Getting a good grow light and a grow tent isn’t where the buck stops when it comes to growing marijuana indoors in a grow tent. You also need to account for one more factor – grow tent humidity. This is of particular importance if you are someone who is growing marijuana in a place where humidity levels tend to be naturally too low. Humidity is important for the growth of plants because of a number of reasons and we shall be taking a detailed look at that in this article. The idea behind this article is to give you a good and detailed idea on how to increase humidity in a grow tent.
We shall be looking at what is humidity and how it is beneficial for the health of a marijuana plant. We shall also be looking at some traditional as well as non-traditional ways of increasing humidity inside a grow tent – and a look at some of the best humidifiers that you can buy in order to ensure that your plants are getting a healthy growth. It will then be followed by some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and then the conclusion. Let us now begin by understanding humidity and why it is important for the plants.
What Is Humidity? Why Do Your Plants Need It?
Plants need water to grow. Some need a lot of it while there are others which need slightly lesser water. However, they all need water and that is a very basic fact. Water can be provided to plants artificially via humans when growing indoors by pouring some water on to the soil – or if the plants are growing naturally outdoors, this water can reach them via the groundwater or via rain. This water is then absorbed from the soil by the roots and then circulated across the plant’s body.
However, there’s another way in which plants get water. From the air around them. This is the basic concept of humidity – the amount of water content in the air. Humidity is usually expressed in percentage and the higher the percentage, the higher the amount of water in the air and the lower the number, the dryer the air is. Having a humid air helps the plants, especially during early stages of their growth.
While the root provides sufficient water to the plants, it takes quite some time and energy on the plant’s behalf to circulate this all over its body and for it to reach the leaves. However, if the weather is humid, the roots don’t really have to put too much stress on themselves as water can then directly be absorbed by the leaves via the stomata openings. This makes it easier for the plants to get water and keeps them supple and healthy as well as reduces the stress on the roots.
Humidity levels, however, need to be reduced during the flowering stages because this is where a majority of supplements and nutrients are to be provided to the plants via the roots and hence growers must make sure that the plants are absorbing more water via the roots than the leaves and hence the humidity has to be reduced. There are a number of different ways to increase the humidity inside a grow tent – the most common of it being the use of humidifiers. However, there are some growers who also prefer to use some non-conventional methods of increasing humidity without really having to use humidifiers. We shall be taking a look at both these methods next:
5 Best Humidifiers for Increasing Humidity in a Grow Tent
These are five of the best humidifiers using which would help you ensure that the humidity levels
- Capacity: 0.5 Gallon
- Size: 8.4 x 8.4 x 10 inches
- Type: Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
A small sized humidifier which can be kept inside a grow tent and helps increase the humidity in there, this one is manufactured by Crane and is a pretty good solution for most growers. This humidifier comes with a half-a-gallon tank and can run on three different modes – high, medium and low. When operating on the ‘high’ setting, it can humidify your room for 15 hours while that time can go longer if you lower the settings. Another great feature about this Crane Drop humidifier is that it works very silently and does not make any noise which might bother you.
There’s also the provision of vapor pads and the humidifier supports HS-1950 Menthol Vapor Pads and the HS-1950L Lavender and Sweet Orange Vapor Pads which help spread nice aroma in the room. Another interesting thing which makes this among one of the best humidifiers for growing marijuana is that it comes with an auto-shut off feature as well. Refilling the tank is also quite easy as the water goes in from the top.
- Small and portable – can be kept in grow tents without taking much space
- Small water tank is sufficient for grow tents
- Runs for 15 hours and has three different modes
- Refilling is easy
- Some people have reported a plasticky-odor coming from the product in initial days
- Capacity: 1 Gallon
- Size: 7.5 x 7.5 x 13.2 inches
- Type: Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
This is another good option for growers who are looking forward to growing weed indoors in a grow tent and want a humidifier for their needs. This humidifier offers you a one gallon tank (double the size of the previous one) and is quite a portable sized device too. This is a cool mist humidifier from guardian technologies it can spray upto 1 gallon of mist in the air for about 70 hours. The maximum area it can cover is 320sq.ft. The tank comes with a ‘silver clean protection’ system which ensures that molds and mildew don’t accumulate inside the tank.
