Oh, the humidities!

[AccidentalGardener]

HOW LONG CAN MY PLANTS GO BEFORE HUMIDITY BEGINS TO ROT/AFFECT THEM?

Anyone who doesn't believe global warming is real has never tried to grow pot anywhere.

I have a 2x4x5, which is supporting two 5-gallon soil plants deep into the flowering period. Everything is properly ventilated with fan, filter, open flaps, closed flaps, 4 small fans for circulation. I've defoliated, cut down on the amount of water I give each time, and I vacuum any runoff - twice. Until this week, temps were lower, so I was running a small heater in the garage and it helped. Now it's finally warming up outside, but holy crap, it's like the Amazon indoors and out, minus all the snakes and poisonous bugs. So I had to turn off the heater and now things are just effing - MOIST.

It's Mother Nature. It's overcast and 92% RH outside. In the garage where my tent is, is 64%, and I always have the door cracked for refreshing the air. Inside the tent sirens are going off and its 70.3%. The lights shut off 45 mins ago. There is a small dehumidifier in the tent that has been able to keep the RH down pretty well, but it's no match for the humidity being generated outdoors.
This effing weather is WEIRD for this far northwest - I'm literally 20 miles from Canada and 2 miles from the ocean. It is making my life uncomfortably damp, lol. Already killing almost all my new nursery stock outdoors, FML
My humidity alarm is going off and I can't fix it this moment. We don't have a/c much this far north. I expect the weather situation to start improving in several hours, but in the meantime, do I need to take drastic measures right away? Or can I wait a day/few hours to see improvement in the air-quality before I move these things in with my summer dresses during their downtime??

[bboyfromwayback]

Unless you can move you tent elsewhere inside your house you could put a ac unit in your garage and that will help. I live in the southeastern US and our climate is so humid it’s a constant battle 8 months a year and I grow in our basement.

[MeEasy]

Sounds like you have got things going in the right direction just don't let the fans turn off and you should be ok. Like wayback said an ac would help with the RH I actually have one on my wishlist that has a dehumidifier setting and will have to get it before my new stuff gets to flower. I checked out the last buds really good for mold when I harvested and suggested that you do the same. You can wash your buds if you are worried that you do have any mold. There's allot of people who are starting to wash every time now I guess it really smooths the harsh.
good luck

[Canuck147]

Get a bigger fan blowing through them.

[AccidentalGardener]

Done, and redirected the others more efficiently!

[Gjourney101]

Couple dehumidifiers, ac unit, and a constant air flow. Temp outside right now is 107 degrees. No lie. Walked outside and I damn near caught my feet on fire.

I'm veg, humidity can be that high usually, but onve flowering starts it should be no higher than 50% . In flowering you will definitely want a constant fan on them. Powerful enough to move the nodes slightly and leaves a constant movement.

[Gjourney101]

I suggest getting yourself a window AC unit and setting it up in the grow area

[AccidentalGardener]

That would be great but there is no window, lol. A window would solve a lot of my problems Ugh on your temps. I'm originally from the San Fernando Valley and it was hot AF. I hated it and transplanted to PNW in 1989. Now the weather is the same as when I left So. Cal.

[Gjourney101]

Darn the luck. There are portable AC units, on wheels, but the warm air and water peoduced by them still needs to be vented outside. I'd say your best bet are fans. Maybe insulate your garage a bit if that's even possible. I'd hate to see your hard work get damped on by humidity, you've came a long eay, I've been keeping up on all your posts. Try to get that humidity down to 45-50%. Keep us updated!

[AccidentalGardener]

Thanks for all the quick replies. I know I need to get the humidity down. I'm fairly certain I'm going to need a few dabs to get through this trying time.
There are zero signs of rot, mold, mildew, - no visual, no bad smells, no weird leaf wetness - just a very high humidity problem starting yesterday when summer almost got here. It should be completely here by sometime this week.

