Grow Room Temp VS Ideal Light Schedule

[NorseGrower]

Hello all,

I have a small 4x2 tent in an un-airconditioned space that I constantly struggle with. I am using 4" supply to pull in air conditioned air into tents but negative pressure still pulls in outer air that causes me headaches. I just took some steps to cool down my space today but I don't want to discuss cooling options. I want to get peoples opinions on the lesser of two evils. I have 5 plants in mid flower. Temps are starting to climb above 85 f and this is killing lights for 4-6 hours during hottest time of day.

In your opinion. Would be be more detrimental to the plants to cut light schedule below 18/6 down to something along the lines of 14/10 or would it be more detrimental to allow space to exceed 85 degrees in flower. I am concerned about essential oil evaporation and don't know if its a valid enough concern to commit to smaller yield with less light time.

What are your thoughts? May run photos in tent in summer to get that 12-12 cool down but I got to get through this one first.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[DCLXVI]

Maybe some silly questions but just things that I immediately though of for you:

I'm sure you've addressed these already but...
Is it an LED light or an HPS? Is the driver in the tent or outside? Most likely you have a fan inside the tent circulating air, yea?

What kind/brand of tent is it? I spent a lot of time taping up all the seams, panels, and openings on mine. All the vents and the viewing window on the door were leaking a ton. Velcro is not a great sealing closure. If you can seal up some of the larger ports you might have an easier time controlling the air in/out to draw that cooler air where you want it. My setup is sort of final so it was easier for me to make the decision to shut off certain ports permanently.

I used aluminum backed actual duct tape (EDIT: they call it foil tape) on the inside and gorilla waterproof tape on the outside. The gorilla tape is a bit spendy but works great. I layered around all the circular ports where wires and ducts go in and out. The stitching isn't bad just not airtight. Any passive vent with a velcro closure will leak a ton. Well, mine did.

I don't know if you're in the US but you can get this at Home Depot. It's in the paint section near the caulk of all things.....

Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape Black | Gorilla Glue

Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape instantly seals out water, air, and moisture. This waterproof tape conforms to form a permanent bond indoors and out.

www.gorillatough.com

Last resort, you could try filling a couple jugs with water and freezing them. Stick em in the tent as a passive cooling radiator with a fan blowing over them. Low tech swamp cooler.

 

[NorseGrower]

Is it an LED light or an HPS? Is the driver in the tent or outside? Most likely you have a fan inside the tent circulating air, yea?

I actually have two tents in space. One is a 4x2 with a Mars Hydro TSL2000. It does have the drivers inside tent. I know they can screw off top and getting that out would definitely bring down temps some. Not sure of there is enough slack in the wiring and thats probably why I haven't persued sooner. I really don't want to have to extend the wiring by splicing. The second tent was supposed to be a dry tent lol Its a 30x18x36 or something along those lines. I put a Mars SP150 in that one and grow smaller plants in 1 gallon pots. It does not have a removable driver I believe.

What kind/brand of tent is it? I spent a lot of time taping up all the seams, panels, and openings on mine. All the vents and the viewing window on the door were leaking a ton. Velcro is not a great sealing closure. If you can seal up some of the larger ports you might have an easier time controlling the air in/out to draw that cooler air where you want it.

Both tents are Vivosun and there are defintely a lot of spots around velcro areas that allow that exterior air to get sucked in with that negative pressure. The air being brought in through the 4" is coming from office with 72 f air so most of the heat is being sucked in from unairconditioned space. I think you are right and I need to do some better sealing up.

The gorilla tape is a bit spendy but works great.

I am going to order the exact kind you linked to, Thanks!

Last resort, you could try filling a couple jugs with water and freezing them. Stick em in the tent as a passive cooling radiator with a fan blowing over them. Low tech swamp cooler.

I actually went to the effort to buy a 12k BTU portable AC for space. Problem was I couldn't properly vent outside. I tried to use plastic sheeting to seal off behind it but that didn't work at all and kept shutting off with errors. So I instead took that portable AC unit into adjacent room where I can vent properly out window. Then I sawed a 6" hole and added a vent connected to a 6" inline fan pulling colder air from room into my space. I just did this this morning and it was already so hot in there so its going to take awhile to see if this works and the way space is insulated, its going to need more follow up regardless.

 

[Arthur]

If I was seeing things push 90* I might drop the hrs down some. I'm normally 82 to 84 without issue.

More likely I'd run with the tent doors unzipped, but I don't have to worry about odor here...

 

[NorseGrower]

If I was seeing things push 90* I might drop the hrs down some. I'm normally 82 to 84 without issue.

More likely I'd run with the tent doors unzipped, but I don't have to worry about odor here...

So 84 f in flower doesn't give you cause for serious concern? I think I can maintain a 18/6 and still keep it 85 or below but i was really wanting sub 80 deg once fully into flower.

 

[Arthur]

So 84 f in flower doesn't give you cause for serious concern? I think I can maintain a 18/6 and still keep it 85 or below but i was really wanting sub 80 deg once fully into flower.

Not a bit. As long as the rH is between 40 & 50% at those temps. Best growth under LED is seen between about 80 and 84.
Quality wise I try and get the temps low the last 2 weeks, cool temps tends to give you denser nugs, also can cause some strains to "color up". But all in all, no. 84-85 doesn't make me run for the AC knob.