Help!!!!

[GreenPrincess]

I guess my real question is why is your humidity so high...that IS the issue as we've discussed...I live in the tropics and have never once used a dehuey...I do however use mini splits in all applications...I have a dehuey in the area which I hang and dry my buds and it always fills in 12 hours due to the climate in which I reside...yours not filling isn't right...fans are key, more so that almost any other item in the room...

Hi, I live in the woods right on the coast, like 8 minutes from the ocean. It is really high humidity and mold is a problem here, in general. For example, in my house, if a piece of cat food gets wet and is dropped on the floor, within 24 hours it will be covered in mold.

You might be right about the fan, I cranked it up to the highest level at noon when I walked out of there. I will check again at midnight to see how much water it has pulled and if temps/humidity have changed.

I know it seems unreal but it's real. In the tent, the boys are dripping wet and the humidity is 98% if you can believe it. I barely water them at this point, but they are not my concern...

Like yesterday, I had the door open for the better part of 4 hours so fresh air was coming in and just before I closed the door at 2:30 the temps were 78 F and 75% humidity. That's the first time since early veg that I saw the humidity go lower than the temperature and I got all excited.

But then once the door was shut it skyrocketed again. I guess we will see what it is doing at midnight and again in the morning. The midnight reading is good to tell us what happened during lights out but it is the mid morning reading with lights going full steam that will give us a full picture. I feel like no matter what I should return the dehumidifier tomorrow and get a bigger one, because if I go to town, I can use that 40% off and get more for my money. Maybe I should get a second, big fan, too then. And wait on the exhaust. I don't know that I need exhaust, I think moving the air properly and getting a handle on this humidity is the answer, as you and Granger point out.

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

Ok. Just snuck in the room as it is dark out. Grabbed the thermometer. It is 67 F and still 81% humidity. Couldnt see how much water was pulled...will check again when the lights are on.

GP

 

[ozzieAI]

I can't comment on dehueys since i have never used one, but i have been successful using ventilation to avoid mould during times of high humidity (95%+) and the preventative spray i posted earlier....

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

you need to do both. exhaust and dehumidifier. also put some small oscillating fans in there. the humidity needs to not be above 50 percent in flower after buds start to form. the air flow keeps the mold spore from landing.

after you bleach, you also need an intake filter. hepa filter is good. it will keep out the mold spores because they are clearly everywhere in the air up there.

One thing new growers often do is try to save money and skimp on environment control or set up shop and start using nutes and electricity before there environment is fully controlled. this leads to failure. you need every element of the grow room to be right.

a few tips for making quality buds.
-Your temps should not go above 80 degrees ever.
-your humidity in veg should be 60-70 percent. In flower it should drop to 45-55 percent after buds start to form.
-there should be a light breeze.
-your root zone temp should not go above 68 Fahrenheit.
-Always use sprays as a preventative. it is far easier to prevent pest than to kill them once they are in your garden.
-I recommend trying to get an hps light if you can. The increased light penetration helps keep powdery mildew from forming. If you can change up to HPS, dont slam your plants directly into the light. they generally need a foot at least. I like to give them 18 inches.
-Keep your garden clean. I learned that the hard way.

what is your soil mixture?

 

[Granger2]

You need lots of air circulation, if you get a good dehum, you don't want to be intaking and exhausting the room because you'll be constantly exhausting the dehumidified air and replacing it with humid air. Yes, go to the Growroom design and equiptment section and read the "2 million dehumdifiers recalled" thread before you buy. Good luck. -granger

 

[Boo]

well, how's the grow looking...granger is spot on with the dehuey inhaling the hot damp air back into the room...be vigilant, be smart

 

[GreenPrincess]

I'm going to sneak in there now to place the new fans and the dehumidifier. It is dark here. I watered this morning and the humidity jumped up to 92%. I bought a 50 pint GE (Not on the recall list) dehumidifier and 2 x 20 inch fans. Not oscillating, but there are no fans anywhere where I live, not at Home Depot, not at Costco. Ri-donkulous. I returned the oscillating one I had to get these two, oh well! When times are prosperous I will replace them with something better... 2 is better than 1, oscillating or not, right?

No more mold...yet.

I'll check the readings...I'm sneaking in there now...

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

OMG. Forget it. Doing it at midnight when lights come on. Can't see enough and my teenagers are following me around. Can't get shit done right now. Sheesh! Can't a girl catch a break?!

Incidentally. It is 68 F and 87% humidity in there right now.

More later...

GP

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

^good point. however it is tricky to control temps with out exhaust. high temp raises humidity.

