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Many people grow plants indoors, by making use of a simple contraption called a grow tent. But, it can be challenging for growers to provide plants with the levels of humidity that they need. If you’re wondering how to increase humidity in grow tent, then you need to check out the list of amazing tips that are offered. Some are best left to experienced growers with a large bankroll. However, most of them are DIY ideas that can help save you a lot of money. Proper humidity of 50 to 65% can increase your total yield by more than 50-60%.
How to Increase Humidity in Grow Tent: Best DIY Tips
Here are some of the simplest and most ingenious tips that you can follow, if you want to increase the level of humidity in your grow tent. If you are wondering how to increase humidity in grow tent, then the following tips are going to be very helpful for you.
Method #1: Install a Humidifier Inside the Grow Tent
One of the best and easiest ways of increasing the average humidity level inside your grow tent is to install a good humidifier. It extracts the cool mist and helps to maintain a stable humidity rate, which is extremely important for growing plants. If you keep the moisture level of the tent at 50 to 65%, then your plants will grow properly. They will be lush and will produce great buds.
However, you need to be very careful with the positioning of your humidifier. Try to keep it on the floor, so that the mist doesn’t interfere with your grow lights. Leaving the humidifier on all the time is also not a good idea, as too much humidity can be bad for your weed. The best thing to do is to buy a model with a humidistat. The machine will automatically shut down when the target moisture level has been reached.
Method #2: Keep Some Wet Towels or Water Bowls Near Air Holes
If you’re wondering how to increase humidity in grow tent without spending too much, then the wet towel hack is a great idea. Figure out what and where your water intake points are. Once you figure that out, you can place a bunch of wet towels close by. These wet towels will be able to mist your walls and increase the overall humidity level inside the grow tent very well.
However, there is a catch to this incredibly easy method. You will need to wet the towels in your tent on a regular basis since the fabric has a tendency to dry up fast. You should also know that a pot or tray of water will not be as effective as a bunch of wet towels. However, for a small grow tent, a wet towel that you moisten regularly is an effective method to increase the total humidity.
Method #3: Cut Down on the Grow Lights, If Possible
If you’re wondering how to increase humidity in grow tent for seedlings, then you can try to remove some of the grow lights in your setup. This is true, especially if you’re using fluorescent lights. The best course of action is to use LED lights. If you can’t replace your lighting systems right now, it is a very good idea to strategically eliminate the fluorescent lights in the grow tent.
Here is the basic science behind this tip. Fluorescent lights generate a lot of heat, which causes the moisture to disappear. Even if you have a humidifier working in full swing, a bunch of hot lights can affect the moisture. Baby plants do not need a whole lot of light, which is why you can safely remove some of your lights without affecting the yield. If you remove 40% of the tubes, you can reduce temperatures by a large degree.
Method #4: Try to Keep Your Mature & Young Plants Together
Many newbie growers think that it’s not a good idea to keep plants of different ages in the same area. They think that the mature plants will take away all the resources from the young ones. This is a complete and utter myth. In fact, large plants will be able to increase the overall level of moisture and humidity inside your grow tent. Here are the reasons for the same.
- Large plants respire more, which is why they release more water vapor and carbon dioxide. Young plants can actually benefit from using the byproducts of the larger and mature ones.
- Larger and older plants also have larger leaves, which have bigger stomata. It is because of this that larger plants can release a lot of water vapor and CO2
If you want to know how to increase humidity in small grow tents, try mixing young plants with older ones.
Method #5: Make Regular Rounds with a Water Spray Bottle
A clever and simple way to moisturize your plants is to make the rounds of the tent with a spray bottle filled with water. This is the cheapest and most effective way of ensuring that all your plants have access to moisture. You can also achieve great results by spraying water on the walls of your grow tent twice a day. It’s best to do it in the morning and evening.
However, you must remember that this is a labor-intensive task. If you have a large grow tent with a lot of plants, then making the rounds with spray bottles multiple times a day is not a good idea. Depending on the scale of your operation, you need to decide your strategy. However, it is always a great idea to invest in some spray bottles. You can walk around and give your plants the occasional “top-up” now and again.
