tips for first time hempy bucket?

So I'm currently on my 3rd week of flowering. First time growing with coco and I did do a Hempy bucket for testing/comparison. I'm using a 2gal bucket, depending on how much room you have I would do 2-4gal. Don't beleive container shape matters just use the bottom 2 inches as res. I figured out the hard way, you want to feed nutrients every time you water. I heard mixed opinions like yourself so I alternated feeding/watering and got horribly slow growth. Once I started feeding every watering they exploded. I do alternate low dosage feedings though if I suspect they are on the verge of nute burn. The frequency of watering will change depending on size and atmosphere but I water my hempy every 3-5 days compared to my non hempys that get watered almost everyday.

 

crazy! and welcome to the hempy bucket world

i just recently switched from dwc to a perlite hempy bucket setup

i'm using perlite instead of hydroton clay pebs because i want more feeder roots than tap roots, to get fat fruits instead of fat stems

using a 5 gal painters bucket inside another 5 gal painters bucket so that there's a gap at the bottom to have a return line to a separate res/control bucket (obviously)

most certainly always have nutes in the res water, as it's run hydroponically (no soil to get nutes from)

also, the water runs through the system much faster than normal soil

most people run their perlite or hydroton hempy bucket water systems for 15 to 30 minutes every six hours (four times a day)



i use a high quality airpump and airstones in my res/control bucket, so my h2o is completely saturated with air

this means i can run my res/control bucket water through my system 24/7, and it's working out amazingly

my buddy who also does hempy buckets but only does 10 minutes 4 times a day is amazed at my results and is thinking about switching

you see, again, i came from dwc

us dwc guys are used to having our roots immersed in h2o 24/7, because of oxygen saturation




anyways, here's another perlite hempy bucket setup with a 600w hps:

http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-g...flowamastas-buds-get-fat-1-plant-monster.html

 

you're welcome and nice!

nay

most res/control buckets have a submersible water pump in them that pumps the water to the individual plant sites/buckets (there's actually even more complicated setups with multiple water pumps sucking water back to the res and/or circulating water in the res, but no need to go into that)

using a control bucket makes things a lot easier, even if you only have one plant/bucket

with a separate control bucket, you can fill it up with however much water you want, set the timer and let it go, refilling it with water when needed

in my setup so far i have not needed to refill it throughout the week, but i have not yet gotten into flowering (i just switched to this type of system), let alone late flowering

i'm pretty sure in late flower both girls will drink between a gallon to two gallons a day

i swap out the res/control bucket water every week, just to keep things clean (treat it exactly like dwc)

and yeah, a separate control bucket makes water changes SO much easier than dwc (if you did not have a separate control bucket for dwc like i did not, you know what i mean)

a separate control bucket also allows you to make water changes while it's lights off

also, like you said, you don't have to move the individual plant buckets around so you can do scrog

that's actually the same reason why i switched....i really wanted to do scrog again (did it in the past with soil with awesome results)





watering in perlite.....

most people run their water pump in the res, pumping water to the plant, for 15 to 30 minutes, every 6 hours (which means 4 times a day it runs for 15 to 30 minutes)

they say not to run it more than that because you will drown or overwater the plants

this is because the roots are not getting any oxygen



i have seemingly solved this issue by putting airstones in my res, to saturate the water with oxygen, exactly like in dwc

i got the idea from doing dwc in the past and being well acquainted with dwc

i don't know if there are any downsides to running the water pump 24/7 like i am, other than overwatering which i have taken care of.........the only other thing i can think of is extra wear on the water pump, and possibly having the water pump burn out faster than traditional systems






also, watering by hand may be very hard to do with pure perlite

i don't know if coco holds water better, but with pure perlite

you will want to water every 6 hours at a minimum

and use your dwc/hydro nute schedule because again, there's no nutes in perlite for the plant to absorb like with soil

 

I just noticed how kld this thread is but I know someone (like me) will see it sooner or later...I been hydro since since 198, so I got MANY YEARS under my belt...AND, I am returning to hempy systems...I habe USED THEM ALL, drips, ebb/flow, rockwools mats, DWC and they evolved into a system I call a SWC (shallow water culture) same principle as DWC but plants sit over a flooded closet floor (has res cover with cutouts) where the water is aerated and chilled....anyways, I am just tired of all the work, chillers, pumps, clean up, etc....I DID hempy before the word came about....5 gal, 4:1 perlite:vermiculite mix with 3 in of grow rock at the base (used lava rock back then)...same overflow hole 2 in up to a waste container...air stone at the bottom of each...top watered....what this thread is, is actually a Drip System...they are hempy designed buckets bjt soon as your repumping the drain water back to the plants, u have a drip system...NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT but technically not a hempy....AND IT WORKS GREAT AS DOES A SIMPLE HEMPY....