 

[GreenPrincess]

More bad news.

More bad news.

The afghan has lost the 2 biggest buds, plus the cross section underneath of those for good measure. I brought the big dog dehumidifer in and was feeling good, but of course was continuing to inspect. Afghan is rotting. It's just those big dense buds. To think I have let them sit in 80 - 90 % humidity for weeks. What a dumb ass. I deserve this...

Here's the show, and what was thrown away.

This sucks. Now I feel like I might save the rest but it is noisy as f@$k out there now. Plus my outlets are tapped so now I'm tripping on noise and fire. Hmmmm...maybe I'm not cut out for this.

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

Whats left...

Whats left...

Here's shots of the other 3, a group shot and the 4 Spgbx who seem blissfully unaware of the carnage going on around them...

GP

 

[CanniDo Cowboy]

Okay...above, you see the shots from my room. The picture of the budding plant all by itself is what's left of the chopped bubble gum. She is the one on the far right in the group shot. In the close up bud shots, she is the smallest one. The other tallish bud is one of the big buds and the softball shaped bud is the afghan. The afghan is very dense, and the fact that she hasn't molded yet tells me she may be a good strain for my climate, but I am trippin! I feel like she is next to mold if I don't lower this humidity. The plants on the floor are the four spgbx girls in week 2 of flower. They are under a 125 watt fixture and I have a second one on the way so they will sit two to a fixture until the 5 week crew is out of the way. The shot of the single spindly plant in the tent is 1 of 5 spgbx males I have in the tent under a couple T5 and T8 fixtures. I am just waiting for somebody to spit so I can collect the pollen for future use and then they die.

Okay, continuing with the description of my room. You can see the dehumidifier. It is supposed to be for a mid size space and be able to pull 20 0z of water in a 24 hour period. WRONG. It has been 24 hours, running constantly it has pulled about 4 oz of water.

You can see the picture of my thermometer. This was from midnight last night. This is the coldest my room gets. So at midnight last night, it was 62 F and 80% humidity. Today, at noon I went in just after lights out and it was 86 F and 85% humidity.

So, in my humble opinion the dehumidifier is doing jack shit.

I paid $120 at a store close to my home so I will return it tomorrow and take my $120 an hour away to the closest Home Depot where my sister has 40% off.

My question to you guys now that you have seen my room, it is about 10 x 10 I would say, is wtf?

Should I buy a big daddy dehumidifier, like a 50 or 70 pint, it will be putting out dry warm air, which should help my temps on the low end.

OR

Should I ditch the dehumidifier for now and spend my money on ventilation/exhaust?

If you are going to talk to me about exhaust you will need to talk to me like I am a 2 year old because I am truly green on this one, pun intended.

BUT, I almost think I should stick to the dehumidifier and just go bigger because we sealed pretty much every single crack in that room with that spray foam in a can and I would say it is about 95% sealed, with 5 % of leaks being at the door.

All I know, is this humidity problem needs to be squashed. I can't be harvesting plants early at 6 weeks to run from mold. I can choose strains that are resistant, and I would say the afghan qualifies, because she has not molded yet, but let's face it, that humidity MUST come down. One way or another. And before Friday. I am leaving the plants in the care of my old man for a few days and he is instructed ONLY to raise the lights IF needed and to water on Sunday. I do not want to come home to moldy afghan. Ill cry like a baby.

GP

Dang girl, you gotta lot goin on here! After readin your thread and lookin at all the pics, it's no wonder you got a real gro-rodeo on yer hands. This growin shit can be a hoot eh? Alrighty then, let's get to it:

First, youre growing in a 10' x 10' wooden shed. Anytime you put heat (from lighting) and water (from normal watering chores) in such a small area, you are going to battle humidity, the result being generally ON A LARGE SCALE. You are literally creating your own small tropical forest which yes, can invite mold. Very quickly. The fact you indicated the humidity levels drop dramtically when you open the shed door for periods of time says it all.

The spike in humidity in small spaces usually happens right after watering. The lighting provides the heat, you provide the water and boom-badda-bing, instant humidity. In turn, the humidity levels decrease slowly as the water from the soil and any runoff left in whatever youre using to catch the run-off, evaporates. Depending on how often you water and how much water you use effects how long it takes for the humidity levels to drop. Pretty simple stuff...

