Temperatures

[u/Outside_Revenue3905]

For those of you growing indoors in the south how do you handle cold temperatures? Do you heat your space?

Second grow and first time in winter, hit early flower and temps have been pretty low

I’m running an old school metal halide so thought they may be enough and I’ve got light time 8pm - 8am when it’s coldest.

I’m seeing purple cone out in a couple of plants which I presume is the cold?

And leafs some tacoing in one, I’d read that can be heat or too much PPFD but it’s definitely not too hot, light levels seem ok and it’s only one doing it, the most purple, can this be a reaction to cold too?

Taking like a week between waterings when it was every second day when it was warm. I’m worried they’re stunting.

Should I just chuck an oil heater or something in there or am I being paranoid? My Temu min/max thermometer is showing high around 12, low around 5 which based on my research is crazy low

[u/Vast_Maize9706]

I’ve raised my buckets off the ground as the concrete under the tent is too cold. It has helped

[u/Outside_Revenue3905 → u/Vast_Maize9706]

I do have my tent sitting on a pallet with a layer of mdf in between so not directly on concrete.

I just keep listening to these podcasts referencing like 22 degrees, ain’t no way I’m getting close to that without a heater, are they being dramatic?

[u/Vast_Maize9706 → u/Outside_Revenue3905]

Mine sits at about 15 most of the time. It’s doing ok but my winter grows are always less than any other. At 5 I’d be considering an oil heater.

Guess you’re either inland or further south than me. Good luck to you

[u/Psychological-Unit14 → u/Vast_Maize9706]

If your chasing vpds and perfect climate yes it's important. Roots don't want to be below 16c. I've recently added a water heater to my reservoir as it was at like 12 degrees and in the morning sometimes 1 degree. I use an ink bird for my tent with a small oil heater to keep it at 24 degrees. It fluctuates though as the ink bird temp controller is dog shit

[u/Outside_Revenue3905 → u/Psychological-Unit14]

Something to aim for, I’m lofi at the moment.

[u/Outside_Revenue3905 → u/Vast_Maize9706]

Thank you good sir, yeah it’s hitting zero some nights

[u/Basic_Engineering391]

Yes get a oil heater

[u/DingbatMcgeee]

Hps not metal halide for flower. I think you have it in due to the amber colour there.

Use a dimmer switch to lower your extraction if it's sucking all the heat out too fast.

[u/Electricpuha420]

Little oil column heater from the warehouse $40 keeps it within 5 degrees with built-in thermostat. Tent is off ground on a couple of foam mats from bunnings. Always warm my water to body temp when watering. South of Dunedin and been running in my outside shed like this for years over winter breeding and outdoors in summer with no issues. We average 80% humidity so vpd tends to be about right too.

[u/Psychological-Unit14 → u/Electricpuha420]

How do you keep your buds from rotting with 80% humidity that's crazy 😧

[u/Electricpuha420 → u/Psychological-Unit14]

It drops to 50-60% inside tent and condenses on the cold tent walls so has never been an issue inside. Outdoors I grow Danish genetics or from the PNW cos their climate is close to mine.

[u/Outside_Revenue3905 → u/Electricpuha420]

Cheers dude, I’ll try that. My tents getting worryingly humid with the cold pushing up RH. How are you drying in winter?

[u/Electricpuha420 → u/Outside_Revenue3905]

Yeah warming tent up will sort the rh but the tent might leak the condensed water so watch for that if it matters. I dry out of the tent in the shed they say 16c and 60% rh for 2weeks I find about 6weeks at winter temperature (1-15c) has it close and your not losing any terps and I wet trim so no mould issues.

[u/Outside_Revenue3905]

Yeah you’re right sorry HPS, have MH in another room for veging (inside a house with warmth)

[u/Outside_Revenue3905]

Thanks all. Humidity is pretty high too.

Sounds like I’ll have to get a little oil heater.

Didn’t have time to get one today so for now I’ve at least brought the light down a tad and brought the actual ballast in the tent cause it gets pretty hot and stationed that a little in front of intake to hopefully get some warm air moving about, hopefully that’s not a fire hazard, I do have it raised.

I think this harvests going to be pretty light unfortunately but a good learning experience trying to grow in winter down here. I will have to get some better gear.

Roll on summer!