in control: the perfect indoor climate
As every gardener knows, hydroponics and indoor farming can present a
number of challenges. Cycle after cycle,
it seems that there are always obstacles
that have to be overcome. After each
harvest, though, we challenge ourselves
to do better next time—regardless of the
hurdles, we keep at it and eventually we
usually end up getting it right.
One of the common early mistakes
that gardeners make is failing to consider how absolutely vital climate is to
the health and wellbeing of their plants.
Temperature, humidity and CO2 levels in
the garden have every bit as big an effect
on the success of a plant as nutrients or
lighting. And it’s not just the direct effect
that climate variables have on your plants
that must be considered, but also the
indirect results—the more controlled the
climate, the less inviting your garden will
be to pests, pathogens, fungi and other
harvest killers. Deciding exactly how to
control the climate in your garden can be
intimidating and we often underestimate
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our needs; the goal of
this article is to help you
consider all of the factors
that will affect the climate
in your own garden.
Heat
Rarely is the novice
gardener prepared for
the sauna that their first
garden can become! This is
usually an early hurdle for
the small gardener and an
enormous consideration
for commercial farmers. When you consider
the size of your cooling
system, remember that
cooling anything is simply
the removal of heat, which
is measured in BTUs.
You don’t add coolness to
something—you take heat
away from it. So if you’re
going to cool your garden,
"Rarely is the novice gardener
prepared for the sauna that their
first garden can become!"