Crops grown in controlled conditions allow us to generate more and higher-quality products all year. This idea underpins and sustains modern horticulture. Climate control is one of the most critical parts of growing in a protected environment, such as a greenhouse.

Growers get the best of both worlds by cultivating in a greenhouse. They can use natural sunshine while yet protecting their plants from the weather. However, to get the most out of greenhouse cultivation, farmers must be able to successfully regulate the conditions within.

Improving growing conditions and obtaining control of the growing process are critical components of plant empowerment. This integrated cultivation method prioritizes the plant and enhances plant growth and health.

Improving climate control in your greenhouse aids in disease prevention, plant growth, quality, and energy savings.

Every plant has an ideal temperature range. They undertake photosynthesis and other metabolic processes within this range as efficiently and quickly as possible. This is the most fundamental feature of greenhouse climate management and was most likely one of the driving forces for the invention of the first greenhouses.

Providing cover does not guarantee ideal temperatures. Most growers heat or cool the air to achieve their preferred temperature range. The demand for heating or cooling varies according to the climate, topography, crop variety, etc.

There are numerous greenhouse heating methods, including ground heating, table heating, heat pipes, and others. Many modern greenhouses use CHP (combined heat and power) systems to cut energy costs and boost efficiency.

Thermal screens are another popular solution. Screens aid in trapping heat within the greenhouse, decreasing the need for additional heating. They're an excellent addition to any greenhouse that requires frequent heating.

Greenhouses can be found in all climates across the world. As a result, some people will inevitably require cooling rather than heating. Air conditioning, or HVAC, which can also heat, or wet pads and fans are common cooling methods.

Temperature and humidity are inextricably linked; thus, how you heat or cool should always consider humidity, and vice versa.

Plants, like humans, have an ideal relative humidity range. The proper humidity level allows plants to metabolize, develop, and bear fruit while remaining healthy, strong, and vibrant.

Plants will transpire excessively when conditions are too dry, causing water stress. This is a physiological state in which the plant slows or stops critical processes to preserve water.

If the air in your greenhouse is excessively dry, you can use misting systems or wet pads to inject more water vapor and boost humidity.

However, dry weather is significantly less common. Most greenhouses have very high humidity levels. This is because plants constantly transpire. The stomata eventually dissipate more than 90% of the water they absorb via their roots on the leaves.

The air can become saturated with water vapor when humidity levels are excessively high. This is the dew point when relative humidity reaches 100%. Perspiration becomes physically impossible in these settings. The air simply cannot accommodate any more water.

Transpiration is an important component of the plant's nutrition delivery system. As a result, extremely high humidity similarly impacts water stress. Because it cannot carry water, the plant is forced to slow down its metabolic processes.

Disease and mildew outbreaks are other important issues caused by high humidity. Downy mildew and gray mold, for example, require high humidity to grow. Once they do, however, it is extremely difficult to stop their spread, even if humidity levels return to normal. Toxic fungicides, which are dangerous to consume in food and are prohibited from use in controlled medicinal crops like cannabis, are the only option to stop the spread of molds after they have broken out.

Ventilation is the traditional way of dealing with greenhouse humidity. When the weather permits, ventilation can be extremely beneficial. The issue is that the outside conditions aren't always good. When it's raining, humid, or cold outside, ventilation may not assist. Most of the time, this happens overnight.

However, even if ventilation reduces humidity, it can be inefficient and costly. This is due to the release of greenhouse air, which already contains energy in the form of heat. Growers must keep constantly heating while expelling hot air and introducing cold air to maintain appropriate temperatures, which comes at a high cost.

Dehumidification is the most comprehensive treatment to high humidity. Dehumidifiers use controlled condensation to physically remove water vapor from the air. Dehumidifiers effectively and efficiently remove humidity in this manner.

The third-factor farmers can influence in their greenhouses is lighting or radiation. This is a vital aspect in the survival of plant life. The amount of radiation directly impacts the ability of plants to photosynthesize, develop, and grow.

While growing in a greenhouse may provide free sunlight, this is not always the case. In many climates, sunshine is not as consistent as farmers would want. Greenhouses frequently use supplemental grow lights in these situations to give light when it is gloomy or foggy or to lengthen the day.

Some plants, such as cannabis, have evolved to produce blooms and fruit at different times of day and night. This is known as photoperiodism. Growers must accommodate these plants' lighting requirements to thrive optimally. This might entail up to 24 hours of strong light per day!

On the other hand, photoperiodic plants may require extended periods of full darkness. This cannot be delivered naturally in most regions. As a result, many cannabis producers utilize blackout screens to extend the dark time, or even during the night, to reduce light exposure as much as possible.

It is crucial to note that radiation, including both visible and non-visible radiation, such as UV, has a significant impact on temperature and humidity. Radiation raises the temperature, but it also raises the transpiration rates of plants, resulting in higher humidity.

Creating perfect growing conditions in a greenhouse is a delicate balance. It necessitates a thorough understanding of greenhouse physics and regular tuning and optimization of growing techniques.

The three most important factors of greenhouse climate regulation are temperature, humidity, and radiation. Growers can accomplish incredible outcomes simply by focusing on the balance of the three.

However, greenhouse operators can go a step further and enrich their greenhouse atmosphere with additional CO2. CO2 is a key ingredient required for photosynthesis and plant assimilate production, which helps the plant manufacture the compounds it requires to grow.

CO2 enrichment of the air can help plants grow faster. However, it, too, must be balanced. Plants may require additional sunlight to benefit from the metabolic boost provided by CO2. As previously said, increased light may raise temperature and humidity, which growers must consider.

Changing any of these four elements has an impact on the others. Greenhouse farmers must walk a fine line to constantly monitor all climate conditions.

The best approach to ensure perfect greenhouse conditions at all times is to install suitable monitoring devices.

It is critical to spread out several monitoring devices to get a true picture of what is going on in the greenhouse.

Growers, for example, should utilize many thermometers in different regions of the greenhouse to achieve a true temperature reading. The same can be said of humidity monitoring equipment.

One of the most serious issues in greenhouses is a lack of climate homogeneity. As a result, one location may be dry while another is extremely humid. As a result, certain plants may develop faster than others.

Worse, inhomogeneous environments promote disease growth, which can quickly spread and infect the remaining plants, even if their local conditions are ideal.

Monitoring the dehumidifier's water extraction is another technique to ensure proper water balance. Growers may simply determine if they are extracting enough water by comparing extracted water to irrigation.

Once farmers have a robust monitoring system that delivers precise information on greenhouse conditions, they can begin automating some procedures.

Autovent's Captain controls can be set to begin dehumidifying only when relative humidity reaches a given threshold. Heating and cooling, lighting, and even CO2 enrichment can be done similarly.

Monitoring and automation can mean the difference between a lucrative and failed greenhouse. It has the potential to transform a low-output greenhouse plagued by illnesses and high production costs into an efficient greenhouse producing huge, high-quality harvests.