Recognizing the paramount role of the environment in plant cultivation is essential. Regardless of the nutrients and boosters applied, their effectiveness is intricately tied to the prevailing conditions.
Determining the ideal humidity presents a challenge, given its dependence on various factors such as air temperature, leaf temperature, growth stage, and the time of day. This complexity makes it difficult to pinpoint the optimal humidity for any given moment.
Enter VPD - Vapour Pressure Deficit. VPD integrates temperature, humidity, and leaf temperature into a singular metric, providing insights into plant transpiration. Transpiration directly influences nutrient absorption, translocation, and overall growth. As plants lose water through leaves, they absorb water and nutrients through their roots, with the transpiration stream facilitating nutrient deposition where needed.
A Low VPD indicates more moisture in the air, resulting in slower transpiration with a smaller gap between moisture levels in leaves and air. Conversely, a High VPD signifies less moisture in the air, fostering faster transpiration with a larger gap between moisture levels.
Achieving the target VPD is crucial, and here are recommended ranges for different growth stages:
Early Veg: 0.4 - 0.8 Kpa
Ideal for delicate plants with limited root systems, slowing transpiration.
Late Veg / Early Flowering: 0.8 - 1.2 Kpa
Suitable for plants with increased leaves and roots, promoting nutrient uptake, translocation, and growth.
Late Flowering: 1.2 - 1.6 KpA
Appropriate for well-established plants with increased water uptake, requiring a drier environment to mitigate the risk of bud rot.
Implementing VPD allows meticulous management of nutrient uptake and growth, aiding growers in optimizing yields and shortening growth cycles.
Key benefits of VPD include:
Precision in managing nutrient uptake, growth, and yield.
Rot prevention in flowering by regulating humidity.
Stress mitigation for plants, preventing excessive transpiration-induced stress.
Utilizing VPD monitoring involves continuous assessment of temperature and humidity at the leaf level. While manual, this method ensures a nuanced understanding of environmental conditions, enabling growers to make informed adjustments and uphold optimal cultivation parameters.
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