 

Agree with obsstar about air stones...My grow career finally went to water culture systems, using chillers, and pumps and air stones.....this is a crude drawing of my Hempy bucket set up...a brief explanation of that 2inch veritcal pvc tube inside the bucket...other than having decent air going to the stone in each, that tube is very important...since Hempy is top water sys, it should be self flushing...but in order to do it properly, you would need a LOT OF WATER 2-3 times the container volumn to KEEP it self flushing WITHOUT any buildup of nutes...WAY TO MUCH WATERING and waste of a lot of nutes...So, soon as my roots bottom out (week, 10 days tops), I water straight down that tube which goes into the 2 inches of hydroton in the bottom...I use 5 gal buckets so the res is holding about a gallon fully saturated...I dont have to worry about any buildup in my medium mix then...I shoot about a gallon down them every 2 days...At the base, side of the bucket, I drill a small hole with a rubber stopper...once I water, the air stones bubbles create voids in the water around it naturally drawing water toward it, thus MIXING up the solution within a half hr or so...I can easily pull that rubber stopper to collect a sample for pH and ppm checks....if adjustments are needed, put it straight down the watering tube...No build ups, and a nice aerated res in each bucket with proper pH and ppms at all times....This is the results!!!....pic taken on day 41 of flower....6 plants, in 4ft by 5ft room with 1k light...(2) Cheese Candy plants, (2) white widow plants, and (2) incredible bulk plants...cpl closeups of tops from last crop cpl days from harvest..cant see in full crop pic, but each bucket drains into that larger pvc tube that dumps to a waste tray...

 

Hempy newbie here. I like your design, YT. Pics look waaay more complicated. I'm growing two buckets now; one plant is healthy, one is getting sicker by the day. Neither have shown any signs of explosive growth, and they're well over five weeks old. Can you point me to some more Hempy info? I've grown in soil, so I know a little.... But I'm completely baffled about this plant's problem. Healthy plant is Marty McFly, unhealthy one is Mexican Brick Weed-- private seed collections. Both have had same basic conditions. My grow room did have some work done last couple of weeks, and temps and humidity have been all over the place. Apparently it's been getting in the 80s around 3-4PM. RH range 55-65. 2 1000 dbl LEDs, no air stones, pearlite:vermiculite, 3:1. Was looking forward to the MBW; would appreciate any help. BTW, it's been flushed, moved away from fan. Last feed today-- FF Grow Big 2t:1gal , Big Bloom 1t:1gal, Epson Salt 1t : 1gal, and molasses 1t:1 gal-- always cool RO water. Thanks to all.

 

Yeah, my hempy design is not necessary for success..just tweeking I have done...anyways, VERY TOUGH with the LEDS running for a good look, but the sickly one is clearly over fed...that Clawing of the leaves is a classic sign of it...I would guess its also DARK GREEN too....the other is bigger, thus still hanging in there cause its still can process your TDS levels, but probably close behind the other....ALWAYS, make sure your pH is ok 1st....That size plant would be getting about a 500ppm from ME...make sure you have some runoff when watering....You HAVE TO let them dry out btwn waterings for healthiest root systems...Not bone dry and nearly wilted, but make sure they have used most...lift them and check weight, stick finger into the medium, or whatever works best for you.....Hempy is VERY forgiving if those cpl rules are followed...I feed EVERY WATERING, just not high levels...more natural for the plants, than to heavy feed, heavy feed, FLUSH....keep pH tuned, let them dry btwn waterings.....then sit back and watch the show....quick edit...since they are 5 weeks, the other plant is most likely suffering a little too...In less than 2 week (usually week to 10 days) roots hit the internal res and take off big time...The one that looks 'HEALTHY' would be out if control tall if something was NOT bothering her....My guess is she is close to exhibiting same issues as the other...I hate to play the devils advocate, but at 5 weeks of veg in a TUNED hempy bucket, you could usually build a tree fort....Get them flushed, so they kick back into gear....At least your fixing it in veg....If that happened in flower, it would devastate your quality and yield...

