I live in S. E. PA. and have been growing autos in a greenhouse outdoors I have just relocated greenhouse to an area that will get approx. 12/13 hours of direct sunlight as opposed to the 8/9 I was getting where the buds just didn’t any density to them. My questions are does high heat and humidity effect development and will the increased sunlight hours improve plants bud development. Thanks in advance for the help
Welcome DMAN!!! To try and answer your question best I can it really depends on what cycle your plants are in whether or not the heat and humidity will affect your grow. More information would be great like what temperature and what humidity.
As for the increased sunlight hours it should definitely help for sure. Autoflowers will grow perfectly well outside even if you get only 12 hours of sunlight. Sure, the vegetative and flowering phases may extend a bit, but it doesn’t hamper the yield or growth in any way. And that’s because sunlight is natural and you can’t beat that with even the best grow lights available today.
Hope this helps a bit and get back on the temp and humidity so I could give you a better answer. Salute
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In the summer temperatures in the greenhouse are over 100 degrees with humidity levels in high 80s low 90s percentile these are my estimations but I know they are close to what it actually is and was thinking it may possibly stress the plants
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Do you have any kind of air movement like fans or something? That may help a bit even though it will be blowing hot air mostly. I have been running my plants in my tents as high as 95 degrees with minimal stress issues, I think because I have good air movement. The biggest issue I see is the humidity which also could be a non-issue if you have enough air movement…this looks like a good scenario for bud rot. Heat stress can actually be a good thing as it produces more trichome production. I think you could still get away with it, you will just have to keep a good eye on it in flower.
Found some info online, hope it helps.
Keeping plants dry is the best protection from humidity problems. If you can move the plants or construct an enclosure, then rain will not bother them, but moisture still might. Increasing temperatures in the enclosed area (up to the 70’s F or 24-26*C) could protect the plants and help dry out the buds thereby curbing mold growth. Circulating the hot air with a fan certainly helps as well.
Here are some of the problems caused by hot weather:
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Extreme heat is deadly to marijuana roots, especially in young plants. In addition, the faster evaporation rate in dry places may result in hard and cracked soil. Left unchecked, the combination of hot and dry upper soil can burn the roots and destroy the plants.
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One of the most [common issues in a hot climate] is heat stress. In mild cases, this can cause the marijuana leaves to start cupping or curl up. You may also see drooping or wilting. If ignored, the condition may become severe, and the plants will stop growing.
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Often, hot and dry climates have long day cycles and as short as five hours of dark hours at night. This can be problematic to marijuana plants since they require at least 12 hours of complete darkness to flower. This unsuitable [light and dark cycle] may cause further stress to the crop.
Growing marijuana in hot weather is a challenge.
The plants need a lot of water and they get scorched easily. However, growing marijuana in desert climates is possible.
There are a few tricks that you can use to make the process easier. For example, you can grow marijuana in hydroponic systems or greenhouses.
These systems use water and nutrients to grow the plants. They’re not as affected by heat and humidity as traditional gardens are.
You can also grow marijuana indoors using artificial lights. This will help you to avoid the scorching temperatures outside.
If you are growing in hot weather, it is essential that you do not let your growing medium dry out. Marijuana plants drink a lot of water when it’s hot.
If they don’t have anything to drink, they’re going to dry out by the end of the day.
Water your plants as early in the day as possible and make sure they get frequent rehydration during the day.
Avoid getting the leaves wet since droplets can magnify the sun’s heat and burn the foliage.
When growing outside, you can grow plants in soil or coco coir. While each has their own pros and cons, coco is more suitable when cultivating in a hot environment. Because of its loose structure, it has root-soothing properties that help plants deal with over or under watering. Hence, it’s the perfect medium to fight heat stress.
It’s also versatile enough to be used as a potting mix or combined with soil. Bear in mind that it’s an inert medium which means it doesn’t contain any nutrients. So, it’s essential to add nutrients in the water from day one. Other than that, the growing experience is very similar to soil.
If you do grow in soil, watch for [signs of overwatering]. This means your plants will start drooping and wilting no matter how much water they receive. Since hot water contains less oxygen, it won’t be able to revive the plants. Instead, they will drown in it especially if you keep giving it more during the day. So, while constant rehydration is vital, make sure to [do it the right way]
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