There are three 6" fans, a tower fan on the floor, all set up inside strategically so that every leaf is rustling. Wind is bouncing everywhere. The fans and exhaust are on 24/7.
I shut the garage, so not pulling in super humid air, and instead opened the door into the laundry room, which has a powerful exhaust fan of its own that vents to outside. It seems to be helping and is steadily dropping the %. When its not ugly-disgusting outside, the RH hangs around 49-51%.
I haven't had an air conditioner in 30 years and have spent some brutal nights and days. I survived 10 years of The Change without an air conditioner. I'll be dipped if I end up air conditioning a garage with no people living in it. That would be irony worthy of writing home about, lol.

[Gjourney101]

Honestly, your garage probably has fresh air coming in through cracks and subtle opening even with the garage closed. No ones garage is seal proof, I know for sure mine ain't. But if your RH usually sits at 49-51, you're fine. Just find the reason your RH jumps. If it's only when you open the garage, you found the problem. Is there a possibility you can reposition your tent to indoors?

[JDU]

I need more BTU but this helps a lot.
But I'm about to give up on WPM outdoors. PNW is rougher'n usual this yr. At least blackberries are comin on!!!

[AccidentalGardener]

I have a huge blackberry hedge outside the back door that I protect from everything, including the lawn man. I make pies and syrup

[JDU]

Mmm BlackBerry pie....
I've also been wantin to git a still & make brandy. & seedling scotch.... & bud infused shine.... & pure corn squeezins.

[Rwise]

I'm headed for the blackberry patch soon as the suns up, BB wine, cobbler, waffles. I have 3 types each a different season, but those who pick the summer "predator" berries know they protect themselves!
Fighting WPM here in OK as well, and I thought it was a cool weather thing.

[Canuck147]

I too live in the PNW area - 3 miles north of the border at Sumas - I don't think the weather is that disastrous - not yet - haven't had any stretches of heat - other than a couple of days in a row.

My house is cool man - huge cedars and firs blocking out most of the sun - attic filled with spray foam - 3 ceiling fans throughout the house - dehumidifier keeping the air unstuffy.

[JDU]

My PNW problems aren't a lack of sun either- we been high 80s low 90s for about a month with a few days of partly cloudy in there but it has been HUMID along with it!! Like in "Hotlanta" but not as hot.

[Obi-Wan]

As others have said, just keep a breeze blowing across them at all times, they won’t feel the humidity if their all they feel is a cool breeze all day!!!

[Jordann]

My last batch of 6 went through veg in the mid 50s Rh but due to the spring I went through flower in the high 60s to mid 70s rh. All you can do is keep lots of air on the plants. Fans under the canopy fans on the canopy fans blowing up and fans blowing down and an exhaust fan blowing the air outside or into a seperate room. Removing any extra leaves helps a bit as the plant can't give off as much humidity. 24 7 air movement. You'll get through this 💪

[homegrown]

Hey AccidentalGardener, i know your struggles. I did my first grow in my insulated garage.(Tent,lights, lots of fans and filter.) Started off fantastic, was relatively cool during the day, and maintained heat at night. BUT..when the summer months came along, everything went to shit! Im in southern ontario...Day time temps in the garage were topping 100 and night time would dip to 70's, so lots of humidity fluctuations there. You know when you walk into the shed and all the metal tools are wet and shweaty, kinda like that.. Long story short...i bought a portable A/C unit with dehumidifier. Didnt want to spent that money, but it was money well spent if your gonna keep growing in the garage.

[AccidentalGardener]

You are all amazing! Thank you for the help. The plants are happy, dry AF and rustling! I took a few more leaves off. I had my private consultant over today, we put our green headlights on and took a look. She said they have about 3 weeks left before they are ready and are putting on weight nicely. I thought, "Just like us...hmmm". The hairs were turning colors and I thought I'd been pollinated. "Nope, you're near the end of growing good weed." Lol. The Bag Seed Adventure Continues!

Gjourney101 , JDU Canuck147 and many others, I follow your stories. I read everything that is interesting because it might come in handy someday, even if it's not handy this minute
There is no way to move the tent indoors this year. I already reacquired one of my grown boys during this time of plague. He's taking up a lot more room than he did when he was 12.
To move indoors, we need more indoors, lol.
It will be okay in the garage. If I have to go for a new machine, the guys in my hydroponics store (omg, just found it - Hoagtech - I'll never order anything off Amazon again) and let my buds there hook me up with what I need

Again, thank you. Every one of you is appreciated!