Why Air Circulation for Indoor Plants is So Important?
Most indoor growers focus on factors such as indoor growing light, water, and soil but tend to forget one of the most crucial factors that contribute to plant growth: air circulation for indoor plants.
Let’s dive in and try to understand what air circulation is and the impact of proper air circulation on your plants.
What is Air Circulation?
Simply put: Air circulation is the flow or movement of the air in an area. Fans and open windows encourage fresh air to enter the room while replacing older air. This supply of fresh air keeps the room cooler and well-ventilated.
Air circulation for indoor plants does not only adjust the temperature but also prevents moisture and humidity from encouraging the growth of mold and bacteria.
Growers like to have an air circulation fan in their grow areas to allow air to circulate or flow in their growing area. This ensures that there’s a constant flow of fresh air and that ‘old’ air gets replaced quickly to maintain proper conditions for growth for indoor plants.
How Does Air Circulation Affect Plant Growth?
Air circulation for indoor plants gives your plants fresh air which they can use to prepare their food. Additionally, it removes pollutants that may be present in the air.
●Air Circulation Keeps Insects, Mold, and Fungal Diseases At Bay:
Without air circulation for indoor plants, the soil in which the plants grow would stay damp and become the best hotspot for insects, rot, bacteria, and fungi.
These problems do not exist when the airflow is appropriate and adequate. Having fans in and around the house allows fresh air to circulate and keeps the temperature regulated.
●Removes Excess Heat:
Growers use LED Grow Lights to provide their plants with a light that is similar to sunlight. This light is supplied to plants in a pattern that mimics their natural environments and so, the plants are tricked into believing that they are growing outdoors and not indoors.
Even though LED grow lights produce a low amount of heat, it is important to manage the heat produced by them to ensure that the temperature in your grow room remains optimal for your plants.
●Prevents Dust From Settling On The Leaves Of Your Plants:
Without ventilation and air circulation for indoor plants in place, dust, and other substances can easily settle on the leaves and parts of the plant.
Plants take in gases from the stomata and when the dust settles on the leaves, it can make it difficult for the plants to take in nutrients.
Tips To Improve Air Circulation For Indoor Plants
●Ensure Appropriate Placement Of Plants In Your Growing Area
Several growers have an overcrowded growing area to have bigger produce but this actually hampers the quality of the produce.
The right placement allows your plants to take in nutrients properly without having to fight for them.
●Place Your Plants Near The Windows:
If you’re not growing your plants in an enclosed grow tent, you can place them near the windows or on the balcony so that they can get fresh air.
●Install An Air Circulation System
Before installing an air circulation system, ensure that you understand the requirements of your grow set-up and the humidity and heat levels inside it. A basic ventilation system typically includes two kinds of fans for indoor plants:
- Oscillating Fans are moving fans that ensure there is air inside the grow room or tent.
- Extractor Fans are exhaust fans that channel air out of the grow room or tent.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
●Can plants grow without fresh air?
Plants may be able to grow without fresh air but their growth would be slow as they wouldn’t get the optimal levels of nutrients that they need.
●What part of a plant allows it to get air?
As discussed earlier in the article, the leaves of the plants have tiny openings or ‘pores’ called Stomata that allow the plant to get air and indulge in gaseous exchange.
●Are Fans Hurting Indoor Plants?
No, fans aren’t hurting your precious plants as long as they are placed at the right distance away from the plants.
●How Long To Leave Fan On For Plants?
It is important to closely watch your plants and ascertain the stage that your plant is at.
Seedlings may require a continuous supply of air to prevent any moisture or dampness from becoming the perfect breeding ground for mold and diseases. Make sure that the air at this stage is gentle and soothing for the plants.
During the vegetative stage, ensure to keep the fan running at maximum capacity while the grow lights are on. This ensures that there is no excess heat trapped inside the grow tent. When it’s time to switch off the grow lights, the fan can be turned off.
Likewise, during the flowering stage, the fans can be kept on while the grow lights are switched on. The fans can be switched off an hour after the lights have been switched off to allow them to flower without being interrupted.
Although if you’re dealing with strong, bad odors or high humidity inside the grow area, the fan can be kept running on the lowest setting possible.
●Is too much air bad for plants?
No, air circulation for indoor plants is not bad. When grown outdoors, plants are exposed to air pretty much all the time.
Originally published at https://medicgrow.com on October 29, 2021.
