By 2027, the cannabis industry is projected to be worth $73.6 billion. In past years, it was difficult to project the growth and value of the entire cannabis industry due to legalization issues.
Now, many people are looking to cash in on a lucrative industry. That's why technology, equipment, and techniques for growing cannabis are so popular.
People are searching for the best grow equipment, the best lighting, and the best knowledge. After all, a successful cannabis crop is money in the bank.
That's why we've assembled a guide to help you discover a new way to grow. We'll cover app-controlled grow equipment, how you can leverage it, and how it will impact your crop. Let's get started!
Why The Right Equipment Matters
If you've found yourself Googling terms like "grow equipment cheap" or "best grow equipment," you know that it's a Wild West out there. These days, grow equipment is evolving to accommodate these factors:
- Eliminate natural factors, such as inclement weather
- Produce high-quality crops
- Produce a bigger yield
- Increase control over minute details, such as humidity and lighting
- Automate garden control
Growing cannabis is an art form. Many people are passionate about it, the industry, and the potential it has for human health. But it's also a science, and a seemingly finicky one at that.
Add human error to a process that may already seem fickle, and your crop yield may not turn out exactly how you dreamed. After investing money in seed, grow equipment, LED lighting, and your own labor—that's a misstep you can ill afford.
Investing in Technology
Some people mock today's catchphrase: there's an app for that. However, when it comes to app-controlled grow equipment, it's true!
There are many types of app-controlled grow equipment. Sometimes, LED lights come equipped with cameras. That way, you can monitor the health of your plants remotely.
Other grow equipment technology allows you to make adjustments from afar. Want to tweak the humidity, temperature, or carbon dioxide levels? Now you can, without ever leaving your vacation pad!
It takes a lot of hard work, stress, and dedication to grow cannabis from seed to harvest. Many cannabis growers keep crops growing year-round, which is another advantage of indoor gardens.
However, this intensive year-round cycle isn't sustainable. Getting someone to come over to check on your dog is one thing. Getting someone to come over to check on your marijuana crop is another.
App-controlled grow equipment empowers you to maintain a year-round crop, without being homebound for as long as you pursue a career as a cannabis grower.
App-Controlled Fertigation Systems
Fertigation is crucial to tweak your process as your plants grow and mature. Sometimes, you'll need to change pH levels, alter water quality, add fertilizer, and feed plants.
For a top-notch crop, you'll need to keep plants nourished and fed. With app-controlled systems, you won't be flying blind. Instead, app-controlled equipment will give real-time readings and advice.
Some apps will allow you to track statistics—such as pH levels, for instance—over time. This will allow you to track patterns and implement changes based on that history.
Depending on the type of smart fertigation system you implement, you may be able to alter fertilization and nutrient mixes through your smartphone. You won't even have to be home to make these tweaks!
Grow Tent Equipment
Are you leveraging a grow tent to get the most out of your cannabis crop? This may require some different equipment and tweaks, such as more industrial-sized exhaust fans.
Monitoring humidity and temperature in a grow tent is particularly important. Depending on the type of app you're using, you will be able to control fans, exhaust vents, and more. This can help control conditions and save your crop if the temperature happens to spike or drop.
Atmospheric Controllers
One of the most common and popular approaches to app-controlled grow technology is atmospheric controllers.
Atmospheric controllers are intended to monitor, control, and alter environmental conditions. Depending on the type of atmospheric controls you have, they can be integrated with the following:
- Grow lights
- Carbon dioxide injectors
- Exhaust fans
- HVAC systems
- Dehumidifiers
- Temperature gauges
With cannabis crops, small tweaks are everything. A change in temperature can make the difference between a successful crop and a failed one, which can spell the end of your business venture.
Top-notch atmospheric controls are crucial to the success of your grow room or greenhouse. When you pair these controllers with app-compatible technology, you'll be able to keep a sharp eye on your plants.
You can make real-time tweaks to adjust the conditions that your plants are trying to thrive in. If you're looking for an easy way to micromanage your cannabis crop, this is a great way to do it!
Grow Lights
LED lights are some of the most well-known indoor grow equipment tools. Now, LED lights are continuing to evolve. Some include cameras, while others monitor plant health through high-definition exposure.
Apps can help you control different types of LED lights for when your plants are in different stages. For instance, want to change to blue light to encourage vegetative growth? App-controlled grow lights can do that for you.
If you'd rather change to red light to encourage flowering, that's also an option. Depending on the type of app-compatible LED lights that you've installed, you can:
- Read canopy temperatures
- View plants up close
- Monitor plant health
- Identify molds and pathogens
- Identify bugs that may impact plants
If you're looking for a good way to monitor plant health and obtain the best harvest possible, grow lights are a great investment.
Growroom Monitors
There is so much available today—from smart exhaust fans to hydroponic growing equipment—and this will continue to evolve over time. There are options for every type of control and monitor.
Growroom monitors are more limited than environmental or atmospheric controllers. However, they can still work well for your needs!
A growroom monitor usually tracks the following information:
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Carbon dioxide levels
Then, smart growroom monitors cache this information and send it to the mobile app downloaded on your phone. It's up to you to make manual adjustments after that.
If you're just looking to track and receive data, a growroom monitor can be a great addition to your library of indoor grow equipment. However, it's important to note that your growroom monitor will not adjust, change, or tweak anything for you.
If this approach works for your needs, go for it! Having data will empower you to create your best crop.
Timers
If you've been in the cannabis industry for some time, then you know timers are one of the most common pieces of automated equipment out there. Timers are an easy way to automate climate control, which makes your job easier.
Timers can control lighting, for instance. Marijuana plants go through stages, and their light needs change based on stage. During the vegetative stage, marijuana plants need light almost full-time.
During the flowering stage, plants only need 12 hours of light. Rather than keeping an eye on the clock, why not invest in an app-controlled timer?
It's important to note that app-controlled timers aren't just useful for lights. Instead, they can control pumps, fans, and more. Hooking your timer up to a mobile app is one of the easiest ways to get the job done.
Irrigation
If you've spent any time investigating hydroponic growing equipment, then you know how crucial irrigation is. Depending on the type of plants you have, some batches may require more or less water than others.
If you invest in an automatic watering system, you can provide precise quantities of water at the same time every day. It's much more accurate than old-fashioned drip irrigation and grants the grower more control.
Depending on how much money you are looking to invest, you may want to check out combination systems. These systems allow you to control different facets of the process such as lighting, humidification, temperature control, irrigation, and dehumidifiers all at the same time.
This allows you to spend less time on managing your crop and more time doing other things. When it comes to assembling the right automated, app-controlled solution for your needs, feel free to think outside the box.
Whether you prefer a pre-built solution or something a little more hands-on, there's something out there that can get the job done. There's nothing like seeing your crop succeed beyond your wildest dreams!
Exploring App-Controlled Grow Equipment
So many options are available if you're interested in investing in app-controlled grow equipment. However, it's important to invest in both products and education.
If you're interested in high-quality products, learning more about how to thrive as a cannabis grower, and discovering how to automate processes while your crop flourishes, then we have you covered. Contact us today! We're happy to help.
