Harvest & Curing Cannabis Humidity Control Is Vital For Quality Buds And Here’s Why

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The Importance of Cannabis Humidity Control from Cultivation to Consumption
Ever wonder what cannabis humidity control has to do with the delicious aroma of your favorite strain? From the cultivation of your canopy to consumption, accurate cannabis humidity levels has everything to do with it.

When you open a jar of gorgeous White Tahoe Cookies buds and the delicious nutty aroma engulfs the room, two factors are at play— cannabinoids and terpenes. However, there is something vital that should be appreciated as well. That is humidity.

When it comes to cannabis, humidity control is such a precise science that any slight fluctuations change the viability of your canopy. First, it’s important to understand what humidity is and how it affects your plants.

What Is Humidity?
Humidity control for growing cannabis typically refers to relative humidity. Relative humidity (RH) is the amount of water vapor being held in the atmosphere at any given time. It can range from 0%-100%. When RH exceeds 100% water droplets will begin to form on the leaves. For example, this is how morning dew is formed.

Different cannabis varieties will have different humidity needs. Strains that are native to hot climates will be adapted to higher RH levels while strains that are native to cold climates will require lower RH levels. Surprisingly, hot air can hold more water vapor as compared to cold air.

Most strains that are available in the market today are hybrid strains. As much as the humidity needs may vary from one strain to the next, they work within a similar range at every stage of development. Here is a breakdown of what this looks like:

Humidity Range For Cannabis Seedlings And Clones
When cannabis is starting its journey, it loves humidity. Most growers aim for a relative humidity of 60%-80% when the plants are still in the seedling or clone phase.

Humidity Range For Vegetative Phase
At this stage, the cannabis plants will require a relative humidity of 50%-70%. Maintaining a warm micro-climate at this point is critical as you prep your plants for the next phase of flowering.

Humidity Range For Flowering Phase
This is the phase that most cannabis growers look forward to because they finally get to appreciate their weeks of hard work. It requires an RH of 40%-60%, the lower the better. High humidity will increase the chances of bud rot invading the canopy. However, the transition from high to low humidity should be gradual to avoid stressing out the plants. Think of the “Guru of Ganja”, Ed Rosenthal’s advice for cannabis cultivation and go “low and slow”.

Humidity Range For Cannabis Storage
Even after you have harvested your potent buds, you still need to keep the humidity levels in check. At this point, you need to maintain the RH at 58%-62%. This also happens to be the same RH range that Grove Bags are designed to maintain RH at. Using TerpLoc™ Technology, excess water vapor in the bag is diffused through the layer to prevent mold growth and create optimal humidity levels.

Benefits Of Humidity Level Control For Cannabis
When relative humidity is maintained at optimal levels, the cannabis plants will benefit in the following ways.

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Reduce chances of bud rot
High humidity levels create an environment where botrytis cinerea can thrive. Once bud rot occurs, it easily spreads to other plants and can destroy the whole canopy in no time. To make matters worse, bud rot starts discreetly from the inside as it gradually progresses outwards. By the time most growers detect this bud rot, the grey mold is far spread across the canopy. As an unfortunate result, the grower ends up losing an entire harvest.

Ensures the survival of the plants
When the air is too dry, cannabis flowers will close their pores to prevent excessive loss of water. This unfortunately reduces photosynthesis because the plants cannot obtain sufficient carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Within a short time, the plants will begin to wilt away and die.

Cannabis plants need adequate humidity in the atmosphere to thrive. Any fluctuations can hinder the development of the plants, causing them to die.

Improves potency
Trichomes are resinous glands found on the surface of cannabis buds. They convey the therapeutic compounds in weed, including cannabinoids and terpenes.

If the relative humidity is too low, the flowers will start to dry out. This will cause the trichomes to break off and separate from the buds resulting in diminished therapeutic value.

Improves taste
Adequate humidity control differentiates between regular and exceptional cannabis. Both extremes of humidity will create harsh and unpleasant smoke that doesn’t taste good. Buds preserved within the required humidity levels after curing will offer a gentle hit that’s gentle on the throat and palete.

How to Ensure Accurate Cannabis Humidity Control
There are a couple of techniques that can be used to maintain stable humidity levels. First, you need to invest in a hygrometer that measures relative humidity. Hygrometers will give you a clear understanding of the exact humidity level in your grow room. This will also help you to respond to any fluctuations in a timely fashion.

How to reduce humidity in your grow space
  • Invest in a quality dehumidifier
  • Run your exhaust fan at higher speeds to expel hot air out.
  • Increase the supply of cool air into your grow space.
  • Adequately water your plants.
How to boost humidity levels in your grow room
  • Run the exhaust fan at lower speeds to keep the room cool.
  • Turn off the dehumidifier.
  • Mist your plants (Avoid doing this during the flowering stage to avoid bud rot).
The Best Way To Maintain Humidity During Storage
Getting your cannabis through to harvest should be the hardest part of this journey. However, months of tiring labor can amount to nothing when humidity fluctuations decide to test you. Fortunately, there are a handful of products that can help you deal with this.

Grove Bags offers different products with TerpLoc™ films that create and maintain the ideal microclimate for cannabis. The Relative Humidity in Grove Bags is maintained at 58%-62%, which is ideal for cannabis storage.

With your cannabis humidity control in check, you are on your way to enjoying the fruits of your hard work for many months to come.
 
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