Growing in a colder temperature?

[HighBlueSkies]

I would like to have a small set-up in a chilly basement closet. I don't have a thermometer in the closet, but would guess that the temperature in there is about 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Is it possible to grow cannabis at this temperature?

Also, I only plan on using a 400 watt bulb because I plan on growing 3 plants, max. Maybe only 2. Is 400 watts enough? Will the 400 watt bulb put out enough heat to warm up the closet, perhaps?

[HighBlueSkies]

Sorry, forgot to mention that the closet is fairly small. Its about 4 ft, by 4 ft, by standard ceiling height (8 feet, i think)

[Duck]

There's enough room but, I don't know about the temp. You should probaly get a heat lamp or something

[b1v2w3]

The heat generated will be plenty enough to bring your closet right up to 70 deg I bet. Let us know what your 400W bulb set-up is (hood type etc.) . You might use a fan to circulate the heat. Should be just fine with what you've got. b1

[tiedye0420]

HELLO THERE
600 WATTS OF HPS would be better for a 4x4 area IMHO
i had 600 watts running in a 2x4 closet all last summer, and it barely did the trick.
I recently bought a day/night controller, and my day temps reach 80 before my exhuast comes on.
my night temps however are set to bring it down to 64 degrees farenheight before the exhaust/intake fans quit running.
this morning {my curculation fan and hepa filter run 24/7}My temps were at 55 degrees when the lights came on to warm it up.

I HAVE NEVER HAD BETTER RESULTS AS NOW.
Im at day 30 12/12 and i got nugs the size of my foxfarm bottles.

[b1v2w3]

Say Tie, do you see there to be a good reason to let the temps come down at night? I keep everything going (heat build-up during lights on as well as heat evacuation during dark) to a max of about 90 deg. I don't help them lose heat during dark if it doesn't exceed 90. Your thoughts. b1

[tiedye0420]

the stoniest weeds i have ever smoked were late season buds, ones that finish in nov-dec. I believe this is partly due to the colder night temps in the later months.
marijuana creates resisns and cannibanoids more rapidly and intensly in extreme enviroments. IMHO
and im real happy so far with my trichrome production, they are very thick with resin at 30 days 12/12. the nugs are fattening radically as well.
im only bringing it down to 64 or so, but my curculation fans run all night so sometimes it gets colder at night.
usually 60 is my normal morning temp, and 83 is my average day temp.
BUT in veg i like to get em up to 90 or 100 once in awhile during the midday period.
The minute i started learning about atmosphere controllers i wanted one with seperate day/night settings. I basically try to simulate outdoor enviroments ,rather than ideal enviroments, marijuana is not an orchid.

[b1v2w3]

The stoniest weed is usually the indica type. Indica usually finishes 1 to 3 months later then sativa, right?
You know tiedye, the "resin", the tarry liquid contained inside them trichomes that is made up of the thc type molecules, seems to be produced by the plant in response to any and all sort of environmental stresses: dryness, uv radiation, temp variations, mechanical disturbances. That reminds me: when I work with my plants they have a light, pleasant odor. When I get to tieing them down, brushing by the leaves, pulling the tops over etc. they begin to emit a very strong odor immediately, I think a direct release of that same substance. I cant say wether it gets me high or not because usually I am already on cloud 9 while working with them>>ha ha. So your point is well taken. I am watching what environmental stressors affect my plants most. Thanks b1

[meangreen]

Unless you are using Co2,any indoor temps in veg or flower that exceed 85 degrees for extended periods is detrimental to plants health.Higher temps only benefit plants in early veg when higher temps can increase female ratio otherwise you are only hurting your plants.

[ekul le chet]

Higher temps only benefit plants in early veg when higher temps can increase female ratio otherwise you are only hurting your plants.
thats interesting ... might keep the night time temps up a bit now :)

[b1v2w3]

Really appreciate thet comment MeanGreen. I had gone to the higher temp limit because of the climate where I live, high heat/high humidity. In my outdoor grow last summer I watched the flower development and seemed to notice some difference in progress between the typical 89deg day 75deg night/90%humid versus the occasional 75day/55night with more cloud cover. That could also have to do with the direct sun/overcast skies part i gather! Meangreen would yoummind citing me a reference where the temp thing is described in (website or publication) so I can learn more about it? Thanks. b1

[meangreen]

ISBN # 1-931160-17-1 is a good read.I cannot tell you of any site/book or info out there that discusses temps in regards to increased female ratios with increased temps in early veg(weeks 1-2 only),altho I am sure there is some out there.It works,its proven it to me on a many occasions.Increased day temps are what gives you the increase,not night.One should always try and maintain cooler night temps by 10-20 degrees cooler then the days and not lower then 50 degrees,anything less then 50 will slow growth dramatically .Not all info shared at these sites is published,but rather shared from experience.Do a test with the same strain,veg some at a higher temp then others and you will have a larger # of females in the higher heat group when preflowers begin showing.

