Air movement is very important when growing cannabis. From a security standpoint, fans and air filters will rid the air of unwanted smells that can bring attention to your cultivation. This way you can continue to grow without interruptions from others.
Another important reason to move the air is to prevent mold and root rot. Even thought your roots are in the ground, they still need oxygen so they don't rot and cause diseases in your plant. Also, when your cannabis is in bloom, your buds can end up getting mold if there is not enough air circulation, which sucks and ruins your hard work because you CANNOT consume moldy buds.
Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine - Your Cannabis Too!
Circulate your air properly
Everyone knows that plants create oxygen for the majority of living creatures on the planet. But some folks don't realize that plants themselves need oxygen too for healthy growth and production. Good circulation detours bugs and increases growth speeds. Controlling the air flow also helps to control the temperature a lot more efficiently.
While filtering the air helps remove the scent, lessens moisture in the tent, and prevents pests, having a nice breeze in the tent helps to strengthen the plants stems and branched. This is definitely a good thing when it comes time to bloom your plants because the weight of the buds can get quite heavy and you don't want your main stem or the branches to break.
Making sure to get the right size fan for exhaust and circulation can sometimes be difficult to figure out. Since air flow is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute), you can multiply the length time the width times the height to get the cubic measurement. Then multiple by 60 minutes and divide by 5. For example, if the grow tent is 2' long, 2' wide, and 5' tall it looks like this:
2' x 2' x 5' = 20
20 x 5 = 100
So you would need an inline fan that is 100-CFM. Now this does seem like it is moving a lot of air, however, you'll actually want to size up a little bit more than the actual calculation so it also takes into account the obstruction caused by the air filter itself AND the fans ability to draw out heat from your grow lights. After you figure out what size fan, you'll want to figure out the filter size.
This part is actually kind of easy. You should choose the air filter that fits the size of your fan air outlet, that lasts the longest, and is most economical. Most fans for exhaust are 4", 6" or 8" in mainstream stores though you can order larger ones. The filter does not effect the heat, but you still need a fan strong enough to blow past the filter to help cool the space and eliminate odors. If you get a full grow tent kit these things have been taken into account for you.