Method #6: Add an AC or a Cooler to Your Grow Tent
Another way to ensure that your grow tent stays moist for a long time is to add an AC or a cooler to it. The logic behind this can be explained with the help of simple elementary school science. Cold air is heavier than hot air, and it sinks to the bottom of the tent. This means that the air that all of your plants receive is cool and full of moisture.
For all indoor gardeners, it is very important to know how to maintain a grow tent that is cool as well as humid. Temperature regulation can be a challenge for first-time gardeners, which is why you need to start practicing. Having a cooler in the tent can reduce the temperature and increase the overall humidity in the grow tent. However, keep in mind that running an AC or a cooler can be a very expensive affair.
Method #7: Place Wet Sponges Close to Your Plants
If you’re wondering how to increase humidity in grow tent for seedlings, then here is one of the best and easiest methods for you to follow. Buy a number of sponges, soak them in water, and place them in the vicinity of your plants. Sponges dry out quicker than cloth, and the air near your plants will be full of moisture very soon. You will need to moisten the sponges regularly for this method to work.
If you are using small grow tents for individual plants, then sponges are a great idea. If you have a medium-sized tent and can’t afford a humidifier, then a wet sponge will do the job for you. You can also place out bowls of water instead of sponges if you want your plants to receive the moisture gradually. You can also hasten the evaporation process by placing sponges directly into bowls or trays of water.
Method #8: Lower the Speed of your Extractor Fan to Minimum Level
Ventilation is very important, and your plants need proper ventilation in order to grow properly. If you ventilate your grow tent nicely, you’ll be able to control the relative humidity in the structure as well. If you have a medium setup, you probably have an extraction fan as well. You need to set the speed of the extractor fan to the lowest setting to increase the moisture level.
It’s not a good idea to switch the fans off permanently, as that can cause infection in your plants. The best course of action is to switch the fan speed setting to a minimum. The tent will be well ventilated, and all of your plants will also be able to enjoy a high level of moisture. Fiddle with the settings until you reach a speed setting that allows you to maintain your desired level of humidity for the longest possible time.
Method #9: Change the Soil of the Plants
If you are having extreme problems with humidity in your grow tents, you need to change the soil that the plants are in. The soil is a huge factor in overall moisture level, simply because soil tends to hold water as well. If you make use of soil that has a good water retention capacity, you can improve the overall humidity level. Use that kind of soil to make the grow tent’s flooring.
You will be able to see a sharp increase in the overall amount of relative humidity in the grow tent. If you pair this change in soil type with some of the other methods that have been given here, you can provide the optimal environment for your beloved plants. The best course of action is to use a mixture of clay and silty soil. A pseudo soil flooring can provide a lot of RH to the grow tent.
Method #10: Try to Install a Propagator Setup
If you want your seedlings’ germination process to speed up, then you can install a propagator in your grow tent. A propagator acts like an all-in-one humidifier and ventilator, and it will make sure that your plants are always in an optimal environment. If you want to know how to increase humidity in grow tent, then you need to take a look at the different setups available in your budget.
You will see that most professional growers keep their seedlings and baby plants in the propagator so that they can grow without having to compete for resources. By maintaining a high level of relative humidity inside the grow tent, the young plants won’t have to stress out their newly formed root systems. If you’re wondering how to increase humidity in small grow tent, a propagator is one of the best solutions. It works very well in the long-term scenario.
Understanding What the Plant’s Right Humidity Level Is
Before you go ahead with our advice on how to increase humidity level in grow tent, you should also know what the right humidity levels are. At different stages of a plant’s life, it requires a unique humidity level to grow properly. Take a look at this concise summation to know more.
- Seedlings: Young plants and seedlings require a very high level of humidity so that their budding root and shoot systems do not get overburdened. In fact, the optimum level of moisture for such a stage lies between 65% to 75%.
- Vegetating Plants: Plants in the vegetative state require a lower humidity level since their roots have already been developed. However, they need a minimum moisture content of 50% to 70% humidity so that their growing process does not get affected.
- Harvesting Stage: During the harvest stage, you will need a basic moisture content of 50% so that your plants do not become dry or brittle.
Conclusion
This is all of the information you need to know if you want to know how to increase humidity in grow tent. With the help of these 10 simple tips, you’ll be able to improve the yield and quality of your plants. Make sure to invest time into your efforts!
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