Whether you’re a novice or an expert marijuana grower, you should know that climate control is vital for cultivating healthy, quality plants. This means controlling the temperature and humidity levels your plants are subjected to for prime growing conditions. It can’t be too dry or too wet, too hot or too cold. And your plants need different conditions during different growth phases.
Controlling humidity is especially tricky. Every time you water your plants, it alters the humidity level. Your plants’ perspiration also affects the humidity, as does the outside air that gets vented into your grow tent. This is why professional and hobbyist marijuana growers rely so much on grow tent dehumidifiers to help them control moisture levels.
However, it is important to use the right kind of dehumidifier. Don’t fall for the rookie mistake of using whatever home dehumidifier you already own. You will get much better results with a commercial-grade grow tent dehumidifier. This might set you back a little, but the results will be worth it. Not sure if your dehumidifier is up to the task? Here are some things to consider when looking for the right grow tent dehumidifier.
Is your dehumidifier the right size?
One of the problems with using a residential dehumidifier for your grow tent is that it’s probably not the right size. Home dehumidifiers are typically small and not very powerful. At the same time, you don’t want such a powerful dehumidifier that you dry your plants out.
To properly size your grow tent dehumidifier, you need to know some facts. First, plants release almost all of the water they absorb back into their environment, so the amount of humidity you want to remove from your grow tent almost equals the amount of water you give your plants. This means you need to know how much you are watering your marijuana.
Second, dehumidifiers are rated in pints. However, most growers measure water in gallons. That’s why there is an 8 in the formula below—that’s the conversion for pints to gallons. With this information, you can now use the commonly-accepted formula for what capacity of grow tent dehumidifier you need:
[number of plants] x [gallons of water per day per plant] x 8 = [recommended dehumidifier performance]
Does your dehumidifier have the right coverage?
Along with how much water your dehumidifier can remove, you also need to know what size of an area it is suitable for. A smaller dehumidifier isn’t going to remove the pints of water from the air it claims in a space that is too large for it. Nor do you want to spend money on a dehumidifier designed for a much larger area than your grow tent.
When looking for the right grow tent dehumidifier for your needs, check the effective area coverage of the models you are considering and how they compare to the size of your grow tent.
Does your dehumidifier have useful features?
Another reason to use a commercial grow tent dehumidifier is to get helpful features that many of them come with. This makes using the dehumidifier easier.
Everyone’s preferred features are different. You might want a dehumidifier with an easy-to-clean filter, a compact design, or an extra-long cord. Some growers don’t like models that have a noisy compressor. There are many different display screens and button options. Some models have a handy automatic shut-off feature when they meet maximum capacity.
When selecting a grow tent dehumidifier, look for the features that will make growing and humidity control easiest for you.
For more tips about creating the perfect marijuana growing environment, download Pure n Natural’s Marijuana Grow Room Setup guide and ask about our selection of dehumidifiers.
