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SYK's Killer Bucket System (KBS) Suggestion/Discussion Thread

~SYK~

Member
.love to see your grow dude, post a bit and feel the restrictions lift

Sorry bro ... not gonna happen.

No current grow to take picts of.

I have old picts, but unless I am going to post one of them to show/demonstrate something, I see no need to post old picts.

Maybe?

Gotta Run Fellas!

~SomeoneYouKnow~
 

Haps

stone fool
Veteran
It is pretty simple to cool vert K's with an air column, created with a good fan underneath blowing up, takes the heat to the ceiling, but you gotta move it from there to the exhaust.
I do not get as consistant of a crop in vert as hort, so I don't do it anymore.
H
 

I'm Sorry Mom!

New member
call me syk, gonna b leaving for the weekend I'll b back on Tuesday.
Don't use cool-tubes, glass, lenses or any of the sort around ur bulbs, it will inhibit UV rays .I've used cool tubes b4, IMHO glass reduces lumen output.
 

MJMAVEN

Member
10x10 would most likely be lit up by a single 1KW in the middle and 4 600W on the sides.

The room can be set up like this :

o X o
X O X
o X o

with x = plant o = 600 and O = 1KW

That would be 3400 watts in lighting and 4 girls. You would need slightly more than a ton of AC (12000BTU) in that room with those bare bulbs.

1. How long would you veg with a setup like this? Obviously strain dependent, but on average? 6 weeks?

2. How much would you expect to yield per plant? Again, obviously strain dependent, but roughly?

3. So, you use 10 gal. Rubbermaid trashcans stacked with perlite or coco/hydroton in the top one and nothing but a drain fitting in the bottom one? Dripping recirculated nutrients 24/7?
 

localhero

Member
thanks for the help on those questions man. anyone in a med state like i am should be aware of these buckets and tree style grows. is there a downside to these buckets im not finding anywhere? i mean who wouldnt want over a lb a plant?

i thought i read before that you dumped the idea of bubbles in individual buckets, but thats a great idea with a teed off feed tube and a ball valve. and yeah the diagram u showed og ghost helps big time thanks. great idea with the plant movers too- you get your height to drain set, ability to jump rooms and move em around - nice.

1-the buckets are strain dependent, what type you think fits best between sat/ind/mix why?

2- what you would consider the ideal setup for this system? meaning plants per ideal room size/lighting/cooling(without going too nuts on room size), your vision of what the most up to date freedom bucket build out would be basically.

3- maybe im wrong but didnt you have it on constant feed, recirc? if not whats your feed schedule?

hah i didnt realize what a pain in the ass blurting out a buttload of questions and then not numbering them would be, ill keep em under three from now on ;)
 
P

purpledomgoddes

I think your question is about media - so that is what I will discuss :

Lava : Original Medium, Wicks and Drains well, ph unstable, hard to wash, hard to disinfect, heavy to move/clean/dispose

Hydroton: I have never seen a successful Killer Bucket Grow ran wtih Hydroton. I personally ran it once, and ended up transplanting my plants into Lava (of all things) half way thru to save the crop!

Coir: Used on its own, it holds too much moisture in large pots Killer Bucket Size.

Coir/Hydroton 40/60 mix : VERY Successful. Many growers used this medium and were very happy with the results. The advantages of large plants without the disadvantages of a constant watering system and built in buffers to error.

Coir/Perlite : Never saw this used. IMO would still be too compact to use in KBS.

Perlite: THE MEDIUM OF CHOICE! Completely Inert, Lightweight, easy to clean, easy to use, wicks water well, holds water well, holds LOTS of air, hard to overwater, doesnt affect system PH or TDS like coir or lava ....I could keep going on.

Conclusion : Perlite or Coir40%/Hydroton60% mix

Was that what you were looking for?

Hope it Helps

SYK

thx for the response.

originally ran kbs 9-10 yrs ago, w/ lava.

recently ran 5 gal buckets w/ lava+coco, spacer, then 5 gal bucket on bottom.

