Root Temps - How low do our "hydro" girls like to go

ProMix Or Coco

  • promix

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • coco

    Votes: 3 75.0%
  • Total voters
    4
TurboTokes

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
Im curious to hear anyones opinion about root zone temperature affecting the plants growth / nutrient uptake and overall health and yield. Specifically for "hydro" in my situation, I grow with 50% perlite / 50% coco

I started a very small personal indoor grow, but I feel Im facing a problem with root temperatures being to low for near optimal growth. My grow area is in an unheated part of the basement, it is fairly cold in that area, with walls and floor being concrete bare.,about 55-60 ambient air temperature I would imagine. Measures 80 at canopy level all sealed up, use 36" T5's, they dont give off much heat.

Probing the 1 gallon fabric pots rootball Im reading 58. But what really throw me off is a few house plants on the main level with ambient temps about 72, also only read 58-60. Im curious why are these plants reading so much lower than ambient?

My plants in the veg space are growing quite slow, although they look relatively healthy and fine, Im curious how much Im shooting myself in the foot with these temps

My only real option to warm the root zone I feel would be some sort of heat mat under the pots or possibly using a fish tank water heater to warm the water that I feed with, but I feel that may still cool down fairly quick once waterring was done.

Shoot me any ideas that you feel may fit my situation with these ambient cold temperatures. Never had this problem outdoors but all the pleasures and convieniences of growing indoors I hope I can overcome this problem.

Cheers
 
Water in at 72 degrees
Get a piece of Styrofoam insulation under the pots. .
Get a heater.
If its all sealed up get a fan moving air in there.
Get some insulation that is totally encased with a wrap of its own and wrap and tape that around your pots. Then when you water in at 72 it will stay warm longer.
Get a co2 burner.
 
Should have mentioned, cabinet is off the floor, and does have a foil faced rigid foam interior, but there is still intake and exhaust taking the cold air in and out

I was actually thinking of getting some electric warming pads / mats, but wasnt sure at what temperature I really needed to be concerned or aim for in the root zone.

An electric fan forced heater is kind of out of the question though, electricity is to expensive here during peak hours to be blasting 1500w when the lights are only using 200w. And what doesnt make sence to me, is how the root temps even in the plants on our main floor which is kept above 70 ambient, are still in the low low 60s root zone. Seems like you would have to have the space heater set to 80 or even higher to make a difference in my space, and the space heater would run all day.

mats seem like a viable option, just dont love the electrical cords resting under a pot im waterring until runoff though, although they are aparently made waterproof
 
My room is always cold lights of ,I like to think if your grow out side and had your hand buried in the ground a foot or so be pretty cool you would think ,that being said I'm old grower & hydro I never had a problem with cool room or nutes my returns are always decent ,
 
I actually dont have a lights "off" in the veg cabinet, I run 2 bulbs (50w) all the time, and then the other 6 bulbs (150w) turn on for the 12 hours a day when electic is cheap here

I scoured ebay and amazon a while for reptile heating pads, there are a lot of low cost ones, but none seem well built / high quality, most also have a bulky connector on the mat that bothers me. Ive actually had 2 lizards in cages here so have a decent ammount of hands on with these mats, and I actually have used one of these larger mats (I believe mine was 16 watt) outside under a 25 gallon pot and it worked wonderfully on cold october nights

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/18W-Electri...hash=item3d56dee0e7:m:mffohVT2Ekz_xtsA2VoJEAg

For only $20 each shipped, there big enough to do a whole propagation tray or cluster of solo cups. Or for bigger 3 gallon pots you could probably fit 2 on each mat with it being 20" wide. The electrical cord still isnt my favorite idea but I doubt it would be a problem realistically, and I would need a few of them if this is going to be my option to veg and flower in this cold space with

There 18w rating actually I feel may be a little to high though, I remember it heating the 25 gallon pot up substantially to the touch and it was probably an 18" tall pot, much bigger than my indoor 3 gallons. Might run into the problem of being TO hot.... dont wanna be in that boat either

Kind of got off topic, you fells think my 60 root temp is below where I am losing a substantial ammount of healthy growth that I could get otherwise
 
My stuff grows crazy ,I see difference every day, this is my temp right now ,any there praying right now leaves straight up waiting for lightsIMG_1078.JPG
 
That is not your root zone temperature, although even as air temperature 40 degrees is extremely cold they have to damn near shut down at that temp.

Im assuming your lights are high quality / high wattage and do a great job when they are on light cycle to keep your girls growing, my measly T5's are definitely not cutting edge
 
There is an excellent read about root zone temps at cannas website

Roots i would keep 65to70

Canopy would be at 72 to80

I used to grow cold until i saw the difference
Hence my avitar name :)

Now my mantra is temps and environment
Are 50% lights 30% nutes 20 %
Not includding strain differences
 
Bernie420 said:
Water in at 72 degrees
Get a piece of Styrofoam insulation under the pots. .
Get a heater.
If its all sealed up get a fan moving air in there.
Get some insulation that is totally encased with a wrap of its own and wrap and tape that around your pots. Then when you water in at 72 it will stay warm longer.
Get a co2 burner.
Click to expand...

I put styrofoam insulation on the floor of my tent and added a heater. Tent is in the garage on concrete. Floor still stays cold. And the pots stay cooler than desired. Even with the heater in the tent. It's only for a few months but that's an entire grow. I'm going to take a 4x4 piece of subfloor put some Radiant Heat Film on it, cover it with scrap flooring and put it under the tent.

Your ideas are all good and should be the first steps. They just are not enough when it gets real cold and your sitting on concrete. But the OP is in a basement that probably stays warmer then my garage and might get by doing what you said.
 
I read that one but nothing specific to an actual ideal temperature, or when is to cold really affecting the plants health and slowing it down.

Some seem to grow in the cold, and friend above posted a pic of growing in the 40's. Are my 60 degree root zone temps maybe not the end of the world??

Currently I let my 2 gallon water bucket sit for 2 days to get to room temp, but the water is still cold to the touch
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top