S01E09 – Controllers

Consistency is Key

Plants love consistency. From lighting schedules and temperature, to humidity, airflow and irrigation, maintaining stable conditions can make a big difference throughout a grow.

In this episode, Ian explains where controllers fit into the grow room, the different jobs they can take care of and how he uses them in his own setup.

But automation isn’t about handing over responsibility completely — it’s about using technology to make a well-understood grow easier to manage.

What you’ll learn

This episode covers:

• How controllers can be used around the grow room
• The benefits of automating everyday tasks
• Why some equipment needs closer monitoring than others
• How to position probes for accurate readings
• The controllers Ian uses in his own grow
• Why you should understand a process before automating it

What Can Controllers Do?

There’s a controller for almost every part of an indoor grow. Depending on your setup, they can be used to adjust fan speeds to manage temperature, control humidity, switch lighting on and off and operate drippers or other irrigation systems.

This allows equipment to respond to changing conditions or operate to a set schedule, helping maintain a more consistent environment without every adjustment having to be made manually.

Controllers are usually positioned outside the grow tent where possible. Keep cables organised and position environmental probes towards the middle of the grow space to get the most representative reading of the conditions around your plants.