 

Hey YT, thanks so much for all the info. Will have to get a new pH pen; broken Jellas. Was under the impression that I didn't need to worry about pH once I switched to RO water. I cringe as I admit it, but I don't ever check ppm either. Can you see why I find Hempys appealing? Last time I checked (last grow when I got meter, lol) ppm was less than 240 with nutes.
I don't really understand the whole ppm concept; haven't run across something easy to understand (stoned proof). Used to think ppm only mattered with hydro set ups! BUT, if it affects yield and quality, it be mighty important. [Put down that lighter and step away from the budz. Get a handle on ppm, Kwince!]
.................Outside cultivation is so much easier.....................
I'll call plants H and U--- originally in bright blue buckets. Only tended to U. Dug up. Gently rinsed her green body and beige roots with well water before planting in smaller, black Hempy bucket-- maybe 2 gal.
Wet down the NEW p/v with well water (NOT stoned proof) before transplant.
Watered: about 1/2 gallon (RO water with Epsom salt, molasses, FF Grow Big and Big Bloom.) Have only used the BB twice this grow. It's FF's #2 of 3 base nutes; progressing towards flower.
Anyway, I changed U's substrate and pot; set her out of lights' canopy, and let her rest. Cleaning out blue bucket--- it had soured. There was also algae on top, but again, I'd read that algae was a cosmetic issue-- the plant wouldn't be affected.....
As far as watering, I use a water meter (1-9, Dry-Wet). I water anything 3 and under. And I've been giving my soil plants a little plain water in between if the surface looks really dry.
There are some edges on H that seem ruffled. I've searched with a scope and can't find any critters. But-- I always worry about critters. Thanks again for helping. Now I'm gonna go try out my new Purple mattress. Hope it's as comfy as I think it will be.....
Know of any good books on Hempy?

 

There are no Hempy books...LOTS of good info online if you check it out...ICMAG has an OFFICIAL HEMPY FORUM that starts with Hempy guidelines....there really is the LEAST to remember with it...Simple drain to waste hydroponics....pH applies to both soil and hydro growers....recirculating hydro requires monitoring the pH of the main reservoir...with hempy, you set the pH of the water your giving them, and your done worrying about it till next watering....
ppms in a nut shell is just a # that represents how much nutrients (dissolved solids) are in the water....the more nutrients you add to the water the higher the ppm #....the good thing with hydro, is there are ppm charts that keep you in the ballpark...for the stage of growth (seedling, cutting, veg, late veg, early flower thru harvest) It assigns a number that your plants SHOULD enjoy...of course its a STARTING POINT and how your plants respond may require tweeking those #'s up or down....its harder with soil cause somewhere along the way, your soil get depleted of nutrients and need supplementing...The Ratios of what you give them at that point is more guesswork...hydro nutes are complete, so each batch you mix for your hempy buckets are complete and balanced...just set the pH and dont OVER FEED....plenty of charts online for nute levels for different systems....it sound simple because IT IS...thats the beauty of a Hempy bucket or basically any drain to waste hydro system....Keep the pH correct, feed without overdoing it and THAT'S IT.....of course, temp, lighting, fresh air exchange all come into play, but thats all common sense set up logistics....The 2 best mediums for a hempy bucket are Coco coir mixed with perlite (coco gets too wet without the perlite) AND perlite mixed with Vermiculite....I use a 4:1, (Perlite:vermiculite) mix....Nice airy mix the roots LOVE....with Coco a 50:50 mix with perlite works best IMO....Either will work fine....I use the Dyna-Gro Line of nutrients....IMO, they are THE BEST single use nutrients on the market...Balanced and complete...One bottle for growing (veg) and one for bloom (flowering)....I got turned on to it close to 30yrs ago and I'm still using it...DONT try playing mad scientist, as so many ppl do....Some use multi part nutrient systems and then add all kinds of other supplements...WAY NOT NECESSARY.....find a good nute, learn to use it and stick with it....YT

 

Thanks so much for the help, YT. I've looked at the ICMAG site on several occasions; will treat it as Reference #1. The MBW that I was worried about is a goner. Wondering if I should change the other to soil for flowering....
I gave it some water today-- and its reservoir had also soured.
I've still got half bottles (or more) of the FF trio. But I WILL look at Dyna-Grow. 30 years of use is quite a testament. I also appreciate the way you explained ppm-- seems clearer in my mind now. I wish I could just grow outside. My plants never look as big as others' at the same age, and I keep having problems. Of course I just started trying the indoor thing less than a year ago.... Looking for a cleaner and healthier product. And the fact that I can try "exotic" strains without breaking the bank is mighty attractive too, lol.
Anyway, I switched to 12/12 yesterday. I'm hoping the Hempy will pull through. Gonna go look into the Hempy>Soil idea....
May your holidays be filled with joy, love, and all things Hempy!