[tiedye0420]

and i MUST ADD,
high blue skies
that most of your indoore growers would actually preferr growing in a "chilly basement"
providing a couple things that is.
One: adequate ventillation or a way to provide adequate ventillation. LengthX Width X heghth = square footage. this number divided by half is your minimum ventillation requirement.
If possible use a fan with a cfm that equals the total square footage of your room.
my room is 6x8x7 which equals 334 square feet.
My intake fan is 154 cfm and my room exhaust is also 154 cfm, this give me a curculation rate of two minutes.
basically; every two minutes a 150 cfm fan will curculate a 300 square foot room.
I have real close to that and my setup does real well.
SECOND CONCERN: cleanliness
Is it a damp dank moldy enviroment? dirt floors? YOU MUST srubb the walls with water and bleach- maybe some tsp. clean the floors as well. ceiling too.
then paint everthing white. titanium white is a real good choice.
Your plants will love it in there.
tiedye

[tiedye0420]

hey dutch passion had something on the subject of increasing female ratio awhileback.
think i'll go surfing

[tiedye0420]

here is what they say about it.
But i say
our kitten got hit by a car and has a broken jaw.
our favorite littlest one.
she got it wired up today.
i could buy another truck with what it is going to cost me.




Info "Feminized Seeds"
In an experiment done in 1999 we grew 15 varieties of "feminized" seeds. We started with 30 seeds per variety. The goals were: 1) to determine the percentages of female, male, and hermaphroditic plants. 2) to compare the uniformity (homogeneity) among plants from "feminized" seeds with those grown from "regular" seeds.

1. The results were excellent. Nine out of fifteen varieties had 100% female offspring. Percentages of female plants from the other 6 varieties were between 80 and 90%. These plants were all hermaphrodites, producing their male flowers at the end of their lifecycle. Seed-setting hardly took place. No males were found.

2. Approximately 70% of the plants of varieties grown from "feminized" seeds were far more uniform than plants grown from "regular" seeds of the same variety. About 20% of the varieties were a little more uniform, while in 10% of the varieties no difference in uniformity was seen.



From literature and our own findings it appears that the growth of a male or female plant from seed, except for the predisposition in the gender chromosomes, also depends on various environmental factors. The environmental factors that influence gender are:


a higher nitrogen concentration will give more females.
a higher potassium concentration will give more males.
a higher humidity will give more females.
a lower temperature will give more females.
more blue light will give more females.
Fewer hours of light will give more females. It is important to start these changes at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks, before reverting to standard conditions.

To produce our feminized seeds, we start with selected female clones. Under standard conditions these female clones do not produce any male flowers. By the method we found, we are able to have these female clones produce abundant male flowers and pollen (see photos). The pollen thus produced we use for the production of our "feminized" seeds.



Copyright: © Dutch Passion BV, 2000

[b1v2w3]

Hey tie, your info on that basement prep is great! I'm sure you mean to express your three dimensions (lenghtxwidthxheight) as cubic feet instead of square feet, and it than correlates with your fan's capacity, expressed as cfm (cubic feet per minute). Must be that Hungarian fleamarket effect.I really appreciate the surfing you've done as well. Reading the experiments and conclusions of fellow dutchmen warm my heart. I will go and get that read from amazon MG, I need to there and get a couple of books by Jarred Diamond as well>>he tells us more about the human race than I had figured out for myself sofar! b1

[b1v2w3]

Sorry to hear about the cat, tie. just came in from outside:2 of my dogs were going at a fairly good sized chicken snake and only thunderously loud screaming backed them away from it! Saved their lives again!!!! Hope you can keep your cats out of trouble, including eating your usb cables. b1

[tiedye0420]

thanks b1
glad the doggies are alright.
just got little peaches bACK FROM THE HOSPITAL, and she immediately ate a half can of wet food.
she actually went right for the dry food, we had to get it put up right away,and give her wet food. Her jaw is wired together, she will be fine.
Damage 400.00
Her eating again: priceless

[tiedye0420]

yeah the reference from meangreen im sure is more conclusive than the tidbit i dug up.
but thefact is , there are many conditions that can influence the plants behavior in regards to increasing female ratio.
But without tampering with hermies or chemicals.

[b1v2w3]

a happy kitten is a happy family.b1

[HighBlueSkies]

Thanks for the info., tyedye, you really seem to know what you are doing and i appreciate it!

[gillianwind]

LOL@stoniest weeds I just trying to grow weed i don't know about grow lights and all that jazz. I jsut keep my bud in the light, in a window. but im sure it's too cold becasue march sucks. :((

[grouchy_old_dude]

I believe 50 watts p/sq.ft is recommended as "optimal", 30 w.p/sq.ft minimum. That in mind, a 400 is ideal for 8 sq.ft.(4ftX2ft) Personally, I feel circulation is one of the most overlooked, yet important aspects of ID growing. Without CO2 enhancemment, fresh air circulating abundantly is crucial.

here are some notes that I have stashed away on temps and affects. Don't recall the exact source, but a good read, never the less...

"Fine-tuning temperature and water for maximum quantity and quality.

