How to reduce the risk of mould in your grow room
There is little else more fulfilling for a cannabis enthusiast than a thriving, healthy crop that flourishes to produce only the best quality product, but sometimes things like mould get in the way. In these confined spaces, it’s easy to see how a plague of mould spores could take over, thanks to the cushy environment that encourages germination. Still, it’s a problem that’s avoidable, as long as you’re willing to take the right steps.
1. Do not allow food or drinks
It might be tempting to bring a drink or snack with you to keep up your energy while tending to your grow room, especially when you’re hard at work with big tasks like design or harvesting, but it’s also the fastest way to contaminate your workspace with loads of live bacteria. For that reason alone, food and drink should be enjoyed somewhere else.
2. A dirty room for dirty tasks
Generally, grow rooms are clean spaces, and if maintained, it’s not hard to keep them that way, but there will always be dirty tasks associated with cultivation that will be unavoidable. Whether it’s a pair of trimming shears that need scrubbing, pots that need disinfecting, or trays that need a bath, this dirty work should be isolated to one room that is outside of your main grow room.
3. Separate grow spaces by section
Sometimes mould is a plant-specific problem that can spread to the next which is why it’s a good idea to maintain separate or multiple compartments that will allow you to isolate parts of a crop from one another. This way, if one is impacted, the others might not fall victim to the same fate, and it makes sanitizing an infected space a quicker job too.
4. Never leave garbage to sit
A spilt glass of milk or a bit of coffee left in a cup, and just about anything else that might get tossed in your grow room, like soil pods, will rot quite quickly, especially when kept in an enclosed and warm space, which is why most things should be left outside, but when that’s not possible, it’s a good idea to consistently, at minimum daily, remove any trash that lingers before it can go ripe and infect your grow.
5. Avoid sweeping
Sweeping is usually a good thing. It’s a way to tidy up all of the small bits and pieces of things on the floor, and it’s generally our go-to tool to pick up dirt, but it’s not a great idea in a grow room because it will kick up particles that are resting on the floor which may contain mould or bacteria. Instead of a broom, invest in a high-quality filtered vacuum to get the job done right.
6. Eliminate all pooling or standing water
Grow rooms are naturally damp spaces because you’re constantly feeding the crop the perfect amount of water to stay healthy and green, but unfortunately, moisture is just a building block that contributes to mould growth which is why it needs to be closely monitored and managed. You’ll want to avoid pooling water in soil and trays to be on the safe side.
7. Protective gear for those who enter
This step might seem a little bit extreme to some, but mould spores can be found virtually everywhere in nature, so it’s highly likely that a contaminant could hitch a ride in on your clothes or sneakers during a simple check-in. That’s why it’s common practice for large-scale producers to require protective gear for every person that enters, be it a visitor or employee.
8. Sterilize and sanitize
Everything and anything that enters your grow room should be completely sanitized and or sterilized to ensure that any live bacteria is long dead, and this isn’t just true for pots and tools. Everything from the soil to the nutrients you use should be sterile so as to reduce the risk of mould growth as much as possible.
9. Cooler temperatures
Growing cannabis indoors is often preferred because these plants love to soak up the heat, something that is hard to get consistently in the great outdoors, but you don’t want to go overboard with this temperature. In fact, you’ll want to keep the heat on as low as possible because excessive warmth contributes to humidity while also increasing the risk of mould growth.
10. Steer clear of beneficial bugs and manage pests
Beneficial insects can play an important role in a grow room, but they should only be used early in the growing cycle because they can spread mould spores at an incredible rate, as can annoying pests such as aphids. So, if it’s possible, it’s best to keep bug life in your grow room to a minimum.
