Problem with Drying - It's F'in COLD Here!

Hey:

Outdoor grower (12" pot, single plant), had to harvest a little early due to the really bad weather (wet and cold) once mid November hit. At this point, I cut my plant down, and the buds are hanging in the garage (I'm not allowed to bring them in, they stink too much!).

Problem is: It's been cold lately - roughly between 36*F (morning) and 53* F (afternoon/midday). And it's been raining on and off - not sure if that's good or bad for my garage-hung buddies. I read that I'd want temperatues around 70*F? Damn, if that's true I'm way off...... They've been hanging for 8 days now. I checked yesterday, and they still feel heavy and kinda wet. I haven't checked any of the stems.

I'm ready for the curing stage with my mason jars, but I have to get there first....

Thoughts?

Maybe a space heater or one of those ceramic heaters they sell at the big box stores could help.Cost 40-80 but it might save yer harvest!

Sounds like you are creating a perfect environment for mold to thrive on. Find a way to increase the temperature man, because if the buds have been hanging for EIGHT days and are still wet.... I'm surprised that shit isn't moldy.... or maybe it is...

Hey,,
70F is abity high for drying, should ideally be between 50-60 degree F, thats from my grow bible and thats the temps I aim for. (i use a drying box in my study)
Humidty is the main thing for drying,, that should be as low as possible. 0% ideally,
maybe a portable humidor is what you need..
Light should be kept to a minimum as this also degrades thc. along with handling or in a baggie.
On the heat front its better for ganja to dry slowy in a cool but DRY enviroment,, ,away from hot surfaces or heat vents....
Also how dry you let it get is up to you. I dry in a cardboard box, with string thread across the top,AND I start the 'cure' after roughly 5 days, when the stems still have some bend in them but are kinda dry.

Hope that helps..

i dont think 0% humidity would be very good. The buds would dry too fast.

this is what i used to do in upstate ny for indoor winter grows. i too had to use my garage and the weather there sucked..wet and cold all winter. i would take a newspaper and double wrap the whole plant up in it with a string hanging out to hang it upside down. i used scissors to cut a few holes in the newspaper wrapped plant, looked like an upside down V. hang it for 2 weeks before the cure. my $.02 peace

Im in the same boat. Drying my stuff in a shed outside. Im using a small space heater (extension cord running to it .. through the snow ... very ghetto) with the heater on its staying between 45-60f. Seems to be working okay. I did notice today however that after just 3 days out there the buds already feel ready to cure (very crispy) yet the stems are nowhere close to snapping. Having a hard time deciding wether to leave them out there or jar / screen them now. Im kind of fortunate that its stayed below freezing so Im not really worried about moisture so much. I would be carefull like others said though if your getting rain. Going to be very moist in there and if they are still fairly wet after 8 days make sure you examine very closely for mold.

personally opinion, i harvested a few plants in different environments. i put 1 in a room with constant air flow, around 75 degrees, etc. the other plant was placed in a colder room aroun 60 degrees with lesser air flow. i noticed that the bud that dried longer in the colder environment almost tightened up, it became way denser than the other bud.