Relative humidity too low

[Red Lime]

My leaves are hanging out to air dry right now. Unfortunately, the relative humidity is currently only about 30%. The sheets dry in an open garage, so hanging wet towels doesn't do much good. What else can I do? Does it help if I spray the leaves with water?

Brg

 

[Alpine]

You can try to cover the hanging leaves with plastic sheets, and wet the floor of your garage. Can you post a picture of the garage you are using?

pier

 

[Knucklehead]

You can also pile them in a cardboard box and cover them with a towel. Reshuffle the stack daily. Once they turn yellow you can hang them in the garage. The box allows the leaf to share their moisture and not dissipate so rapidly. The green leaf needs to stay alive long enough to turn yellow, after that the leaf can be allowed to turn brown and die.

 

[wruk53]

You can also pile them in a cardboard box and cover them with a towel. Reshuffle the stack daily. Once they turn yellow you can hang them in the garage. The box allows the leaf to share their moisture and not dissipate so rapidly. The green leaf needs to stay alive long enough to turn yellow, after that the leaf can be allowed to turn brown and die.

I use this method frequently during periods of low humidity and it works very well. It works even better if your leaf was ripe before priming. If the leaf was somewhat yellow when picked, it should only take three days or so in the box before all of it is yellow. My grows are fairly small though. If you are growing hundreds of plants, it would be a chore due to the amount of extra handling.

 

[Red Lime]

First of all thank you for your help. Trouble is, I totally underestimated the space to hang the leaves. I need five times as much space as I thought. Now I have to hang them in the garage, which I knew wasn't optimal. I've now managed to temporarily install two doors, I leave them open at night and close them again first thing in the morning. We have around 80% humidity at night. I also put some containers of water in the garage. I hope this is enough.

 

[Red Lime]

What I would like to ask is that 4 weeks ago I harvested a few leaves to try them out and hung them up in my living room to air dry to observe the whole thing. I have a humidity of 25-35% during the day and around 85% at night. Essentially this worked fine and the leaves turned brown. However, they are dust-dry, very fragile and cannot be processed further. I've also sprayed them with water to make them more elastic and workable. That didn't help, they are still fragile. How do I get the leaves elastic now so I can put them in a fermenting box. I would like to experiment with fermentation and try different things.

 

[furryfreek]

Have you tried aiming a fan at those wet towels you have/had hanging? That made all the difference for me; towels alone didn't make a whole lot of difference.

 

[Red Lime]

No, I haven't used a fan yet. That's a good idea, I'll definitely do it. And water the soil.

 

[furryfreek]

What I would like to ask is that 4 weeks ago I harvested a few leaves to try them out and hung them up in my living room to air dry to observe the whole thing. I have a humidity of 25-35% during the day and around 85% at night. Essentially this worked fine and the leaves turned brown. However, they are dust-dry, very fragile and cannot be processed further. I've also sprayed them with water to make them more elastic and workable. That didn't help, they are still fragile. How do I get the leaves elastic now so I can put them in a fermenting box. I would like to experiment with fermentation and try different things.

With %RH up in the 80's at night, you could try moving those leaves (very carefully) near an open window or sheltered outdoor location overnight and set your alarm clock early for the next morning. They should be in good case then.

EDIT: or the garage if its open overnight

 

[deluxestogie]

Simple answer for bringing dry leaf into case: mist them lightly with non-chlorinated water, then allow them to rest enclosed inside a large plastic bag overnight.

Bob

 

[Red Lime]

Okay, thank you.

 

[dvencius78]

It is sunny days in my area at the moment. I'm just keeping them like this for e week or so. But the boxes is also a good idea if you have time to pile them up.

 

[Alpine]

Those leaves are curing splendidly. Good job!

pier

 

[baccy]

What is the optimal temperature and humidity to air dry?

 

[deluxestogie]

Before the leaves have color-cured to brown, the desired humidity is 60-80%, and the temperature between 60 and 95°F.

Bob