5/8" nylon rope sitting in run-off/res bottom bucket, as wick.
must admit, was fan of lava due to durability. have had same lava rock for nearly 10 yrs. but, roots did not seem to penetrate bottom of bucket w/ lava for drainage. lava seems to be inhibitor, rather than roots growing into cracks/crevices of rock.

was impressed w/ coco as medium.

used simple black gold coco blend+coco bricks dissolved. added about 50% perlite to coco.

kept nylon rope wick.

replaced 5 gal top bucket w/ 4 gal square bucket; fits snugly into 5 gal, w/ out need for spacer pot between. easily lifts out of lower 5 gal for maintenance.

nylon rope for wick makes so dont have to drain bottom bucket of run-off; is wicked up into bottom 2" of top bucket, below drainage holes, where 2" layer of perlite rests @ bottom for drainage.

no air pump(s). no water pump(s). no hoses connecting everything. just hand water 1 time per 2-4 days, depending. can see water in bottom bucket being wicked up into medium of 4 gal, filled w/ coco+perlite. after 2-4 days, no run-off remains in lower 5 gal.

used same technique as w/ krusty buckets, i.e., many drilled holes in bottom of square 4 gal. nylon rope situated in media, pulled thru hole(s), and ~ 2" resting in lower res/run-off bucket.

w/ 4 gal square buckets, sitting in round 5 gal buckets, aiflow in room gets into air space and up into root zone. so, room itself is air pump.

just another variation. dont know if it is 'kbs' or not. vert 1k's, +uvb. wanted to get away from pumps, etc, but keep less/bigger plants. 50/50 coco/perlite, w/ wick (so no potential for drying out) seems to work in the garden.

hope this helps. enjoy your garden!
 

~SYK~

Member
It is pretty simple to cool vert K's with an air column, created with a good fan underneath blowing up, takes the heat to the ceiling, but you gotta move it from there to the exhaust.
I do not get as consistant of a crop in vert as hort, so I don't do it anymore.
H

This sounds more like a fan under a bulb with exhaust for heat at the top of the room. Yes, that would be recommended - especially later in flower when the plants have grown towards the lights.


I would agree a person could get more consistency and higher yields using SOG.

KBS has always been about low plant numbers and the highest yield possible with those few plants.
 

~SYK~

Member
Don't use cool-tubes, glass, lenses or any of the sort around ur bulbs, it will inhibit UV rays .I've used cool tubes b4, IMHO glass reduces lumen output.


Yeppers Peppers.

ISM was one of the OG (original) members growin KBS.

His experience, along with mine, and a few others - is what leads me to believe that :

A) Moving vertical cooled bulbs is a PITA.
B) Yields are decreased.

Good Luck!
 

~SYK~

Member
1. How long would you veg with a setup like this? Obviously strain dependent, but on average? 6 weeks?

2. How much would you expect to yield per plant? Again, obviously strain dependent, but roughly?

3. So, you use 10 gal. Rubbermaid trashcans stacked with perlite or coco/hydroton in the top one and nothing but a drain fitting in the bottom one? Dripping recirculated nutrients 24/7?

Thanks for numbering the questions!

1) Krusty would shit his pants if you told him that it took 6 weeks to veg out a KBS plant. That being said - he always grew a freak plant known as BCBB which just grows amazingly well, fast, and yeilds like a MOFO. Quality was less than local varieties grown; so for indica "KUSH" type strains ... I could see 6 weeks being reasonable.

2) Yield is more dependent on light rather than plant number. I'd say a pound+ per starting off, then more from there once you dial your room in.

2-2.5lbs are TOTALLY reasonable numbers for the RIGHT strain in the CORRECTLY dialed room. That being said .... what is the right strain? ... and what is a 'perfect' room?

3) I have used many different systems in the past for KBS variations. My final grow I built out was with the 10gal rubbermaid buckets, the top bucket had 5 4" holes drilled in the bottom with a piece of screen cut to fit and filled with perlite. The bottom bucket had an INCH AND A HALF inch drain line in it ... that eventually stepped down to 3/4. My drain line opening size was important IMO in keeping the system from flooding at times.

