New Grower Help critique my grow please

[hello]

I have a 12'x18'x9' grow room insulated reflective lined.
6" intake outside air I run full speed ... and 6" exhaust fan I run slower.
Larger house style humidifier only holding 40 percent humidity at full speed. I need advise help here. I can't get humidity any higher.
I maintain 80 degree F. Temp.
I have older AF seeds not germinating in damp paper towel inside Tupperware sealed with 80 F temp. Other seed germinated but many won't. Help advise ?
I think I am mainly struggling with humidity. Is there a humidifier advise ?
I have some AF plants a week or two old growing.
I grow edible medicine for depression anxiety focus medicine helps a lot life saving.
Thanks for help.

 

[Badfinger]

You have way more experience then me. But with a massive grow area like that, I would have installed 2-4 humidifiers, and try slowing down the intake fan and exhaust fan to see if that raises the RH%, give the humidifier a chance to humidify the existing air before bringing in so much new air. I know in my 4x4, if I want higher RH, I slow down the fan. Are you using any regular oscillating floor fans to move air/humidity around the room, and strengthen your plants?
I also have had a lot better luck at germination, by just dropping my seeds in a shot glass of water til their tails are about 1/4+ long, then into the medium.
I'm actually blown away that a 6" fan does the job for your size grow space, I would have thought you would need a 10" or 12" fan.
I had to do a double take on those room measurements.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@hello Really 12 feet x 18 feet x 9 feet, I am so envious! That is about 2000 Cubic feet and the rule of thumb is that is what your fan should be moving also 2000 CFM.

Letting the space run cooler will help with the RH. 76°F is fine for a daytime temp. That is a big space. I would get a small swamp cooler controlled by a built in or Inkbird to get your humidity up when needed. That is all this is, a swamp cooler. It is what I use in a 4x6x8 space.
I have to fill this twice a day in my much smaller space (<200ft³). You should look at something like this:

and plumb it in.

If your budget does not allow the new equipment a wet towel with one end in a bucket of water (or 10) might help.

The shell of older seeds can become too dry and tough for the water to get to the embryo fast enough or it may not be strong enough to break it open. There are a couple of things to try. Using fine sand paper (the striker on a match book) scuff the surface of the shell on the seam of the seed a little. Add some kelp to the water you soak the seeds in overnight and then plant them 1/2 inch deep. Keep them Warm 80°F and moist not wet. Turn the blue lights on 24X7 and maintain the RH at =>60%. If the seeds are viable they should grow. The second method is one I have not tested and that is called "Cracking". As the name implies you crack the seeds at the seams with pliers or other tool you can control the pressure to just crack the seam and not crush the seed. Then just plant them. I don't know about you but I am too klutzy to try that one. The method came from a reputable seed breeder.

 

[hello]

I did have great humidity 80% when I was intaking air from inside metal building and exhausting into same space but the building space was soaked dripping with water dew everywhere.
So I changed it to intake outside air and exhaust to outside now I have 40% humidity tops. and my humidifier runs out of water humidity dropped to 20% ouch.
I am trying to keep a tropical environment.
So for now I tried your advise and turned fans down and added a large sham towel half in bucket of water.
I might have to go back to the wet shop space air intake. to get humidity back or add a better humidifier.
I get lost searching for the correct humidifier.
I don't know if my under size fan 6" in and out will exchange enough air for this grow. I am trying to figure that out.
This is a new set up I built. Please let me know where I can find info on fan and humidity problems.
Thanks for helping and advise to fix my issues.

 

[hope2grow]

Have u tried just running the exhaust fan with passive intake, intake fan turned off i mean.. and floor type fans moving air inside the space?? I'd be interested in your temp and RH figures with that setup. I think your moving air in and sucking it out so fast that rh will always be on the lower side. I'm in a smaller room.. maybe 5 x 5.. and have no air circulation intake or exhaust other than the space under the door or when I open the door.. it's not ideal and if i had my way i would have some air circulation and an exhaust but it's not possible.. anyway.. I still manage to pull lots of lovely plants out of it with very little air movement or exchange.

