great way to grow cannabis, but they need to be used correctly. Following these guidelines will help you get the most out of your greenhouse and produce a bumper crop.
Temperature
During the vegetative stage (the period during which cannabis plants put on new leaves and branches), grow room temperatures should be between 70-78degF (21-27degC). Temperatures are slightly lower in the flowering/budding phase, when it’s best to keep temps around 65-80degF (18-26degC) for optimal bud color, trichome production, density, and smell.
The temperature of the cannabis plant is incredibly important for photosynthesis and growth. Even small variations in temperature can cause root problems and stunt plants’ growth.
To optimize the temperature of a grow room, it’s best to use an electronic thermometer with a separate sensor that measures the temperature in the shade of your greenhouse, as well as multiple locations throughout the space. Once you have a sense of your cannabis’ ideal growth temperature, set up a thermostat to maintain it at this level.
Another way to keep your grow room temperature at an ideal range is by using LED lights with active water cooling systems. These lights help regulate temperature while allowing your cannabis to absorb more light from the natural sunlight.
Keeping a constant temperature in your grow room will ensure that your cannabis is getting the nutrition it needs, and also helps to prevent heat buildup. However, you should be aware that high temperatures in sunny summer weather can cause your cannabis plants to wilt and have trouble providing enough water for their roots to stay healthy.
In addition to keeping your grow room temperature at an optimum level, it’s also a good idea to get the right type of insulation for your space. It’s also important to take into consideration how much energy you will need for heating and cooling your greenhouse.
For example, if you plan on heating your grow room using a furnace or boiler, be sure to insulate the walls and ceiling of your greenhouse with 4 x 8 sheets of insulation board. This will reduce the amount of heat that enters your greenhouse, which can make a huge difference in your plant’s overall health and yield.
Another benefit of growing cannabis in a greenhouse is that it allows you to cultivate your crop year-round, without worrying about seasons. This makes it easy to harvest at a time that works for you and your business, no matter the climate outside.
Humidity
The key to growing high-quality cannabis crops is to ensure the environment is well balanced. This includes temperature and humidity, which can help plants grow to their full potential while also protecting them from unwanted pathogens and diseases that can halt growth or reduce yields.
The ideal conditions for cannabis are between 60 and 77°F, depending on the stage of plant growth. These temperatures are ideal for the development of cannabis seeds and clones, and for their flowering stages. Keeping this temperature steady and consistent throughout the greenhouse is critical for cultivators to achieve the best possible output.
Temperature and humidity need to be managed consistently to prevent mold and fungus from taking hold on your cannabis crop, as this can affect its quality, health, and yield. This is why implementing efficient climate systems with dehumidification is so important.
Evenly cooling and heating greenhouses to achieve these ideal conditions can save growers significant amounts of energy, especially when they are using traditional climate systems. Moreover, this can also lower the risk of mold and fungus infestations by ensuring proper ventilation.
Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. It is influenced by both temperature and transpiration (the release of water vapor from living organisms).
Transpiration is the main way that active, living organisms cool themselves. The amount of water vapor that plants release into the air can be a strong indicator of how humid the air is in the greenhouse.
In addition, humidity is a major factor in how quickly cannabis plants can absorb water. This is why cultivators should try to keep RH levels low during the vegetative and flowering stages of cannabis cultivation, when plants are actively absorbing water from their roots.
A grower should monitor their greenhouse’s relative humidity with a simple, inexpensive RH meter. These devices can be purchased at most garden centres for around $/PS/EUR 30.
The best way to maintain consistent levels of humidity is to ensure that your greenhouse has adequate ventilation. This can be done by opening doors or windows when necessary.
Water
If you’re a greenhouse grower with a big crop of cannabis, it’s important that your plants receive adequate water to ensure that they develop properly. This can be a tricky balance to strike, as too much water can cause root rot, while too little may encourage microbial growth and reduce yield.
Having an excellent water management system in place can help you achieve this goal. This involves testing the water for any contaminants that might affect the health of your plants, as well as ensuring that the water is at the appropriate temperature for your growing needs.
One way to keep your water at a safe and healthy level is by employing an RO (Reverse Osmosis) system that will remove any hardness, salts, or other minerals from the water. This process will also make the water less likely to contain any harmful toxins, such as copper, iron, or manganese.
Another approach to watering is by using drip irrigation. Drip irrigation uses a series of tubing and stakes to deliver small ‘pulses’ of water to the media of your cannabis plants, gradually delivering the desired amount of moisture. This method is incredibly efficient and costs significantly less than overhead watering.
The type of irrigation method you use will depend on the size and the climate of your greenhouse, as well as your growing area. Drip irrigation systems can be set up to run automatically, so that your plants always get the amount of water they need, no matter what time of day it is.
For a larger greenhouse, you may have a few different watering zones that will be set up to deliver the right amount of water to the plants at the right times. The ideal system will have sensors that will detect when a zone is overwatered or underwatered and trigger the correct equipment to deliver the appropriate amount of water.
If you’re running multiple zones, a control system can be used to run the ventilation equipment or the watering system as needed. Having a control system in place can be the difference between success and failure in your greenhouse, and can help you produce more high-quality crops while also reducing energy costs.
