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| CLIMATE CONTROL FAQ |
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What is the best temperature for most indoor gardens? |
| 70 to 80 degrees F tends to be the happy medium for almost all crops.
Cool
weather crops, such as lettuce and broccoli, will perform best with
temperatures about 5 degrees lower, but this will vary with seed
variety. Generally 75-78 degrees is optimum. |
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What is the best humidity level for most indoor gardens? |
| Most indoor gardens will thrive with humidity levels between 40 and 60
percent. Why is it important to vent a grow room or greenhouse? Without
adequate ventilation, the temperature and/or humidity can rise to an
unfavorable level and growth rates can be adversely affected. Indoors,
after temperatures surpass about 90 degrees F, plant growth can actually
shut down. Moving stale air out, while introducing fresh air, will result
in healthier, more productive gardens. |
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| Is it important to use circulating fans? |
| Yes, air movement strengthens plants, reduces the chance for pest
infestation and allows CO2 to be evenly distributed throughout the garden.
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| Not Enough Humidity |
| Fortunately, most green plants thrive even in relatively low humidity,
if watered
properly and regularly. When grown with too little humidity, most plants
cease
forming leaves. The youngest leaves become yellow, smaller than normal and
crinkly at the edges. The stems become wiry as the whole plant shrinks in
size.
The oldest leaves may dry and drop permanently. Thin leaved plants, such
as
the Boston fern, exhibit severe leaf shrinkage when they receive too
little
humidity. |
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| Too Much Humidity |
In general, most plants develop new leaves that are
covered with yellow and
tan spots. In time, the water-soaked lesions grow larger, and the centers
of the
spots rot. In many cases, roots begin to develop on above-ground stems.
Few if any developing flower buds mature into functioning flowers. The
oldest foliage
on the plant may lose its color, collapse and decompose. |
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| Temperatures Too Cool |
| As a rule, when plants are exposed to temperatures that
are too low, the leaves
curl down and around themselves. The most recently formed leaves may
become colorless. Because of reduced nutrient availability to the
slow-growing
root system, the old leaves may turn purple. Raising the temperature,
particularly at night, is the only way to correct the problem. |
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When The Temperature Is Too Hot |
| Generally, plants grown with too much warmth do not
maintain a balance
between sugars gained from photosynthesis and lost to respiration.
Insufficient sugar slows root development, and water and nutrient uptake
are reduced. Flower production slows, followed by a rapid loss of the
oldest foliage and a paling of the surviving foliage. Lower temperatures,
especially at night,
restore growth and, eventually, flowering. |
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| Water Temperatures |
| Most plants are not sensitive to the temperatures of
liquids applied to
their foliage or growing media. Although the temperature of a liquid may
abruptly shift that of the plant tissues, the plant temperature will
rapidly return to the ambient level without any visible damage. However,
some plants are sensitive. African violets often have adverse reactions to
the temperature of liquids. When the temperature of a liquid is 10º F.
higher or lower than that of the leaf, the chlorophyll is permanently
damaged. The plant cells retain their structure, but the leaves are
permanently marked with colorless sections. |
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| Is Air Circulation Important? |
| The second building block of a healthy indoor plant is
knowing the
importance of exchange and circulation of fresh air in the garden room.
Apart from lack of light, an excess of heat, humidity, or stale air is
certain to limit the growth of your plants. |
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