Runtz Auto

Note to self: If you do this again next year, wait one more month so there aren't any hot days Photos taken on 10/29 (19 days from seed). The plants have been transplanted into the Earthbox (both of them--I'm doing 2 plants in a full size Earthbox). It seems like they slowed down for a few days after transplant but they are growing again. Preparing for explosive vegetative growth. The plants are now in the "deep freeze grow room." The insulation is working very well, but there are some stability issues with temperature and humidity. I have been able to keep temperatures *relatively* stable, but they fluctuate between 70F-80F pretty frequently. Humidity is 50%-Here are some details: 1. A 100W flat panel radiant heater keeps the temp from falling below 70F. This mainly kicks on when the light is turned off. 2. The humidifier max setting is 80%RH, and the cabinet itself stays at about 60%RH. I'm not sure why this is since the fan is ensuring maximum entropy. My best guess is a cheap hygrometer in the humidifier. Unfortunately, I do not have a control device that could regulate the humidity more precisely. I should invest in one for the next grow. 3. The exhaust fan is something I am adjusting constantly. We have had hotter days than expected lately, and the insulation really keeps in the heat. When it is cold outside (sub-40F), the cabinet works great, but that means the heater kicks on more often. When it is warmer outside, the fan stays on constantly, but when it is cooler I set it on a cycle. 2 min On / 7 min Off tends to work best when the outside temps are between 30-40. Temp/humidity regulation will obviously change as the plants get bigger and respirate more. The jury is still out on how well my cold weather cabinet will work, but so far I have been able to regulate it so that the VPD is averaging 1.33 kPa. Not terrible, but not great. The real Achilles heel in the system is the weak humidifier. If it could more quickly raise the humidity in the cabinet I'd be able to keep VPD lower, as one would want in the veg stage. Fuck it, though, I'm growing in an uninsulated attic in a totally DIY cabinet so I should be happy it's working at all.