 

I tried soil growing once back in 1985 and went right back to hydro....My 1st crop was in 1979 (YEAH, showing my age..LOL)...Back then there was little to no legitimate grow info and no internet....all trial and error and a small underground with half way decent info sharing, IF you were able to tap into it....Laws were MUCH STRICTER so everyone was VERY CAREFUL....I learned quickly but not without a bunch of heartbreaks....
I was a young inspiring engineer and the concept of hydroponics was very intriguing.....hydro then, was the beginning of the inevitable....
The reason I mention all that is I made it a QUEST to become one of the 1st SELF APPOINTED cannabis engineers..LOL...I studied plant biology, research papers and every bit of info HIGH TIMES magazine contained (god bless them for their early work!!!)....It quickly made sense that soil CANNOT offer what hydroponics is able to....plants can only uptake nutrients in their SALT FORM (basic chemical makeup)...when growing in soil, many things need to happen (such as microbial breakdown) to make those specific nutrients available to the plant....even then, your NEVER sure of the RATIOS of each of those elements when they do become available...eventually, soil becomes depleted of quality nutrients and you have to feed them anyways.....speciality soils these days contains great organics but STILL there is uncertainty going on.....With hydro, you offer the plant THE EXACT nutrients they need to thrive, at THE EXACT RATIOS required to thrive...When you mix some, a TDS meter will let you know if your ppms are correct for the plant size and nutrient needs and a pH meter allows you to set the perfect pH.....Both those conditions are much harder duplicated and maintain with soil growing.....If someones plant CANNOT uptake nutrient from soil UNTIL its broken down to its salt form, why not just use hydroponics and offer a complete and balanced nutrient program from the start....by the time the plants are flowering hard, your soil is getting depleted and has to be fed anyways....When its most important to have a well balanced nutrient program (hard flowering), soil starts letting you down....There are also lots of un-necessary supplements for growing....Its a HUGE muti billion dollor industry world wide...MANY claims are made because the is a LOT OF $$$ involved.....
Same with type of hydro systems...There are some pricey RDWC systems, flood and drain tables, etc, when the FACT remains that a simple passive hydro set up (such as a Hempy bucket) with grow bud as good as ANY SYSTEM....Next yr will be 40 yrs of hydro growing for me....I base EVERYTHING on fact, scientific evidence and MOST IMPORTANTLY DECADES of growing.....I fell into a lot of new systems in the 80ies only to find out the all do the same thing....hydro is bringing nutrient rich water to the root system in an otherwise inert medium...whether its DWC, drip sys, flood tables, hempy buckets...THE BOTTOM LINE is they all perform the same function....
Fact, Hydro outgrows soil....Fact, Hydro is MUCH easier to monitor pH and nutrient levels....Fact, basic passive hydro sys (like Hempy buckets), achieve the same results as EXPENSIVE complex systems....The ONLY thing that makes growing complicated, FOR SOME, is the HUGE market and the onslaught of media information that comes with it....navigating it can be intimidating....Fact is, that its quite simple once someone realizes the very BASIC needs of the plants....FORUMS can be the worse place for some....there is a lot of good info but a lot of BOGUS info....ANYONE can post comments....For a beginner, how would they differentiate....
Sorry, enuf of my rambling...just try to wade thru the BS and pull out basic facts.....ALL PLANTS, like loose airy medium thats moist but not soaked....Moderate BALANCED nutrient levels with a proper pH so THEY CAN UPTAKE the nutrients, PERIOD...then your then growing....3 of a growers worse enemies are spider mites, white flies and THEMSELF....LOL....Y.T.

 

THAT WAS SO REASSURING. IT MAKES ME HAPPY TO SEE PEOPLE AS YOURSELF HELPING OTHERS, AND JUST LEAVING INFORMATION FOR US NEWBIES TO FIND.

