Just like any other aspect of hydroponic systems, humidity shares equal importance. A large proportion of your plant’s growth is determined by humidity. In other words, the humidity in your environment decides the type of plants you’ll have. To get your desired plants, there are several ways to increase humidity in hydroponics.
You can increase humidity in hydroponics using methods like humidification, wetting, fan adjustment, temperature regulation, sprinkling, etc. However, you should know how much humidity is suitable for your crops.
How To Increase Humidity In Hydroponics
Here is a table comparing all the methods to increase humidity in hydroponics:
| Name | Suitable Plants | Humidity Range | Weather Conditions | Cost |
| The Combination Method. | Lettuce, Onions, Broccoli | 50%-60% | Hot and Humid | 5-10 USD |
| The Humidifying Method | Cabbage, Broccoli, Beans, Lettuce | 50%-70% | Cool and arid | 30-40 USD |
| The Propagation Method | Tomato, Garlic, Lettuce, Beans, Cauliflower | 50%-65% | Hot and dry, Humid | 10-15 USD |
| The Wetting Technique | Garlic, Blueberries, Melons | 40%-70% | Hot and dry, Cool and dry | 1-5 USD |
| Fan Adjustment technique | Lettuce, Dry fruits, Chillies | 50%-60% | Hot and Humid | 25-30 USD |
| Temperature Regulation Process | All dry fruits, green vegetables, onion, tomatoes | 50%-70% | Hot | 200-300 USD |
| Water Stock-up method | Lettuce, Radish, Carrot, Cauliflower | 50%-70% | Hot and dry, Cold and dry | 5-10 USD |
| The Sprinkling Process | All types of green vegetables and dry fruits. | 50%-65% | Dry and Arid | 10-20 USD |
1. The Combination Method
The main principle of the combination method of hydroponics is competition among plants. There will be competition among plants when placed together. The main resources for this competition are light, nutrients, air, and space.
In general, larger plants win the competition with smaller plants when placed together. Moreover, transpiration occurs more in larger plants like cabbages and lettuce. This transpiration facilitates more relative humidity in your hydroponic system.
Especially in grow tents, humidity increases once you start adding larger plants. Once there is enough humidity in the air, younger plants can take it for themselves. Along with humidity, the largest plant emits more Carbon dioxide.
Thus, there will be enough growing resources for smaller counterparts. This method works due to the larger surface area of the leaves. The larger the surface area, the more will be the number of stomata.
Thus, the rate of transpiration will be more, ejecting more water vapor. However, a proper combination of better efficiency is a must-have condition. You’ll have to choose a leafy vegetable to make the system work efficiently.
Many make the mistake of overcrowding the larger plants to get more resource output. On doing such, your plants won’t get a fair share. They might get resources like carbon-dioxide but will struggle for oxygen and nutrients.
To keep it balanced, don’t exceed planting more than three plants in a pod. In the case of 2 green vegetables, plant one counterpart. It is also recommended to select a wide pod for extra space.
To perform the combination method, you’ll have to widen your growing environment. It will cost you around 5-10 USD. All your investments will be spent on purchasing wide growing pods.
Make sure to select the growing pods of high-quality plastic. You won’t find any metal pods, as it might react with the growing medium to form rust.
2. The Humidifying Method
If you are searching for how to increase humidity in hydroponics, go for the humidifying method. It is for sure that your investments will bear fruits. The humidifying method is widely used in grow tents and greenhouses.
The main body of the process is a piece of equipment called a humidifier. The equipment ejects a cool mist in water vapor, which is very significant for plant growth. Many humidifiers come with a timer called humidistat, which allows you to set the cycle.
We recommend you to go with TaoTronics Humidifiers (check it on Amazon) which has a capacity of 4 liter and perfect for large grow rooms.
Besides setting time cycles, you can also choose the volume of water vapor. Depending on the size of your growing environment, you can select the intensity. Make sure to keep up the humidity of your growing tent to be around 50 to 70 percent.
Don’t exceed above 70%, as doing such might delay your harvesting period. You will receive optimum results only if your growing environment is set in a Grow tent or greenhouse.
It is also essential to know how to install the humidifier in your hydroponic system. Many grow tents have a top and bottom shelf. If your tent has these two features, you can install the humidifier instantly.
Place the humidifier on the bottom shelf to facilitate even distribution of the humid content. Many like to install the grow lights on the top shelf. Therefore, installing the humidifier on the top shelf will spray mist on your light bulbs.
