Scared of mold at last hurdle

MarioUK

Well-Known Member
So I've harvested, wet trimmed and hung up plants to dry in tent. I have a clip on fan on the floor not pointing at the plants the rh is 60% now I want it around 50% after a day or so right? I want them dry in 7 days ready for curing but im worried as I have rainy weather here in UK for the next few days, how would you lower the humidity? Turn heating on?.(that would dry buds quicker right? But on and off on and off system maybe? Open windows? I have a small dehumidifier in tent also, temps are around 21c. Any advice here im scared of mould as im sure everyone here is.
 
You can’t expect the RH in your drying room to drop to 50% in one day, because the plants give off a lot of moisture. Nor would you want it to. As long as the overall RH gets down to about 60% over the course of the week and you have good airflow in the meantime, they should be fine. Keep fans blowing so that there is air movement around the drying bud. Just keep a close eye on them. Situations vary depending on your environment. It’s just something you kind of have to get a feel for the first few times.
 
So I've harvested, wet trimmed and hung up plants to dry in tent. I have a clip on fan on the floor not pointing at the plants the rh is 60% now I want it around 50% after a day or so right? I want them dry in 7 days ready for curing but im worried as I have rainy weather here in UK for the next few days, how would you lower the humidity? Turn heating on?.(that would dry buds quicker right? But on and off on and off system maybe? Open windows? I have a small dehumidifier in tent also, temps are around 21c. Any advice here im scared of mould as im sure everyone here is.
If you’re going to dry in your grow tent then I would keep the extraction fan running without the lights of course and keep your fan running inside the tent and I think you should be fine. Despite all the backlash I got because I was drying my buds in a grow tent mine turned out perfectly fine. My Rh was around 55 to 60% and mine dried without a problem.
 
I hang dry my plants on lines running across a room. Dont dry inna tent.

If I did dry in a tent, I'd leave door open lights off all fans going. 60% RH is perfect.

They might take a little longer to dry - 5-7 days is optimal.

If it starts raining and the RH bumps up yes a little bit of heat will help. Keep the temps above 60F or 15C it should be perfect.
 
I would go with what @Nunyabiz said and get yourself a dehumidifier. I did for mine and helped out greatly for spring/summer harvest with them hanging trimmed down to bud form and in a paper bag. Also helps out for those months when flowering happens and the humidity gets way up there in Southern Ontario. Also helped out the rest of the house with it helping usher cooler air through the ac. No longer worry about my dries now, since the family bought a freeze dryer. Machines are expensive but it can dry/cure weed in less then 24hrs. . . even though the machine was made for food
 
what's your ambient rh% ?
that is the rh in the rest of the house, not the space where your plants are hanging.

if your ambient rh is higher - (45 -65%) - or more, your dry will take a bit longer. it may require monitoring for mold and need a little - (not hurricane) - airflow as a precaution. most shoot for 10 to 14ish day hang at 55%

if your ambient rh% is lower - ( 25 - 40% ) your hang and dry time will be quicker and you'll have to be on the spot to make sure they don't dry out too fast. you won't need a pile of air moving under under these circumstances. i've hung for between 5 - 8 days.

at the extreme - ( 15 - 20% ) - i've hung as short as three days. you have to be right there to catch it. i hang under these conditions a lot actually.

you want to catch the buds with enough rh in them to hit 60 - 65 % in the jars. and cure them out to a stable 62%.. bovedas help, but they can't pull extreme wet out or add enough if it's dust. you really want to make sure you have enough left in them to cure. actual hang time is not as important. if at all.

i'm gonna take flak for that but i know it's true. the cure is the most important thing.
 
7 days drying with RH 60% is a little ambitious.

Normally I would run a dehumidifier for the first few days when the bud is most moist as to lower the RH & there after at ambient RH levels for the slow air dry which can take 10 to 14 days.

Keep tent closed & extraction fan running.
 
Everybody has their own method of drying and curing.

We see that from everyone's suggestions.

We gotta figure out whats best for our specific conditions and everyone's conditions are different.

Things to watch out for are:
Letting the plants dry too much - this is the worst thing you can do.
Trying to dry in humid conditions = +70% rh ... that will take a pretty long time.
Drying in extreme dry conditions - Less that 30% rh. you have to watch your crop.

Trimming weed that hasn't dried completely is not a big deal. Burp your jars and empty them out and sit out in a box for a few hours if you need to.

Trimming weed that is OVER dry is a huge problem and possible ruined crop.

I bud wash my plants - take off 3 branches at a time and wash them and hang branches.

This method cuts down on the drying time a few days. Almost in half actually. Kinda sounds counter-intuitive but its truth.

If you not bud washing you can hang the whole plant upside down and strip off fan leaves ... this method is the tried a true method that has been working since the hippie daze.
 
If you’re going to dry in your grow tent then I would keep the extraction fan running without the lights of course and keep your fan running inside the tent and I think you should be fine. Despite all the backlash I got because I was drying my buds in a grow tent mine turned out perfectly fine. My Rh was around 55 to 60% and mine dried without a problem.
I agree. I dry in my tent as well and keep the inline going on low with a variable switch if the extra extraction is needed.
 
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