Controlling Heat in your Garden
Controlling Heat in your Garden - What's the best way for my Garden ?
Yes it's that time of the year again, the heat is here, you've notice an increase in temperature and maybe you've seen a change in your plants health. You might be noticing that your plants are wilting, consuming more water, or maybe in severe cases experiencing sun damage and even death.
None of us enjoy extreme heat and neither do our plants. There is a number of ways to control heat in a grow space, whether you're outside, in a greenhouse or growing indoors. One of the most underrated environmental controls is airflow, whether its extracting air from a space or trying to circulate it throughout the chosen space, air flow is crucial to success.
Air circulation in a enclosed space is usually achieved by oscillating fans that push the air around, another popular method is using air distribution socks like the FLOW MAX.
For small spaces: Oscillating fans are very popular for tent growers and small indoor gardens as they are easy to set up and use.
Oscillating fans benefits: Oscillating fans are good for even air dissipation to decrease the amount of hot spots in your space but won't decrease the overall temperature.
Larger Spaces, Commercial & Greenhouse: Air socks usually require long lengths and are much more effective in bigger spaces.
Air distribution sock benefits: Air socks are much better than oscillating fans in terms of cooling or equalization of an environment. They can be used in conjunction with air conditioners or evaporative cooling systems making it easier to direct cool air.
Another Method is Extraction, extracting air from a space can be a good way to decrease temperature, especially if the fan is placed near the ceiling, as the heat rises it will be extracted by the fan, this method almost creates a 'vacuum' pulling cool air into the area as the hot air is extracted - The term for this is 'negative pressure'. This is a very popular way for greenhouse and indoor gardeners to control heat.
Other ways of Controlling Heat
- Silica Products
- Co2
- Humidifiers
Silica increases a plant heat resistance by creating a layer on top of the cell wall which acts as a physical barrier and thermal insulator, the protective layer will help stabilize internal temperatures by reflecting sunlight & reducing heat absorption.
Higher Co2 levels can increase a plants resistance to heat, the transpiration rate is reduced because the stomata does not need to open as much as normal. Having a smaller stomata means less water loss through transpiration and higher levels of photosynthesis.
Humidifiers can be useful as they can decrease the rate of transpiration, this works by increasing the amount of water in the air (humidity) which makes the plant burn less energy trying to cool itself down. This is a popular way for growers in enclosed spaces like a greenhouse.
Ways of Controlling Heat Outside
One of the most effective ways to control heat outdoors is by creating shaded areas. This can be done with permanent structures or by using shade cloth. Many growers simply place shade cloth over their plants during the hottest part of the day - for example, from 12pm to 3pm - to protect them from peak heat and reduce stress.
Other Products to Help with Heat Resistance
Beneficial microorganisms - such as mycorrhizal fungi - can help plants tolerate heat by improving nutrient uptake and supporting stronger photosynthesis. This reduces heat stress and helps the plant maintain a healthy osmotic balance.
Protein hydrolysates are also effective for managing heat stress. These biostimulants provide peptides and amino acids that boost resilience by enhancing antioxidant activity and supporting a healthy root microbiome.
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