NICE WORK YANKEE

 

Gotta love the Hempy system....Here is a quick pic of last crop (week b4 harvest) and current crop, at 3 weeks into flower.....I noticed how I 'missed' my flip into flower on the crop pics that were posted earlier in this thread....Happens easily with plants from seed, since your not sure how they will behave at timer flip....Stretch varies SO MUCH btwn strains.....Once you have an ALL CLONE crop, you can really pack in the the tops....Last crop avg'ed just about 2 oz per sqft and this current one is in line with that!!!!....The simplicity of a hempy crop allows a near perfectly tuned garden.....Its almost seems unfair.....I have NEVER grown with another system that matches it..AND I HAVE TRIED THEM ALL...my Hempy buckets are modified in just that I have a grow rock reservoir in the bucket based (2 inches) with airstones in them....The airstones DO make them veg faster....I tried hempy a few ways, and that BY FAR produces the best results....YT....

 

OOSH ! ! !

VERY KOOL !

IM JELOUS LOL. MY SEEDLINGS KEEP STRETCHING. IVE GOT THE LIGHT CLOSE ENOUGH. I GOT MADE AND WAISTED 2 BLUE WIDOWS ALREADY AND SLASHED UP A NEW 4X4 SEA HAWK TENT. DOC SAYS I HAVE ADD.. BUT AFTER THAT EPISODE IM NOT SO SURE LOL... NOW I GOT A TRANSFORMER TENT AND 2 PINEAPPLE CHUNKS....

ITS SAYS 80% INDICA AN 20% SATIVA...
I THINK THE WEB I LIYING AFTER ALL THE INFO I TRIED TO FIND..

WOULD YOU KNOW OR ANYONE KNOW IF THIS STRAIN WOULD STRETCH IF I DID A SCROG?

 

Im About to try diy hempy with a 15gal/60L tube.. i have 4 20cm airstones but im thinking of just using 1 as original hempys already dont need airstones

 

Not sure about your stretching seedlings...tough without pics....If your light is close enuf, you can rule out weak light...May just be the strain, unless its been across the board....Type of light makes a BIG difference when they are early seedlings....HAVE TO USE a Daylight, Coolwhite, or similar when talking about flourescents....Low kelvin spectrums will actually PROMOTE elongation.....A neat little trick is use a SILICA product if you have it available....Silica strengthens cellular structure BIG TIME...with seedlings, it will stiffen the stems up...more time strengthening than elongation....I use it to control any particular cuts I want to keep, but are 2.5-3x stretchers....A little LST 'whipping' of branches and a few high doses of silica, I can turn those 2.5x-3x stretchers into 1.5's.....Dont be afraid to put a little fan on the seedlings...that exercise will help prevent lengthening....When you transplant into their permanent home, just bury the extra stem too...That buried stem will root all up too....
With the airstones, I found it significantly increases my Veg rate...along with that, it also helps keep the pH more stable....I have done MANY with and without airstones....Great bud can be grown either way, but I have better results with them....Thats also assuming a porous grow rock, ECA product like Hydroton is used in the bucket bottoms up to the 2 inch drain....That type of medium holds a wonderful ratio of air/water, which is why its so popular to begin with...A airstone fizzing away at the bottom keeps that 'RESERVOIR' an enviroment that VERY conducive to happy roots....Those who say air stones dont make a difference, HAVE NEVER done any amount crops BOTH WAYS....2019 marks 40 yrs of hydro growing for me and there is not too much left that I HAVE NOT tried....Its also why I grow with this system....I've tried them all, and NOTHING clearly out grows it or produces better quality....It a system that doesnt make sense in commercial applications without automating some things, like watering....But for the bulk of grassroots growers, Its simple, inexpensive, and works well.....
The CRITICAL part of a hempy system is the Medium, whether or not airstones are used.....I found a 4:1 perlite:vermiculite to be THE BEST mix.....I got a buddy who does the same system as mine but uses a 2:1 perlite:coco coir....Coco is a VERY wet mix when used in higher ratios....I have seen a fair share of those who try hempy with too much coco....It can be done IF your patient about watering at the right time....It very easy to over water a hempy bucket with a high coco rate.....Roots love a Airy mix that stays DAMP, not wet...They do most of their drinking from the reservoir a hempy design creates until that goes dry, then they will deplete the medium....Best to use that very airy mix and water when the reservoir gets depleted....THATS A HAPPY PLANT....for new growers, or nervous waterers (too often), that airy mix will make it IMPOSSIBLE to drown your roots and all is well....Just another built in advantage of a PROPERLY set up Hempy system....YT