Back to the small shed. IMO, you have too many sources of humidity generators for such a small room. The tent project is just adding to the problem. More heat, more water + more humidity. Yea, a fella or fella-ette can stand back and say, "I'll just buy a de-humidifier..." Problem solved? Not really. Unless you install a super-controller that tells the de-huey how much and when to exhaust the moist air, it can, by running constantly, tilt your air consistency to the opposite end, leaving you with no moisture. Yea, I know, the -de-hueys have lots of little control buttons and gizmos to make you think it is up to the task but youre little shed aint your grandma's sewing room with insulated walls, sheetrock and so on. Too small of unit, no worky at all, too large and you could turn your little shed into an arid desert, compounding the already existing problems. ITS JUST A WOODEN SHED and just about everything outside and inside will make it react and quickly.

Things you can do: I would first consider scrapping the tent project. Yea, I know, tough call but judging by the size of the tent, and having 2 light fixtures in it, that pup is generating a lot of moisture. Especially with the tent being so small. If you cant live with the tent, consider a different lighting arrangement within the tent to only 1 light to reduce heat which will reduce humidity output when you water, thereby impacting the rest of the room to a lesser degree.

Watering: Only water when your containers are 3/4 dry and dont allow too much run-off to sit in the catch-containers. In other words, dial in a watering program to where youre not watering every day and if you do, perhaps split the plants up to where some are watered on diff days to reduce moisture/humidty output.

Ventilation- Your Achilles Heal when in comes to small area growing, especially with so many lights, all the water etc but the good news is, with such a small area, you can relieve yourself of the problem(s) with a few simple changes. You have got to get air coming in and air going out! IMO, scrap the de-huey, just opening the door several hours a day, if possible will do wonders. If you can leave the door open for even an hour after watering would help tremendously. Again, this is when your little shed is making the most moisture.

Fans/Venting: There is no need for oscillation, you room isnt that big. And you dont need them everywhere. I use the floorstand type you show. I would place one at the rear of the room to push air forward to the door, 1 by the door to pull fresh air in (when the door is open) and would prolly hang one from the ceiling towards the rear to agitate the hotter air that rises (esp. if the roof is peaked), getting it to mix with the lower, cooler air. I would also, if possible, vent the building with a small 6" x12" screen vent (soffit vent- Home Depot-$1.50) at either 1 or both ends to get the most use out of the fans which with the vents, will now pull outside air in and push the yucky air out. Yea, your outside air is humid I know, but if it MOVING in and out of the shed, it will not be an issue, trust me. If you have security issues, the vents will keep you from having to leave the door open for long periods of time.

Lighting- IMO, your lights ARE WAY TOO CLOSE to the tops of your plants. Especially during bud time. T-5s can burn your plants too! Get the lights up around 12" or so as it will also reduce excess moisture by keeping your soil a bit cooler and give the fans a chance to move some of the lite heat off the plants and soil. You should be aware that if youre experiencing high humidity levels it also is an indication you may be pushing the limits of the shed itself, in terms of the amount of fixtures/electrical being used. Be careful not to overload the shed or the electrical draw coming from the house. A bunch of lites centralized in one small area can generate a lot of heat from the bulbs and electricity both, posing possible fire hazards. Feel your main cord(s) feeding the shed now and then. If they are fairly warm or hot to the touch, you could be dancin with the devil.

So, IMHO, your biggest problem is the room it self. Yea, bugs will take over a small room quicker than a larger room. So some sort of a weekly spray program is almost required. Minimize your heat sources (lighting) where you can. If possible, coordinate your lighting schedule to where the lights are going off right after you water. This in itself will reduce the humidity immensely. Also try to have the greater portion of your lighting time schedule during the nite time when outside temps are cooler. This will also reduce the heat within the shed. Trying to keep temps/humidity levels nominal with running the lights during daytime IN SUCH A SMALL AREA is one step forward and a bunch of steps backwards.

Lastly, yep, cut out the molded areas, bite the bullet and chuck em. Good luck gro-chick...CC

 

[Granger2]

The dehum has a humidistat to maintain humidity level within a narrow range. It won't turn your room into a desert unless you set it too low. Moving humid air is not as bad as still humid air, but your mold problems are the result of humid air.

Close your room, don't have any standing water, let plants dry enough that they are near wilting before watering, keep you new dehum set at about 40-45. Continue with spraying the buds and foliage, floor, walls, etc. with peroxide. Spray everything because spores are everywhere, including in the outside air. Looks to me like you're still going to get some decent bud. Good luck. -granger

 

[GreenPrincess]

Dang girl, you gotta lot goin on here!

Hey there....thanks for taking the time to post this stuff, a lot of good information. I am copying this whole thread to reread.....