There’s also an aromatherapy tray, which is an added bonus for growers as it allows them to add essential oils. This humidifier can also be used in your bed rooms and has a night light feature in it as well and can double-up as a night lamp. In addition to that, the humidifier also has a light which will indicate that the water level is running low and that you should now refill it. It sprays multidirectional mist, which makes it even better if you keep it in the center of the grow tent. The cord that this humidifier comes with also measures 5ft, which is pretty good.
- 1 Gallon tank which can run for 70 hours
- Good for grow tents as well as bedrooms
- Supports essential oils, can also be used as a night-light
- Indicator lights which tell you when you need to fill water again
- Sometimes mold might form on it and needs to be cleaned frequently
- Capacity: 1.25-gallon
- Size: 12 x 6 x 12 inches
- Type: Cool Mist Humidifier
Honeywell is one of the biggest and the most popular names for those people who are looking forward to getting a good humidifier for their grow tent. This is a larger humidifier than the two above and it comes with a 1.25 gallon tank, and provides the area with a very fine and cool mist. This humidifier also comes in a black color variant. The tank is suitable for an operation of upto 36 hours. Once your tank gets empty, there’s an auto-shut off feature in this humidifier which will ensure that it shuts down automatically.
Filling water in this humidifier from Honeywell is also quite easy as you can fill it directly from the top. The tank opening is pretty wide which makes it easy to drain out the water if needed and also to clean the tank. The directional mist outlet can rotate for about 180 degrees to ensure the mist is sprayed properly. The tank handle has been designed in a way to give you a proper grip over the device and move it around easily. There are multiple setting modes which will define the intensity of the mist being sprayed out of the humidifier. All in all a great buy and can also be used for medium-sized rooms.
- The Honeywell brand is among the most trusted names in home-tech
- Can be filled easily, can be cleaned easily
- Auto-shut off
- Portable and easy to move
- Makes noise after some time of usage
- Capacity: 500ml
- Size: 5.3 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches
- Type: Cool Mist Dehumidifier
For those wanting a tiny little dehumidifier for their grow tents, this is a great option. If you are pondering over the question of how to increase humidity in grow tents, this humidifier from Movtip is what you must look at! With a 500ml tank, this humidifier can last for about 12 to 18 hours. There are two modes – one where it sprays mist continuously for 12 hours and another where it takes some breaks and lasts for 18 hours. There’s a water-level sensor which has been fitted inside the device which automatically shuts it down when the water levels go very low.
This humidifier works on a USB plug which means it can be used during travel too, and it is a small device which makes it very easy to carry inside a bag. Using this humidifier is also quite simple as there’s just one button that you have to use to control the whole thing. It is also pretty cheap as it costs under $20.
- Quite cheap
- Small and portable – can easily be kept in a grow tent or carried around in a backpack
- Powered via USB
- Can last for 18 hours
- Effective only for smaller areas
How to Increase Grow Tent Humidity Without Using a Humidifier?
While using humidifiers is one way to increase humidity in a grow tent, there’s another way as well – making use of some basic techniques which will add moisture to the air. You can use fine-spray bottles or misters as one way to add humidity to the air instead of using humidifiers. Setting the extraction fan’s speed to the least possible value will also aid in retaining humidity inside the grow tent. Also make sure the temperatures are cool. Another time-tested way is to grow small and large plants together, which is a great way of ensuring the young plants are getting sufficient humidity from the water released in the air by the larger plants. Also try setting trays of water near the holes from which the air enters the grow tent. These are some ‘hacks’ using which you can increase the humidity in grow tents – but then again, you must also know that there’s no actual replacement to humidifiers.
Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for Before Buying a Humidifier?