In such cases, your bulb might get fused very easily. Besides, it is also important to choose a humidifier with a long-running power. Also, check that it can take up to 6 gallons of water at a time.
These figures are highly recommended because it depicts the efficiency of your system. On choosing an electrical humidifier, always check the customer ratings. A good humidifier will cost 30-40 US dollars.
3. The Propagation Method
There is a wide range of appliances to increase the humidity of your hydroponic system. Just like the humidifiers, there is another range of appliances called propagators. In general, seeds have the potential to germinate without any external treatment.
But, many of you have the urge to acquire the results fast. For them, propagators are effective in bringing the harvesting period closer. Just like the above equipment, it solves your query on how to increase humidity in hydroponics or an indoor greenhouse.
To make the most out of it, it is important to set your growing environment in a Greenhouse. For many of you, arranging a greenhouse won’t be easy. Therefore, you can build a grow tent, as the system also works under it.
Many indoor planters use propagators in their Hydroponic system. Propagators also protect the saplings in their germinating and vegetative phase. The equipment works on the main principle of covering sheets from drying out.
There are many fine working propagators available in the market. One of the best-selling propagators is Earlygrow 70738 (Buy Now from Amazon). It is a medium domed propagator that covers germinating seeds with glass covers.
Other measures increase the humidity content but also adds stress to the developing roots. Excessive stress on the developing roots will harm the plant’s growth. Propagators can get high humidity without adding any stress to the growing plants.
Don’t understand Propagators to be some rocket science. In easy words, it is the holding tray that supports the growing pods and medium. Many propagators come with steel meshes embedded with them.
It is recommended to choose such propagators, as it has high moisture retention. For those who can’t afford costly humidifiers, propagators are an excellent choice. However, you won’t be able to regulate the humidity as in the Humidifying Method.
4. The Wetting Technique
Besides all equipment, what if you take a direct procedure? For those who don’t want to spend high investments, the Wetting technique proves to be efficient. Many home gardeners living in hot and dry areas use this technique to support their plants’ growth.
If you want to use this technique, install your growing environment in a Grow tent. The installation cost depends on the area of your growing environment. For home farming, this method will cost you around 1-5 USD.
All you have to arrange is a cotton cloth and a pan. Cotton is essential because it can hold much water and release it within time. Make sure that the cloth is large enough to cover the entire growing tent.
After releasing air droplets into the air, the walls of the grow tent get mist. You can easily notice droplets of water in the walls of the grow tent. This method can easily increase the humidity content from 40% to 70%.
Unlike the humidifying process, the waiting process requires more effort to sustain. The Cotton cloth dries out after a definite interval and needs to be wetted from time to time. To reduce some effort, you can place a pan of water inside the grow tent to increase the percentages.
Choose the size of your pan, depending on the area of your Grow tent. Also, select the lightest cotton material available in the market. Heavy fabric will not allow the exchange of gases into the atmosphere.
As a whole, it might limit the growth of your hydroponic plants. Many gardeners cover only the walls of the grow tent with the cloth. Keep the upper region free from blockages, as doing such will facilitate gaseous movement.
5. Fan Adjustment Technique
To bring this technique to effect, you will need an adjusted fan. An adjustment is significant because it can manage the relative humidity for your plans. It ensures proper ventilation to facilitate a better exchange of gaseous matter.
So, if you are a passionate hydroponic farmer, you will always want to put this in your system for sure. In many growing environments, there is an uneven and regulated gaseous supply. Installing an adjustment fan like tower fans will ensure the proper circulation of gases to your plants. However, better air circulation restricts the growth of microbial organisms.
We recommend you to get something like Ozeri Ultra 42” Wind Adjustable Oscillating Noise Reduction Technology Tower Fan (check it on Amazon).
So, your plants will be safe from diseases like bacterial and fungal infections. If you want to increase the humidity in the growing tent, regulate the fan at a moderate speed. Many adjustable fans come with a 5-speed adjustable system.
If there is a 5-speed adjustment, set the speed at the second level. Set the same speed for a 4-speed adjustable fan. Don’t elevate or decrease the fan speed in the middle of the vegetative phase.
Air fluctuations give rise to moisture fluctuations. Doing such might create a harsh habitat for your plans to receive optimum growth. At last, you’ll have a delay in harvesting and poor quantity yield.
Even if your plant survives, the quality will be poorer than its general growth. A high-speed setting agitates the air to be more dynamic. As a result, the air dries faster, and transpiration happens at a very rapid rate.