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

Tog, Granger, Hash and everyone else helping me!

Tog, Granger, Hash and everyone else helping me!

The dehum has a humidistat to maintain humidity level within a narrow range. It won't turn your room into a desert unless you set it too low. Moving humid air is not as bad as still humid air, but your mold problems are the result of humid air.

Close your room, don't have any standing water, let plants dry enough that they are near wilting before watering, keep you new dehum set at about 40-45. Continue with spraying the buds and foliage, floor, walls, etc. with peroxide. Spray everything because spores are everywhere, including in the outside air. Looks to me like you're still going to get some decent bud. Good luck. -granger

well, how's the grow looking...granger is spot on with the dehuey inhaling the hot damp air back into the room...be vigilant, be smart

Ha, wait til you see my thermometer pic!!

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

Check it out, my brothers!

Check it out, my brothers!

We are in range!!



I'm so freakin happy right now. That dehuey is kicking serious humiditous ass, and yes I do know that is not a word. It's a 50 pint capacity. I dumped it at noon just before lights out and when lights came on it was very nearly full. The girls are perky and just look totally different. Oh, what I was doing to them before.

My poor afghan is so abused. There are pistols littered everywhere all over her leaves from me constantly tearing at her looking for mold. Can't believe I'm touching her that way, but I have to do it until I'm sure I have a handle on things. I'm nervous leaving these babes in the care of my old man but it was unavoidable.

Some more shots and then can I please solicit some more info from you all?

All of this high humidity really has me worried about drying and curing. I've read lots and lots of threads but now that you know my situation....

Where should I dry??

My house is really humid and full and chaotic. If its in the house it would have to be in my closet and I'm truly worried about being able to control the environment. I just can't go all out. Too much action at my house. Can't I just hang it in my new dehumidified shed when it comes time?

Much, much love-thank you guys, can you believe its pulling all that water!

GP

 

[Boo]

sure, put the dehuey in the closet and set it on low...watch for heat buildup and you know darn well the noise will be a factor...with the little ones you may reconsider not growing if the issue is that sensitive...it wont be long until they find out what mommie dearest is up to...

 

[944s2]

We are in range!!

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=47922&pictureid=1139733View Image

I'm so freakin happy right now. That dehuey is kicking serious humiditous ass, and yes I do know that is not a word. It's a 50 pint capacity. I dumped it at noon just before lights out and when lights came on it was very nearly full. The girls are perky and just look totally different. Oh, what I was doing to them before.

My poor afghan is so abused. There are pistols littered everywhere all over her leaves from me constantly tearing at her looking for mold. Can't believe I'm touching her that way, but I have to do it until I'm sure I have a handle on things. I'm nervous leaving these babes in the care of my old man but it was unavoidable.

Some more shots and then can I please solicit some more info from you all?

All of this high humidity really has me worried about drying and curing. I've read lots and lots of threads but now that you know my situation....

Where should I dry??

My house is really humid and full and chaotic. If its in the house it would have to be in my closet and I'm truly worried about being able to control the environment. I just can't go all out. Too much action at my house. Can't I just hang it in my new dehumidified shed when it comes time?

Much, much love-thank you guys, can you believe its pulling all that water!

GP

View Image View Image View Image View Image

nice one green p,,,a very nice jungle,,once your dialled in,all will be well and it looks like you are,,,onwards and upwards now,,peace and safe growing,,,s2

 

[GreenPrincess]

sure, put the dehuey in the closet and set it on low...watch for heat buildup and you know darn well the noise will be a factor...with the little ones you may reconsider not growing if the issue is that sensitive...it wont be long until they find out what mommie dearest is up to...

Ha. They're not little. I have three teenagers and a preteen they know what I'm up to, I just think they think I probably suck at it, because they've prob seen roaches of trim in the ashtray on the deck. And that's what I want them to think. I'm pretty open and honest with them. In fact lying is a super big deal in our house. And I have a healthy dialogue about marijuana with my oldest. I know he smokes on occasion, but I do not smoke with him or openly in front of anyone. I just choose not to. I just don't want them knowing right now that I am growing seriously good stuff. Next thing you know ill have an empty shed.

Can't take the dehuey inside or my shed will be full of humidity. In just too strapped for cash to buy another set of equipment right now...you think I can dry safely in the shed?

GP

 

[GreenPrincess]

nice one green p,,,a very nice jungle,,once your dialled in,all will be well and it looks like you are,,,onwards and upwards now,,peace and safe growing,,,s2

Thanks s2, yes, I hope so. I spy on your grows all the time..

GP