Achieving and maintaining climate homogeneity in your greenhouse or grow room allows you to control your environment better and make the most of your climate control equipment.

Growers frequently find themselves overworking heaters or dehumidifiers in variable climates, although enjoying acceptable conditions. This is due to humidity issues or infections appearing in particular areas despite seemingly ideal conditions.

With a consistent environment, you only need climate control devices, such as heating and humidity control, when necessary for all plants.

Maintaining a consistent greenhouse climate offers numerous advantages. It primarily aids in the elimination of humidity-related diseases, the improvement of crop quality, increased yields, and the reduction of energy expenditures.

Climate homogeneity refers to having the same circumstances everywhere at the same time. Temperature and relative humidity are included (VPD – vapor pressure deficit).

A homogeneous environment would have the same conditions across the growth space, as well as between plants and within the leaves.

Microclimate Dispersal

You can create climatic uniformity in your greenhouse or indoor grow room to eliminate microclimates and even out the circumstances. Microclimates are pockets of air that have distinct conditions from the rest of the environment.

Humidity is the most typical issue with microclimates. Plants constantly emit water vapor, which raises the humidity surrounding them. Humidity can be trapped when plants are positioned close together or have dense foliage, resulting in humid microclimates. If you need clarification, you can use LAI to determine the density of your vegetation (leaf area index).

While microclimates are an issue in the cultivation of all crops, they are especially prominent in cannabis cultivation. The tight buds may act as humidity traps, resulting in bud rot epidemics (also known as botrytis or gray mold).

Without a consistent climate, you can have ideal circumstances in one place and extreme humidity in another. Many farmers would combat this without adequate monitoring by running dehumidifiers or warmers all the time, even though it is unnecessary for most plants.

A consistent greenhouse climate results in consistent produce. When plants are exposed to diverse environments, their development and fruit output can vary. Some may thrive, while others may produce little or no fruit.

Disease outbreaks are one of the most severe issues with microclimates. In humid conditions, diseases including downy mildew, powdery mildew, and Alternaria occur. Mildew may appear and grow spores in a single humid environment. These spores can then spread across the space, infecting neighboring plants even if humidity levels are lower.

This makes diseases extremely difficult to control in a non-uniform climate, even if temperature and humidity are controlled and monitored.

Botrytis in marijuana

Bud rot in cannabis

Humidity sickness in cannabis

Air circulation is the most effective approach to creating a consistent environment. While most greenhouses feature exhaust fans and vents, circulation fans are  different.

The most basic controls are switches that turn fans on and off. These are inexpensive and simple to install, but require the intervention of an operator to make modifications. It is typical to have ventilation fans and HAF fans on different switches to allow greater operational flexibility.

Air circulation, on the other hand, is intended to enhance consistency. Taking damp air from the middle of the space and dispersing dry air in all directions, 360°, ensures that all corners have the same conditions.

Furthermore, air circulation provides the ideal conditions on foliage level, where it has the most influence, by sucking in humid air from the bottom, close to ground level, and discharging it from the top.