No, I didnt water 24/7 because I used drip rings rather than drippers which let out much more water. I had timed watering cycles that would vary depending on plant size and heat level (time of year) Watering Times are something you will just have to play around with until you find out what works for you best.

Hope it Helps

SYK
 

~SYK~

Member
thanks for the help on those questions man. anyone in a med state like i am should be aware of these buckets and tree style grows. is there a downside to these buckets im not finding anywhere? i mean who wouldnt want over a lb a plant?

Yes - there are MAJOR downsides to a KBS room.

Honestly, its a pain in the ass. And the larger and more complex you make everything (or everything becomes) the even more pain in the ass it becomes.

SOG in Coco Trays or Slabs was the easiest method I have ever used ... but for my 6KW I had over 100 plants.

You cannot vertically cool the lights so you have to install major air conditioning systems. You have to have the knowhow to do this, or someone who does. You then have to have a backup or make sure your system is bulletproof cause if your AC goes down you gotta turn your lights off - its not like using horizontal air cooled lighting where you can put a fan in the door and make it work in a pinch!

Because you have so much AC - you HAVE to add humidity to the room because your AC will suck it dry and your plants will suffer.

Now your bulbs are getting wet because you have major fog going on in your room at times and the fans are dripping the water they are condensing onto the floor all over the place.

... that is just the start.

BUT

Killer Buckets are the highest yielding for lowest plant number system out there IMO.

And once you get your room dialed in ... its pretty fucken cool to see a plant the size of a tree that you have to crawl on your knees to get around the room and at times are afraid you may not have a saw large enough to harvest.

: GRIN :


i thought i read before that you dumped the idea of bubbles in individual buckets, but thats a great idea with a teed off feed tube and a ball valve. and yeah the diagram u showed og ghost helps big time thanks. great idea with the plant movers too- you get your height to drain set, ability to jump rooms and move em around - nice.

Thank you. Its a LONG time in development!

1-the buckets are strain dependent, what type you think fits best between sat/ind/mix why?

2- what you would consider the ideal setup for this system? meaning plants per ideal room size/lighting/cooling(without going too nuts on room size), your vision of what the most up to date freedom bucket build out would be basically.

3- maybe im wrong but didnt you have it on constant feed, recirc? if not whats your feed schedule?

hah i didnt realize what a pain in the ass blurting out a buttload of questions and then not numbering them would be, ill keep em under three from now on ;)

No problem on the number of questions ... but lets "small chunk" #2 into more specific questions so I am not typing for an hour.

1) The best strain .. would be whatever is the best medicine for you. For Quality or Quantity that is up to you. In General ... Quality will come from a more Inidica based plant and Quantity will come from a Sativa strain.

3) Feed schedule is size, strain, time of year and system dependent. See above comments.
 

~SYK~

Member
recently ran 5 gal buckets w/ lava+coco, spacer, then 5 gal bucket on bottom.

5/8" nylon rope sitting in run-off/res bottom bucket, as wick.
must admit, was fan of lava due to durability. have had same lava rock for nearly 10 yrs. but, roots did not seem to penetrate bottom of bucket w/ lava for drainage. lava seems to be inhibitor, rather than roots growing into cracks/crevices of rock.

was impressed w/ coco as medium.

used simple black gold coco blend+coco bricks dissolved. added about 50% perlite to coco.

kept nylon rope wick.

replaced 5 gal top bucket w/ 4 gal square bucket; fits snugly into 5 gal, w/ out need for spacer pot between. easily lifts out of lower 5 gal for maintenance.

nylon rope for wick makes so dont have to drain bottom bucket of run-off; is wicked up into bottom 2" of top bucket, below drainage holes, where 2" layer of perlite rests @ bottom for drainage.

no air pump(s). no water pump(s). no hoses connecting everything. just hand water 1 time per 2-4 days, depending. can see water in bottom bucket being wicked up into medium of 4 gal, filled w/ coco+perlite. after 2-4 days, no run-off remains in lower 5 gal.