So, your plants can neither absorb nor release water vapor to the environment. The main purpose of setting at a moderate speed is to save your plans from dehydration. Besides dehydration, your plants might face desiccation too.
The fan adjustment technique can easily set the relative humidity of your growing tent 50%-60%. If your growing environment is in a humid place, you can achieve a vast 70%. Using this process, you can also learn the basics of how to increase the relative humidity.
6. Temperature Regulation Process
Many of you aren’t aware, but the temperature is inversely proportional to humidity. In other words, the more the temperature, the less will be the humidity. Therefore, the temperature regulation process is applied by many gardeners to raise the humidity in the grow tent.
Learning to cool your grow tent is one of the first things to increase humidity in hydroponics. Many beginner indoor gardeners find it difficult to understand the process. Whenever the temperature is involved, plants require more maintenance.
To understand is a complex subject, remember that cold air remains at the bottom. This happens because cold air is denser than hot air. So, the entire concept is to make the air less dense by eliminating heat.
When heat is taken from the system, the water molecules lose kinetic energy. In simple words, the environment becomes more humid. It is best to install an air-conditioner under the budget of 200-300 USD.
There is a unique air conditioner that I really like because it is portable and also works as both humidifier as well as an air conditioner. It is Evapolar evaCHILL Personal Evaporative Air Cooler and Humidifier ( Buy Now on Amazon ). Also not as costly as other air conditioners.
Keep the hydroponic system in a damp area that receives only the required amount of sunlight. If your system has any ultraviolet light, don’t turn it on frequently.
Many gardeners use swamp coolers to lower the temperature in their grow tent. This device helps in cooling down the air even when humidity is very low, and the temperature is extremely high. In turn, it facilitates humidity levels to grow simultaneously.
7. Water Stock Up Method
The water stop method is an effective and simple way to increase the humidity in your grow tent. It only works effectively when you use your water resources properly. To continue, ensure that your hydroponic system has a well-fitted tubing.
The plan is to set a water source and let the environment take the humidity. This method works well in hot and dry climates. Place water trays beside an air intake or passive air tubes.
Many gardeners place these tubes directly inside the grow tent. Doing such will keep the system in equilibrium for a long time. However, you can add a lot of additional variations in the Water Stock up Method.
You can also add damp sponges inside the growing tent. Keeping those damp sponges next to the growing trees works fine too. If you can add extra heat to the system, it will prove to be more effective.
The heat will eventually evaporate the water in the sponges quickly. If you reside in an area having a cold climate, it will be better to install grow lamps. Any Ultraviolet or Halogen lamp will be a good source of heat for evaporation.
Use only clean water for soaking sponges and storing them inside the grow tent. Contaminated water will give rise to unhealthy microbes, which might affect your plants. Also, do not store the water or damp sponges near electrical appliances.
Doing such might fuse the bulb or, even worse, cause a short circuit. It is recommended to keep the water facing opposite to the appliances.
8. The Sprinkling Process
The Sprinkling Process is the easiest to do and relaxing to watch. The idea behind this method to eject the water droplets directly into the air. All you have to do is to sprinkle the water evenly.
For this purpose, you’ll require an atomizer. An atomizer is a simple yet effective tool used to spray liquid droplets. The direct output makes this product among the top hand-held tools in gardening.
There are different types of atomizers in the market. Depending on the size of your Grow tent, choose an atomizer with volume accordingly. Atomizers with one-gallon capacity are ideal for growing tents of all sizes.
We recommend you to go with ANCROWN Mist Gun Atomizer ( Buy Now on Amazon ) which is portable and perfect for small hydroponic systems.
One gallon of purified water doesn’t weigh much and is easier to carry along. Besides, you don’t need any target practice to shoot from an atomizer. Make atomizers come with straps in the reservoir, which allows you to carry them along.
However, if you own a large commercial greenhouse, you can opt for those atomizers. It will also be useful to spray fertilizers shortly. A good and durable atomizer will cost you around 10-20 USD.
Make sure that the atomizer you choose has a plastic reservoir embedded in the body. Metallic atomizers are heavy and aren’t easily portable. The spray outlet has to be metal for sure. Inspect the quality by firing some shots in the beginning.
Final Thought
Humidity is an integral component of our atmosphere. It is determined by many natural and artificial factors. To grow a special plant, there will be a specific requirement for humidity. All these above-listed methods are some of the artificially effective ways to increase humidity in hydroponics.
