Growing cannabis indoors allows for controlled environments that have the potential to meet every one of your cannabis plant’s needs. Spectrally tunable LED lights allow light to nourish each plant properly, and the controlled environment makes it easier to monitor everything in the grow space (Hortibiz Daily, 2020). While indoor cannabis growing is more costly than outdoor growth, it allows for numerous growth cycles, leading to larger yields and higher profits (Hortibiz Daily, 2020).
Why Sanitation is Important
While yes, the controlled nature of indoor grow operations is seen as ideal for sprouting the best bud around; some not-so-perfect things can happen inside cannabis grow rooms.
They are the perfect environment for mold, pests, and viruses. For one thing, indoor grow operations and greenhouses tend to be “hotbeds of microbial activity” due to their constant presence of warm, moist air. Likewise, the process of trimming is a breeding ground for fungal growth (Lorenz, 2020).
And separately but equally as threatening to yields, pests and viruses can quickly spread from plant to plant, damaging the entire crop.
This is where sanitation makes the difference – proper grow room sanitation will help prevent the initial issue of mold, pests, and viruses and could eliminate the need for the resulting pesticide use, chemical sprays, pesticide resistance, and more (Eddy, 2018).
Sophia Daukus writes, "by implementing good farming and production practices, including proper sanitization and sterilization regimes, grow room managers can help keep pests and undesirable microbes at bay,” and produce higher cannabis yields (2020).
Sanitation Tips & Tricks for Your Cannabis Grow Operation
There are numerous ways to ensure your grow room stays clean and sanitized. While every room and operation is different, here are some everyday things people do to keep everything spic and span.
MMI Agriculture Solutions recommends (2022):
Focus on cleanliness – powdery mildew and pollen build up in rooms lacking airflow. Inspecting plants closely, ensuring the floor and appliances are cleaned regularly, and checking grow equipment will all help lessen the threat of fungal growth. Likewise, keeping everything that exits and enters the room as clean as possible upon entrance/exit will help to promote a clean, sanitary environment.
Clean your ventilation systems – Ventilation is critical when regulating the air that reaches your plants.
Clean and sterilize grow systems.
Clean your grow lights.
Cleaning your irrigation systems – “Bacteria and mold can grow in pipes that are dark and humid,” so it is essential to break down your irrigation system and clean it out regularly.
While every operation is different, ensuring your facility is clean is important. Your plant’s health depends on it!
Spring Cleaning with Steep Hill Illinois
At Steep Hill Illinois, we know that maintaining quality cannabis is not as easy as it sounds. However, we also know that verifying your cannabis’ quality and potency is vital to ensuring consumers receive accurate, reliable product information. That is where we can help you. Our lab in Aurora, Illinois, offers cannabinoid and terpene testing, pesticide analysis, mycotoxins analysis, and so much more. Contact us today to get started!
References:
Daukus, S. (2020, July 20). Clean grow rooms produce higher yields - MG magazine. MG Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://mgmagazine.com/business/growing-horticulture/clean-grow-rooms-produce-higher-yields/
Eddy, R. (2018, January). The clean grow - cannabis business times. Cannabis Business Times. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/the-clean-grow/
Grow room cleaning tips; 6 factors to consider. MMI Agriculture Solutions. (2022, April 25). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://mmiagriculture.com/blog/6-tasks-for-indoor-cannabis-grow-room-cleaning-checklist/
Lorenz, B. (2020, July 27). Cannabis mold: How to disinfect indoor grows. Analytical Cannabis. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/cannabis-mold-how-to-disinfect-indoor-grows-312330
Pros and cons of growing cannabis indoor. Hortibiz Daily. (2020, May 18). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.hortibiz.com/newsitem/news/pros-and-cons-of-growing-cannabis-indoor/