Here’s a quick buyer’s guide which tells you what all things you need to look for before you buy a humidifier for your grow tent:
- Size of your grow tent or grow room: You need to be aware of the size of your grow tent or grow room before you buy the humidifier because it needs to be powerful enough to cover the entire area. Grow tents are usually easy to cover but when it comes to larger areas, growers need to be more careful in selection.
- Tank Size: The tank size needs to be large enough – the larger the tank the more mist will be sprayed out and for a longer time too.
- Noise levels of the humidifier: Humidifiers can sometimes be too noisy – hence growers need to make sure that the one that they are planning to buy does not make too much noise.
- Portability: This is another important factor, a grow tent humidifier needs to be portable enough so that it can be carried around with ease and water can be filled in it without much of a hassle as well. Also make sure that the opening is wide enough for you to easily clean the device because if left unclean for a long time mold and mildew might begin to appear.
- Cost and Warranty: In most of the cases you won’t really find a warranty on small-sized humidifiers. The cost too, is usually under $50 for most of them. The bigger the coverage the higher the costs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Humidifiers for Grow Tents
Here are the answers to some of the commonly asked questions about increasing humidity during growing marijuana inside a grow tent
1. Can I grow marijuana without using a humidifier?
Yes you can. However, using a humidifier makes the plants grow better – especially important if you are living in a region where the air is anyway devoid of humidity. However, there’s a good chance that you can grow your plants without using a humidifier. People still prefer getting one because it is usually quite inexpensive and helps the plants perform better.
2. Are humidifiers legal?
Yes, humidifiers are totally legal to use as they can be used not only in growing weed, but also in your bedrooms or living rooms. Babies tend to sleep better if the humidity conditions are improved. Furniture stays good for a longer time if humidity in the room is proper. Hence, humidifiers are perfectly legal. However, growing weed might be illegal in the area that you are living in so just make sure you have checked it out with your local law enforcement whether you can grow weed – and if so, how much.
3. Which are some good humidifier brands?
Honeywell is undisputedly the best name when it comes to humidifiers. However, pretty much all of them do the same task and come at a similar price point so it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. There are four brands mentioned above in the list of the best humidifiers and you can choose any product from the list, each of them are equally good.
4. Why is humidity important for plants?
The right amount of humidity helps plants to grow. When the weather is humid, the roots don’t have to put much stress on absorbing water. That’s because it can be absorbed directly by the leaves through the stomata openings. This keeps the plants healthy and also reduces the stress on the roots.
5. What is the best way to increase the humidity levels in a grow tent?
You can use a humidifier to increase the humidity levels in a grow tent. Besides that, you can also use misters or spray bottles o to add humidity to the air.
6. Is excess humidity bad for plants?
Yes, too much humidity in the air is bad for your plants. That’s because it promotes the growth of bacteria and mold that can kill or harm your plants. High humidity also invites pests like fungus gnats.
7. How much humidity is too much for plants?
The best range is between 60% and 80%. This is the perfect level of humidity for indoor plants.
Finally, to sum it up, we hope that by this point in this article, you are fully aware about how to keep your grow tent or your grow room humid enough so that your plants can get a good growth. We have tried and included all aspects of a humidifier that you must know about as well as presented a list of some of the best humidifiers that you can buy off the markets right now. If there’s anything more that you might want to know or if there is something you feel we forgot to include, do let us know in the comments or drop us a mail about the same and we shall get back to you soon! Till then…
….Happy Growing! 🙂
- 1 5 Best Humidifiers for Increasing Humidity in a Grow Tent
- 2 How to Increase Grow Tent Humidity Without Using a Humidifier?
- 3 Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for Before Buying a Humidifier?
- 4 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Humidifiers for Grow Tents
- 4.1 1. Can I grow marijuana without using a humidifier?
- 4.2 2. Are humidifiers legal?
- 4.3 3. Which are some good humidifier brands?
- 4.4 4. Why is humidity important for plants?
- 4.5 5. What is the best way to increase the humidity levels in a grow tent?
- 4.6 6. Is excess humidity bad for plants?
- 4.7 7. How much humidity is too much for plants?
- 5 Conclusion