used same technique as w/ krusty buckets, i.e., many drilled holes in bottom of square 4 gal. nylon rope situated in media, pulled thru hole(s), and ~ 2" resting in lower res/run-off bucket.

w/ 4 gal square buckets, sitting in round 5 gal buckets, aiflow in room gets into air space and up into root zone. so, room itself is air pump.

just another variation. dont know if it is 'kbs' or not. vert 1k's, +uvb. wanted to get away from pumps, etc, but keep less/bigger plants. 50/50 coco/perlite, w/ wick (so no potential for drying out) seems to work in the garden.

This is awesome man. There is MUCH to be said for making a complex system easier to handle. Yields may not be as much as a "fully dialed kbs system" - however in the long run your way may be better because if/when a water pump fails, or whatever - loosing a crop will cost you much more than dialing in something super complex to yield a little more.

Respect.

It's not how I would do it, but it sounds like it worked well for you!

Take Care,

SYK
 

whodi

Active member
Veteran
1) how do you use perlite as the only source of medium when it comes to using nutes? Like coco holds more pk so you dont use as much nutes; same with perltie or not?

2) If growing trees in 10-15 gallons, what medium would you use on a drip system?

3) Do you veg with 3400 watts for 6+ weeks? Why couldnt you just use a veg room and veg for 8-9 weeks while the other rooms flowers?

4) how do you veg plants? I put 4 plants around a 1000 watt MH bulb now.

Basically I wanan know the best option for me. I like growing trees in a prepetual system. Veg room and flower room. Trying to figure out what type of medium would be best here with a drip/drain to waste or something else?

Thanks
 

localhero

Member
whats up syk, just a few things to pass by you.

PLANT_TO_LIGHT_LAYOUT.jpg


plant to light layout, basically took your advice for a 10' room and doubled it . was able to add two plants with only having to add one more light (7800w, 780 w per plant)
1- will this be too hard to cool?
2- would you drop the 1000s to 600s or keep it how i put it, basically whats the concept with the 1000s mixed with 600s?
3- i numbered the plants based on how many sides are recieving light, are you rotating your plants?



pots.jpg

i found these 11.5 gallon buckets with the five gallon round lids and had an idea - your chunky perlite mix 40 60 in a 10 inch net pot. they only come in white so id have to tape em up but cheaper than buying two brute 10 gal and square sides for easier fitting connecting.

4- good bad for this style? will the 10 inch net pot support a tree?

thanks
 

whodi

Active member
Veteran
Nice, localhero

I'd like some input on a mix of 1000 and 600's together as well. Would it be more efficient to stick with a mix or would it be worth using all 1000's if you can afford the juice and cool it properly?
 

whodi

Active member
Veteran
ANd syk you say coco holds too much moisture in big buckets but maybe you jsut have to water differently.. say 1 minute 3 times a day..
 
P

purpledomgoddes

ANd syk you say coco holds too much moisture in big buckets but maybe you jsut have to water differently.. say 1 minute 3 times a day..

w/ 4 gal buckets of coco+perlite, hand water only every 3-4 days, and then only until there is first run of drainage. w/ wick in media bucket running down to lower 5 gal bucket, really only have to water every 5-7 days or so, depending on maturity.

3 times a day seems a bit excessive for coco, unless have dehumidifier in room, or huge plants drinking lots of water.

objective of coco was/is to water less than other media? trees will still grow. just top/thin/train/know strain. flower when 12-18" tall/wide, and give 3 cubic feet of space to grow in, at least.

w/ coco, would water day after top of media is bone dry. moisture will still be in coco, but point is to make plant stretch for water; also permit oxygen to permeate thru media.

syk may have different take. syk's thread. but have run 5 gal, 4 gal and 3 gal buckets of coco+perlite, coc+lava rock.

hope this helps.
enjoy your garden!
 

whodi

Active member
Veteran
Thanks but this thread is about growing big trees with vertical lighting in big containers.
 
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