Everyone knows that LED grow lights are great in summer. Not everyone knows that they are great even in winter!
You may need to work harder to control the temperature, but you can increase nutrient strength and CO2 usage. The impact on yield is incredible.
Here are some tips for getting the best out of LED lights in the winter
1) Check your temperature
This is obvious in any season: Air Comfort Wireless temperature and humidity meters are a great option!
The data is stored in the sensor, then synced with a mobile app. All in-app data is plotted in graphs, so you can quickly spot temperature trends, drops and peaks in the environment.
You can use this information to understand when:
- Extracting more air
- Turning on the heaters
- Activating / deactivating humidifiers
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2) Get a heater with a thermostat
The ideal temperature in an LED grow room is 28 ° C.
In a growbox with LED lighting in the winter, you might need a heater, ideally one with a thermostat. Among the best we suggest the Lighthouse Heater for medium and large rooms; the Foldable Heating Panel for small and medium-sized grow boxes.
3) Monitor the temperature of the leaves
The ideal leaf temperature is 21 ° C - 23 ° C.
To measure the temperature of your leaf, you can use a laser thermometer, which won't cost much to buy. In a grow room, these tools are invaluable. We offer you the infrared thermometer for ease of detection or the more classic thermohygrometer with probe to be placed directly on the leaves.
4) Convey heat to your plants (with air circulator)
LEDs emit heat. But it's mostly convection heat. This type of heat rises above the unit, away from the plants. In the summer it is easily extracted, which is good. However, in winter, you have to take it to the plants. An oscillating fan is a good solution: it will keep the air in your grow room well mixed constantly. If you are adding CO2, it will help distribute this evenly as well.
5) Increase nutritional strength
When your temperature is lower, perspiration is too. As a result, plants need less water. This means you can afford to increase your nutritional strength compared to what you would using HID lights (HPS or MH) in the winter.
6) Add a CDM or HPS lamp
Both are warm lights. They emit radiant heat, the type of heat that helps keep plants warm. There is no need to replace the LEDs entirely, just add a CDM or HPS light as an additional light.
To make sure your light coverage is correct you have these options:
OPTION A) Slot 1 x CDM or HPS between 2 x LED lights
OPTION B) 1 x LED slot between 2 x CDM or HPS lights
7) Reduce the air exchange
You will likely re-change less air in the winter, but when using LED grow lights, you absolutely must. If you feel you need to extract the air follow these steps:
Step 1
Multiply the length x width x height of your tent
The answer is how much space your grow lights cover
Example: In a Mammoth Classic120 tent 1.2m x 1.2m x 2m = 2.88m3 which is the total area covered by the lights.
Step 2
Multiply this by 60. This will tell you how much air you should be extracting each hour.
Example: Still from the Mammoth Classic120 tent: 2.88 m3 x 60 = 172.8 m3
So a 10cm Extractor Fan is the ideal solution to maintain a correct air exchange even with LED lamps.
Step 3
To be truly accurate and mythic, you can:
Add 20% if it is a warm attic
Add 20% if using a carbon filter
Reduce by 15% in a cool basement
Add 20% for pipes longer than 2 meters
8) Add Co2
Maximize the benefits of using CO2 in an LED Grow Room. Why? Because you will have to extract less air. Any CO2 you add will stay in contact with the plants longer before being extracted. You will also be able to achieve a higher ppm CO2 level. CO2 is known to increase photosynthesis, which is the way plants produce sugars. An increase in sugar production improves growth and strengthens all-round plants. Some growers use CO2 to shorten their growth cycle. Even small increases in CO2 are useful. An optimal level of 1200 ppm can increase the yield by up to 20-30%!
9) Use the air sucked from inside your home
The outside air is cold, which is not good in winter. Especially if you are using LED grow room lights that don't give off as much heat. Instead, use the air drawn directly from inside your home. This air is certainly warmer. The air from inside your home is also much higher in CO2 (because humans exhale CO2 when breathing). CO2 levels inside your home can be as high as 800ppm, which is almost double the air outside!