Why waste light and electricity growing stem? Stretched-out plants are the bane of indoor growers. There are several ways to reduce internodal length and thus grow denser, more efficient buds.


tight internodes
Temperature control

The easiest and most under-used way to control internodal stretch is temperature control. Plant internodal length is directly related to the difference between day and night temperatures – the warmer your day cycle is as compared to your night cycle, the greater your internode length will be. The opposite also holds true; the closer your day and night temperatures, the shorter your internodes will be. Ever notice how as the warmer summer months approach, your plants begin to stretch? Part of this problem may lie in an overall hotter grow-room, but a larger factor is the increased difference between day and night temperatures.

Lets look at putting this to play in your grow room. Maximum temperatures should ideally never rise above 26°C, so you must do everything you can to prevent your room getting too hot (run lights at night, use exhaust fans, air conditioners, etc). An ideal temperature range is 24-25°C when the lights are on, and 22°C when the lights are off.

The temperature technique is most effective under a 12/12 light regime, which is ideal as this is when cannabis stretches the most. When the light cycle is brought to 12/12 we will raise the night temperature to the daytime level of 24-25°C. Space heaters on timers work well for this, and max/min type thermometers are ideal for
tracking temperatures.

It is during the first 2-3 weeks of the flower cycle that most strains begin to lengthen internodes, making it a very important time to control temperature, as this is when the framework for future colas is built. After this 2-3 week window we need to drop the night temperature back down to 22°C, as this is where the plant is happiest.


long internodes
As floral development begins we need to keep in mind that the total size of your buds is determined largely by average daily temperature, provided it does not exceed optimal. So if you are letting your day temperatures drop below 24°C or your night drop below 22°C, you are costing yourself in overall weight and harvest.

Once your buds have reached optimal size and and you have begun the flushing period, you may consider dropping temperature down to 17-19°C for the final week or two. This drop in temperature triggers anthocyanin production, which intensifies the colour of the floral clusters and makes for a showier bud, especially with "purple" varieties. This final temperature change is not always feasible and can be omitted.

For extreme height control you may even use warmer night temperature than day, but be very careful when running settings like this, as even a zero difference between night and day temperatures will lead to leaf chlorosis (yellowing) after 2-3 weeks.

Some things you will notice while using this technique are a change in the leaf angle, upwards during warm days and downwards during warm nights. There is also the chlorosis if this is done for too long. Neither of these symptoms is nutrient related and will fix themselves when the temperature is changed back.

[b1v2w3]

hey grouchy. Lovely commentaries you post here for us to dwell in and apply to our local environment. What I have some trouble with is the temperature range used. given in deg F it goes from 71.5 to 79 The indoor thermostat for my dwelling is set to 80 (26.6) and afternoon outdoors temps are generally in the 87 to 90 range (31-33) and plants thrive! I am going to look at this node distance from the day/night temp differential aspect only and not assign much value to a ceiling such as 26 deg(78.8) and consider it absolute. b1

[grouchy_old_dude]

B1...[quote] Lovely commentaries you post here for us to dwell in and apply to our local environment. What I have some trouble with is the temperature range used[/wuote]...thank you, mostly just things I've found while researching on the www. But like anything, one must still do the best to seperate the "wheat from the chaffe".
Though 79* is mentioned as being the max, that is probably debatable, and would depend somewhat on strain, humidity, c02, ect. I think you got the point of the study/article. The less flucuation in night and day temps(regardless of the range that you run in) should reduce the stretch between intenodes, according to this.
I;ve never tried a side by side, or even closely observed identical strains under identical conditions, to reach a conclusion and verify the authenticity of the effects.
I think temps and circulation are a couple of factors that all ID growers are well aware of and are forced to deal with. It just makes sense to attempt to keep things cooler-lights on, warmer light off, all within the "acceptable" range.

[HighBlueSkies]

The indoor thermostat for my dwelling is set to 80 (26.6) and afternoon outdoors temps are generally in the 87 to 90 range (31-33) and plants thrive!

Well hmmm... it seems as if I am seeing a difference of opinions from the start of this thread. Which is better, colder or warmer growing temperatures? You say your plants THRIVE in 80F temps yet earlier posts say a cooler temp is preferred? I posted a new thread about the temperature range of cannabis plants and would really like to get to the bottom of this issue. What is optimal growing temps? Do different strains prefer different temperatures?

[meangreen]

I run Co2 and maintain 78-82 day and night drops to 68-72.A max of 10 degree difference has never caused any negitive growth for me,but then different strains respond differently to different environments;hence the word pheno.Heat and low light levels are the proven stretch factors in my experience.I have seen amazing plants grown with a 20 degree day/night variable.50-60 watts per sqft flower and as low as 30 for veg.Remember,heat kills without supplimenting with co2.73-78 is what I recommend you strive for in days.

[grouchy_old_dude]

.....I agree with mean'.(73-78 is ideal) Temps below 60 F and above 80 F(no c02 supplimentation) have negative effects.