 

[hello]

Have u tried just running the exhaust fan with passive intake, intake fan turned off i mean.. and floor type fans moving air inside the space?? I'd be interested in your temp and RH figures with that setup. I think your moving air in and sucking it out so fast that rh will always be on the lower side. I'm in a smaller room.. maybe 5 x 5.. and have no air circulation intake or exhaust other than the space under the door or when I open the door.. it's not ideal and if i had my way i would have some air circulation and an exhaust but it's not possible.. anyway.. I still manage to pull lots of lovely plants out of it with very little air movement or exchange.

canna connection had a good read about humidity and temp. range to focus on. I will modify things to get there hopefully.

 

[hello]

Thanks for helping.
I slowed fans down and humidity is 55 range. I will add a second humidifier to get higher humidity.
I am looking for help on soil. I wanted to try pro mix and mykos, but I am confused on what other products might be needed. There doesn't seem to be any nutrients in these two products. I'm confused.

 

[DCLXVI]

Ah, well, you need to decide what nutrient line you're going to run then.

Are your seeds already planted in promix?
Do you want to run bagsoil (promix) and a nutrient line?
Organic soil with everything already in it?
Hydro? Coco?

Lots of options.

If you're just leaning promix then a good supplemental nutrient line will be necessary. Lots of people here run Greenleaf Megacrop. Man O Green has a great schedule for balanced nutrients using their products.

Definitely need a pH pen, ppm/ec meter, pH up/down kit. What water are you going to be using? If it's tap water you'll want to test the pH and ppm to get an idea of what you'll be working with. A water report is nice but at the least pH/ppm can get you the right direction.

 

[hello]

Ah, well, you need to decide what nutrient line you're going to run then.

Are your seeds already planted in promix?
Do you want to run bagsoil (promix) and a nutrient line?
Organic soil with everything already in it?
Hydro? Coco?

Lots of options.

If you're just leaning promix then a good supplemental nutrient line will be necessary. Lots of people here run Greenleaf Megacrop. Man O Green has a great schedule for balanced nutrients using their products.

Definitely need a pH pen, ppm/ec meter, pH up/down kit. What water are you going to be using? If it's tap water you'll want to test the pH and ppm to get an idea of what you'll be working with. A water report is nice but at the least pH/ppm can get you the right direction.

This kind of option list is what confuses me.
I have always used kindsoil and cocoloco. I was always confused on anything else.
I was wanting to try and buy a large bag of the pro mix HP or BX, but those choices get confusing. Then I wanted to add the mykos but I originally thought that was all I needed. I think I need to add phosphorus, magnesium , potassium to this. So I don't understand. process or anything yet.

 

[DCLXVI]

No worries man! I'm still pretty new myself. Just try and match what you buy with what it needs. If you go soil, soil nutrients and if you go coco coir, use coco nutes.

That said,

Main nutrients are NPK - nitrogen, potassium, phosporus.

Calcium and Magnesium are secondary.

Most well made nutrient lines contain plenty and have a schedule for you to follow. Be aware most schedules are made for photoperiod plants and your auto plants need only 50-80% of that strength to do well. Also the nutrient schedules are based around using 0ppm distilled or reverse osmosis water, not tap water. So do take into account you water.

I've just picked up a bag of Promix BX myself. I have an order placed for Jacks 321 fertilizer. Going to use those two and hope for a good run. It appears to be a tried and true combination.

The promix has very little nutrients in it so you need to add everything.

To answer about your mykos. It is a soil bacteria/fungus mix. Those help break down nutrients in the soil so your plant can use them. They make the soil healthier. You have to give them things to eat to provide for your plant. It's great to use but won't be enough on it's own.

Here is a link: Might be worth some reading and poking around.

jrpeters12345

www.jacksnutrients.com